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Charlie Muffin #6
Blind Run
Imprisoned for treason, Charlie Muffin hunts for a way out€”by crossing a line After a trumped-up trial, Charlie Muffin lands in jail for treason€”ready to learn the secrets of his fellow inmate, a convicted British traitor. Nobody expected KGB agents to stage a prison break to free their man. Charlie faces another go to Moscow to complete his assignment or face 40 long years in prison. It doesn’t take him long to decide. Charlie doesn’t have the full picture, of course, which is the way of espionage. But Charlie doesn’t regret his Iron Curtain escape, as it leads him to Natalia Fedova, the KGB interrogator assigned to determine if his defection is genuine or staged. For anyone else, the risk would be suicidal. But for Charlie, the greatest danger may be falling in love. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos fro
257 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
42 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freemantle
109 books68 followersAka John Maxwell, Jonathan Evans, Jack Winchester, Harry Asher and Richard Gant.
Brian Freemantle [b. 1936] is one of Britain's most acclaimed authors of spy fiction. His novels have sold over ten million copies worldwide. Born in Southampton, Freemantle entered his career as a journalist, and began writing espionage thrillers in the late 1960s. Charlie M (1977) introduced the world to Charlie Muffin and won Freemantle international recognition—he would go on to publish fourteen titles in the series.
Freemantle has written dozens of other novels, including two featuring Sebastian Holmes, an illegitimate son of Sherlock Holmes, and the Cowley and Danilov series, about an American FBI agent and a Russian militia detective who work together to comabt organized crime in the post-Cold War world. Freemantle lives and works in London, Englad.
Brian Freemantle [b. 1936] is one of Britain's most acclaimed authors of spy fiction. His novels have sold over ten million copies worldwide. Born in Southampton, Freemantle entered his career as a journalist, and began writing espionage thrillers in the late 1960s. Charlie M (1977) introduced the world to Charlie Muffin and won Freemantle international recognition—he would go on to publish fourteen titles in the series.
Freemantle has written dozens of other novels, including two featuring Sebastian Holmes, an illegitimate son of Sherlock Holmes, and the Cowley and Danilov series, about an American FBI agent and a Russian militia detective who work together to comabt organized crime in the post-Cold War world. Freemantle lives and works in London, Englad.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 5, 2023
Eine sehr gute Espionage-Serie geht in die nächste Runde. Wieder zurück im Kalten Krieg Modus. Charlie Muffin, der in Ungnade gefallene Spion der Britischen Intelligence, wird nun nach den Vorfällen der ersten beiden Bänden doch noch verhaftet und ins Gefängnis gesteckt. Zusammen mit einem anderen Häftling bricht er aus und expatriiert nach Russland, wo er sich erhofft, Material zu sammeln, das ihm eine freundliche Heimkehr bescheren würde. Eventuell sogar eine Wiedereinsetzung im Nachrichtendienst.
Im Rahmen der Serie macht dieser Band durchaus Sinn. Allerdings habe ich mich etwas geärgert, dass a) die Auflösung ganz am Schluss nur zwei, drei Seiten lang war und dann wars das, und b) Muffin hier zu oft als recht dumm dargestellt wird, damit die Geschichte funktioniert.
Ich freue mich nach wie vor auf die nächsten Bände und kann mir gut vorstellen, dass diese Geschichte eigentlich nur ein Intermezzo ist, damit die Idee, die Brian Freemantle mit Charlie Muffin verfolgt, auch weiterhin funktionieren kann. Wie gesagt, als Teil eines Ganzen ist das ok, aber als eigenständige Geschichte etwas mager und schwach auf der Brust.
Im Rahmen der Serie macht dieser Band durchaus Sinn. Allerdings habe ich mich etwas geärgert, dass a) die Auflösung ganz am Schluss nur zwei, drei Seiten lang war und dann wars das, und b) Muffin hier zu oft als recht dumm dargestellt wird, damit die Geschichte funktioniert.
