Sunday, January 11, 2026
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Sunday, December 28, 2025
Tuesday, December 09, 2025
Review: The Fatal Saving Grace: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
Some would call it justice. Some would call it
revenge. No matter what you call it, the concept has been a long running theme
of the Ed Earl Burch series. The same is very much true in the
fifth book of the series, The Fatal Saving Grace: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
by Jim Nesbitt.
This novel picks up a few months after The
Dead Certain Doubt. This read addresses those events and brings
some of the characters back while also addressing events earlier in the series.
That means that it is impossible to review this read without referencing some spoilers
if you have not read the previous book. I am doing my best to minimize that aspect
of things. But, if you keep reading you were warned….
This is a novel of tying up loose ends and settling
scores. It begins with Ed Earl Burch barely surviving a far Southwest Texas
ambush. These days he carries a shield as an investigator for the Cuervo County
District Attorney. Technically that would make the DA his boss, but the reality
is that he reports to the Cuervo County Sheriff Sudden Doggett as well as a
retired Texas Ranger by the same of Dub McKee. McKee has connections to powerful
people and made it happen and roped Sudden Doggett into the plan to give Burch
a badge again despite what happened with the Dallas Police way back when. Burch
tends to be a burr under Doggett’s saddle as the two men don’t mesh well for a variety
of reasons.
Based out of the Sherrif’s Office in Faver, and
within a couple of hours drive down to Marfa and Presidio, Burch is teamed up
with Deputy Sheriff Bobby Quintero as the two chase down leads on who might have
tried to ambush Burch on his way home.
Not only is Bobby good company, he has great skills
as he was a Ranger and worked in some of the worst trouble spots on the globe.
Still, Burch would prefer to go it alone. Because Burch does his own thing.
Always.
Being a one-man band fits his personality best. Having
the badge back after losing it many years ago in Dallas is great and all, but
it has not been as good as he thought it would be. He is feeling a bit
suffocated by being forced to work with others, go through a chain of command,
follow orders, and control his outlaw impulses. He was brought in to get things
done as he had the reputation of being a loose cannon that got results, and now
he is supposed to work with others after years of going his own way to get
justice and settle scores.
He is also missing the heck out of Carla Sue
Cantrell who recently took off and said she might be back whenever. He has
found solace in the arms of a couple of local women, but they are a poor substitute.
Inleading the certain lady that can make one heck of a chicken fried steak.
(Don’t read this while your hungry as food comes up
a lot. Especially if you have not had a good chicken fried steak in years.)
In the here and now, Burch was chasing leads on one
Lonny Dalrymple and apparently that stirred up somebody to try the ambush. There
was a big murder case awhile back and it was believed there were three killers
involved. Two are dead. One is death row where he belongs. The case was
supposed to be closed and done.
But, the supremely talented County Crime Tech, Katie
Navarro, was able to identify some additional latent prints from the victim’s
Airstream trailer. They belonged to Lonny Dalrymple. Burch had been going
around Presidio asking questions and was headed back to his isolated home when
a flash of light off of nearby rocks made him react. He jerked the wheel of his
old truck and the first shot of many to come hit the roof of his truck instead
of his head.
The resulting gun battle left the shooter dead and
Burch fuming. He is going to go back and brace the people he already talked to,
for starters, to track down the parties involved. He wanted to go alone, but Sheriff
Doggett told him Quintero was going with him, and that was that. He didn’t want
company, but if he has to have some, Quintero is good to have along.
Especially when the dead and gone don’t stay either
way.
As always in this crime fiction series, there is
nearly constant graphic violence and quite a lot of graphic sex. There is also
a lot of settling scores as this novel winds up several different story arcs. A
fast moving read that is over all too soon, The Fatal Saving Grace
is also a mighty good read.
Strongly recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Xtq3mn
My ARC digital reading copy came from the author
with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2025
Friday, October 31, 2025
Friday's Forgotten Books Review: The Dead Certain Doubt: An Ed Earl Bunch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
With Jim
Nesbitt’s recent Facebook announcement that the new book in the series, The
Fatal Saving Grace, is coming soon, I have been reminding you each Friday
of the series to date. This is a violent crime fiction series that should be
read in order. This is the fourth book in the series and the most recent
installment.
Dallas Private
Investigator Ed Earl Burch has a love/hate relationship with West Texas. Loves
the land and its stark beauty. Does not care for many of the people---
especially the ones that have repeatedly tried to kill him. But, truth be told,
he never felt more alive than when working out there being the manhunter deal
where one kills or is killed. It was like working Dallas Homicide without the
red tape. Get the bad guys and gals, dead or alive.
