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Charlie Muffin #1
Charlie M
One of the best spy novels ever written. Charlie Muffin, a British spy, finds himself shot at and missed and then shot at and hit by his own employers in this truly excellent novel of double crosses in the spy game. A "must read" for fans of le Carre or Deighton.
207 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
127 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Brian Freemantle
110 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 - 30 of 72 reviews
June 22, 2023
An interesting little espionage thriller, full of cold war and insider intrigue and some unexpected twists. The most interesting element is the character of Charlie Muffin himself. He's a bit of a puzzle. Shabby and a bit of a sad sack, chided for his old school ways and working class demeanor by the new establishment at his agency, he can also be quite the vindictive bastard. Yet he's not without his charms and proves himself quite competent professionally. It's a very odd and incongruous mix of traits that has you feeling sorry for him and repulsed in turn, and perpetually curious about his motives and reactions. Very happy I stumbled onto this series!
May 24, 2022
Everyone seems to have loved Charlie M, but I really didn’t. I read a hundred pages or so with increasing annoyance and then gave up.
In Charlie M, first published in 1977, the British Secret Service has had a complete change of leadership. The Service now, apparently, consists in its entirety of four absurdly stereotypical, incompetent upper-class twits and Charlie Muffin, who is a hangover from the 50s. He is Mancunian, grammar-school educated, an extremely clever and shrewd operator, and therefore an anathema to the aforementioned upper-class twits who hate his working-classness and plot to get rid of him. Much of the point of the book is the twits predictably messing things up and Charlie sorting everything out with quiet smugness and showing the twits up. I just found it all clumsy and rather silly. It wouldn’t have been out of place in a boys’ comic from the early 1960s – a sort of espionage version of Alf Tupper. In an adult novel from the late 70s I found it absurd.
I found the casual sexism really grating, too, even making allowances for the time; the only two female characters - his wife and male-fantasy, beautiful, posh, sexually voracious mistress - are there almost solely for Charlie’s sexual gratification, which is wholly gratuitous and irrelevant to the plot.
Then there’s the prose. It’s generally pretty good, but Brian Freemantle will insist on regularly using clumsy synonyms for “said”. Just a few examples:
“This is good,” he complimented.
“No way, Bill,” dismissed the director;
“Any idea who he is?” floated Harrison;
Harrison had done bloody well, congratulated Snare.
“Braley,” the man introduced.
Some of these are plain bad grammar (compliment, introduce and congratulate are all transitive verbs, not intransitive), and all felt both infelicitous and redundant to me. It began to grate early on and by half way through I was rolling my eyes at least one per page; combined with the crudity of the characters and the absurdity of their behaviour it was too much and I bailed out.
This book is billed as “a must for fans of le Carré or Deighton.” I disagree. Both those authors had written brilliant, subtle and insightful books about all these issues by the time Charlie M came on the scene and continued to do so. For me, the almost adolescent clumsiness and crudity of Brian Freemantle isn’t anywhere near their league.
In Charlie M, first published in 1977, the British Secret Service has had a complete change of leadership. The Service now, apparently, consists in its entirety of four absurdly stereotypical, incompetent upper-class twits and Charlie Muffin, who is a hangover from the 50s. He is Mancunian, grammar-school educated, an extremely clever and shrewd operator, and therefore an anathema to the aforementioned upper-class twits who hate his working-classness and plot to get rid of him. Much of the point of the book is the twits predictably messing things up and Charlie sorting everything out with quiet smugness and showing the twits up. I just found it all clumsy and rather silly. It wouldn’t have been out of place in a boys’ comic from the early 1960s – a sort of espionage version of Alf Tupper. In an adult novel from the late 70s I found it absurd.
I found the casual sexism really grating, too, even making allowances for the time; the only two female characters - his wife and male-fantasy, beautiful, posh, sexually voracious mistress - are there almost solely for Charlie’s sexual gratification, which is wholly gratuitous and irrelevant to the plot.
Then there’s the prose. It’s generally pretty good, but Brian Freemantle will insist on regularly using clumsy synonyms for “said”. Just a few examples:
“This is good,” he complimented.
“No way, Bill,” dismissed the director;
“Any idea who he is?” floated Harrison;
Harrison had done bloody well, congratulated Snare.
