Lifetime to Die

by P.S. Meronek

The darkest of secrets sometimes linger for a lifetime. When they are finally exposed they can be like the discovery of an ancient tomb, perhaps better left alone, although never ignored. Aristotle Mercury’s father knew too much, so he was silenced. With the help of his friends in the Russian mob, Aristotle’s Uncle Jacob is able to move in and take over as the new head of the now successful factory that his own brother created.
The year is 1968. As the Red Army’s tanks roll into Wenceslas Square in the very heart of Prague, a seventeen year old Aristotle learns the horrible truth about his father. Five years ago someone else was murdered in his place to make it appear as if he was accidentally crushed under a factory press. Since then his father has been alive and imprisoned in the notorious Prague Institute for the Criminally Insane.
In a daring rescue Aristotle retrieves his barely alive father from the bowels of the terrible prison. After a short time his father succumbs to the ravages of his imprisonment, but not before he divulges the location of the evidence which proves he owned the now thriving factory, and of Uncle Jake’s murderous duplicity in stealing it from them.
With the Russians taking over the country, and the mob closing in to eliminate the only living heir to a burgeoning fortune, Aristotle flees Czechoslovakia and makes his way to America, vowing to one day go back and even the score.
He settles in New York, in Greenwich Village. He’s honest and works hard to learn the new ways of a strange land. Soon he befriends his eccentric landlord, the elderly Mrs. Schroeder. Telly, as his new friends in America like to call him, ignites a withered spirit of adventure in the lady who still believes in the good in people. She owns some property, and Telly has a talent for building. They both learn Telly also has an eye for the deal. Together they first develop her land, and then other land in the exploding New York real estate market. Telly’s ambitions lead him from the posh boardrooms of New York to the lucrative shores of New Jersey, where he’s almost killed as he constructs the world’s largest casino.
Never too far from his mind, always there to haunt and motivate him, Telly dreams of the day he will finally return to his homeland and exact vengeance on his Uncle Jake. In a sweeping saga of familial betrayal spanning three decades of intertwining lives, Telly Mercury finally gets his chance for justice. But does righting of wrongs of a demon filled closet come with a price too high? Secrets are sometimes better left untold, in spite of their screams from across the years to be heard.
His own salvation hanging in the balance, Telly must somehow accept that forgiveness trumps retribution, and money truly can’t buy happiness. And just maybe, as it is with Uncle Jacob, forgiveness is the worst possible epithet for a life lived in the accompaniment of the unquenchable thirst of greed and murder.

Genres: Fiction, Drama, Mystery, Adventure, Thriller

410 pages, Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

P.S. Meronek is truly one of a kind. He's a writer, entrepreneur, world traveler, and adventurer. His life experiences are reflected in the characters and stories he pens; he's spent the last 30 years developing his voice and unique style of writing. He doesn't live a whole lot differently than some of the more notable characters in his books. He admits it has been a road less traveled, but worth every step along the way.

http://ponytalepress.com/authors.html

Reviews

[Zoeytron · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was just okay for me. Strong writing and a very likeable character in the person of Aristotle (Telly) Mercury made the first two parts of the book really good. In my opinion, something went terribly amiss with the remainder of the story. The pieces stopped fitting, and I came dangerously close to losing interest. The business with Christina seemed random. Disappointing after such a strong start.

This was a first-reads giveaway, thank you.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through the Goodreads first reads giveaway program. I liked this novel and would recommend. It was well written with a likeable main character. I enjoyed how the book was broken up into parts. I didn't rate it any higher because I felt the author lost me with whole Christina/Mercury relationship. It felt forced, unnecessary to the effectiveness of plot and felt very much disconnected from the whole feel of the book. Part 1 & 2 were very strong, very much a 5 star rating but then the story and coziness of the book fell apart for me. Nonetheless, a 3 star rating.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won A Lifetime to Die as a goodreads first-read giveaway.

I thought it was ridiculous. It took me a lifetime, or so it seemed, to read this far-fetched, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, so-called thriller. The author pulls out every cliche in the book (pun intended) to spin this unbelievable yarn of a guy who flees Czechoslovakia before his uncle can kill him or the invading Russians can get him, makes his way to the United States, and in the space of 24 years or so, goes from an immigrant carpenter to one of the largest developers in New York, if not the Free World, if not the Entire Universe. Along the way he brushes shoulders with the likes of junk-bond magnate Michael Milken and hotelier turned criminal Leora Helmsely. Aristotle "Telly" Mercury claims to be an honest businessman, of modest aspirations, but the opposite is true. He is driven by the desire to avenge his father's death and gain control of the homeland country manufacturing business turned multinational conglomerate that his rightfully his.

IF you like formulaic claptrap that piles on one unbelievable adventure/venture on top of the other, if you like bad writing, if you find this sort of high-horse nonsense enjoyable, by all means, run off to your nearest bookstore. Otherwise, save your money and buy toilet paper, because you will get more value out of the latter.

[Mati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in a Goodread's Giveaway.

Well. That's over.

I liked this book in the beginning. I really did. In fact, almost the whole first segment had me turning pages and sucked into Aristotle's life. The writing was good, which is pretty much all that's kept my rating up where it is. While I may not have liked the story, I can't say the author doesn't have a decent handle on prose.

The problem with this book was the plot which went from the pretty basic 'Uncle cheated us out of money' to ... the end. I don't know what happened. Honestly. I feel like I got tempted into reading with a piece of candy then hit over the head with a cinder block. I'm not usually one to be so harsh about a book, but I'm honestly in disbelief at this point. I just keep asking "What happened?!"

