The Dark Side of Eden

About the Book

What begins as a routine one car automobile accident, takes an insurance claims man down a path of mystery in a small New England town. He finds no help from the police or the family of the occupants of the vehicle. The claims man discovers more than he bargained for when his investigation reveals the crash was not an accident, but a well conceived murder. The murderer tries to hide the evil plan and resorts to another murder. The novel takes us through various lives in the small town where the loyalties are not always on the side of justice. The investigator follows his instincts, which are not always correct, but he solves the crime just as an attempt is made on his life. On the surface, the town of Newton Crossing is a sleepy little hamlet of hardworking people living in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains of Northern Connecticut, but under the layer of respectability lives a cross section of the inhabitants who observe their own illegal agenda. The claims man wades through the mire and solves the mystery. The author has lived within the values of the small town. He has also seen the dark side.

About the Author

Stephen Matava was born of immigrant parents, ten years after his parents came from Slovakia. He was raised in a Slovak neighorhood and spent most of his life in the shadow of his parent's native land. He was the fifth child and the first to graduate fom high school. The older children had to leave school to help support the family. He was raised with strict family and religious values and passed these on to his own children, He hold a degree from the University of Hartford and spent most of his life in the insurance business world. The author is married and has raised three children who have left the nest There are three grandchildren that he sees as often as possible. He learned of his ancestors from the stories that were told around the supper table and from any other material that he could find on the subject. He spent fifteen years years as a claims adjuster for a large insurance company before going into business for himself as an insurance agent. Following the family values of his forefathers has been good to him and he now finds time to write full time. Besides this nove, he ahs written a book of selected poems which will be next to be published.