“Braley,” the man introduced.
Some of these are plain bad grammar (compliment, introduce and congratulate are all transitive verbs, not intransitive), and all felt both infelicitous and redundant to me. It began to grate early on and by half way through I was rolling my eyes at least one per page; combined with the crudity of the characters and the absurdity of their behaviour it was too much and I bailed out.
This book is billed as “a must for fans of le Carré or Deighton.” I disagree. Both those authors had written brilliant, subtle and insightful books about all these issues by the time Charlie M came on the scene and continued to do so. For me, the almost adolescent clumsiness and crudity of Brian Freemantle isn’t anywhere near their league.
May 21, 2022
I am a great lover of spy fiction and this series seemed to crop up in various podcasts and websites, so I was intrigued to read about the oddly named Charlie Muffin. In fact, Charlie Muffin is a brilliant agent, but he is currently out of favour. Although he has broken up a Russian spy network in Britain, ensuring that Alexei Berenkov has been sent to prison, the New Director of the Service, Sir Henry Cuthbertson, dislikes Muffin. Indeed, his desire to see the Service run on traditional class lines, with 'Charlie' preferring to be on first-name terms, while new recruits, such as favourites 'Snare' and 'Harrison' use surnames to address each other as they did in their private schools - while Charlie Muffin was at grammar school in Manchester. From his accent, through the way he dresses and his obsession with expenses, he just doesn't fit in and finds himself side-lined.
However, when a KGB Genera named Kalenin breaks cover and makes his first public appearance at a Reception at the US Embassy in Moscow, both the British and Americans suspect he is keen to defect and want to be involved. Eventually, of course, Charlie Muffin is involved when othe agents fail and asked to make contact, despite his concern of the danger. This is an excellent novel, slightly dated in some ways - the male central character in the Seventies always seemed to get the girl, no matter his age - but that aside, it is cleverly written and has a good twist. I am sure that I will be continuing the series.
However, when a KGB Genera named Kalenin breaks cover and makes his first public appearance at a Reception at the US Embassy in Moscow, both the British and Americans suspect he is keen to defect and want to be involved. Eventually, of course, Charlie Muffin is involved when othe agents fail and asked to make contact, despite his concern of the danger. This is an excellent novel, slightly dated in some ways - the male central character in the Seventies always seemed to get the girl, no matter his age - but that aside, it is cleverly written and has a good twist. I am sure that I will be continuing the series.
May 22, 2022
Charlie M (1977) by Brian Freemantle is the first in a long running series. It follows in the spy novel trails blazed by John le Carré and Len Deighton, both of whom, on the strength of this novel, I more highly.
That said, Charlie M is a very enjoyable novel which has a very satisfying and unexpected ending which makes me keen to continue the series.
Charlie Muffin is a tough, cynical, veteran operator working within British Intelligence. Following a recent upheaval, he is one of the few people to survive a restructure. The new Director is one of a number of upper class appointments all of whom despise Charlie for his more humble origins. Surely it’s only a matter of time before Charlie is out on his ear? Alas the new appointees are hubristic and consistently underestimate Charlie’s talent and abilities. The stage is for a short and engrossing Cold War-era spy tale.
4/5
Charlie Muffin is an anachronism. He came into the intelligence service in the early 1950s, when the government, desperate for foot soldiers in the impending Cold War, dipped into the middle class for the first time. Despite a lack of upper-class bearing, Charlie survived 25 years on the espionage battle's front line: Berlin. But times have changed: The boys from Oxford and Cambridge are running the shop again, and they want to get rid of the middle-class spy who's a thorn in their side. They have decided that it's time for Charlie to be sacrificed. But Charlie Muffin didn't survive two decades in Berlin by being a pushover. He intends to go on protecting the realm, and won't let anyone from his own organisation get in his way.
That said, Charlie M is a very enjoyable novel which has a very satisfying and unexpected ending which makes me keen to continue the series.
Charlie Muffin is a tough, cynical, veteran operator working within British Intelligence. Following a recent upheaval, he is one of the few people to survive a restructure. The new Director is one of a number of upper class appointments all of whom despise Charlie for his more humble origins. Surely it’s only a matter of time before Charlie is out on his ear? Alas the new appointees are hubristic and consistently underestimate Charlie’s talent and abilities. The stage is for a short and engrossing Cold War-era spy tale.
