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An Ed Burch Novel #1
The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
Ed Earl Burch, a cashiered vice and homicide detective, has his life narrowed down to chasing financial fugitives from the carnage of the oil bust and savings and loan crash that scarred Dallas in the mid-1980s. Throw in the occasional wayward spouse and a ready eye for the next round of bourbon, sipped with a boot resting on the rail of his favorite saloon.
He’s an ex-jock gone to seed, a private investigator with bad knees and a battered soul. He’s trying to keep at bay the memories of three ex-wives, the violent mistakes that got him booted off the force, a dead partner and the killer who got snuffed before Burch could track him down.
Play it smart and cautious. Keep the lines straight. Don’t take a risk. Don’t give a damn. It’s the creed of the terminal burnout and he’s living it a day at a time, drink by drink.
That all changes when Carla Sue Cantrell, a short blonde with ice-blue eyes and a taste for muscle cars, crystal meth and the high-wire double-cross, walks into his life. Pointing a Colt 1911 at his head, she tells him his partner’s killer, a narco named Teddy Roy Bonafacio, is still alive.
She forces him into a deadly game where Burch is framed for murder and chased by cops and the narco’s hitman, a nasty piece of work named Willie "Badhair" Stonecipher.
Burch and Cantrell are on the run through the scrubby Texas Hill Country, home of the sixth largest bat cave in the world, and the high desert of El Paso and northern Mexico. They're gunning for the same man both want dead – Bonafacio.
Known as T-Roy or El Rojo Loco, he's surrounded himself with powerful allies at a rancho on the Mexican side of the border, including an old bruja and her sons who have a taste for human sacrifice rooted in the way of the ancient Aztecs.
Final destination – kill or be killed.
Take a waltz across Texas with Ed Earl Burch and Carla Sue Cantrell. It’s one helluva dance.
He’s an ex-jock gone to seed, a private investigator with bad knees and a battered soul. He’s trying to keep at bay the memories of three ex-wives, the violent mistakes that got him booted off the force, a dead partner and the killer who got snuffed before Burch could track him down.
Play it smart and cautious. Keep the lines straight. Don’t take a risk. Don’t give a damn. It’s the creed of the terminal burnout and he’s living it a day at a time, drink by drink.
That all changes when Carla Sue Cantrell, a short blonde with ice-blue eyes and a taste for muscle cars, crystal meth and the high-wire double-cross, walks into his life. Pointing a Colt 1911 at his head, she tells him his partner’s killer, a narco named Teddy Roy Bonafacio, is still alive.
She forces him into a deadly game where Burch is framed for murder and chased by cops and the narco’s hitman, a nasty piece of work named Willie "Badhair" Stonecipher.
Burch and Cantrell are on the run through the scrubby Texas Hill Country, home of the sixth largest bat cave in the world, and the high desert of El Paso and northern Mexico. They're gunning for the same man both want dead – Bonafacio.
Known as T-Roy or El Rojo Loco, he's surrounded himself with powerful allies at a rancho on the Mexican side of the border, including an old bruja and her sons who have a taste for human sacrifice rooted in the way of the ancient Aztecs.
Final destination – kill or be killed.
Take a waltz across Texas with Ed Earl Burch and Carla Sue Cantrell. It’s one helluva dance.
