Frogworks Publishing announces the publication of a new novel, High Andes, by Tewksbury New Jersey author, Rolf Margenau.
Third in the Wylie Cypher series, the best selling amazon.com author has placed his hero, now in his forties and suffering from a mid-life crisis, in the midst of a brutal civil war in 1981 Peru. He extends a business trip to include a trek across the Andes with his daughter, Mercy, hoping to reclaim fading youth and bond with his daughter. Things go seriously awry. He is tortured and chased by two sets of villains through little known and exotic territory across the White Mountains of Peru. He, his daughter, and their cohorts battle their way along the Inca trail, running from government thugs and communist guerillas.
To liven things up, the author introduces a modern Inca, Gaspar, who aids the Cypher group and embodies the spirit of the people of the White Mountains and their daily struggles to survive. A 500-year-old child mummy plays an important role in the novel, as does Pachamama, earth mother and deity. Themes such as the widening gap between rich and poor, the improper exploitation of natural resources, and the results of political and moral corruption are subtexts as we follow Wylie and his friends to a gun battle in a frozen canyon at an altitude of 17,000 feet and into a subterranean cave filled with mummies.
Margenau confesses this thriller represents a departure from his two other novels. He says, “In Public Information Wylie was a twenty-year-old kid caught up in the Korean War, and the scenes ranged from mortal combat to ribald army humor. Wylie was seventy-five in Master Gardener, comfortable and eager to do battle with BIG AG and its pesticides. I am told that book was very funny in parts –which I was glad to hear since I planned it that way.”
He adds, “High Andes is a darker novel. I wanted to challenge Wylie, during his mid-life crisis, with mortal danger, toss in his daughter for flavor, and use a chase theme to engage the reader. I set the story in 1980 Peru to infuse it with a nasty civil war setting.”
Early book reviews are favorable. For example,
Glorious…This is the sort of original and intelligent book that is very difficult to stop reading once you start, as it bursts with action or interesting detail at every turn. I learned a great deal about Peruvian politics and history while I was entertained, and it’s one of those review books I keep after reading it. Recommended. 4.5/5 stars – The SPR Review
An intrepid adventure through the Andes that are breathtaking in the literal and figurative meanings of the word…The portrayal of the indigenous people is colorful and rich as is the description of the Andes mountain ranges…This book gets high marks for its intelligence and thoughtfulness. – The Palmetto Review
High Andes is available from booksellers, amazon.com, and many other web sites, including Frogworks Publishing at www.frogworks.com.
Rolf Margenau
1952
