What do you think?
Rate this book
Longevity
In Longevity, Lucy Mendoza leads a team of scientists at the Prendergast Foundation who are testing an enzyme that might extend our lives by thirty years. For several reasons, the federal government, a major pharmaceutical company, and a billionaire investor have no qualms about eliminating Lucy to ensure that project will fail. Her former lover Grant Duran, an ex-Marine special ops officer who’s lost a hand and is now a molecular biologist, thwarts the first attempt on her life. As dead bodies accumulate and Lucy and Grant struggle to defend themselves, they begin to wonder whether the Longevity project should survive.
- GenresFiction
Kindle Edition
2 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Rolf Margenau
9 books100 followersRolf Margenau has written six novels and published two photography books.
The novels feature a main character named Wylie Cypher, first seen as a twenty-year-old college dropout who comes of age during the Korean War. At forty, Wylie is a successful but burned out lawyer with a failing marriage. He tries to find lost youth on a trek with his daughter through the high Andes. Instead, he finds mayhem, murder, a devastating civil war in Peru, and loses a toe.
Retired, in his mid-sixties, Wylie does battle with BIG AG as a Master Gardener. He befriends a group of eco-terrorists who help save the Monarch butterfly. Then, in a novel called National Parks, an aged Wylie lives in a dystopian future where Congress attempts to sell off our national parks to bail out a bankrupt country.
Longevity, a fable about the results of a medical team’s effort to prolong human life by 30 years, will be published early in 2019. In it Lucy Mendoza leads a team of scientists at the Prendergast Foundation who are testing an enzyme that might extend our lives by thirty years. The federal government, a major pharmaceutical company, and a billionaire investor have no qualms about eliminating Lucy to ensure that project will fail. Her former lover Grant Duran, an ex-Marine special ops officer who’s lost a hand and is now a molecular biologist, thwarts the first attempt on her life.
The novels featuring a younger Wylie are realistic, with a dose of humor. The books about older Wylie are solidly satirical. Critics find them very funny, but meaningful and thought provoking.
The author retired Wylie Cypher in 2019 to research and write about how young people with a German background respond to the demands of World War II, on the home front, at war and in an American POW camp. War Story was published in September 2021.
Rolf Margenau lives amid farmland in northern New Jersey with his first wife of over sixty years.
The novels feature a main character named Wylie Cypher, first seen as a twenty-year-old college dropout who comes of age during the Korean War. At forty, Wylie is a successful but burned out lawyer with a failing marriage. He tries to find lost youth on a trek with his daughter through the high Andes. Instead, he finds mayhem, murder, a devastating civil war in Peru, and loses a toe.
Retired, in his mid-sixties, Wylie does battle with BIG AG as a Master Gardener. He befriends a group of eco-terrorists who help save the Monarch butterfly. Then, in a novel called National Parks, an aged Wylie lives in a dystopian future where Congress attempts to sell off our national parks to bail out a bankrupt country.
Longevity, a fable about the results of a medical team’s effort to prolong human life by 30 years, will be published early in 2019. In it Lucy Mendoza leads a team of scientists at the Prendergast Foundation who are testing an enzyme that might extend our lives by thirty years. The federal government, a major pharmaceutical company, and a billionaire investor have no qualms about eliminating Lucy to ensure that project will fail. Her former lover Grant Duran, an ex-Marine special ops officer who’s lost a hand and is now a molecular biologist, thwarts the first attempt on her life.
The novels featuring a younger Wylie are realistic, with a dose of humor. The books about older Wylie are solidly satirical. Critics find them very funny, but meaningful and thought provoking.
The author retired Wylie Cypher in 2019 to research and write about how young people with a German background respond to the demands of World War II, on the home front, at war and in an American POW camp. War Story was published in September 2021.
Rolf Margenau lives amid farmland in northern New Jersey with his first wife of over sixty years.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 24, 2019
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. The premise is great – an enzyme that can prolong life and the ethical questions that surround it. The execution of the book, however, left something to be desired. I did not feel any connection to the characters, and the number of character clichés were overwhelming. There was the mostly-strong female who has bouts of insecurity but still has feelings for her former fiancé. The blushing and slightly overweight but still attractive single mother (who uses a Thigh Master) with money trouble who was easily bought by simply having a man pay attention to her. Throw in the injured former Marine who has a prosthetic hand that he named.
