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The Two Lives of Eddie Kovacs
Grieving widower Karl Novak is haunted by his catastrophic mistake in Vietnam and tormented by his unceremonious dismissal from his position as a DA’s investigator in Florida. The sheriff of Chatham County, Georgia (Savannah and Tybee Island) offers Karl one last chance to salvage his tarnished reputation: Find the cause of opioid overdose deaths at a luxury condo complex before the DEA exposes the scandal that would dash the sheriff’s political ambitions. His cover story: revert to his birth identity of Eddie Kovacs and pose as the owner of his deceased father’s dry cleaning stores in Wisconsin. After his blunder in Vietnam, Eddie had changed his name to elude vengeful CIA agents. Now he finds that his pursuers have remained vigilant for fifty years.
Contrary to every precept of undercover work, Eddie falls in love with a resident named Madeleine who harbors a dark secret. Eddie’s infatuation feels like infidelity, not to mention a betrayal of his badge. Eddie sets a trap for a suspicious doctor and discovers that he's been double-crossed by his snitch. She’s led him not to an opioid drug bust, but to the scene of a crime that tests Eddie’s moral code and his oath as a lawman, because the crime is facilitated by Madeleine’s aid and encouragement. The DEA has mistaken the suspicious deaths for opioid overdoses, but their investigation threatens to expose the doctor’s enterprise. Propelled by two related murder cases, separated by decades, the novel explores generational discord, the definition of redemption, and the unbreakable connection between the past and the present.
Book club questions for The Two Lives of Eddie Kovacs by Mike Nemeth
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
When you met Eddie in Chapter One, did you empathize with him or think him an old man chasing one more taste of glory? Why?
How did you feel about Eddie when you learned of his Vietnam experience? How did you feel about him when you learned of Samantha’s illness?
In Chapter Two, Eddie tells Samantha’s spirit that he’s over his mistake in Vietnam. Do you think that's true? Why or why not?
Throughout Eddie’s conversations with Sam’s spirit, he rejects her advice and deludes himself into believing his pronouncements. Do you think this is in typical husband-wife behavior, or an effort to finally reconcile with Sam’s passing?
Generational discord highlights the dinner conversations. Is this discord a natural phenomenon, or something peculiar to Baby Boomers and younger generations?
In Chapter Thirteen, Susan defends Baby Boomers for their efforts to stop a war and create a kinder, gentler society. Michael suggests that while Boomers were off to a good start, they reverted to establishment behavior and made the world no better. With whom do you agree more? Why?
Also in Chapter Thirteen, Eddie suggests that today’s society is the natural result of being spoiled by success. Do you think society is devolving or evolving? Why?
In Chapter Fifteen, Eddie coerces Nurse Peggy to become his snitch. Was it a sting or entrapment? Did Eddie go too far or misbehave as a lawman?
Can “blowing the whistle” on a crime ever be the wrong thing to do? If so, why?
In Chapter Twenty, Sergeant Jenkins accuses Eddie of singlehandedly losing the war in Vietnam. Does Eddie accept accountability, or rationalize his innocence?
In Chapter Twenty-two, the CIA agent known as “Narrow Face” catches up to Eddie and assaults him. What motivates Eddie to let him go free? Has Eddie truly buried his Vietnam guilt as a result?
How do you feel about Eddie’s decision to allow people the personal freedom to choose assisted suicide? How does the freedom to commit suicide compare to the freedom to have an abortion?
Do you think Eddie made his decision for altruistic reasons or out of self-interest, i.e. his love for Madeleine?
Do you think everyone deserves a second chance at love? Does Eddie?
By the end of the novel, do you believe Eddie's redeemed himself? Why or why not?
The Two Lives of Eddie Kovacs Book Club Questions PDF
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