Isaac Bell
historical adventure
Series · western
Cole and Hitch
The Cole and Hitch series by Robert B. Parker has 10 known books (10 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Appaloosa (2005). Robert B. Parker wrote the series; it was continued by Robert Knott.
- Books
- 10 known books (10 novels)
- Published
- 10
- First published
- 2005
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Historical Fiction, Adventure
- Last checked
Start here: Appaloosa (2005) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Appaloosa
Appaloosa (2005) opens Robert B. Parker's only western series at 276 pages, introducing lawmen Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch as they take the marshal job in the title town -- the pattern of a lawless settlement and a dangerous local power broker that the whole series, and the later Robert Knott-continued novels, would follow.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Appaloosa - Book 2:
Resolution
Resolution is the 2nd book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert B. Parker, published in 2008 at 325 pages. It follows Appaloosa and precedes Brimstone in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Resolution - Book 3:
Brimstone
Brimstone is the 3rd book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert B. Parker, published in 2009 at 307 pages. It follows Resolution and precedes Blue-Eyed Devil in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Brimstone - Book 4:
Blue-Eyed Devil
Blue-Eyed Devil is the 4th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert B. Parker, published in 2010 at 276 pages. It follows Brimstone and precedes Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue-Eyed Devil - Book 5:
Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse
Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse is the 5th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, published in 2013 at 432 pages. In the reading order it follows Blue-Eyed Devil and precedes Robert B. Parker's Bull River. This is the point in the series where Robert Knott, co-writer of the 2008 Appaloosa film adaptation, takes over from creator Robert B. Parker.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse - Book 6:
Robert B. Parker's Bull River
Robert B. Parker's Bull River is the 6th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, who continues the series Robert B. Parker created, published in 2014 at 342 pages. In the reading order it follows Robert B. Parker's Ironhorse and precedes Robert B. Parker's The Bridge.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Bull River - Book 7:
Robert B. Parker's The Bridge
Robert B. Parker's The Bridge is the 7th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, who took over the series Robert B. Parker began, published in 2014. In the reading order it follows Robert B. Parker's Bull River and precedes Robert B. Parker's Blackjack.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's The Bridge - Book 8:
Robert B. Parker's Blackjack
Robert B. Parker's Blackjack is the 8th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, who took over the series Robert B. Parker began, published in 2016 at 405 pages. In the reading order it follows Robert B. Parker's The Bridge and precedes Robert B. Parker's Revelation.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Blackjack - Book 9:
Robert B. Parker's Revelation
Robert B. Parker's Revelation is the 9th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, who continues the series Robert B. Parker created, published in 2017 at 436 pages. In the reading order it follows Robert B. Parker's Blackjack and precedes Robert B. Parker's Buckskin.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Revelation - Book 10:
Robert B. Parker's Buckskin
Robert B. Parker's Buckskin is the 10th book in the Cole and Hitch series, written by Robert Knott, who continues the series Robert B. Parker created, published in 2019 at 384 pages. It follows Robert B. Parker's Revelation and, as of this catalogue, is the most recent entry in an ongoing series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Robert B. Parker's Buckskin
About the Cole and Hitch series
Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are a pair of hired lawmen drifting across the post-Civil War American West, taking on marshal and deputy jobs in whichever town needs order imposed fastest. Robert B. Parker's only western series, it applies the same spare, dialogue-driven style he brought to Spenser to the genre that shaped his prose in the first place — Cole is the quicker gun and the more rigid moral code, narrator Everett Hitch the steadier, more reflective of the two, and their partnership is tested repeatedly by women, politics, and the plain fact that imposing law on a lawless town usually means killing people. Parker wrote four novels between 2005 and his death in 2010; the first, Appaloosa, was adapted into a well-regarded 2008 film starring Ed Harris and Viggo Mortensen, with Robert Knott co-writing the screenplay.
That connection led directly to the series' continuation: Knott, having spent years inside Cole and Hitch's voice for the film, was chosen by the Parker estate to keep writing the characters, and has added six further novels since 2013 under the same Robert B. Parker's-branded model used for Spenser, Jesse Stone, and Sunny Randall. This is the series for readers who like Parker's terse, morally unambiguous style but want gunfights and frontier towns instead of modern Boston.
Frequently asked questions
Who writes the Cole and Hitch series?
Robert B. Parker wrote the series; it was continued by Robert Knott.
How many Cole and Hitch books are there?
Robert B. Parker wrote four Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch novels (2005–2010), starting with Appaloosa. Robert Knott has continued the series since 2013 with six more novels — 10 tracked here in total.
What order should I read the Cole and Hitch books in?
Publication order, starting with Appaloosa. Each book's central conflict is largely self-contained, but the partnership between Cole and Hitch carries forward across the series.
Who is Robert Knott and why did he continue the series?
Knott co-wrote the 2008 film adaptation of Appaloosa with star and director Ed Harris. That work put him deep enough inside Parker's voice for the characters that the Parker estate chose him to continue the novels after Parker's 2010 death.
Is Cole and Hitch connected to Spenser or Jesse Stone?
No direct crossover — it's a standalone western series sharing only Robert B. Parker's prose style and, since 2013, his estate's continuation model with other writers.
Is there a new Cole and Hitch book coming?
Robert B. Parker's Opium Rose, by Robert Knott, has been announced with a tentative 2027 release; no confirmed date as of August 2026, so it is not listed as a tracked next release here.
If you like the Cole and Hitch series
Reading order last verified .