The Fatal Saving Grace: An Ed Earl Burch Mystery

by Jim Nesbitt

325 pages, Paperback

Published December 3, 2025

About the author

Jim 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

Reviews

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.



My ARC digital reading copy came from the author with no expectation of a review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

[John Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one walks deserts without reason, and never without fear of snakes. Sinister, subtle, and strange, the worst snake is human, hidden from justice, hidden unseen under the prettiest rocks. Awaiting to strike at the worst possible moment. Ed Earl Burch, restored detective, appears again in another adventure of murder, dread, and redemption posted from searing hot and leather tough West Texas, The Fatal Saving Grace. Ed Earl confronts perhaps the most insidious creature who’s tried to put him in a pine box yet. Burch is caught again in two card monte, trust or betrayal? Now a lawman, Burch must resolve ‘What is worse, following the law and the serial killer gets away, or become the law?’ A witches’ stew embroils a friend’s granddaughter and child in the mix, not to mention distrust, and newfound camaraderie. Are we all in this together, or must we walk the desert alone?