Ich freue mich nach wie vor auf die nächsten Bände und kann mir gut vorstellen, dass diese Geschichte eigentlich nur ein Intermezzo ist, damit die Idee, die Brian Freemantle mit Charlie Muffin verfolgt, auch weiterhin funktionieren kann. Wie gesagt, als Teil eines Ganzen ist das ok, aber als eigenständige Geschichte etwas mager und schwach auf der Brust.
April 23, 2015
I've been reading the series in order, and this is easily the best one since the original. In fact, you could read the first two books, then skip straight to this one and not miss much in terms of development, since it seems Freemantle has swept aside the supporting characters from the intervening books.
The book opens with Charlie finally imprisoned for treason based on his actions at the end of the first book. He soon gains a cellmate, another MI6 officer convicted of spying for the Soviets. The KGB breaks the newcomer out of prison and brings Charlie along to Moscow.
Meanwhile, a British spy in the Soviet capital is sending high-level intelligence to London. The KGB hierarchy knows the spy must be one of their own, but they can't locate the spy and the pressure is turning allies, including Charlie's old acquaintances in Soviet intelligence, against each other. Charlie's assignment, given to him shortly before the prison break, is to find the spy and spirit him out of the country. First Charlie must throw off the KGB's suspicion, and that gets tricky once he falls in love with his interrogator, Natalia.
This is a genuine Cold War spy thriller, thick with tradecraft and insider information. A Freemantle hallmark, deviousness and trickery pervades every level of the spy business, from the director's office to Moscow's riverfront. Even if a reader suspects the surprise ending, as I did, Freemantle throws in one more devastating twist. In his telling, spies are too clever for their own good.
The book opens with Charlie finally imprisoned for treason based on his actions at the end of the first book. He soon gains a cellmate, another MI6 officer convicted of spying for the Soviets. The KGB breaks the newcomer out of prison and brings Charlie along to Moscow.
Meanwhile, a British spy in the Soviet capital is sending high-level intelligence to London. The KGB hierarchy knows the spy must be one of their own, but they can't locate the spy and the pressure is turning allies, including Charlie's old acquaintances in Soviet intelligence, against each other. Charlie's assignment, given to him shortly before the prison break, is to find the spy and spirit him out of the country. First Charlie must throw off the KGB's suspicion, and that gets tricky once he falls in love with his interrogator, Natalia.
This is a genuine Cold War spy thriller, thick with tradecraft and insider information. A Freemantle hallmark, deviousness and trickery pervades every level of the spy business, from the director's office to Moscow's riverfront. Even if a reader suspects the surprise ending, as I did, Freemantle throws in one more devastating twist. In his telling, spies are too clever for their own good.
October 23, 2015
A classic cold war espionage tale by one of the greats, this is up there with Adam Hall's Quiller series...
September 18, 2023
“Blind Run” is the 6th book in the series that is definitely one of the finest examples of the espionage genre. This episode is an extremely intelligent cat and mouse plot between British Intelligence and KGB in which Charlie Muffin for once gets outwitted a bit by his own.
Charlie M is in jail. Charlie is still lethally hated by both British Intelligence and the CIA. To understand the current scenario and the setup it is imperative for any reader to start this series from the very beginning.
Charlie Muffin is in even worse condition than rock bottom. The ex-spy has been imprisoned for treason and the book starts with the Charlie Muffin at his worst suffering in jail and is hunting for a way out - by crossing a line. At this point, another traitor gets imprisoned and arrives at Charlie's cell. Charlie begins looking for his way out by getting ready to learn the secrets of his fellow inmate, a convicted British traitor.
As a stroke of fate Charlie learns that the KGB agents will stage a prison break to free their man. At this point, he connects with his current boss and is given a choice. Go to Moscow along with the traitor to complete his assignment or face 40 long years in prison. It doesn't take him long to decide.
Charlie doesn't have the full picture, of course, which is the way of espionage. He is given the assignment to learn as much as possible about an unknown defector and also execute a seamless defection once identified. Though apprehensive at first, slowly Charlie doesn't regret his Iron Curtain escape, as it leads him to Natalia Fedova, the KGB interrogator assigned to determine if his defection is genuine or staged. For anyone else, the risk would be suicidal. But for Charlie, the greatest danger may be falling in love.