A Lifetime to Die would fit into the Drama category, in my opinion. It was faintly reminiscent of a story like The Great Gatsby, although it lacked any clear hook to tether the reader to everything that was going on. [Warning, I might start dropping spoilers here soon, so if you haven't read it and want to, maybe stop here.] When you start this story, you sort of map out the basic elements: Uncle stole factory, hidden documents, murder attempt, mob, escape from the country. Then we get to America, and things start taking a new turn. Telly starts working construction, trying to earn money. Gradually he has a friend who dares him to go bigger and shoot for new dreams. Telly rises through the ranks and starts to make something of himself. Meanwhile, as a reader you're just hanging in there, waiting. What happened to the Uncle? What happened to Prague? Reassurance comes that this will be down the road. Telly is saving, building relationships so he can take on said Uncle. Then he falls in love. Then there is a casino and someone tries to kill him.

Life falls apart. Telly falls in love again, and I kept waiting for some sort of epiphany. Maybe he's working too hard, and should just settle down and enjoy life? Maybe he needs to head home and resolve things? But Aristotle just keeps reaching higher and higher, still following the ghosts of his past. Time starts slow, then gets faster the more we read. Five years go past. Then six. Then ten. We read through all the small details of his arrival in America then his cousin comes in and I have no idea who she is or why she is important. The biggest 'reveal' doesn't happen until the end of the book, and I honestly don't know what it had to do with the rest of the story.

Are you confused? I feel confused.

The problem with A Lifetime to Die was it tried to do too much. Just like the back cover, everything was crammed into this novel and started to gush out the seams. There were points where I thought it would get better, but somehow things just didn't click. Why was it necessary to have so many conversation about profits and legalities and building the empire? Why didn't we get to know the people in his life the way we did Mrs. Schroeder? Time jumps so unexpectedly, I never know if the next chapter is the next day, or five years. This book left me grasping for straws, holding pages that felt ripped out of order while other segments seemed missing entirely.

I felt like there were messages woven into the book. They needed more polishing to make them clearer, however. This book, as I understood it, was about spending a lifetime rushing forward, chasing something, only to find you turn around, and the moment is over. Years become moments, gone. It's the curse of youth to never look back until it's too late. However prominent that message could have been, it was lost in the mess for me. There was nothing to carry the story from point A to point B, so I just ended up sitting somewhere between the two, wondering what happened.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you for the book!

I have mixed feelings on this book? I liked parts of it, but other portions not so much. I didn't feel like I really knew any of the characters very well except for the main character, Telly. There were also times I would get frustrated with the minute details that just seemed to drag on and on but not really add to the story. I never really felt that I just wanted to give up on reading it, because the story line was interesting enough for me to stay involved. That being said, I did enjoy the book as a whole although the ending felt a little lackluster.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like to thank the author for selecting me as a winner of this book, I went out on a limb and registered for it, I read the summary on the book and thought it might just be a good book to read, thanks for giving me a chance to read the genres of Drama, Thriller and Suspense.

Aristotle Mercury's family has secrets. He and his Mother have lived a poor and hard life, his Mother working for her brother-in-law, Aristole ending up taking a job in construction, working for his Uncle also. What happens when his Mother has a accident in the company, what does Aristotle learn while working for his Uncle and what really happened to his father.
Aristotle comes to America, as a young man. Finds a place to live with a widow, Mrs. Schroeder, she tells him he has talent and has a proposition for him and her to become partners. He makes it big in New York, finds a wife, has a daughter, then his life is turned upside down.
Aristotle has always wanted revenge on his Uncle, will he get his revenge or will another family secret destroy him.

The flow of this book has you wanting to read more to find out what Aristotle is going to have to face next in his life. Read of his despair, love, revenge and the one shocking secret. It is a great read and I really enjoyed reading this book, generally not big on drama stories, but I found this one a book worth taking time to read.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as part of Goodreads First Reads program.

When I began reading this book, I had a four star rating in mind. At the halfway point, it had dropped to a three star. When I got to the last few pages, I was exasperated to the point of a one star rating.

Initially, the blurb on the back had me very interested but while reading, some things simply didn't align. As the story wore on, the plot continued to just fall apart until it was almost nonexistent. This book has every cliche under the sun (I am fully aware of what I just wrote). It's almost like the author googled a list and stuck them in as often as possible, regardless of plot.

In the beginning, the main character Telly is a young man who eventually discovers his family has been betrayed by his uncle. After fleeing Czechoslovakia, he winds up in America and becomes very rich in a few short years.

*SPOILERS*

There are several things in this book that make no sense.
-Telly's mother needs her arm removed after an infection and then the chapter ends and the mother randomly disappears. The author doesn't mention that the mother died until several chapters later and several months have elapsed in Telly's life. She is the only family left in the main character's life and the author can't be bothered to mention the fact that she's dead?
-Time lapses were very strange. One minute, the sun is just setting and then half a page later it's 10 o'clock at night even though the characters have uttered maybe 6 lines of dialogue and there is no other mention of time passing. Sometimes, a chapter would end and the next one had jumped ahead 7 years leaving the last plot unresolved and not really introducing a new, important one. Then the book would go back and fill in the time gap and jump forward again without warning. It was difficult to follow.
-Several things were given unnecessarily redundant detail like the pungent odor garlic and pickles make, and yet Telly's wedding to his first love and birth of his first child are condensed into two short paragraphs at the end of a chapter.
-Telly comes to America, happens to have a smart landlady interested in business, who had never previously shown an interest, and they become billionaires in a matter of years. Telly is in his early 20s at this point. I understand the American Dream concept, but in his homeland he was a poor boy with little education and little ambition but arrive in America and he's now suddenly an extremely intelligent savvy businessman who builds his own empire from the ground up in less than three years to the point where he becomes internationally famous?
-Sometimes the author just didn't pay attention to his own writing. One minute, a character is collapsing onto a double bed and in the next paragraph, that bed is now magically queen sized.


There are other things that I simply found tasteless about the book. All three of Telly's love interests are vapid, dumb characters void of any personality. There is no distinction between the three other than one is a much younger cousin-turned lover-turned baby mama-turned half-sister who dies without a given reason. Midway through, Telly's wife and business partners are killed off for seemingly no reason. Telly does not grow from the experience and the plot is not furthered by it other than that Telly now has the opportunity to have some creepy relationships with other women. For that matter, Telly is a very static character. He does not change. I found no difference in him from the sixteen year old in Prague to the 50 year old in New York. He is rather easy to dislike; he yells at everyone and then says he's sorry afterward but always yells at the next instance. One minute, Telly is begging Christina to be the love of his life and then the reader finds out he's got an even younger woman back home who is pregnant with his child, which he marries as soon as Christina has died.


The plot overall, is never really resolved. It feels like the author realized he was nearing the end of his novel, realized how boring it had become and decided to throw in several irrelevant plot twists about abortion, a character death, rape, and another cheesy relationship.

*END SPOILERS*

I very much struggled to finish this book and now wish I had not. I probably would have liked it better.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book!!! I did not want it to end. The character
Whether good or evil are extremely believable. The plot
is more than an immigrant making good, There are a lot
of realistic twist and turns pulling the reader right into
the story. You feel what the characters feel especially the
main character, Aristotle Mercury.
Aristotle’s father possessed to much information so his
brother’s associates had to have him removed. They fake
his death and send him to a Prague Institute for the
Criminally Insane. Then with the Russian mobs backing,
Uncle Jacob in able to secure the factory hisbrother Wasily
built. But was that the only secret Uncle Jacob was tying
to bury???
The Red Army is coming into Prague. The year is 1968.
When Aristotle learns of his father fate, a rescue is set into
place to occur during the confusion. In a bold daring rescue,
he rescues his father who is barely alive but lives long enough
to show Aristotle where the evidence is located that will
prove his father owned the now prospering factory.
Aristotle flees Czechoslovakia after his father passes. He
needs to escape as he is now the target of the Russian mob
and his Uncle Jacob because he is the only living heir to
the factory fortune.
Eventual Aristotle ends up in America. He settles in New
York vowing to return to his homeland to right his heritage.
The story of the Aristotle Mercury story takes off covering three
decades of interweaving lives . An unbelievable tale that you
cannot put down!!!
The book covers deceit, betrayal, viciousness, greed, hatred
but is also filled with faith, friendship, trust, forgiveness and love.
A Lifetime To Die is a book not to miss reading!!!
….I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. My
opinion is my own. Thank you for the book!

[Nancy Steinle gummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lifetime to Die by P.S. Meronek is a first read win and I'm giving my honest opinion. This book grabbed your attention right away. I had to know what was going to happen next. It was hard to put the book down. It read as a true story even though I knew it was fiction. The story starts with Aristotle (AKA as Telly) Mercury quitting school and his part time job in Checkoslavakia to begin working construction at his Uncle Jake's factory, Mercury Textiles. His mothers arm needs to be amputated. The doctors are butchers. His mom died. Hes on his own. His dad died 5 years ago, an accident at work. He saves Karlov's life when someone wanted to kill him making it look like an accident. When Telly visits him in the hospital, Karlov's feels guilty. He tells Telly his father is alive in the Institute for the Criminally Insane. With help from Karlov's and his wife and Father Sablinski they rescue his father. His dad is a very sick man. He has cancer. He tells Father Sablinski and Telly that he is a full partner with his brother Jake. The proof is in one of the buildings columns. His father dies. They bury him in the church yard. Then Russia invades Checkoslavakia. It's 1969. Telly escapes to Germany then to the United States. He lands in Greenwich Village in New York City. He meets a widow, Mrs. Schroeder. He rents the second floor from her. He gets a job in construction. Learn how this pennyless immigrant builds an empire and becomes a multi millionaire. He's suffered much sadness but he succeeds.

[Peggy N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to win a author's signed copy of A Lifetime to Die by P.S. Meronek as a Goodreads Winner. The book was like none I have read, and is the first that I have read by this author. At first the book has a complicated sadness that seems to come and go throughout the book. The story begins in Prague. Czechoslovakia and follows the life of Aristotle "Telly" Mercury from a young man to when he was an older man in the United States. His is a life strewn with both obstacles and opportunities. His worked through both with an appetite to succeed at whatever he tried. His story began as an almost impoverished young man who was loved by his mother and father. His family had been robbed of their inheritance by his Uncle Jake who had tried to have his father killed. The story unfolds a little at a time, but moves very quickly through the phases of the young man's life. Just when the reader thought he was going to be happy with his life and he had found love and peace something changed that and the sadness returned. The story captured my attention and made me want to know more with every page, I cheered his successes and cried with his pain. The ending was unexpected and was one well worth waiting for. A great read. I will definitely look for more of his books and appreciate the opportunity to have read it for free through Goodreads.

[Bruce Veloor · Rating 5 out of 5]

People who appreciate Meronek's books clearly know something others don't. Of course he looks fairly well pressed for a 76yr old gentile... That is... if you think an enlightened sense of style includes a polyester lavender/sandalwood suit, with well heeled shoes made from fascists child's fur. Allow me to divulge further, while his books could legitimately be the flavour of the month, appearances can also be deceiving because his sense of fashion is mostly an acquired one. And yes, if you are wondering, I am the main character of this book, Telly Mercury. Unfortunately, he could not relinquish the royalty required (80% profit) to use my name, because I am, Bruce Veloor.

On that note, please allow me to say this. _BV

[Zs · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion, in "A Lifetime To Die" written by P.S.Meronk, poor editing and clichés overshadow the writing in Meronek's premise of the US as the land of opportunity and the additional premise that revenge is not worth the price one pays. Also, I disliked the speed with which the main character could switch women and still consider each the love of his life.