- GenresCrime
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2016
52 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Jim Nesbitt
7 books131 followersJim Nesbitt is the award-winning author of five hard-boiled Texas crime thrillers that feature battered but relentless Dallas PI Ed Earl Burch -- THE LAST SECOND CHANCE, a Silver Falchion finalist; THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER, an Underground Book Reviews “Top Pick”; and, THE BEST LOUSY CHOICE, winner of the best crime fiction category of the 2020 Independent Press Book Awards, the 2020 Silver Falchion award for best action and adventure novel from the Killer Nashville crime fiction conference and bronze medal winner in the best mystery/thriller e-book category of the 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards. His fourth book, THE DEAD CERTAIN DOUBT, was winner of the best crime fiction category of the 2024 Independent Press Book Awards. His latest book, THE FATAL SAVING GRACE, was released in mid-December 2025. Nesbitt was a journalist for more than 30 years, serving as a reporter, editor and roving national correspondent for newspapers and wire services in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. He chased hurricanes, earthquakes, plane wrecks, presidential candidates, wildfires, rodeo cowboys, migrant field hands, neo-Nazis and nuns with an eye for the telling detail and an ear for the voice of the people who give life to a story. His stories have appeared in newspapers across the country and in magazines such as Cigar Aficionado and American Cowboy. He is a lapsed horseman, pilot, hunter and saloon sport with a keen appreciation for old guns, vintage cars and trucks, good cigars, aged whiskey and a well-told story. Nesbitt regularly reviews crime fiction and history on his blog, The Spotted Mule, and his author web site, as well as Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads. He now lives in Athens, Alabama. To learn more, go to his web site at: https://jimnesbittbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 7, 2017
I think that is important to clear up what may be a bit of confusion, at least it started out as such on my part, there are two authors with similar names. The author of "The Last Second Chance", Jim Nesbitt should not be confused with author Jim Nisbet the author of "Death Puppet" and "Lethal Injection".the one Nesbitt is from Texas, and the other scribe Nisbet is a San Francisco resident who writes about the noir counter culture in at least twelve novels.
Now that it's cleared up, Jim Nesbitt's novel "The Last Second Chance" (his first book) takes place in Texas and Mexico and features ex-cop Ed Earl Burch as his amoral P.I., and is basically a revenge yarn in the noir style. Burch teams up with Carla Sue Cantrell, a pretty blond powerhouse.
The story moves along at a brisk pace, however, when a new character is introduce, Mr Nesbitt takes the next two or four chapters telling that characters back story, which slows the over all narrative, although the back stories are more than worth while.
Mr. Nesbitt knows how to craft a sentence and is a master of words. He appears to have been a newspaper reporter for thirty years, and this is his first novel. His character Ed Earl returns in the next installment of the series and is titled "The Right Wrong Number".
Now that it's cleared up, Jim Nesbitt's novel "The Last Second Chance" (his first book) takes place in Texas and Mexico and features ex-cop Ed Earl Burch as his amoral P.I., and is basically a revenge yarn in the noir style. Burch teams up with Carla Sue Cantrell, a pretty blond powerhouse.
The story moves along at a brisk pace, however, when a new character is introduce, Mr Nesbitt takes the next two or four chapters telling that characters back story, which slows the over all narrative, although the back stories are more than worth while.
Mr. Nesbitt knows how to craft a sentence and is a master of words. He appears to have been a newspaper reporter for thirty years, and this is his first novel. His character Ed Earl returns in the next installment of the series and is titled "The Right Wrong Number".
November 24, 2018
This one is hard for me to describe. Its almost like the writer is talking in riddles. I had to keep going back and re-reading to try and understand. Have you ever been talking to someone with a heave Jamaican accent and you had to keep asking them to repeat themselves because you just weren't understanding? That's what this book reminded me of. If you can somehow make it through the first half. (and that's a big if). The second half is a little better. I'm just not sure this one was for me.....TJ
February 6, 2016
Ed Earl Burch is ex-police, now a Private Investigator. Not known for being a team player, this seems to be working for him. Ed Earl is what you think of a PI back in the days of Raymond Chandler ... The Maltese Falcon ... with a mouth like James Garner in the Rockford Files .. wisecracking and always, always landing him in more trouble than he's looking for. He's rough around the edges .. this is what's known as a hardboiled thriller.
Carla Sue Cantrall arrives in his life pointing a 45 semi-automatic at his head. Not exactly love at first sight. She wants to introduce Ed Earl to her boss ... and what the boss wants, the boss gets.