What Charlie doesn't know, however, is that there is a larger play masterminded by the British Intelligence. Charlie, unlucky as always, is about to find himself caught between a very solid rock and an equally hard place and this time the stakes are high enough to jeopardize his new found love life.
As usual, the novel is tightly plotted, crisply characterized, and blessed with Muffin/Freemantle repartee at its sharpest this is a mini-marvel of neat intrigue. This story has the signature battle of wits which we have come to love so much when it comes to Charlie M and his escapades. As usual this particular episode has its impeccable twists and turns and I must say, without revealing much, that the last page completely broke my heart.
The series continues to be a "fine wine" of the espionage genre that includes: The Cold War environment, the "old school spycraft" with zero technology and 100% brainwork, messages delivered with what's left unsaid, the information in the hidden layers of innuendos and suggestions, betrayals after betrayals, revenge, an underdog agent, internal politics at the highest levels of diplomatic rung, twists and turns, ambiguous personal attachments for deception leverage, etc. Mr. Freemantle's, Charlie M delivers all of the above as a signature style.
This sixth novel "Blind Run" continues to operate on the complex stage for everything that follows with its ingenious tale of how the deceptively scruffy Charlie Muffin delivers "the last laugh" to his adversaries. The 6th appearance of Charlie M stands out yet again with its crisp, dry wit and meticulous insights into how a good spy actually goes about his business. He's a self-lacerating loner, a passionate lover, and a vulnerable hero whose survival skills make him Charlie M.
This series is a MUST for anyone that loves old school espionage of the Cold War Era.
Charlie M is in jail. Charlie is still lethally hated by both British Intelligence and the CIA. To understand the current scenario and the setup it is imperative for any reader to start this series from the very beginning.
Charlie Muffin is in even worse condition than rock bottom. The ex-spy has been imprisoned for treason and the book starts with the Charlie Muffin at his worst suffering in jail and is hunting for a way out - by crossing a line. At this point, another traitor gets imprisoned and arrives at Charlie's cell. Charlie begins looking for his way out by getting ready to learn the secrets of his fellow inmate, a convicted British traitor.
As a stroke of fate Charlie learns that the KGB agents will stage a prison break to free their man. At this point, he connects with his current boss and is given a choice. Go to Moscow along with the traitor to complete his assignment or face 40 long years in prison. It doesn't take him long to decide.
Charlie doesn't have the full picture, of course, which is the way of espionage. He is given the assignment to learn as much as possible about an unknown defector and also execute a seamless defection once identified. Though apprehensive at first, slowly Charlie doesn't regret his Iron Curtain escape, as it leads him to Natalia Fedova, the KGB interrogator assigned to determine if his defection is genuine or staged. For anyone else, the risk would be suicidal. But for Charlie, the greatest danger may be falling in love.
What Charlie doesn't know, however, is that there is a larger play masterminded by the British Intelligence. Charlie, unlucky as always, is about to find himself caught between a very solid rock and an equally hard place and this time the stakes are high enough to jeopardize his new found love life.
As usual, the novel is tightly plotted, crisply characterized, and blessed with Muffin/Freemantle repartee at its sharpest this is a mini-marvel of neat intrigue. This story has the signature battle of wits which we have come to love so much when it comes to Charlie M and his escapades. As usual this particular episode has its impeccable twists and turns and I must say, without revealing much, that the last page completely broke my heart.
The series continues to be a "fine wine" of the espionage genre that includes: The Cold War environment, the "old school spycraft" with zero technology and 100% brainwork, messages delivered with what's left unsaid, the information in the hidden layers of innuendos and suggestions, betrayals after betrayals, revenge, an underdog agent, internal politics at the highest levels of diplomatic rung, twists and turns, ambiguous personal attachments for deception leverage, etc. Mr. Freemantle's, Charlie M delivers all of the above as a signature style.
