New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "An impressive novel, brimming with action and history, with a lead character that has enough swagger for future adventures." - Kirkus Reviews
First-time author Eric Haggman received a rave review for his novel, The Apology, by Kirkus Reviews, a trusted voice in the publishing industry for almost 80 years. Identifying the cinematic feel of the novel by highlighting its fast-paced storyline and built up suspense, Kirkus' review further establishes The Apology's path to being turned into a feature film.
"Overall, these qualities add up to a thrilling, fully immersive, and cinematic reading experience." - Kirkus Reviews
The Apology takes the reader on a journey from Vietnam to Japan and South Africa in a fast-paced thriller that sheds light on a country's dark past, a corrupt government and the power of a manipulated press. Protagonist, Christian Lindstrom, is a jet setting ad man who returns to Vietnam to make a tourism video only to face the demons from his past as a Vietnam War veteran. While on assignment with producer and love interest, Nachi Tanaka, Lindstrom gets caught in the cross-hairs of the dark history between Vietnam and Japan leading him to a faceoff with the Japanese mafia - the Yakuza - and a government that will stop at nothing to bury the past.
"My experience creating television commercials made writing The Apology with a cinematic feel a natural fit," said Haggman. "It's my goal that when readers pick up The Apology they find themselves on the streets of Vietnam or Japan and are able to feel each scene's energy as Christian and Nachi fight for the truth."
A compelling aspect of The Apology is Haggman's attention to detail when developing scenes which is a result of two years of research including two month-long trips to Asia visiting key locations in Vietnam and Japan that are used in the book.
"Haggman, an advertising agency entrepreneur, incorporates vital snippets of Vietnam's past into the framework of this novel. This sense of nuance embellishes the storyline, gives readers historical perspective, and gives the nefarious evildoers a purpose for their malevolence." - Kirkus Reviews
This is not the first review that points to The Apology's fit for the silver screen. As Joann Mackenzie of the Gloucester Daily Times noted:
"When the action moves cinematically from Vietnam to Japan's neon-lit urban landscape, film buffs might also see in 'The Apology' a cross between
Sophia Cappola's Tokyo-centric 'Lost in Translation,' and the Osaka gangster-scape of Ridley Scott's 1989 thriller, 'Black Rain."
In true cinematic fashion, The Apology leads many to believe that this is only the beginning for Haggman and protagonist, Christian Lindstrom.
"An impressive novel, brimming with action and history, with a lead character that has enough swagger for future adventures." - Kirkus Reviews
The Apology is now available for purchase on Amazon. For more information and the official book trailer, visit theapologybook.com.
About The Apology:
Filmmaker Christian Lindstrom returns to Vietnam to shoot tourism commercials, only to confront the agony of his past and the power of the Asian underworld to control political events—including the creation and the whitewashing of Japan's history itself. For producer Nachi Tanaka, it is the story of the shameful sins of the father coming back to hurt and haunt her family generations later. For the Japanese government, it is a coup d'état engineered by powerful business interests with the Japanese mafia -- the Yakuza -- doing their murderous bidding. To learn more about the book, please see the trailer or visit https://www.theapologybook.com.
About Eric Haggman:
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, Eric graduated from Colgate University. He lives on the North Shore of Boston, with his wife, Emily and their Ragdoll cat, Shanghai, who thinks he's a dog.
