Beyond the Blue Serenade

A jukebox full of memories embellishes the story of Barry Parker, a young attorney whose career in the late 1970s is on the rise. Coming from a large New York City law firm where he specializes in insurance law, Parker joins the rapidly growing Patriot Insurance Company in Hartford, Connecticut. Having relocated his family to the Hartford area, the adoring father of two young sons faces several challenges-the demands of his new position as deputy corporate counsel, a growing estrangement from his wife, and an irrepressible attraction to a beautiful, single co-worker. His marriage an unmitigated failure, a clandestine romance blossoms between Barry and the enigmatic, yet at first reluctant, Melanie Granski. Meanwhile, his wife's uncle draws Barry into a plan to use his key position to influence the outcome of a lawsuit between a Cosa Nostra controlled New Jersey trash hauling company and Patriot Insurance. Ultimately, Barry's separation from his wife begins what the two lovers hope will be the start of a lifetime of happiness-despite many obstacles: an avowal that becomes Melanie's mantra. That new life seems assured until one fateful afternoon. As Barry continues to struggle with being apart from his children and dealing with their mother's hostility, pressures at Patriot Insurance, and threats from local mobsters, a sudden and significant change in their relationship instigated by Melanie initiates a downward spiral for the once high flying and confident Barry Parker. Then, events and circumstances, many which were symptoms of societal changes endemic to the era, throw a pall over Barry Parker's world. Betrayals, desperation, mystery, passion, and dangerous liaisons erupt in conflict and create situations that lead to lethal perils for Barry Parker, and others.

Peter Stephen Benton is the author of Brownstone & Ivory, a novel, and an anthology of short stories, Coming and Going. He is a graduate of Western New England University. A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Benton resides in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.