There were some interesting plot twists, however there were so many characters and secret identities that I often momentarily lost track of who was who. The frequent point of view changes were also frustrating at times. I enjoyed the karmic justice of the various characters, and there were some very inventive murder attempts. The last quarter of the book was the strongest.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There were some interesting plot twists, however there were so many characters and secret identities that I often momentarily lost track of who was who. The frequent point of view changes were also frustrating at times. I enjoyed the karmic justice of the various characters, and there were some very inventive murder attempts. The last quarter of the book was the strongest.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 1, 2019
I got this as a e book from Net Galley. I enjoyed reading it. It had a good story to it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.
Read
April 1, 2019Review available at Foreword Reviews.
May 9, 2019
How would you like to live an extra thirty or even 50 years or so beyond your life expectancy? Doctor Lucy Mendoza and her company have developed a pill that can extend lives to well over a hundred years old. On the surface, the pills seem to be rejuvenating the test group, but at what cost? Critics claim it is not the physical aspect of the Longevity project that bothers them. It is the moral and socio-economic ramifications that are destine to cause problems.
Several of these factions are doing their best to thwart the success of the Longevity project. These include some that have covertly infiltrated the company. Others have taken to the airwaves, especially the religious sector. They state that it is against God’s will. Demonstrators picket the front entrance of Dr. Mendoza’s building as well. When all of those actions are unsuccessful, those plotting against the Longevity project decide that nothing short of murder will end the Longevity trial, and they are willing to take matters into their own hands.
Enter Grant Duran, a man from Lucy’s past. He has been hired to work security for her. His resume includes several years in the military as well as special ops. But it also includes the feelings they once had for each other long ago. Can they both get past them? Lucy is willing to hire him because he is the best man for the job and she feels an instant attraction that cannot be denied.
Longevity has an interesting premise and raises all of the ethical and medical questions for the reader to consider. That being said, there are so many characters doing different dirty deeds at the same time, it is difficult to keep them straight.
The plot moves a bit too quickly. I would have liked to see the characters and the scenes to have played out a bit more. Within a few pages someone commits a crime, flies to two countries and dies accidentally. As a reader, I need more flesh on these bones to pull me into the action. It is a short book, under 200 pages, and that is not enough to tell this story with all of the characters involved. To keep my interest, it would have been better to connect with the characters a bit more. I did enjoy the one character that seems to be mild mannered that is kinky and more than a little crazy. My favorite character is Wylie Cypher. He is an older gentleman that is part of the Longevity project test group. I would have loved to see him pop up more often in this book.
This is the first book I have read by Rolf Margenau. He has written several other works of fiction including five novels as well as two photography books. The novels feature Wylie Cypher. I just might check out the first one to see what Wylie is up to in his 20’s.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley and Reedsy Discovery in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman
Several of these factions are doing their best to thwart the success of the Longevity project. These include some that have covertly infiltrated the company. Others have taken to the airwaves, especially the religious sector. They state that it is against God’s will. Demonstrators picket the front entrance of Dr. Mendoza’s building as well. When all of those actions are unsuccessful, those plotting against the Longevity project decide that nothing short of murder will end the Longevity trial, and they are willing to take matters into their own hands.
Enter Grant Duran, a man from Lucy’s past. He has been hired to work security for her. His resume includes several years in the military as well as special ops. But it also includes the feelings they once had for each other long ago. Can they both get past them? Lucy is willing to hire him because he is the best man for the job and she feels an instant attraction that cannot be denied.
Longevity has an interesting premise and raises all of the ethical and medical questions for the reader to consider. That being said, there are so many characters doing different dirty deeds at the same time, it is difficult to keep them straight.