The boss happens to be Neville Ross, who has his hands in many different pies ... prostitution, gambling, and drugs. Teddy Roy Bonafacio (T-Roy) is the man who killed Ed Earl's partner and Neville Ross is the man who had T-Roy killed.
Only T-Roy wasn't killed and Ross wants Ed Earl, accompanied by Carla Sue to hunt him down and bring him back or kill him. Ross isn't too particular.
And so begins a chase across Texas. Seems like a small, easy thing to accomplish, but Ed Earl didn't count on the illegals, teen drug dealers, and a man who will do anything, anything at all to stay alive.
I love, love, love Ed Earl. I love his name, I love his wry sense of humor, I love how he relates to the world around him. He's a kind of anti-hero ... funny at times, dangerously so. He's a whiskey drinker, been married and divorced 3 times, and sees the world for what it really is .... dark and scary.
There is constant movement .... so much so, that I had a hard time putting it down. I couldn't find a place where it slowed down. The good guys are good ... the bad guys are really, really bad.
This is a debut novel by this author. I hope he has more adventures planned for Ed Earl. He'll be interesting to watch.
Many thanks to the author who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Carla Sue Cantrall arrives in his life pointing a 45 semi-automatic at his head. Not exactly love at first sight. She wants to introduce Ed Earl to her boss ... and what the boss wants, the boss gets.
The boss happens to be Neville Ross, who has his hands in many different pies ... prostitution, gambling, and drugs. Teddy Roy Bonafacio (T-Roy) is the man who killed Ed Earl's partner and Neville Ross is the man who had T-Roy killed.
Only T-Roy wasn't killed and Ross wants Ed Earl, accompanied by Carla Sue to hunt him down and bring him back or kill him. Ross isn't too particular.
And so begins a chase across Texas. Seems like a small, easy thing to accomplish, but Ed Earl didn't count on the illegals, teen drug dealers, and a man who will do anything, anything at all to stay alive.
I love, love, love Ed Earl. I love his name, I love his wry sense of humor, I love how he relates to the world around him. He's a kind of anti-hero ... funny at times, dangerously so. He's a whiskey drinker, been married and divorced 3 times, and sees the world for what it really is .... dark and scary.
There is constant movement .... so much so, that I had a hard time putting it down. I couldn't find a place where it slowed down. The good guys are good ... the bad guys are really, really bad.
This is a debut novel by this author. I hope he has more adventures planned for Ed Earl. He'll be interesting to watch.
Many thanks to the author who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
March 17, 2016
Too frequently new authors, particularly self-published authors, are overlooked in favour of the usual suspects. Don’t miss out this time!
Ed Earl Burch, drummed out of the police force following the death of his partner, is an overweight and uninspiring Private Investigator. After a less-than-conventional introduction to femme-fatale (with emphasis on the fatale) Carla Sue Cantrell, Burch finds himself dick deep in a shit day*. Having been pinned for a couple of particularly nasty murders, Burch is on the run from his former colleagues, and members of a violent gang, and is in search of the man responsible for the death of his former partner. He and Ms Cantrell must make their way across Texas and into Mexico to find the formidable T-Roy.
I thoroughly recommend “The Last Second Chance” to anyone who loves detective genre books, “China Town” style stories, Noir classics, Elmore Leonard, and well you get the picture. It’s full of snappy dialogue, sharp one-liners and an edgy plot that will keep you reading until the end. I particularly like the short chapters – great for the time-poor readers who get most of their reading done on the trains/buses.
This book contains descriptions of strong violence and sex. It is only suitable for mature audiences – who will really enjoy it!
* Special thanks to Mr James Elroy for adding such a delightful expression to my regular rotation.