In spite of these handicaps, this book is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you! =)

[Denise Eggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lifetime to Die by P.S. Meronek is written by a man who describes himself as a “writer, entrepreneur, world traveler, and adventurer” ( Goodreads profile).

A Lifetime to Die spans about thirty years, from 1968 to 1999. It focuses on young Aristotle Mercury, living in Prague in 1968. His father seemingly lost his life in a factory accident which occurred in his uncle’s factory. His mother is injured in the same factory and dies later of that injury. Aristotle discovers that his parents helped launch his uncle’s rise and that his father is really imprisoned in a mental hospital.

With help, Aristotle breaks his father out of the hospital and learns how his uncle cheated his father and mother. About the same time, the Soviets crack down on the Czech Republic. In the confusion of an invasion, Aristotle manages to escape his homeland with little but the clothes on his back and his own native intelligence.

A Lifetime to Die then becomes an entrepreneurial story. It tells of Aristotle’s rise as a property developer in New York City. He eventually becomes a billionaire and can finally face his powerful uncle. Along the way, he faces tragedy and happiness.

Meronek uses some interesting time shifts to tell his story. For instance, an important character, Christina, is introduced suddenly. Much later, Meronek tells us how Aristotle met a wet, cold, Christina in a cloak room. Christina is Aristotle’s cousin who become so much more. These time shifts keep you reading to find out what comes next.

A Lifetime to Die is well written. My only real criticism on that score is the level of detail Meronek offers. It is sometimes too much. For instance, here’s a description of Aristotle moving to a new house owned by a woman who would become a business partner:

"I had responded to her ad close to a month after I’d arrived in New York City and we hit it off immediately. The fact I’d been able to speak with her in her native German hadn’t hurt. Moving out of my room at the YMCA and into her place had almost overwhelmed me at first. I carried all my possessions on the subway with me in the suitcase Father Svabinsky had given me in Prague…"[P. 173 following an introduction to his new landlady].

I recommend A Lifetime to Die as an adventure story, a story about family, business, revenge and its problems, and an immigrant’s story. Full disclosure, I won a signed copy as a Goodreads First Reads and I am of Slovakian heritage so Aristotle’s history resonated with me. Unfortunately, I am not a billionaire, but I don’t have Aristotle’s drive.

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Lifetime to DieP.S. MeronekI was lucky enough to win a copy of this wonderful book on a goodreads giveaway so this is my honest review about it:

Well first of all, this is the story of Aristotle Mercury , or Telly how is know in a big part of the book is a very determined boy who fights with all he has to accomplish what he wants, and all what he has to past thru the journey that is his life, starting when he is sixteen and living in Czechoslovakia with his mother, a beautiful person who always tries to see the good on people (you can really see that at the very end of the book), because his father has been killed thanks to his uncle Jacob (his father's brother), but it turns out his father is still alive and Telly doesn't think twice to go and save him from where he has pass the last 5 years of his life imprison, but shortly after that he sadly dies, and with the Russians taking over Prague, he decide to leave and end up on America in New York , and that’s how everything starts and thru all the story we meet a lot of beautiful and horrible people along the way, with a lot of experiences for Telly and so we get to know how honest, intelligent and hard working he is; I really liked all the concept of the book and the twists, couldn't believe some things that the author throws you in there, seriously I was in shock for a few moments, but even all, I loved the way everything looks like life it's supposed to be, and loved the love story; but what I liked the most in this book is that leaves you knowing that if you work hard enough you can accomplish everything you want, and doesn't matter where you come from.
So yes I really loved it from every angle, the characters, the story, the plot, the twist, everything!, I recommend it 100%

5 big stars

[Myreadingzen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book that I have read by this author and the first book I won through a goodreads giveaway. The story first begins in Prague, Czechoslovakia and then follows the life of Aristotle or known as "Telly" Mercury as a young man and then over the years later as a much older man who has made the United States his home. Thus, due to his hard work and some great friends along the way, his dreams came to life. Telly's story and this book captured me from the beginning and never let go until the end. Chapter after chapters it left me wanting to know more with every page how it all might end. Also, I felt every emotion as if I was there myself. In every pain, love and relationship with the other characters and every twist and turn the story took you can feel it all. By the end of the book, which I loved, I was left feeling a connection with his character and was sad to see the book end. Yet, was very happy on how it all ended and yet surprised by the ending at the same time. I found it a very fast, compelling, strong and well put together-written out story.

Overall, it's just a great story from start to finish and I would recommend, “A Lifetime to Die” to anyone. I would definitely read another one of his other books or would re-enter another goodreads giveaway in the future if there was one. Therefore, in my opinion: I give it a five star rate!

* Received the book for free through," Goodreads First Reads."*

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been slacking on writing reviews and I finished this book awhile ago, so pardon me if I can't remember specific details involving the book.

A Lifetime to Die follows Aristotle, a young man living in Russia in 1968. Aristotle is left fatherless and practically penniless while his Uncle Jake lives a life of luxury. Aristotle discovers that his uncle actually owes his family much more than is let on, including his father (locked away). Aristotle sets out to exact revenge on his conniving uncle, regardless of any obstacles thrown in his way.

A Lifetime to Die is an exciting family saga full of twists and turns. The plot in this story will have you constantly guessing and holding on to the edge of your seat as you quickly make your way through the story. The plot is believable enough and definitely makes for a unique and engrossing story.

P.S. Meronek writes in a style that I found pleasant to read. He writes dialogue skillfully and does a good job of making the characters behave realistically towards one another.

I would definitely recommend A Lifetime to Die to those that are interested in thrillers taking place in a communist Russia. This book has some believable characters and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

[Christine Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. At first, I was confused with the plot. I went into this book blindly. However, as I started to read this, it got better. This book is a lot more interesting that I thought. I usually read YA books that deal with magic, love, worlds we cannot live in, etc. I really liked this book. Definitely a different style of writing, I would say. Not my usually reading kind of book but it was great.

So I'll try not to spoil anyone. This book about a boy growing up into a man. We learn his struggles and how he grows with them. Yeah, the back of the book looks confusing. JUST GO INTO THE BOOK BLINDLY. Trust me. I loved the main character and all of his friends. Only if I had friends like that.

I recommend this book to anyone, really. It was great, wonderful and awesome.

[Cathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of A Lifetime to Die by P.S. Meronek in a Goodreads giveaway in return for an honest review.

I will admit that I liked the main character Aristotle (Telly) Mercury and was rooting for this young man who had taken a lot of knocks in life. The story of his struggle to help support his mother and his escape from Communism really hooked me...he worked hard to pursue the American dream. Once I hit his forays into property development, I had to really push myself to keep reading. The end of the book, however, really threatened the integrity of the story. Suddenly the reader is immersed in so many plot twists it takes the edge off the realism.

Overall, A Lifetime to Die would translate into a decent action movie where reality is often suspended to showcase the action.

[Marcus Danson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a time in my life where I am in review of my past and considering the foreground to the next epoch, I run into a book that reminds me the only way that I will achieve anything is to press on with everything I've got.

From the cover of the book, to the final page, I was spellbound. The only shame is that Mr. Meronek didn't extend it longer because I didn't want the story to end. Full points.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, and the story moves at a good pace. The subject matter is interesting and there are plenty of exciting bits. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes fiction with a little drama to it.
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads.

[(;Missy.Lala;) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A-ma-zing!!!!' :)
Loved the setting (even though it's my first time reading a book with a setting in the 1960s :)
Loved the characters, especially the protagonist Aristotle (aka Telly <3) he was everything I would want to see in a main character:
1. Determined
2. Curious
3. Tough
4. Caring
5. Intelligent
6. Would stop at nothing to achieve his goal or get something he wants
7. And helpful :)

Now, let me give you a summary of this fantastic book :)

In this world, secrets have always been kept hidden, and very dangerous if those secrets are exposed, so some of these secrets sometimes last for a lifetime.
So, if a person discovers or figures out this dark secret, they keep silent so that they can be left alone; but that's not what happened to Aristotle Mercury’s father. Once they figured out that he knew, he was silenced (meaning they killed him)

After this happened, Aristotle’s Uncle Jacob was able to move in and take over as the new head of the now successful factory that Aristotle's father had once created when everything was safe....

In this world, the year is 1968;
As the Red Army’s tanks roll into Wenceslas Square in the very heart of Prague, Aristotle (Telly) learns the horrible truth about his father (one if the big secrets so he's in trouble now)

Revealing secret now:
Five years ago, someone else was murdered in his place to make it appear as if he was accidentally crushed under a factory press. Since then his father has been alive and imprisoned in the notorious Prague Institute for the Criminally Insane.
In a daring rescue Aristotle retrieves his barely alive father from the bowels of the terrible prison (love him so far!!! He would go through all the trouble and consequences to bust his father it of the Institute!!)

After a short time his father succumbs to the ravages of his imprisonment, but not before he divulges the location of the evidence which proves he owned the now thriving factory, and of Uncle Jake’s murderous duplicity in stealing it from them.
With the Russians taking over the country, and the mob closing in to eliminate the only living heir to a burgeoning fortune, Aristotle flees Czechoslovakia and makes his way to America, vowing to one day go back and even the score.

He settles in New York, in Greenwich Village. He’s honest and works hard to learn the new ways of a strange land. Soon he befriends his eccentric landlord, the elderly Mrs. Schroeder.

Telly, as his new friends in America like to call him, ignites a withered spirit of adventure in the lady who still believes in the good in people. She owns some property, and Telly has a talent for building. They both learn Telly also has an eye for the deal. Together they first develop her land, and then other land in the exploding New York real estate market. Telly’s ambitions lead him from the posh boardrooms of New York to the lucrative shores of New Jersey, where he’s almost killed as he constructs the world’s largest casino.
Never too far from his mind, always there to haunt and motivate him, Telly dreams of the day he will finally return to his homeland and exact vengeance on his Uncle Jake (because uncle jake don't have the guts to give Telly a job in his factory, and plus he's an arrogant jerk -_-)

In a sweeping saga of familial betrayal spanning three decades of intertwining lives, Telly Mercury finally gets his chance for justice. But does righting of wrongs of a demon filled closet come with a price too high? Secrets are sometimes better left untold, in spite of their screams from across the years to be heard.
His own salvation hanging in the balance, Telly must somehow accept that forgiveness trumps retribution, and money truly can’t buy happiness. And just maybe, as it is with Uncle Jacob, forgiveness is the worst possible epithet for a life lived in the accompaniment of the unquenchable thirst of greed and murder.

-sigh- what can I say about this book instead of AWESOME OMG IM SO GLAD I WON THIS BOOK IN A GIVEAWAY!!!! Thanks!!!!

Oh yeah, if you see this book, and you love to learn lessons at the end of a book, and you love history, this is a great book for you :)

*recommend*

[Heather Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I got through the Goodreads Giveaways. It is the second book I have read by this author. I have written to him to offer some corrections, and both times he was gracious and polite.

I find him to be a good writer in terms of word choice, staying true to storyline continuity, and giving details. What I don't like about his writing is that the level of details do little to enhance the story and take a lot of time to read. The author claims to write what he knows. The level of technical detail that Mr. Meronek knows is just not always important to the action.

I did not enjoy this book. I liked "Stay Another Night" more. Both are not my kind of book, but I read them both completely.

Mr. Meronek claims "A Lifetime to Die" is a love story. I don't buy that. The main character has three ladies that he loves. I suppose an argument can be made that this is really a love story in that Telly learns to love himself by the end. Maybe it's a self-love story?

Mr. Meronek claims this book is a thriller. There were some moments of action and a few surprises, but this book is not a thriller. It's a fictional memoir of a young man who moves to the U.S. and discovers how to live the American Dream. It covers his life from age 15 to age 50.

This book did begin as a story of revenge and redemption. That is what I was intrigued about. Just how was this main character going to exact his revenge? That was my hook. I was severely disappointed when my hook was dropped and it fell away. I am still not clear how Telly got the revenge he sought. I understand that in the end, the wound up not mattering. But I don't buy that. I did matter.

The way that Telly is written seems like he is humble. But at times, as he grows and matures, he becomes quite egotistical despite the author trying to keep him humble. It's hard to reconcile some of that demeanor.

The first two-thirds of the book are slower moving, filled with detail, full of the author's knowledge of building and construction, and written to set you up for just how Telly will achieve his revenge. The last third of the book doesn't match. A brand new character with a shockingly weird and unexplainable relation to Telly appears and is "important." Just like that. And then there is another woman. Just like that. Details and storyline is skirted through. The wrap up of this book was just so frustrating. I found myself rushing to just get it over with - like ripping off a bandaid. I couldn't not finish it, but I didn't really want to either.

I can see where some readers would really like this book. Especially readers who enjoy a thorough story, likes to see character development, and can identify with an immigrant's journey. As I said, I know this is not my kind of book.

There were some details that seemed like acronyms. I pointed a few out to the author. These disrupted the flow of my reading and made me question the author's level of research. Or perhaps the editor's.

Last thing I'd like to say is that I don't understand the title and how it fits with the book. I didn't understand the title "Stay the Night," either.

I think this author has promise. My opinion is that he needs to learn or have someone with a heavy editing hand to cut down the details that are not relevant to plot. They just take up space. I'd suggest that he be careful in the description of the books in claiming that it is a thriller or a love story. Let readers be the judge of that. Neither "A Lifetime to Die" nor "Stay the Night" are what I would call thrillers. I would also encourage the author to be careful of his endings. Don't give up on them! Spend a little more time fleshing them out so the reader gets that great fulfilled feeling at the end.

[J. Lynn Else · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out really interesting with compelling characters and an interesting plot line that was unveiled well. Aristotle, aka Telly, has a plan (setting up the book’s plot) and everything in the book focused on his getting back what was rightfully his father’s. Then he fled the country, somehow made it to the US (because the author never fleshed out this flight, which would have been very interesting), and then the book lost my interest.

The passage of time was never really clear (like I know how long it takes to put up a building from conception to completion?). In the second half of the book, new characters were brought in, but they remained 1-dimension stereotypes. Aristotle falls in love with two other women after his first wife died (one who is his COUSIN! – but that’s not all, it gets even grosser by the end). The revenge plotline unraveled and ended, but there was no real conclusion. And we never read the ending of the conflict. In fact, we see them put the pieces together for a lawsuit, and then we never get the payoff. Plot elements at the end read like a soap opera (abortion, another confusing and unnecessary character death, not-well-spoken Christian doctrines thrown in for good measure to justify stupid decisions, then ending in a rape revelation). Any noteworthy character development moments were not written about, they just happened in between chapters. For example, Telly gets married and his first child is born in the span of two paragraphs. I think the surprise at the end could have been a good one, but it was never a moment. It was quickly stated and accepted (especially the sister part, somehow that was okay?).

The second half of the book felt like the author ran out of ideas, threw in lots of clichés, and rushed the last two chapters just to get it done. The book was about Aristotle redeeming his father’s name and claiming what was rightfully his. But he goes to America, happens to meet the right people, has an easy road to billionaire status, then takes down his uncle for another billion. But at that point, why does it matter? He does not need the money like he did growing up. I felt the chapters in Prague were very interesting and showed a lot of character vulnerability. But these were few.

Aristotle never shows any growth; he’s basically the same person throughout the book. So while people come into his life, they never seem to change him. Situations never seem to have a lasting effect on him either.

The author never seems to wrap stuff up, and characters were easily forgotten about. A few examples are (1) Telly's mother needs her arm removed after an infection and then the chapter ends. Afterwards, the mother randomly disappears. (2) Telly’s former landlady suddenly disappears after he is a millionaire and is only made mention when the author decides to randomly kill her off. (3) His daughter goes from 11 to adulthood and is never shown a lot of respect. It always feels like a boy’s game. The last few chapters, she just feels like a tag-along.

This book lacked focus on its plot, so halfway through I was trying to figure out what the plot was, because it changed from the initial set up. So really, there was not a point to the book. If the struggle was for Aristotle not to become like his uncle, well, the author never wrote about the lawsuit. It just sort of happened. So we never saw the effects on Telly. They’re just mentioned later. So what was the point of this book? The character never changed, he never went through ups and downs (only ups), and the plot the author started out with never came to fruition.

Plus the cover has nothing to do with the story!

[Lisa Cromwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I won this book through Goodreads First Reads giveaway. In no way has this influenced my rating or opinion of this book. Thank you to Goodreads and to P.S. Meronek for this opportunity.*

I wish that I could give half stars, I would then have given this a 3 ½ stars rating.

It is really challenging to write a review on a book and not give away any of the story line. This was a really good read. There were some wonderful parts to the story. It has a main character named Aristotle "Telly" Mercury. It covers his life from around age 14-15 through to about age 50. The story starts out with lots of detail. (which I usually don't like too much of in books, but in this case it worked initially for me.) There are points where it jumps forward to another point in his life. But it is in chronological order, so it still works and I don't feel that anything gets left out that is important. Plus there is a lot of information to cram into telling someones story from 14-50 years old. There are some really sad parts in the story in the beginning and I felt empathy and pain for the main character. Then Telly takes off for the USA and begins another chapter in his life. He seems happy and turns out to be really successful at what he does. So much so, that his landlady (Mrs. Schroeder) takes notice and challenges him to use the wonderful brain he has to become very successful. Which he does and does it well. He becomes very very rich. You get a sense that he is struggling to stay real and true to himself while having his life change so drastically from being impoverished to then becoming a very wealthy and well connected man. He even finds love. Then there is more tragedy that befalls him and once again I feel for him. I would have to say that the first two thirds of the book are detailed and flow just quick enough to keep me interested but not leave out too much. The last third of the book seems to get rushed and a lot of detail that I was used to from other chapters just gets dropped. There were characters that come into his life (Christina being one of them) that seem to be important people, but they are just briefly mentioned even though the impact they have on Telly's life is HUGE. I felt a little robbed and got a bit frustrated. Speaking of Christina, I was a little confused and to be honest, a little disturbed by her character. I felt once I truly knew who she was to Telly that the "relationship" they had was very disturbing and unnecessary for the story. Once more catastrophic events happen in his life. But because I was robbed of the connection, it was hard for me to feel as much as I did at the beginning of the story. The epilogue was really a disappointment to me. It was 4 ½ pages long and brings the final woman into Telly's life. Someone who was briefly mentioned earlier and that he swore he had no relationship with. Because of the lack of details, I was left even more confused as to how the relationship started, developed and became what I was being shown by the author.

I still enjoyed the book. Just felt the last third of the book could have been handled better by the author so that I did not feel as let down at the end as I did. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure. That is how this book felt to me.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because my 3yr old grandson took my Kindle… I bring this up because I am in the middle of reading the @CreatusSeries and I can only take so much delay ~ You see, mine is an 8.9 and he NEEDS the bigger screen. Yeah, not gonna fly anymore kid. Charge your own "book"!

A Lifetime to Die by P.S. Meronek

First of all, if you buy the book, skip the back cover. I didn't read it until now and I was surprised to see a number of *spoilers* right there. Not good. I would have been mad I think.

I don't really understand the statement concerning the author living like some of the more notable characters and the road less traveled...can someone translate/explain this to me??

I enjoyed this book. Possible *spoiler alert* / I was completely on board until the girl arrived in the rain. Where that story went was just too superficial and a lot icky. The whole crash thing was way too much. All of them? After these things occurred the story was all over the place and I never felt connected to it again. Though I did enjoy the part when he went and got the papers. The end was a disappointment. There wasn't a whole lot about his relationship with Christina to begin with but then to stand on religious choice in a life or death situation where there had been no mention of religion; and a complete skip of how he ended up with the actress who he is going to marry and have a child with 5 minutes after he buried the other?? Not cool. The showdown with the "Uncle" was a bit of a letdown and the big reveal was something I had figured out early on (not the details though) at the first mention of the eyes. Even though, I still liked this book. I just wish the author had taken some more time with the last half, gone a little deeper, let us in on some of the story that was left out. I didn't mind the time skips or the flashbacks at all. At least those stories were explained at some point. The stories with Christina and the actress (I don't even remember her name) were just skimmed over and I feel they were more important than that. I like the writing style and the MC. I would read this book again if it was revised to add more depth. I would also read a sequel but of course I haven't a clue where he could go with it from here. Too bad Mrs. Schroeder didn't have a secret or estranged son to cause some trouble for Jennifer… As it stands, I am taking out two stars and sending it on to my Uncle's neighborhood Little Free Library "Darth".

I think this c0uLd have been a 5 star book.

I will read this author again and I sincerely do recommend this book. I actually won two other of his books before this one but this is the one I have with me while I am away from home.

I received this book from the author/publisher after being selected in the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway as a winner. Thanks so much! All opinions are my own.

[Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway program.

I thought this book was quietly interesting. It follows a man over the course of his life (losing his family, fleeing communism, and finding friends and building a fortune in the USA). The writing style was pleasingly simple and easy to follow, while still providing several moments for in-depth metaphor. It was easy for me to keep the plot history in focus, and I cared about the main character as he encountered his various troubles.

The main flaws, to me, would be the characters and the pacing. Almost every chapter, the timeline would skip forward several years and sink into one small scene. There was also a pattern here where it would take a couple pages for the relevant information regarding the time and the plot to be revealed in a flashback. This technique could be stimulating, applied properly, but several times I just became completely lost, just trying to find out what I had 'missed' in the skipped time. Also, the timeline of the book being so long and skipping across so much of it affected the character development of everyone besides the protagonist. Realistically, many many different people came and went in the life of the main character. Unfortunately, this meant that most of them got little or no 'page-time', even the romantic interests, being introduced and faded out within the space of a few dozen pages. This was much less of an issue in the first half or maybe two-thirds of the book. I was very invested in the young hero's quest to rescue his father, or his battle to create and succeed with his business, and the various characters he interacted with in those times. But towards the later part of the book I was less and less interested, even when the revenge/justice plotline introduced in the beginning of the book was resolved. I previously had been looking forward to it, but when the resolution was in a few short chapters with little action spaced years and years apart, it was a little disappointing.

Just a few short notes, the dramatic age difference with so many of the love interests kinda squicked me out. At the end of the book he's about 50, in a relationship with a woman half his age, who we know next-to-nothing about. A little creepy. On the positive side, I really enjoyed all the glimpses into the different worlds of construction and business and how they work. That research helped make the beginning parts of the book more realistic and enjoyable.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book somewhat. It was diverting and I was definitely engaged in the first half or so of the plot. The writing was quite clear, flowing, and understandable. And as for my criticisms, I'm not trying to be cruel, just provide honest feedback.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway (thank you) and this is my honest review.

I waited a few days after finishing this book because I just didn't know what I wanted to say about it. I really liked parts of it, others not so much. Well, here goes...

This story starts in Prague in 1968 and follows Aristotle Mercury through some tragedies and extremely difficult times - loss of father, house burned down, mother's death, being hunted by an evil uncle, etc.... Until during the confusion of the Russian invasion, when he manages to escape to America with the help of some friends. Then, in just a few short years, he goes from an immigrant construction worker to the owner/developer of his own multimillion dollar construction company. We continue to follow him through the years to 1999 still in America and getting richer and richer, finding happiness, losing it, finding it again and several twists and turns in his life.

I really liked the book (especially the beginning)and at first couldn't put the book down. Once he got to America, the drama slowed and I no longer had trouble putting the book down, but then I was happy to get back to the story each time. I found several difficulties with reading the book. The story bounced around quite a bit and didn't always let you know when it was happening. You just had to figure it out as you read. Also, the author would elude to something happening, but wouldn't let you know what happened until much later in the book as a clumsy kind of flash back and you'd think "Oh yeah, I remember they mentioned something happened several chapters ago. Why is he telling me now, and do I really care about it anymore?" Where as reading it the first time it was mentioned, would have helped us understand the character and what happened because of it much better.

The only character that I was really able to get to know, was Aristotle. The rest of the characters came and went without my ever getting to know much about them (especially after he had started his company with his landlady and another friend). He was so single minded, Aristotle spent nearly all of his time working to build his company (which became an internationally know company worth billions) so that he could fight his evil uncle and win back what was rightfully his. Because of this, we no longer got to see a whole lot of Aristotle with his family or any other personal interaction he may have had with others. I felt that they came, did their thing, and left. Others stayed around for a while showing up here or there, but we still never actually got to know them.

The twists at the end once again had me unable to put the book down until it was finished, and that left me feeling good about this book.

[R J Mckay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.

This is the third book by P. S. Meronek I have read. 'A Lifetime to Die' quickly captured my interest, and had me rooting for Aristotle Mercury. Telly had a hard life in Prague. His father died when Telly was a child, leaving young Telly and his Mother, struggling to get by. But when Telly's Mother is no longer able to work, he is forced to quit school at 16 and get a job.His Uncle Jacob runs the Mercury Textile company, a company that should have been jointly owned by the two Mercury brothers, Jacob and Wasyl. But Jacob grabbed control of the company, leaving nothing for his brother's widow and son.

It is while he is working that Telly learns that his Father is alive, and has been committed to the Prague Institute for the Criminally Insane. With the aid of others, he rescues his Father, but years in the institute have taken their toll, and within a short time, Wasyl Mercury dies. But before he passes, he reveals to his son that there are papers, that can be used to prove that Wasyl is part owner of the Mercury Textile Company. But Jacob has made a pact with the devil, or rather the Russian mob, and there is no way Telly can get his share of the company.

As the Red Army advances into Prague, Telly escapes Czechoslovakia and makes his way to New York. He studies hard and works even harder. His landlady, Mrs. Schroeder, sees the potential in the young man and offers him the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to develop her old house and property. Within a few short years, Telly's drive and ambition soon has him brokering the construction for the world's largest casino.

But not everything goes well for the young man. On the opening day for the casino, a helicopter carrying his wife, his business partners, and friends, crashes. Once again, Telly, is alone, save for his young daughter.

Never far from his mind is his Uncle Jacob, and the company he is running, the company that should be partly Telly's. But Telly knows he will only have one shot at gaining shared control of the empire his Uncle has made. His timing must be perfect.

The arrival of Christina and the intimacy they share, her abortion and her choice of death over a life saving procedure, seemed rushed, given the time and attention the author put into the build up of the book. I felt he didn't give the attention to Christina that she deserved. Especially since it was her influence that helped Telly come to terms with finding his own happiness.

[Lawrence Forns · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Lifetime To Die, for me, stood on the merits of the first two parts. The book is set up in 5 seperate parts. The first 2 sections run about 350 pages together, but the latter 3 sections only use about 100 pages between all three.

I enjoyed reading this story, and taking a walk through the life of the very likeable protagonist, Aristotle Mercury. I was a bit thrown by the authors use of flash forward and flash back - without spoiling there was one character who I didn't realize had been written out of the tale until about 50 pages later - and yet the ideas within the story being told were able to use some of this 'flashing' to help make the reader care more strongly for the characters. An engrossing story with mini climactic portions, part history of a boy and part thriller, the beginning 2 sections could almost stand alone.

In the last three parts, however, the story felt rushed throughout. I felt as though I had been taken from a simple stroll through the life of our hero, picked up, placed on a train and pushed through, continuing at sometimes 50 and sometimes 250 mph for the remainder of the book. This continued up to and including the fairly whiplash sudden stop at the end.

If I was offering some constructive criticism, I would ask if perhaps the editor might allow the writer to revisit these later portions, and perhaps allow the time to flesh these out. It would give the book more balance (honestly the book almost feels as though it is written by two different authors who changed somewhere within that third section). A lot of significant events and a lot of emotional growth occur for our hero within the later period, and much is addressed, but if it weren't at lightening speed I would have enjoyed the book much, much more.

I did appreciate the realism I felt was represented in as far as the research with political and social aspects of the times visited within the story. It felt to me that if the author did not have some first hand knowledge, he was painstaking and precise about his research, and yet did not allow the events unfolding to overshadow the characters. That in and of itself made this a pleasant read for me.

All in all, a good read, but I felt it didn't live up to it's potential. I wanted this to be so much more after the first parts, and the latter just didn't deliver.

*I received this book for free, courtesy of GoodReads First Reads.*