The plot moves a bit too quickly. I would have liked to see the characters and the scenes to have played out a bit more. Within a few pages someone commits a crime, flies to two countries and dies accidentally. As a reader, I need more flesh on these bones to pull me into the action. It is a short book, under 200 pages, and that is not enough to tell this story with all of the characters involved. To keep my interest, it would have been better to connect with the characters a bit more. I did enjoy the one character that seems to be mild mannered that is kinky and more than a little crazy. My favorite character is Wylie Cypher. He is an older gentleman that is part of the Longevity project test group. I would have loved to see him pop up more often in this book.
This is the first book I have read by Rolf Margenau. He has written several other works of fiction including five novels as well as two photography books. The novels feature Wylie Cypher. I just might check out the first one to see what Wylie is up to in his 20’s.
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley and Reedsy Discovery in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman
August 3, 2019
I received a free copy of this book from Hidden Gems, and this is an honest and voluntary review.
I'm not going to go into the story line, because the blurb and other reviewers have already done this. What I will say that others have said, is this is a very good book and well worth a read. It raises a number of issues and reactions to the world's current dilemma of an ageing population and some of the medications that are currently or in progress of research to assist longevity.
This book covers the well-meaning researchers, opposition, deceit, manipulation, government involvement, ethics/morality, espionage, and more. (There's also an element of romance between two main characters.) Loved the outcome/demise of some of the nasty people.
Others have say that the book is fast-paced. I do agree with that, but I believe that this has actually been a detriment to the story. (Something like a good hamburger or an average/bad hamburger. I think we've all had them. Respectively, a good roll, right amount of meat and dressing etc; good roll, good meat, but too much or too little dressing.) This book had a great story, but a number of the areas of the book could have been expanded to make it a more comfortable &/or suspensible read. To me it jumped to quickly between various scenes. Even the romantic element could have been a bit more risqué/erotic rather than Mills & Boon.
There was also spelling/grammar errors (13, I found), including the most cardinal sin of misspelling the names of two semi-important characters - Ms Fix/Fit and Goran Pinch/Finch.
Would i recommend this book? Oh, yes.
I'm not going to go into the story line, because the blurb and other reviewers have already done this. What I will say that others have said, is this is a very good book and well worth a read. It raises a number of issues and reactions to the world's current dilemma of an ageing population and some of the medications that are currently or in progress of research to assist longevity.
This book covers the well-meaning researchers, opposition, deceit, manipulation, government involvement, ethics/morality, espionage, and more. (There's also an element of romance between two main characters.) Loved the outcome/demise of some of the nasty people.
Others have say that the book is fast-paced. I do agree with that, but I believe that this has actually been a detriment to the story. (Something like a good hamburger or an average/bad hamburger. I think we've all had them. Respectively, a good roll, right amount of meat and dressing etc; good roll, good meat, but too much or too little dressing.) This book had a great story, but a number of the areas of the book could have been expanded to make it a more comfortable &/or suspensible read. To me it jumped to quickly between various scenes. Even the romantic element could have been a bit more risqué/erotic rather than Mills & Boon.
There was also spelling/grammar errors (13, I found), including the most cardinal sin of misspelling the names of two semi-important characters - Ms Fix/Fit and Goran Pinch/Finch.
Would i recommend this book? Oh, yes.
January 28, 2019
What would happen if the average life span could be extended by 30 years? It would certainly offer hope and opportunity to the older generation, but what about the rest of society? Could we manage the burden of one more living generation on this planet? Is it ethical to extend human life beyond it's natural capabilities? Longevity-Should We Prolong Life by 30 Years? by Rolf Margenau explores these questions and the implication that a longer life would have in this thrilling suspense novel.
I like this novel because it explores the topic of life expansion from a variety of angles, and offers a fair perspective of the pros and cons of longer life. Lucy Menondez, the project head, and her former lover, Grant Duran, area great couple who naively believe that there's no way anybody in their right mind could oppose their formula to assist telomere replacement until several attempts are made on their lives. Grant uses his military expertise to unravel the mystery and to find the traitors in their midst, one of whom is Lucy's trusted confident. Longevity -Should We Prolong Life by 30 Years? is a compelling mystery that shows not only action, but the motivations behind the various opposing forces. I like how Rolf Margenau manages the variety of perspectives from opposing forces and creates a level of understanding for each of them, from the competitors, to the religious opponents who fear the moral implications of such research. It's an interesting read that will keep you turning pages until the very end to find out how it all comes together - or comes apart!
