The Methuselah Strain — J.P. Helak

Is immortality within our grasp? Has medical science finally cracked the code to the affliction known as aging? John Abrams, director of YouthCorp, is sure of it. His company is set to begin human trials on an elixir with just such a goal. But, as with any new scientific breakthrough, there are bound to be setbacks. The implausible identification of a withered old woman, found dying near the research facility, prompts a powerful senator to initiate an investigation. The senator solicits the services of David Stryker, a well-known, though unconventional, freelance investigator. Stryker's analysis of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the woman's death leads him to team up with a lost love and discover the workings of an industry known as anti-aging medicine. Before long, the two find themselves immersed in a dangerous world of industrial spies, mercenaries, and terrorists. Little do they know that their fate, the fate of the country, and perhaps the fate of the world, lies in the balance.