In the wake of the
savings and loan collapse the last decade, these days he is off the pills and
making a good living going after the fugitive partners of real estate deals
that went bad, finding hidden asserts, and nailing dead beat developers. He has
done so well that he got his lawyer paid off and that meant he was free and
clear from that shyster. Also did well enough to open an IRA and play in the
stock market a little. He is a regular guy these guys with bad knees, mental
and physical scars, and is absolutely bored out of his mind.
He’s spending his nights
at Louie’s when he can’t sleep. Drinking and sharing war stories with a bunch
of retired Dallas cops and other folks. Those old stories bring back a lot of
memories. Also tends to sooth the voice of his long dead partner.
One memory from the past
brings a lot of pain and guilt. Juanita Mutscher, at one time had an
ex-mother-in-law, Theda Bayer. That woman had a daughter, Rhonda May Bayer.
After Theda Bayer died as a result of her own toxic ways, Burch pulled a few
strings and greased the wheels so that Rhonda Mae, who was six or seven back
then, could go back to Juanita to live at her place out in the country between
Midlothian and Venus.
It should have been a
good deal.
It was until her Daddy
came back in Rhonda Mae’s teen years, got full custody, and had Rhonda Mae move
in with him. Things spiraled out of control. Burch intervened the first few
times as she did drugs, booze and more, and repeatedly found herself deep in in
consequences and trouble with the law. But, being off the Dallas PD by this
time meant he had far less sway or markers to call in to help. He also got fed
up riding to her rescue.
Now more than a decade
later, Burch decides to go see Juanita and to make amends as best as he can.
The years have not been kind to her and she makes it clear to Burch she is not
long for this world. Her husband is dead and the next stroke she has will no
doubt will send her on her way to him in the afterlife.
She would not have
called. But, since he is at her place seeking redemption, she wants him to find
Rhonda Mae. Been over a year since Juanita last heard from her. All she knows
is that means the young woman is in trouble, not surprising since she is out in
West Texas and mixed up in one of those Texas secession groups. While all the
various groups preaching that nonsense are bad news, some are far worse than
others.
Which one Rhona Mae is
in, Juanita does not know. Juanita did save the letters that Rhonda Mae sent
and she wrote some about what she was doing so that might help. Most of them
were postmarked in Faver. A small town along the border. A place that Burch knows
and he also knows the Sheriff down there pretty well.
With a starting point, a
couple of ideas, his guns, and a handful of memories and ghosts, Burch packs up
and goes down to see if he can find Rhonda Mae. It is a quest for redemption
and to save the living, if he can. It does not take long for Burch to find
blood, bullets, and mayhem. For Burch, this is the way.
The Dead Certain Doubt:
An Ed Earl Burch Novel is
the latest read in the series that began long ago with The Last Second Chance.
As such, one expects the read to be complicated, violent, and graphic in terms
of that violence as well as intimacy between partners of the night or long-term
relationship. Such is true here as author Jim Nesbitt pulls out all the stops
in every area.
At the same time, a
significant part of this book is about Burch’s history and past cases. He has
seen a lot and those deals are a major backbone of this book. Some situations,
major parts of previous books, are detailed here in multiple paragraph odes of
remembrance. As such, it would be best to have read the previous books before
embarking on this read.
The Dead Certain Doubt: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt is a powerfully dark and very violent crime fiction read. It is also incredibly good.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4qEfquw
My reading copy was an
ARC provided by the author with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023, 2025
Friday, October 24, 2025
Friday's Forgotten Books Review: The Best Lousy Choice: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
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.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42WbDhT
Material in the form of an ARC was provided with no
expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2019, 2025
Friday, October 17, 2025
Friday's Forgotten Books: The Right Wrong Number: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
After reminding you of the first book in
this very good crime fiction series, The
Last Second Chance, last Friday, I thought I would remind you today of
the second book, The Right Wrong Number: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim
Nesbitt. Best to read in order. Dodge the flying ashtrays.
It has been several years since the events of The
Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel and private detective Ed
Earl Burch still carries those scars and many more. Many of those scars haunt
his dreams and daylight memories often inspired by drinking, smoking, or the
way a woman’s hair moved on the lady across the bar. Dangerous women were
always his downfall and one of those has crawled back into his life.
Her name is Savannah Crowe these days though Ed knew
her in every sense possible before she got married. She lives down in Houston
and is married to an attorney who does oil and gas partnerships. At least that
was what he was supposed to be doing. Apparently he was shady, at best, and now
he is dead. No doubt murdered by some guys out of New Orleans who are looking
for the money he stole. Savannah wants Ed Earl Burch to come down from Dallas
and protect her. Not just from those guys out of New Orleans, as the cops are
also pushing hard at her thinking she killed her own husband, and there might
be some other players as well.
Sure, she can hire the best attorney in Texas, a
certain man by the name of Racehorse Haynes, but having the money to do that is
not enough. A lot more than she has is missing because her husband stole it.