This sixth novel "Blind Run" continues to operate on the complex stage for everything that follows with its ingenious tale of how the deceptively scruffy Charlie Muffin delivers "the last laugh" to his adversaries. The 6th appearance of Charlie M stands out yet again with its crisp, dry wit and meticulous insights into how a good spy actually goes about his business. He's a self-lacerating loner, a passionate lover, and a vulnerable hero whose survival skills make him Charlie M.
This series is a MUST for anyone that loves old school espionage of the Cold War Era.
March 16, 2018
Blind Run By Brian Freemantle is the 6th instalment of the Charlie M series (though effectively it is the third, as #3, #4, #5 are kind of out of the line). This novel has all the good, the bad and the ugly of the other books of the series, so here is a synopsis.
THE GOOD
Definitely, the old-style, realistic Cold War ambience.
Espionage as a chessboard game as opposed to a sequence of car chasing, shooting, hand-to-hand fights. Specifically for this novel, the play of deception is quite intriguing, culminating in a nice final twist
Most of the characters development is good, especially Charlie Muffin is an interesting personality
THE BAD
For an old style espionage novel, there is relatively little details around tradecraft.
For a plot-driven novel, the plot is a little thin; a higher level of texture and complexity would not have hurt.
If some of the characters - essentially the key ones - are nicely developed, the peripheral ones are left at 2-D level, clichés if not caricatures.
THE UGLY
The key issue of this, as well as the other Charlie M novels I read, is plausibility.
For first, at the end of each novel Charlie is so exposed, if not even busted, as a spook that imagining a future role in that line of business would be totally unrealistic; but there we go, he always comes back for another mission.
For second, at times the prose leaves the subtlety of the good old chessboard game and departs for a tangents of rather unlikely developments, more becoming of James Bond than of dear Charlie M - and when this happens the effect is like a roll of drums from the Rolling Stones in the middle of a Mozart symphony.
THE GOOD
Definitely, the old-style, realistic Cold War ambience.
Espionage as a chessboard game as opposed to a sequence of car chasing, shooting, hand-to-hand fights. Specifically for this novel, the play of deception is quite intriguing, culminating in a nice final twist
Most of the characters development is good, especially Charlie Muffin is an interesting personality
THE BAD
For an old style espionage novel, there is relatively little details around tradecraft.
For a plot-driven novel, the plot is a little thin; a higher level of texture and complexity would not have hurt.
If some of the characters - essentially the key ones - are nicely developed, the peripheral ones are left at 2-D level, clichés if not caricatures.
THE UGLY
The key issue of this, as well as the other Charlie M novels I read, is plausibility.
For first, at the end of each novel Charlie is so exposed, if not even busted, as a spook that imagining a future role in that line of business would be totally unrealistic; but there we go, he always comes back for another mission.
For second, at times the prose leaves the subtlety of the good old chessboard game and departs for a tangents of rather unlikely developments, more becoming of James Bond than of dear Charlie M - and when this happens the effect is like a roll of drums from the Rolling Stones in the middle of a Mozart symphony.
March 17, 2024
I wasn't planning to read this so quickly after I finished the last Charlie Muffin book. But after trying to figure out what book to read for a day, I decided to just pick up the next one in the series.
As the ending of the last book indicated, this book was pretty different from the previous books in the series. It was interesting to read about life in prison and the difficulties Charlie faced there. The portion of the book that takes place in Russia was also new to this series as we haven't seen events in Russia apart from those that take place within the Kremlin.
I'm very impressed with how the author is able to write twists. I was unprepared for the ending and how it leaves the reader with a bitter taste.
I wonder if the next book will reference any of the events of this book? It felt like this could be a conclusion for a few of the characters we have followed in the previous books. I expected Rupert Willoughby and possibly Clarissa to make an appearance but they were completely absent. I guess their roles in this series have ended.
I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book but I want to read something in between.
As the ending of the last book indicated, this book was pretty different from the previous books in the series. It was interesting to read about life in prison and the difficulties Charlie faced there. The portion of the book that takes place in Russia was also new to this series as we haven't seen events in Russia apart from those that take place within the Kremlin.