Ed Earl Burch, drummed out of the police force following the death of his partner, is an overweight and uninspiring Private Investigator. After a less-than-conventional introduction to femme-fatale (with emphasis on the fatale) Carla Sue Cantrell, Burch finds himself dick deep in a shit day*. Having been pinned for a couple of particularly nasty murders, Burch is on the run from his former colleagues, and members of a violent gang, and is in search of the man responsible for the death of his former partner. He and Ms Cantrell must make their way across Texas and into Mexico to find the formidable T-Roy.
I thoroughly recommend “The Last Second Chance” to anyone who loves detective genre books, “China Town” style stories, Noir classics, Elmore Leonard, and well you get the picture. It’s full of snappy dialogue, sharp one-liners and an edgy plot that will keep you reading until the end. I particularly like the short chapters – great for the time-poor readers who get most of their reading done on the trains/buses.
This book contains descriptions of strong violence and sex. It is only suitable for mature audiences – who will really enjoy it!
* Special thanks to Mr James Elroy for adding such a delightful expression to my regular rotation.
March 15, 2018
This was gritty, tough, and as the author calls it himself...hard-boiled.
I normally don't delve into the more raunchy side of action because it's just not what I write. But reading it was fun. And to be honest, very real. When people are on the dark side of things in life, surrounded by things like drugs, and sex, and violence on an everyday basis, the 'hard-boiled' state of things is just how it is.
The characters were entertaining. The main character, Ed Burch, is not overdone. He is extremely believable, because the author doesn't make him out to be some super man ex-cop. But he is a man who can handle himself, but is also over the hill. I enjoyed reading his thoughts.
The evil in the bad guys in this one was hard to stomach at times, but when you're describing the darkest parts of the voodoo religion or something similar, that's inevitable.
If you're looking for some hard core violence, some 'R' rated movie action, and a pretty original story, ol' Jim has written a great first ride. Can't wait to read more about Ed Burch.
I normally don't delve into the more raunchy side of action because it's just not what I write. But reading it was fun. And to be honest, very real. When people are on the dark side of things in life, surrounded by things like drugs, and sex, and violence on an everyday basis, the 'hard-boiled' state of things is just how it is.
The characters were entertaining. The main character, Ed Burch, is not overdone. He is extremely believable, because the author doesn't make him out to be some super man ex-cop. But he is a man who can handle himself, but is also over the hill. I enjoyed reading his thoughts.
The evil in the bad guys in this one was hard to stomach at times, but when you're describing the darkest parts of the voodoo religion or something similar, that's inevitable.
If you're looking for some hard core violence, some 'R' rated movie action, and a pretty original story, ol' Jim has written a great first ride. Can't wait to read more about Ed Burch.
April 2, 2016
Narco Teddy Roy Bonafacio has done a lot of indescribably bad things to a lot of people, but his mistake was what he did to two people who had never met each other before Carla Sue Cantrell held a gun to Ed Earl Burch’s head. This uneasy partnership sets off to locate and rub out Bonafasio; one his ex-sex toy, the other a cashiered cop whose partner was killed by T-Roy. But not only is T-Roy fortressed at his rancho on the Mexican side of the border surrounded by powerful allies, he has set a ruthless and highly successful killer on Burch and Cantrell’s trail. Mr Nesbitt knows the underbelly of his Texas border country, his guns and the shady characters that slither through the cracks, and he describes it all with poetically descriptive prowess.
December 28, 2016
A ride through the seamy side of Texas and Northeast Mexico. A former cop, now a detective gets into trouble while chasing bad guys along with a tough little pistol-packing southern woman. The nicely turned story dips heavily into graphic sex and violence with some memorable shapely ladies and bizarrely evil villains, as Ed Earl Burch both pursues and flees police, gangsters, and at one point winds up hiding in one of the world's largest bat caves, complete with guano. Colorful, detailed descriptions of everything from hats to guns add to the sensory aspects of the yarn.
The story ends, naturally with a bang, and makes one wonder what Ed Earl will be up to next. I'm looking forward to reading Nesbitt's next round of adventures with this big old Texas detective.
The story ends, naturally with a bang, and makes one wonder what Ed Earl will be up to next. I'm looking forward to reading Nesbitt's next round of adventures with this big old Texas detective.
April 11, 2017
The first book in the Ed Earl Burch series, The Last Second Chance isn’t for everyone. Audiences who get a thrill out of Quentin Tarentino’s flicks will no doubt find Nesbitt’s plot captivating from beginning to end.
Read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews.org
Read the rest of this review at UndergroundBookReviews.org
May 10, 2017
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 is 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 quite 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.
The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
Jim Nesbitt
http://www.jimnesbitthardboiledbooks....
Self-Published
March 2016
ASIN: B01D0FAJ70
eBook (also available in paperback)
236 Pages
$4.99
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
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 quite 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.
The Last Second Chance: An Ed Earl Burch Novel
Jim Nesbitt
http://www.jimnesbitthardboiledbooks....
Self-Published
March 2016
ASIN: B01D0FAJ70
eBook (also available in paperback)
236 Pages
$4.99
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
November 1, 2016
Dallas detective Ed Earl Burch (Burch) is enjoying a favorite Mexican dish when a small stature woman, namely Carla Sue Cantrell, points a large .45 caliber gun right at him. Carla drops the name of Teddy Roy Bonafacio (T-Roy) and immediately Burch conjures up a flurry of memories, many of which are disturbing. Indeed, Teddy is nothing but bad news. Carla leads Burch over to the estate of the infamous Neville Ross, T-Roy’s previous boss. Bent on revenge, Neville intends to use Burch to scout out T-Roy’s whereabouts and gun him down.
Neville never gets to execute his diabolical plan when a “whooshing rush of flame” enters the room and consumes him. Carla and Burch hightail out of Ross’ place with one goal in mind: to get T-Roy. Heading to Mexico to locate T-Roy, Carla and Burch gear up for their trip. Yet en route others are hot on their trail since Burch has been accused of murdering a woman. Obviously, Carla and Burch have no idea of this accusation let alone how they’ll deal with unexpected situations that will meet them around the bend. While trouble seems to stick to them like glue, time will only tell if they’ll be equipped to deal with T-Coy.
Jim Nesbitt’s debut read is one rollicking adventure into a world of violence, gore, and all things sexual. Nesbitt’s narrative—wrapped up in crass and crude lingo—features Burch, an ex-cop with a history replete with unresolved conflict. While keeping Burch front and center, Nesbitt introduces an array of colorful characters (supporting, foils) that play important parts in the storyline and cast development. Chapters alternate between the present, the past (memories), and Nesbitt’s cast, and often close with cliffhanging endings. There’s no banality to be had in Nesbitt’s plot. Scenes suddenly shift out of nowhere, yet all come together to create one heck of a page-turner. Nesbitt should be considered a rising author of dark comedy. Kudos to Nesbitt for producing a well written and absurdly entertaining first read!
Originally posted on Underground Book Review
Anita Lock, Book Reviewer
Neville never gets to execute his diabolical plan when a “whooshing rush of flame” enters the room and consumes him. Carla and Burch hightail out of Ross’ place with one goal in mind: to get T-Roy. Heading to Mexico to locate T-Roy, Carla and Burch gear up for their trip. Yet en route others are hot on their trail since Burch has been accused of murdering a woman. Obviously, Carla and Burch have no idea of this accusation let alone how they’ll deal with unexpected situations that will meet them around the bend. While trouble seems to stick to them like glue, time will only tell if they’ll be equipped to deal with T-Coy.
Jim Nesbitt’s debut read is one rollicking adventure into a world of violence, gore, and all things sexual. Nesbitt’s narrative—wrapped up in crass and crude lingo—features Burch, an ex-cop with a history replete with unresolved conflict. While keeping Burch front and center, Nesbitt introduces an array of colorful characters (supporting, foils) that play important parts in the storyline and cast development. Chapters alternate between the present, the past (memories), and Nesbitt’s cast, and often close with cliffhanging endings. There’s no banality to be had in Nesbitt’s plot. Scenes suddenly shift out of nowhere, yet all come together to create one heck of a page-turner. Nesbitt should be considered a rising author of dark comedy. Kudos to Nesbitt for producing a well written and absurdly entertaining first read!
Originally posted on Underground Book Review
Anita Lock, Book Reviewer
April 5, 2016
Narco Teddy Roy Bonafacio has done a lot of indescribably bad things to a lot of people, but his mistake was what he did to two who had never met each other before Carla Sue Cantrell held a gun to Ed Earl Burch’s head. This uneasy partnership sets off to locate and rub out Bonafasio; one his ex-sex toy, the other a cashiered cop whose partner was killed by T-Roy. But not only is T-Roy fortressed at his rancho on the Mexican side of the border surrounded by powerful allies, he has set a ruthless and highly successful killer on Burch and Cantrell’s trail.
The ex-cop is as rough as a bear’s ass; a burn-out with a game leg and a seared soul. Until Cantrell turns up, he was teetering on the edge of being a has-been, hollow but for a torn core of determination: the need to avenge his dead partner, if he had not assumed that the perp was dead. Now he knows otherwise, the steel comes back.
If this Texas border country tale is gritty, the grit is skull fragments with the metallic stench of blood. If you like sheer brutality, this tale of revenge is for you. A book for the boys who like it rough. Nesbitt knows his guns, his engine muscle and the slime of the Texas underbelly. The bottom just dropped out of the human life market, and there is a recipe for human heart puree for the Aztec ritual human sacrifice followers somewhere here, too.
Perhaps it would be just too brutal, if it wasn’t for Nesbitt’s extraordinary descriptive prowess, his almost poetical scene capture. This is the first in the Ed Earl Burch series, so, having managed to keep my lunch down, I’m looking forward to the next.
The ex-cop is as rough as a bear’s ass; a burn-out with a game leg and a seared soul. Until Cantrell turns up, he was teetering on the edge of being a has-been, hollow but for a torn core of determination: the need to avenge his dead partner, if he had not assumed that the perp was dead. Now he knows otherwise, the steel comes back.
If this Texas border country tale is gritty, the grit is skull fragments with the metallic stench of blood. If you like sheer brutality, this tale of revenge is for you. A book for the boys who like it rough. Nesbitt knows his guns, his engine muscle and the slime of the Texas underbelly. The bottom just dropped out of the human life market, and there is a recipe for human heart puree for the Aztec ritual human sacrifice followers somewhere here, too.
Perhaps it would be just too brutal, if it wasn’t for Nesbitt’s extraordinary descriptive prowess, his almost poetical scene capture. This is the first in the Ed Earl Burch series, so, having managed to keep my lunch down, I’m looking forward to the next.
December 15, 2017
This might be Jim Nesbitt’s first novel, but you’d never know it. In fact, there are times at which revered names like Crumley and Thompson come to mind as you turn the pages, finding yourself immersed in the hot and dusty Texas that is the stalking ground of Ed Earl Burch, the flawed and battered former vice and homicide detective that is the hero of this fast-paced hardboiled noir.
And make no mistake, this is hardboiled with a capital “H.”
And not simply noir, it’s Texas noir.
It’s cold beer in cloudy glasses, flickering neon tubes and slow-turning fan blades blowing channels in the smoke inside a roadside blind pig; the kind constructed of cinderblock, landscaped with sachuilla and tumbleweeds, and a gravel parking lot jammed with rusted pickup trucks with mismatched quarter panels.
Nesbitt’s gifted ear for dialogue and eye for fascinating detail, make his characters as memorable and real as your first backseat encounter. You can feel the ache in Ed Earl’s lousy knees, smell the stale whisky in the wrinkles of his clothes, and when the violence erupts—and it does—it’s blood-flecked poetry.
If you like your mysteries lowdown, dirty and mean, you’ve found what you’re looking for. In fact, I dare you to read this one and not dive right into the follow-up, The Right Wrong Number.
And make no mistake, this is hardboiled with a capital “H.”
And not simply noir, it’s Texas noir.
It’s cold beer in cloudy glasses, flickering neon tubes and slow-turning fan blades blowing channels in the smoke inside a roadside blind pig; the kind constructed of cinderblock, landscaped with sachuilla and tumbleweeds, and a gravel parking lot jammed with rusted pickup trucks with mismatched quarter panels.
Nesbitt’s gifted ear for dialogue and eye for fascinating detail, make his characters as memorable and real as your first backseat encounter. You can feel the ache in Ed Earl’s lousy knees, smell the stale whisky in the wrinkles of his clothes, and when the violence erupts—and it does—it’s blood-flecked poetry.
If you like your mysteries lowdown, dirty and mean, you’ve found what you’re looking for. In fact, I dare you to read this one and not dive right into the follow-up, The Right Wrong Number.
April 5, 2016
Free book for honest review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
The Last Second Chance by Jim Nesbitt (an Ed Earl Burch novel)
Rated: 4 stars (Good read, enjoyed this book)
When a woman walks into ex-cop Ed Earl Burch’s life pointing a gun at his head and mentioning a name that is a blast from Burch’s past, it is clear things are going to get messy. T-Roy is not a very nice man, and it appears he isn’t dead, something Burch isn’t too happy about, so Burch agrees to hunt him down. What ensues is a race across Texas...
I felt like I was settling down with a good read, and I wasn’t disappointed. It did feel a little slow in places though, the balance between dialogue and narrative, I felt, was a little off, with it being heavy on narrative but this didn’t detract from the quality of the writing or the story itself. The style reminded me of 1950’s American PI books and all American cross country movies. It’s dirty and grungy in a sand-dusted, dry-hot way. It flowed nicely, and I liked the characterisation. The Last Second Chance is a hard-boiled thriller fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, and author James Lee Burke would like.
Heidi Cieciura
The Last Second Chance by Jim Nesbitt (an Ed Earl Burch novel)
Rated: 4 stars (Good read, enjoyed this book)
When a woman walks into ex-cop Ed Earl Burch’s life pointing a gun at his head and mentioning a name that is a blast from Burch’s past, it is clear things are going to get messy. T-Roy is not a very nice man, and it appears he isn’t dead, something Burch isn’t too happy about, so Burch agrees to hunt him down. What ensues is a race across Texas...
I felt like I was settling down with a good read, and I wasn’t disappointed. It did feel a little slow in places though, the balance between dialogue and narrative, I felt, was a little off, with it being heavy on narrative but this didn’t detract from the quality of the writing or the story itself. The style reminded me of 1950’s American PI books and all American cross country movies. It’s dirty and grungy in a sand-dusted, dry-hot way. It flowed nicely, and I liked the characterisation. The Last Second Chance is a hard-boiled thriller fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, and author James Lee Burke would like.
Heidi Cieciura
January 2, 2024
If you’re looking for a hard-boiled crime thriller to read, you’ve found it. The Last Second Chance by Jim Nesbitt introduces Ed Earl Burch, an ex-cop and private investigator. The story begins with Ed Earl at a low point in his life. Tragedies, unlucky breaks, and professional vendettas have left him hollowed out and jaded. But his life is upended when he meets tough-as-nails Carla Sue, a woman with whom he shares a common enemy. Together, they set out to avenge the losses that rocked their lives. And together, they’re targeted for a grisly end. Whether they’ll survive is an open question.
The Last Second Chance is a fast-paced novel set in Texas and crosses the border into Mexico. Full of action and filled with hard-drinking, tobacco-chewing, gun-toting characters, Nesbitt’s first novel in the Ed Earl series will leave you clamoring for more.
The Last Second Chance is a fast-paced novel set in Texas and crosses the border into Mexico. Full of action and filled with hard-drinking, tobacco-chewing, gun-toting characters, Nesbitt’s first novel in the Ed Earl series will leave you clamoring for more.
June 4, 2017
The author knows his characters or at least makes you think he does. A very good story that gives the reader a very real picture of the surroundings. I found some of the circumstances in the story exceptional and wish I had written them. This book is recommended for anyone who likes a fast paced down and dirty type of tale where the good guys are bad and the bad guys redefine the meaning. Congratulations!
June 26, 2025
This is the first book in a series. It's gritty and fast paced. Ed Earl Burch is a seasoned, tough ex homicide detective. He's now a private investigator dealing with violent criminals. This book was quite a ride.
July 7, 2017
Too much, too many people, too technical, complicated, but not interesting..
September 19, 2018
Good plot, gross and extremely violent in spots. Not my cup of tea although the story was pretty good.
January 25, 2025
This book starts either a bang and is an excellent read, but then spirals into some voodoo mumbo and sole searching. So disappointed.
March 2, 2016
The Last Second Chance does not read like a first novel. It reads like James Lee Burke let his sensitive detective’s rough-edged sidekick take over and invited one of Tony Hillerman’s guys along for the ride. Cowboy noir for the cartel era, the book opens with raw sex, and soon somebody’s dead, his balls carefully placed in an egg tray. The drumbeat of crude sex and relentless violence never lets up, but it’s relieved by a counterpoint of humor and strong characterization.
There are people in this book you’d want to hang out with. A morose private eye who’s been beaten down by the system, his ex-wives, and injustice in general, and wants his manhood back. A native American cop with two voices arguing inside his head, intuitive mystic and streetwise pragmatist. A petite blonde tougher than the man she’s trying to kill. Nesbitt makes her plausible, funny, startlingly honest, and so likeable that the book is as much a buddy caper as a revenge quest. Throwing morals to the winds, you root for her.
Meth deals in rural Texas, Santeria rituals with Aztec flourishes, a cave reeking of guano and bustling with beetles who eat the flesh off animal carcasses that will be sculpted into jewelry…it’s all vividly imagined, and Nesbitt’s description is so finely detailed, you can visualize the movie scenes as you read. That authorial voice stays strong throughout, moving with confidence the minds of criminals and law enforcers, men and women, educated and uneducated. By page 3, you have entered into the book’s world, and at no point is there a lull or roadblock to break your journey. Instead, you find, underneath all that toughness, examples of humility, heroism, and real courage—the kind that admits it’s scared and has fucked up many times.
Last Second Chance (the perfect title) is a gripping read with a cathartic ending, and it takes you places you’ve likely never been.
There are people in this book you’d want to hang out with. A morose private eye who’s been beaten down by the system, his ex-wives, and injustice in general, and wants his manhood back. A native American cop with two voices arguing inside his head, intuitive mystic and streetwise pragmatist. A petite blonde tougher than the man she’s trying to kill. Nesbitt makes her plausible, funny, startlingly honest, and so likeable that the book is as much a buddy caper as a revenge quest. Throwing morals to the winds, you root for her.
Meth deals in rural Texas, Santeria rituals with Aztec flourishes, a cave reeking of guano and bustling with beetles who eat the flesh off animal carcasses that will be sculpted into jewelry…it’s all vividly imagined, and Nesbitt’s description is so finely detailed, you can visualize the movie scenes as you read. That authorial voice stays strong throughout, moving with confidence the minds of criminals and law enforcers, men and women, educated and uneducated. By page 3, you have entered into the book’s world, and at no point is there a lull or roadblock to break your journey. Instead, you find, underneath all that toughness, examples of humility, heroism, and real courage—the kind that admits it’s scared and has fucked up many times.
Last Second Chance (the perfect title) is a gripping read with a cathartic ending, and it takes you places you’ve likely never been.
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