The Washington Post Calls Comen "The Gatsby Sleuth!"
IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH? DO SPIRITS EXIST? DOES GOD EXIST ?
This book begins my adventure in 1988 through 9/10/2001.
An investigation, which started out as a local search for a missing bridge inspector, evolved into a real quest for the spiritual meaning of my life. We all go through periods where we search for that meaning. Tragedy, age, frustration – any negative experiences in our lives – are usually the catalysts. Most of us lose or at least estrange our connection to our religion about the time we reach adulthood. Some of us just go through the motions. I completely severed my connection to Judaism and actually developed contempt for it.
I was born and raised in the cold and snow in and around New Haven, Connecticut. I was weaned on the salt and sun of warm New England summers, cruising the Long Island Sound on our private boat, the Susan 111. I had a very comfortable life growing up, rich in material concerns, Jewish and family traditions, and educational opportunities.
In 1968, I chose to leave New England for college at the University of South Carolina. After some students were raped, I developed a student night patrol for the University, received some national attention, and a Carnegie Institute grant. I lost my connection with New England, my family, and my religion. I set out on a totally different pathway.
In my thirty-eighth year, just when all the youthful idealism should have been replaced by cynicism, I got involved in the investigation of missing bridge inspector Ralph Terry Griggs. He had disappeared on his way to work in late November of 1988.
Little did I know what I was in for when I offered his wife, Lori Griggs, my help for a mere two hundred dollar fee. I had no idea that I would be meeting those who would become lifelong friends; that I would rediscover the Jewish religion, and develop a new belief system that encompassed all religions and all peoples.
I had no thought at the time that I would be exposed to paranormal activity, something I always thought was more garlic and crystal balls than substance. Not only would I be exposed to mysticism, but also I would be introduced to a trance medium that would explain things from a perspective that was totally alien to me – the other side. Elizabeth Baron became my friend, confidante and teacher. Sometimes I saw myself as her sidekick, sometimes I saw her as my sidekick. It became a most unusual relationship.
No book or movie, based on fact or fiction, would ever render the melodrama, blood, sweat and tears, excitement and challenge of what you are about to read. As a private eye, I am always ready for all of the above. As a human being, I look back on this adventure in amazement. I hope you enjoy the following story, which is the factual history of the unbelievable experiences I would have never thought possible. Some names have been changed to protect the participants. [more...]
--Howard Gerald Comen - May 2001, Charleston, South Carolina