I like this novel because it explores the topic of life expansion from a variety of angles, and offers a fair perspective of the pros and cons of longer life. Lucy Menondez, the project head, and her former lover, Grant Duran, area great couple who naively believe that there's no way anybody in their right mind could oppose their formula to assist telomere replacement until several attempts are made on their lives. Grant uses his military expertise to unravel the mystery and to find the traitors in their midst, one of whom is Lucy's trusted confident. Longevity -Should We Prolong Life by 30 Years? is a compelling mystery that shows not only action, but the motivations behind the various opposing forces. I like how Rolf Margenau manages the variety of perspectives from opposing forces and creates a level of understanding for each of them, from the competitors, to the religious opponents who fear the moral implications of such research. It's an interesting read that will keep you turning pages until the very end to find out how it all comes together - or comes apart!
May 18, 2019
This book is, as its clumsy title implies, a novel that falls between two stools.
Does author, Rolf Margenau, wish to examine the complexities and pitfalls of extending life by medical artifice or does he aim at entertaining us with a black comedic thrills’n’spills murder mystery where the villains are all given increasingly impossible sticky ends?
I ask because as I read this latest addition to the author’s series featuring gung-ho retired lawyer Wylie Cypher, along came several real news stories that tell us the truth.
When it comes to duplicitous medical practice, for example, the alleged history of blood testing company founder Elizabeth Holmes takes some beating.
But of even greater interest are first, the experience of octogenarian Irish woman Eileen Macken who met her birth mother after a 62-year search only days before the latter’s 104th birthday.
Then, as I read the end of Margenau’s ‘fable‘ came the first bulletins announcing the death of great US novelist, Herman Wouk who had kept writing until his very end - aged 103.
So if Margenau and his fans want to discover the secret to longevity they may do worse than read about it here!
Does author, Rolf Margenau, wish to examine the complexities and pitfalls of extending life by medical artifice or does he aim at entertaining us with a black comedic thrills’n’spills murder mystery where the villains are all given increasingly impossible sticky ends?
I ask because as I read this latest addition to the author’s series featuring gung-ho retired lawyer Wylie Cypher, along came several real news stories that tell us the truth.
When it comes to duplicitous medical practice, for example, the alleged history of blood testing company founder Elizabeth Holmes takes some beating.
But of even greater interest are first, the experience of octogenarian Irish woman Eileen Macken who met her birth mother after a 62-year search only days before the latter’s 104th birthday.
Then, as I read the end of Margenau’s ‘fable‘ came the first bulletins announcing the death of great US novelist, Herman Wouk who had kept writing until his very end - aged 103.
So if Margenau and his fans want to discover the secret to longevity they may do worse than read about it here!
August 10, 2019
The subtitle-Should we prolong human life by 30 years?-makes this book sound really deep and thought provoking. It is may provoke thought but it is not deep. It is satirical and sort of funny, if a books with "murder, mayhem, misdirection, and decapitation" can be funny. Lucy Mendoza leads the Prendergast Foundation's study of Longevity, an enzyme that seems to make human cells live longer. Pharmaceutical company Mayer-Standoffi (great name!) doesn't want to share in this drug. They want it all. The government doesn't like it because they don't want people to live longer. It will cost too much. The religious protestors say only God can determine how long we should live. All of them are after Lucy and the Prendergast Foundation.There are lots of interesting characters , some likeable and some despicable, who are well developed and come together in believable ways. There is enough science to make it medical but not technical enough to make it unreadable. Indeed it is highly readable and kept me up half the night finishing it. Thanks to the publisher and Hidden Gems for giving me a free copy. I am voluntarily reviewing it because I loved it! I plan to read more by this author.
May 9, 2019
Most interesting. Extending the length of life is not a new thought or promise (fake or well-intended). The story moves along smoothly and fairly fast passed, the characters are many but each brings something to the story. There were several thoughts about longevity I had that were visited in the story but there were a bunch I had not considered. Rolf Margenau also included interesting medical information.
I would like to believe that all levels of management of pharmaceutical companies are truly interested in helping and curing ailments and diseases and not just profits. But greed knows no gender, social strata, and government official, as well as a morally or religiously professed personal ethos. With all the greed and self-interest going on in the story it was hard not to get cynical. But there was a lot more than the unethical and greedy characters.
I agree with Wylie about his friends and peers. You will have to read to find out what he said
I would like to believe that all levels of management of pharmaceutical companies are truly interested in helping and curing ailments and diseases and not just profits. But greed knows no gender, social strata, and government official, as well as a morally or religiously professed personal ethos. With all the greed and self-interest going on in the story it was hard not to get cynical. But there was a lot more than the unethical and greedy characters.
I agree with Wylie about his friends and peers. You will have to read to find out what he said
March 29, 2019
This was an enjoyable quick, light read, but it didn't leave me wanting to read more from the author. I didn't feel the characters or plot were developed with any depth. I almost didn't continue reading the book, as the beginning didn't spark my interest - I felt it was simply respouting common phrases and a theme I've seen before. But then the book actually picked up for me and I started to enjoy reading it. There is the one central plot/story line to the book but the many characters just aren't developed to the level I enjoy. And the sudden demise of almost all the bad guys seemed just thrown in at the end so the story could wrap up. However, I think many will enjoy reading this book, as the story line stays light, the language is mainly clean with light humor sprinkled throughout, and the novel usually isn't very graphic.
June 21, 2019
Great summer read.
This is an interesting book to read. What would happen if we could extend the life of humans by 30 years? Should this even be something we consider? This is an easy read, the story is fast paced and it progresses smoothly. It is well written and the characters are all well developed. It’s not really the type of book I would normally read but I genuinely enjoyed reading it. The book is full of twists and turns I didn’t expect but that really brought the story together and made it feel real and believable. It was well worth the time to read. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced summer read that will have you turning pages from start to finish!
This is an interesting book to read. What would happen if we could extend the life of humans by 30 years? Should this even be something we consider? This is an easy read, the story is fast paced and it progresses smoothly. It is well written and the characters are all well developed. It’s not really the type of book I would normally read but I genuinely enjoyed reading it. The book is full of twists and turns I didn’t expect but that really brought the story together and made it feel real and believable. It was well worth the time to read. I recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced summer read that will have you turning pages from start to finish!
August 4, 2019
What could you do if you could live longer?
I received a free copy of this book and have reviewed it voluntarily.
I was initially drawn to it for the idea- an extra thirty years in addition to the average 80 or so? What’s the catch?
Turns out, there is a catch, but it may be more to do with the follow the money. This book was an interesting mix of medical thriller, ethical concern, and action, but I found it difficult to really care about any of the characters and the details occasionally seemed extraneous and hard to follow with the multiple factions involved.
Overall a thought provoking book.
I received a free copy of this book and have reviewed it voluntarily.
I was initially drawn to it for the idea- an extra thirty years in addition to the average 80 or so? What’s the catch?
Turns out, there is a catch, but it may be more to do with the follow the money. This book was an interesting mix of medical thriller, ethical concern, and action, but I found it difficult to really care about any of the characters and the details occasionally seemed extraneous and hard to follow with the multiple factions involved.
Overall a thought provoking book.
February 26, 2019
This book was very different from most I have read and the writing style took some getting used to. With that being said, I did find it entertaining & the plot made it difficult to put down.
The list of villains was so long I had to keep track of them on my phone & then when we started to see deaths, they all felt like they should be in a Final Destination movie. Some parts were definitely cheesy, but like I said, it was entertaining & I would recommend it to friends as that - a light, entertaining read.
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
The list of villains was so long I had to keep track of them on my phone & then when we started to see deaths, they all felt like they should be in a Final Destination movie. Some parts were definitely cheesy, but like I said, it was entertaining & I would recommend it to friends as that - a light, entertaining read.
I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews