Freudberg's edgy thriller takes audiobook fans inside a madman's solitary war against death-peddling tobacco companies. It doesn't end pretty.
PHILADELPHIA, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — In the infamous underground novel of revenge Find Virgil, health fanatic Martin Muntor develops lung cancer from second-hand smoke, and he's not amused.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140602/93196
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140602/93195
Muntor, a Philadelphia journalist who spent decades taking care of his body and mind, is driven over the edge by the death sentence of Stage 4 lung cancer. He invents an intricate scheme of retaliation against cigarette manufacturers and smokers. He'll stop at nothing for a chance to get even and make himself famous.
The audiobook version of Find Virgil (released in June, 2014 and produced and narrated by the legendary voice actor Joe Cirillo), tells the tale of Muntor's 1995 mission and how the police, FBI and even Big Tobacco's own investigators can't stop him. Only a deeply flawed private detective and his guru – an eccentric, grandmotherly, eighty-something psychiatrist – stand a chance against the brilliant and motivated madman.
But that's fiction.
In reality, the U.S. Surgeon General, some of the most powerful anti-tobacco organizations in the world, and an array of increasingly restrictive laws and regulations all failed to outmaneuver the well-funded and sophisticated legal, marketing and PR strategies of Big Tobacco.
In the mid-1990s, Freudberg followed Congressional hearings focused on the tobacco industry. He says he was fascinated by the way tobacco company CEOs arrogantly and fearlessly tried to deceive Congress.
"Under oath," says Freudberg, "the CEOs swore they had no prior knowledge of the dangers of tobacco smoke. Their lies were rejected, and one result was the costly tobacco industry settlement with the attorneys general in 46 states. It's true Big Tobacco lost that battle – the settlement will eventually cost the industry $206 billion – but ever since, they've been winning the war and laughing all the way to the bank. Martin Muntor devised a way to level the playing field. Find Virgil is definitely a David vs. Goliath story – but this time Big Tobacco won't think it's so funny."
Praise for Freudberg's previous work
"…Freudberg's characters have a single-minded way of hammering away at their goals until they either self-destruct or get what they want." –– Boston Herald
"…will keep readers riveted until the final page. Hollywood's leading actors should be asking their agents about this one. If a movie version turned out to be as riveting as the book, it would be a big winner." – Associated Press
"… a desperate and convincing picture of disease-peddlers and sufferers who have drifted off the deep end." – Kirkus Reviews
About the author
Frank Freudberg is a novelist and ghostwriter. He lives near Philadelphia and has contributed to Reuters, the Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Der Spiegel, Christian Science Monitor, and others. His work has been mentioned in many notable publications including Time, Newsweek, and The Guardian.
Interview the author
Contact Frank Freudberg at 1-800-875-2844, or via email for a digital, audio or paperback review copy.
In addition to the audiobook version, Find Virgil is available in paperback and e-book format from Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, iTunes and other retailers.
Please note that Find Virgil has had a strange publishing odyssey. Read more about that in the "From the Author" section on the novel's Amazon page here.
Contact:
Frank Freudberg
1-800-875-2844
Email