Eddie's World by Charlie Stella

My next foray into the mind of Charlie Stella is Eddie’s World, his first novel dedicated to the college prof who introduced him George Higgins and Eddie Coyle.

Eddie Senta is a 40 something word processor who lives sort of on the edge of the mob underworld. His 2^nd wife, Diane, is in market research with a ticking biological clock, but Eddie doesn’t want to father another child as he isn’t all that proud of how he handled the one he has. Diane takes matters into her own hands and tries to get pregnant by her boss who has a PhD and runs marathons.

Eddie is a good guy. He has a lifelong friend, Tommy, who is in a bind and needs help. Eddie also helped a woman, Sarah, who was being attacked by a boss. He also was in the right (or wrong) place when he stops a mob hit. People owe Eddie favors.

Tommy needs money. Sarah knows her boss had money hidden away and tells Eddie to take it, as an act of revenge. So Eddie and Tommy plan to steal it and get Tommy out of hock. But Sarah has told a recent ex-con, James, about some gold also held by said boss and James then contacts some Russians about fencing the gold. The whole thing goes south when James decides he wants the money and the gold, kills Sarah, the boss, and a third guy. Eddie and Tommy try to steal the money but it’s gone, so they take what they can, a bunch of computers.

The word of the triple murder comes out and Tommy is sure the police will manage to tie he and Eddie to the murders. Poor Tommy tells the wrong wise guy that he thinks he and Eddie should turn themselves in before the police get too close.

The 2 detectives are playing dozens of scenarios in their heads, but getting closer each day. And James the ex-con is also closing in on Eddie. Everybody collides at Eddie’s home – Diane, his son, James, the Russian, NYPD, and the FBI (turns out James is in their back pocket).

The way I figure it, Eddie’s biggest problem is an serious case of the "loyalties". To Tommy, whom he has watched over since the two were young and Eddie was there when Tommy was told his dad had just died. To Sarah, whom he saved from a brutal sexual assault and has watched over her since. To Diane, despite her wishes to find someone to father a child. This is an interesting character study of a man on the fringes of the mob who clings to a code of morality, even if he is a bit of a gangster. For those of us who like crime stories, this is another winner from Mr. Stella. Out library doesn’t have any more titles by Stella and B/N has none on their shelves, so I guess I need to prowl the used book stores to find more.

East Coast Don