I'm very impressed with how the author is able to write twists. I was unprepared for the ending and how it leaves the reader with a bitter taste.
I wonder if the next book will reference any of the events of this book? It felt like this could be a conclusion for a few of the characters we have followed in the previous books. I expected Rupert Willoughby and possibly Clarissa to make an appearance but they were completely absent. I guess their roles in this series have ended.
I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book but I want to read something in between.
July 6, 2024
I like reading spy novels and this was a good one.
I’ve not read any other stories in the Charlie Muffin series, and missed knowing more about what had happened to get Charlie locked up in jail and for so long. I guess that is the joy and angst of reading a book in a series.
The writing was good, clearly based on extensive research. There were many intriguing twists and the characters all had unique voices. My only criticism was that some of the scenes could have been trimmed by 30% and still been just as powerful.
Thanks to Brian Freemantle for the journey from London to Moscow and back.
I’ve not read any other stories in the Charlie Muffin series, and missed knowing more about what had happened to get Charlie locked up in jail and for so long. I guess that is the joy and angst of reading a book in a series.
The writing was good, clearly based on extensive research. There were many intriguing twists and the characters all had unique voices. My only criticism was that some of the scenes could have been trimmed by 30% and still been just as powerful.
Thanks to Brian Freemantle for the journey from London to Moscow and back.
November 29, 2020
Chapter Twenty-Six
All his life Charlie felt he had been running; often literally. He had run in the department, always to stay ahead of the supercilious sods with their nose-lifted accents. He had run, to survive, when those same sods set him up. And run again, to survive again, after he set them up, instead. He’d run in prison, like a trapped animal runs, blindly, from one corner to another corner. And was aware he should have the impression of running here, involved in the most difficult and dangerous operation he’d encountered. But he didn’t.
All his life Charlie felt he had been running; often literally. He had run in the department, always to stay ahead of the supercilious sods with their nose-lifted accents. He had run, to survive, when those same sods set him up. And run again, to survive again, after he set them up, instead. He’d run in prison, like a trapped animal runs, blindly, from one corner to another corner. And was aware he should have the impression of running here, involved in the most difficult and dangerous operation he’d encountered. But he didn’t.
March 3, 2019
Although I saw where the plot was going ahead of time (a first for my readings of this series) it did not spoil my enjoyment of this book. Furthermore I did NOT see the final twist coming. This was a full blooded (and welcome) return to the character's espionage roots and I enjoyed it more than preceding two books. Looking forward to continuing the series in order once more, having accidentally read two books out of order.
April 21, 2023
Charlie Muffin is set up for treason, winds up in prison but is 'sprung' by the KGB. Off to Moscow he goes, his assignment is to infiltrate the inner workings of the Russian intelligence community. But his interrogator is Natalia Fedova, & soon Charlie has fallen for her. Has he been compromised, set up again? A spy thriller worthy of Lecarre
June 28, 2022
This underrated spy series continues to keep me very entertained. Absolutely love the character of Charlie Muffin. This sixth entry picks up where the last one left off ...this one and the first book are my favorites so far.
May 14, 2021
This series is just picking up steam.
June 18, 2022
Great read with a double twist ending!
April 8, 2025
A much quieter story than previous entries but the introspection is of high quality and we get to experience a less sassy Charlie who earnestly demonstrates his considerable skill.
December 30, 2025
Terrific espionage saga continues.
July 19, 2016
The sixth Charlie Muffin may be the best so far. Downtrodden, disheveled and mistrusted, Charlie is a reverse-snob, looking down at those who are above him in privilege.
The story has ironies heaped on ironies, a very subtle, clever plot and a pace that wants reading to the unexpected finish, sleep be damned.
The story has ironies heaped on ironies, a very subtle, clever plot and a pace that wants reading to the unexpected finish, sleep be damned.
March 19, 2024
Pretty amazing.
May 10, 2010
The ending could have been stronger
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews