The Best Lousy
Choice: An Ed Earl Burch Novel begins with Ed Earl Burch hurting in more ways than one. Demons
haunt his dreams and are a specter barely unseen during his waking hours.
Narcotics and lots of whisky keep things a little bit at bay, though working is
what works best for the private investigator that was once many years ago, a
Dallas Homicide Detective, who believed in the law and that justice would rule
the day. Burch knows better now and has the many physical and mental scars to
show for it.
The year is 1989
and the legendary Dallas Cowboys barely exist in name only thanks to that shyster
owner out of Arkansas. The Oklahoma Sooners suck and will always suck, as any
true Texan knows, and Louie’s Bar is the best place for booze and Campisi’s on
Mockingbird is the best for pizza. One often finds Ed Earl Burch in one place or
the other, more often Louie’s, and that means those that know Burch know where
to find him. One such person is Fat Willie Nofzinger, his lawyer, and a man
that can’t be ignored. Nofzinger holds the note on Burch’s business and has the
cards that, for now, have kept Burch out of the county jail. So, Burch has to
listen to Nofzinger and do what he wants, but he doesn’t have to like it or
make it easy on him
The last thing
Burch wants to do is to go out to West Texas. He barely survived events out
there last time and some folks would love it if he came back so they could
settle scores. The fact that it is a divorce case, the type of case Burch
absolutely hates, does not improve the situation.
Fat Willie Nozfinger
has a rich female client by the name of Nita Rodriguez Wyatt. The very wealthy
woman has heard of Burch, wants him hired, and knows enough to go through Nozfinger
to get him on the case. A case from a while back and a talkative former client
who was very grateful for the help means Wyatt wants him and won’t take no for
an answer. Not that Nozfinger is going to allow Burch to say no as Nozfinger
also stands to make buck off of Burch working the case. Refusal to take the job
means severe consequences for Burch and ones he can’t accept.
Hating every second
of it, all Burch can do is pack up and head out to West Texas. Plan is to do
his five days of supposedly easy money and pocket his cash, while also separately
slashing a bit of his debt to Nozfinger, and get back to Dallas without anyone
being the wiser. That was before the gun play, public and not so public
carnage, a possibly bent sheriff, an obvious and very bitter family feud, and
more come into play. Ed Earl Burch is in a world of trouble before he hits the
sun baked wilds of West Texas and things are only going to go downhill in an
escalating violent way.
The Best Lousy
Choice: An Ed Earl Burch Novel is the third in the series that began with The Last Second Chance followed by The Right Wrong Number. One expects
before one opens the book that there will be plenty of action, carnal
adventures, frequent carnage, along with plenty of observations about Texas
history and some sarcastic comments about life in the great state of Texas. Things
will be graphic and detailed in terms of settings, language, and violence. Author
Jim Nesbitt meets and exceeds those expectations in The Best Lousy Choice: An Ed Earl
Burch Novel.
This review is a
mere West Texas mirage glimpsed on the distant horizon down a crooked two lane macadam
roadway. The review just does not do the book justice and the read is an
intense and a violent crime fiction read. A book that, like the series itself,
is highly recommended. It would be best to read in order, but do what you
will.
The Best Lousy
Choice: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
Jim Nesbitt
Spotted Mule Press
July 2019
ISBN# 0-9983294-2-8
Trade Paperback
(also available as an eBook)
347 Pages
$16.99
Material in the form of an ARC was provided with no expectation of
a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019
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2 comments:
Can't believe I didn't thank you profusely for this stellar review when it first ran. Huge ball droppage on my part.
LOL....No worries. I need a new Ed Earl dose.
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