Savannah wants Ed Earl Burch to find her husband---the body left in the flaming
wreckage wasn’t positively identifiable--- or the guys who killed him. If he
can find either party, the money should also turn up.
Being broke thanks to a downturn in business as the
economy improves under President Clinton means Ed Earl Burch is already in a
bind before his attorney pushes him hard. His attorney concocted an elaborate
evidentiary pyramid to keep his rear end out of prison at the cost of 20k plus
and is calling everything due and payable now. He can’t pay so the prison
option and far worse things are back on the table. He has other money trouble
as well. While Savannah is willing to offer far more than money to Ed Earl
Burch for coming down and helping out, all he wants is money with at least half
of his fee upfront to stall out the attorney. She’s trouble, but she can pay
the bucks, and he needs the bucks desperately.
Before long, he is down in Houston, and all hell is
breaking loose. The case will lead him across Texas to a little place just down
south of Big Bend in Northern Mexico for a final showdown to settle lots of
scores.
The Right Wrong Number: And Ed Earl
Burch Novel is a sequel of sorts to The Last
Second Chance. Sequel in terms of the characters, grudges held, and
memories that haunt the living as more than one character from the first book
appears here as the point of view shifts throughout the read. That means it is
very important to have read that book first before taking on this read.
Readers should also be aware that, as they were in
the first, graphic language and descriptions in terms of sexuality as well as
plenty of violence are present in this read. This is a hard hitting and graphic
crime fiction read written in a noir style. Therefore, the full range of
language is used and a substantial portion of it is graphic in terms of
description regarding sexual situations, violent actions, motivations of
others, etc. as the read shifts in point of view. Those point of view shifts
are very frequent by way of a number of characters throughout the book while
maintaining a fast paced and often violent flow of action.
A read that powers along with plenty of action while
providing some serious as well as funny social commentary, The Right
Wrong Number: An Ed Earl Burch Novel is another mighty good read from
author Jim Nesbitt. Both books are highly recommended. The third book in the
series is underway according to a recent comment on Facebook by the author.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/47a5srP
An ARC was supplied by the author’s publicist, a
long time ago for my use to read and review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2018, 2025
Friday, October 10, 2025
Friday's Forgotten Books: The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
With Jim Nesbitt’s
recent Facebook announcement that the new book in the series, The Fatal
Saving Grace, is coming soon, I thought I would remind you today of the
great first book in the series, The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch
Novel. This is a violent crime fiction series that should be read in order.
In the wreckage
of the S&L crisis of the late 80s and early 90s, Ed Earl Burch works as a
private detective. His office located near Mockingbird and Central in Dallas in
a shabby office park with a view of the time and temp sign over at the Dr.
Pepper Plant. It features the noise of the traffic, an air conditioner that
wheezes and does not cool, and a man with a serious thirst for alcohol.
Ed Earl Burch is
hanging on as best as he can. He has made a few bucks thanks to the scavengers
that have come to feats on the remains of the S&L crash as well as former
business partners looking for their partner or bank officers looking for the
developer that just vanished. He has connections all over town and beyond
dating back to his days with the Dallas PD. That fact, as well as his low
overhead in an increasingly vacant building, has helped him survive.
About ten blocks
away is a small Mexican joint on Ross. Owned by Arturo Garcia, the place known
to everyone as “Café Garcia” is always open to Ed Earl Burch. Bringing home the
pregnant teenage daughter of Arturo Garcia means there is always a plate of food
and a beer for Burch. It has been that way for quite some time so it means it
is one of several locations that Burch can be predictably found.
The woman with
the gun who interrupts his late dinner has other plans. After dropping a name
from the past, at gunpoint she escorts him out to her car. Before very long,
they are north of Dallas, up in Grayson Country, and on the land of a man who
has left the life of crime behind for the life as a gentlemen rancher.
Appearances, if one ignored the gun toting guards scattered everywhere, could
be deceiving.
Burch knows exactly what Norville Ross is and could have done without the jaunt down memory lane. But, Ross wanted him here and made sure he was brought in as safely and as quickly as possible. Coming himself was not an option. The woman’s name is Carla Sue. Ross sent her to bring back Burch so that he could discuss with him a business proposition that each could find mutually satisfactory.
If any of them
can say alive long enough to seal the deal.
The Last Second
Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt is a violent crime
fiction ride across Texas. Written in a noir style it features a read where the
language is coarse, the sexual situations are graphic, and bullets and blood
are on nearly every page. Burch takes no prisoners and will unleash hell on
those who come after him and those he cares about.
Along the way,
there will be heavy toll in carnage and death with plenty of ghosts of the past
to keep him company in quiet moments.
Author Jim Nesbitt is building the bottom floor of a series with The
Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel. A novel that packs quite
the punch and is highly recommended.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4nKZvZs
According to
Amazon, I picked this up in the middle of last November. I don’t know now if I
took advantage of a free read promotion or used funds in my Amazon Associate
account. Either way, I did it after a publicist contacted me about reviewing
the second book in the series, The Right Wrong Number. A
paperback copy of that read is in my TBR pile.
Kevin R. Tipple
©2017, 2025
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Friday, March 17, 2023
Sunday, March 05, 2023
Review: The Dead Certain Doubt by Jim Nesbitt
Dallas Private
Investigator Ed Earl Burch has a love/hate relationship with West Texas. Loves
the land and its stark beauty. Does not care for many of the people---
especially the ones that have repeatedly tried to kill him. But, truth be told,
he never felt more alive than when working out there being the manhunter deal
where one kills or is killed. It was like working Dallas Homicide without the
red tape. Get the bad guys and gals, dead or alive.
In the wake of the
savings and loan collapse the last decade, these days he is off the pills and
making a good living going after the fugitive partners of real estate deals
that went bad, finding hidden asserts, and nailing dead beat developers. He has
done so well that he got his lawyer paid off and that meant he was free and
clear from that shyster. Also did well enough to open an IRA and play in the
stock market a little. He is a regular guy these guys with bad knees, mental
and physical scars, and is absolutely bored out of his mind.
He’s spending his
nights at Louie’s when he can’t sleep, drinking, and sharing war stories with a
bunch of retired Dallas cops and other folks. Those old stories bring back a
lot of memories. Also tends to sooth the voice of his long dead partner.
One memory from the past brings a lot of pain and guilt. Juanita Mutscher, at one time had an ex-mother-in-law, Theda Bayer. That woman had a daughter, Rhonda May Bayer. After Theda Bayer died as a result of her own toxic ways, Burch pulled a few strings and greased the wheels so that Rhonda Mae, who was six or seven back then, could go back to Juanita to live at her place out in the country between Midlothian and Venus.
It should have
been a good deal.
It was until her
Daddy came back in Rhonda Mae’s teen years, got full custody, and had Rhonda
Mae move in with him. Things spiraled out of control. Burch intervened the
first few times as she did drugs, booze and more, and repeatedly found herself deep
in in consequences and trouble with the law. But, being off the Dallas PD by
this time meant he had far less sway or markers to call in to help. He also got
fed up riding to her rescue.
Now more than a
decade later, Burch decides to go see Juanita and to make amends as best as he
can. The years have not been kind to her and she makes it clear to Burch she is
not long for this world. Her husband is dead and the next stroke she has will
no doubt will send her on her way to him in the afterlife.
She would not have
called. But, since he is at her place seeking redemption, she wants him to find
Rhonda Mae. Been over a year since Juanita last heard from her. All she knows
is that means the young woman is in trouble, not surprising since she is out in
West Texas and mixed up in one of those Texas secession groups. While all the
various groups preaching that nonsense are bad news, some are far worse than
others.
Which one Rhona
Mae is in, Juanita does not know. Juanita did save the letters that Rhonda Mae
sent and she wrote some about what she was doing so that might help. Most of
them were postmarked in Faver. A small town along the border. A place that Burch
knows and he also knows the Sheriff down there pretty well.
With a starting
point, a couple of ideas, his guns, and a handful of memories and ghosts, Burch
packs up and goes down to see if he can find Rhonda Mae. It is a quest for
redemption and to save the living, if he can. It does not take long for Burch
to find blood, bullets, and mayhem. For Burch, this is the way.
The Dead Certain
Doubt: An Ed Earl Burch Novel is the latest read in the series that
began long ago with The Last Second Chance. As such, one expects
the read to be complicated, violent, and graphic in terms of that violence as
well as intimacy between partners of the night or long-term relationship. Such
is true here as author Jim Nesbitt pulls out all the stops in every area.
At the same time, a
significant part of this book is about Burch’s history and past cases. He has
seen a lot and those deals are a major backbone of this book. Some situations,
major parts of previous books, are detailed here in multiple paragraph odes of
remembrance. As such, it would be best to have read the previous books before
embarking on this read.
The Dead Certain
Doubt: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt is a powerfully dark and very
violent crime fiction read. It is also incredibly good.
My reading copy was an ARC provided by the author with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2023
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Review: The Best Lousy Choice: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
Sunday, June 24, 2018
One Bite at a Time: An Interview with Jim Nesbitt, Author of The Right...
Thursday, May 03, 2018
Review: The Right Wrong Number: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
The Right Wrong Number: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
Jim Nesbitt
https://jimnesbittbooks.com/
Spotted Mule Press
February 2017
ISBN# 978-0998329406
Trade Paperback (also available in eBook format)
306 Pages
$12.99
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Review: The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel by Jim Nesbitt
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