4/5
Charlie Muffin is an anachronism. He came into the intelligence service in the early 1950s, when the government, desperate for foot soldiers in the impending Cold War, dipped into the middle class for the first time. Despite a lack of upper-class bearing, Charlie survived 25 years on the espionage battle's front line: Berlin. But times have changed: The boys from Oxford and Cambridge are running the shop again, and they want to get rid of the middle-class spy who's a thorn in their side. They have decided that it's time for Charlie to be sacrificed. But Charlie Muffin didn't survive two decades in Berlin by being a pushover. He intends to go on protecting the realm, and won't let anyone from his own organisation get in his way.
December 21, 2015
As a long-standing devotee of spy fiction, I had always assumed that I had at least heard of all the established British writers of the genre (even if, in some cases, I had not read any of their work). So, I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up a battered thirty-year old paperback copy of 'Charlie M' recently in my local charity shop. The writer, Brian Freemantle, and the principal character, Charlie Muffin, were completely new to me. Yet a quick online search reveals that Freemantle has apparently published almost a hundred books, eighteen of which feature Muffin! All I can say in terms of my discovery is: better late than never. 'Charlie M' is such a good story that I am keen to get hold of more of Freemantle's work. I suspect, however, that much of it is out of print: in which case, I'll have to scour my local charity shops with even greater care in the hope of finding more Muffin novels!
Charlie Muffin is a working-class, state-educated man from Manchester who has been one of the most effective agents of the British secret service for 25 years. Having been recruited in the aftermath of World War 2 - the story is set in the 1970s - he is finding it increasingly difficult to come to terms with recent changes of personnel at the top of the service. He distrusts anyone outside his own class, and is thus contemptuous of his Controller, Sir Henry Cuthbertson, and Cuthbertson's deputy, George Wilberforce. And he dislikes, and has no professional respect for, two of his fellow operatives, Harrison and Snare, both of whom are Cambridge University graduates. His misgivings about them are reciprocated. Charlie becomes embroiled with Harrison and Snare in a plan to secure the defection from Russia of one of the KGB's chief tacticians and strategists, General Valery Kalenin. Kalenin is under pressure from his KGB superiors to facilitate the return to Russia of Alexei Berenkov. Berenkov had been in charge of Russia's European spy network until his recent conviction and imprisonment in London.
One of the many things I like about 'Charlie M' is that, unlike some spy stories, its plot is not overly complex. Freemantle is unquestionably an expert story-teller. The plot twists and turns nicely - and there is a humdinger of a surprise at the end! - but it is also relatively easy to follow. One perhaps expects that characters and their motives are unlikely always to be quite what they seem in stories such as this. But even allowing for that, the plot of 'Charlie M' is deceptively ingenious. I gather that Freemantle was a Fleet Street journalist at the time he penned the book. I'm not surprised. He writes in a simple, readable style that had me turning the pages eagerly. Freemantle's characterisation is good too. Despite his dislike of authority and his sometimes questionable behaviour, Charlie is a totally believable and very likeable person. The way in which the British security service operates, the competitive nature of its relationship with its American equivalent, the CIA, and the description of the tensions between officials and politicians are all portrayed in what seems like a very authentic manner. I really enjoyed 'Charlie M'. It's a rattling good read. 8/10.
Charlie Muffin is a working-class, state-educated man from Manchester who has been one of the most effective agents of the British secret service for 25 years. Having been recruited in the aftermath of World War 2 - the story is set in the 1970s - he is finding it increasingly difficult to come to terms with recent changes of personnel at the top of the service. He distrusts anyone outside his own class, and is thus contemptuous of his Controller, Sir Henry Cuthbertson, and Cuthbertson's deputy, George Wilberforce. And he dislikes, and has no professional respect for, two of his fellow operatives, Harrison and Snare, both of whom are Cambridge University graduates. His misgivings about them are reciprocated. Charlie becomes embroiled with Harrison and Snare in a plan to secure the defection from Russia of one of the KGB's chief tacticians and strategists, General Valery Kalenin. Kalenin is under pressure from his KGB superiors to facilitate the return to Russia of Alexei Berenkov. Berenkov had been in charge of Russia's European spy network until his recent conviction and imprisonment in London.
One of the many things I like about 'Charlie M' is that, unlike some spy stories, its plot is not overly complex. Freemantle is unquestionably an expert story-teller. The plot twists and turns nicely - and there is a humdinger of a surprise at the end! - but it is also relatively easy to follow. One perhaps expects that characters and their motives are unlikely always to be quite what they seem in stories such as this. But even allowing for that, the plot of 'Charlie M' is deceptively ingenious. I gather that Freemantle was a Fleet Street journalist at the time he penned the book. I'm not surprised. He writes in a simple, readable style that had me turning the pages eagerly. Freemantle's characterisation is good too. Despite his dislike of authority and his sometimes questionable behaviour, Charlie is a totally believable and very likeable person. The way in which the British security service operates, the competitive nature of its relationship with its American equivalent, the CIA, and the description of the tensions between officials and politicians are all portrayed in what seems like a very authentic manner. I really enjoyed 'Charlie M'. It's a rattling good read. 8/10.
May 28, 2022
At first, I didn’t take to this 1970s espionage novel. Charlie Muffin is an old hand who has just managed to expose a Russian spy network, but is despised by his public school ex-Army superiors and younger colleagues for his Northern accent and grammar school education. He becomes involved in the potential defection of a senior KGB general, but suspects it may be a set up.
As I say, I didn’t warm to Charlie or his world at first I wasn’t too sure whether this was a spoof or a true spy story- there are plenty of comic scenes and ridiculous characters and a love interest who seems straight out of a 70s sitcom, but at the same time the betrayals and deaths and loneliness are authentic and sometimes chilling. As the plot began to unfurl, I became more engaged and enjoyed the twists and turns, and Charlie’s ability to stay one step ahead.
Charlie also makes some shrewd psychological observations and even the apparently sexist portrayal of the female characters is not always all it seems (although this is the 70s so only wife and secretary roles are available!). I ended up totally engaged and will definitely read on in the series.
As I say, I didn’t warm to Charlie or his world at first I wasn’t too sure whether this was a spoof or a true spy story- there are plenty of comic scenes and ridiculous characters and a love interest who seems straight out of a 70s sitcom, but at the same time the betrayals and deaths and loneliness are authentic and sometimes chilling. As the plot began to unfurl, I became more engaged and enjoyed the twists and turns, and Charlie’s ability to stay one step ahead.
Charlie also makes some shrewd psychological observations and even the apparently sexist portrayal of the female characters is not always all it seems (although this is the 70s so only wife and secretary roles are available!). I ended up totally engaged and will definitely read on in the series.
April 27, 2019
Really good first book in the Charlie Muffin series. If you like espionage and intrigue, if you enjoy the writings of Eric Ambler and John LeCarre, then Brian Freemantle's series is for you. Very well thought out plot and enough character development for a first book in a series. Charlie Muffin in a career agent in England and after about 25 years he is being set up to either die or be retired. He is one of the old-line dinosaurs who has survived into the Cold War and is responsible for breaking a Soviet spy ring in England, but his efforts are not appreciated and other have even taken credit for his work. But Charlie is and old-time thinker and knows how to play the game better than the new Director of Intelligence in Great Britain, and so the entire way through the book you are sure that he is always one step ahead of everyone. By the end, I was caught flat-footed and Charlie is now at least 2-3 steps ahead of the game. Very, very good book!
April 4, 2017
Despite being rather dated at this point, I thought the book was right up there with the classic Cold War thrillers of LeCarre and company. Charlie Muffin is a wonderful creation, and the other characters are well-sketched interesting. Really glad that I reached back to read this oldie but goody.
August 31, 2017
I learned of this series courtesy of Shane Whaley of the excellent Spybrary podcast and man I'm glad that I did. To avoid spoilers I'll simply say that I didn't see the beginning twist or the ending twist coming and that I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of a less "clinical" Le Carre, highly recommended. I'll be sprinkling the rest of the books throughout the rest of my (constant) backlog throughout the year.
Read
August 24, 2023Read 100 pages in and then decided I was too bored to go on.
March 11, 2018
As a longstanding addict to spy stories, with special preference for the Cold War ones, I wonder how I could I have missed this one. This was so enjoyable!
It is actually a quick read, both because the novel is less than 200 pages and especially because it is such a page turner....I finished it in one day.
The plot was very well constructed, the character development excellent, the overall atmosphere around the story just perfect, a surprising finale; I won't make the horrendously abused comparison with Le Carré, in fact this reminded me more Den Leighton and his Bernard Samson, but then again, this novel and his protagonist have their own personality and dignity to stand out in the landscape of the great espionage stories.
Only remaining doubt is how the story can be credibly continued and turn into a real series given the ending of the book; to answer this, I’m starting at once the second book of the saga.
It is actually a quick read, both because the novel is less than 200 pages and especially because it is such a page turner....I finished it in one day.
The plot was very well constructed, the character development excellent, the overall atmosphere around the story just perfect, a surprising finale; I won't make the horrendously abused comparison with Le Carré, in fact this reminded me more Den Leighton and his Bernard Samson, but then again, this novel and his protagonist have their own personality and dignity to stand out in the landscape of the great espionage stories.
Only remaining doubt is how the story can be credibly continued and turn into a real series given the ending of the book; to answer this, I’m starting at once the second book of the saga.
December 15, 2022
Working class, government grammar schooled Charlie Muffin managed to get into the elitist dominated British Intelligence Service after WW II eliminated many of those elites. As the Cold War progressed the Etonian Cambridge/Oxford old school tie types began taking over once again. Their attitude to Charlie was beyond contempt, actually wishing him harm in his espionage endeavors. But at the same time, they needed Charlie Muffin, because, despite the goofy name and scruffy attire, he was better than all of them put together. Especially for an important and dangerous mission appearing on the other side of theIron Curtain. A mission which had already cost them. Freemantle relates all this with an entertaining style where we hear what the characters are thinking as their mouths are saying something else. Charlie is also bouncing between his wife and a mistress all the while being watched by the Russians, CIA, and his own intelligence service. As his mistress often says “Poor Charlie.” This quick read is both strong as a spy tale and a character study. And I must say, it was truly a surprise ending. I’ve got 2 more Charlie Muffin novels in my Kindle shelf, so I will definitely be returning.
July 10, 2018
Had heard good things about this series and the main character. Finally got a chance to read the first in the series. It's a very good, and different, take on the secret world and a memorable main character. As one of the few sane ones in a world of mirrors it's fun to see him run rings around his superiors. I look forward to following his exploits through subsequent ones in the series.
July 24, 2017
An old favourite!
Loved this series from when it was first published in the late 70s and have long worn out the original paperbacks and their multiple replacements over the last four decades, so pleased to now have an electronic version that should prove more resilient!
Cold War British spy thrillers are a favourite and the antithesis of Bond in the character of the irascible Charlie Muffin is always a favourite go-to read.
He's a flawed individual not a superhero by any stretch of the imagination and can indeed be vengeful and especially devious when pushed into a corner.
Not sure why the title has been changed from Charlie Muffin to Charlie M, whichever not-so-bright spark thought that was a good idea, it wasn't, I prefer the original by a long chalk.
Loved this series from when it was first published in the late 70s and have long worn out the original paperbacks and their multiple replacements over the last four decades, so pleased to now have an electronic version that should prove more resilient!
Cold War British spy thrillers are a favourite and the antithesis of Bond in the character of the irascible Charlie Muffin is always a favourite go-to read.
He's a flawed individual not a superhero by any stretch of the imagination and can indeed be vengeful and especially devious when pushed into a corner.
Not sure why the title has been changed from Charlie Muffin to Charlie M, whichever not-so-bright spark thought that was a good idea, it wasn't, I prefer the original by a long chalk.
August 6, 2017
Charlie Muffin is a spy that I hadn't heard of until very recently. Having heard a number of recommendations I decided to check this series out, and I don't think that I could have enjoyed the first novel any more. It's a quick read, briskly paced and relentless in its page-turning build of suspense. The prose is uncomplicated and easy reading, but highly effective. Even though I was told to anticipate a major twist at the end, I still couldn't see what was coming. Charlie is definitely a spy to keep a close eye on, and I intend to delve into this series of novels in the near future - I have already purchased the next six books in the series and the film adaptation. Highly recommended.
March 8, 2018
Rating between 3 and 4 but definitely closer to 4.
An entertaining cold war thriller that has the seediness of some of le carre’s characters (or tv’s callan) whilst including a story twist that was a genuine surprise.
The story runs along at a fair pace and doesn’t really lag at all. The British class system on display plus the inability of the ‘new management ‘ of the secret service to actually understand the intelligence game really does Charlie M all the reasons he needs to act the way he does.
I thought I had read some of these novels years ago but cannot remember them so will have to work my way through the series once my TBR series pile has been shortened.
An entertaining cold war thriller that has the seediness of some of le carre’s characters (or tv’s callan) whilst including a story twist that was a genuine surprise.
The story runs along at a fair pace and doesn’t really lag at all. The British class system on display plus the inability of the ‘new management ‘ of the secret service to actually understand the intelligence game really does Charlie M all the reasons he needs to act the way he does.
I thought I had read some of these novels years ago but cannot remember them so will have to work my way through the series once my TBR series pile has been shortened.
March 19, 2018
I had never heard of the Charlie Muffin books until I saw the name in an e-mail of cheap digital books and they had this book for a dollar or two. The reviews were good and it sounded interesting, so I figured I'd give it a shot and picked it up and I really loved the book.
The only problem is that my local library doesn't have any of the Charlie Muffin books and neither does the extended library network. So this could end up becoming an expensive habit, but I have to pick up the next book. Great stuff for espionage fans.
The only problem is that my local library doesn't have any of the Charlie Muffin books and neither does the extended library network. So this could end up becoming an expensive habit, but I have to pick up the next book. Great stuff for espionage fans.
January 2, 2020
Excellent Spy Fiction
I have long been a fan of Len Deighton whose spies were often civil servants disgruntled by the British class system as well as bureaucracy. Charlie M is a perfect fit for those who like Deighton. This is not for those who like Bond and Bourne. This is grittier and more real. I was very impressed and will read more of Muffin.
I have long been a fan of Len Deighton whose spies were often civil servants disgruntled by the British class system as well as bureaucracy. Charlie M is a perfect fit for those who like Deighton. This is not for those who like Bond and Bourne. This is grittier and more real. I was very impressed and will read more of Muffin.
February 15, 2016
Another re-read!
And just as good as the first one - back in the [good old] days of the Cold War. Would that the meaning of events be that clear nowadays. Freemantle is peerless, obviously a player in 'the game'. Damn shame this is the only one of his books in the Durham County library-system.
And just as good as the first one - back in the [good old] days of the Cold War. Would that the meaning of events be that clear nowadays. Freemantle is peerless, obviously a player in 'the game'. Damn shame this is the only one of his books in the Durham County library-system.
August 15, 2022
The endless complaining about British social class unfairness gets tedious... right until the end. Absolutely full marks for going there, and it leaves me curious as to how it leads into a a long-running series. Never seen a writer so in love with adjectives before, either.
August 10, 2018
Charlie M is candy for espionage fans. The ending is unexpected and great fun!
Read
August 6, 2021Note: My star system means:
Unrated: Either DNF'ed - generally because the writing at some point made me angry and I lost faith in the author - or F'ed but resentfully so.
*: The author delivered the bare minimum for me to finish the book
**: Good enough to hold my attention on a subway ride or, for non-fiction, interesting ideas told in a mediocre way
***: Maybe there were some issues with the writing but still totally absorbing/interesting
****: Either a book where the writing wasn't the best but I inhaled it anyway or the reverse, where the writing was fantastic though maybe it was a bit slow-going in parts
*****: I loved the writing and was totally inhaled by the book period
This is a spy book from the '70s and you know what? It's really difficult to read things like this post-woke! Bearing in mind that, as a Janice, I was basically born woke, this book isn't a look back at a sexist/racist time like, say, the TV show Mad Men and its spawn, but was rather written in a James Bond-y time where women exist solely to disrobe for men 20 years older - you know the type, they’re 21 and acting all cool about having casz sex with their 40 year old married CIA operative lover but underneath, because they’re women and women are incapable of having sex without emotions DUH, they’re really all pine-y and in love but don’t express it because they know they’ll be dumped because men hate emotions - it’s all so difficult being ‘70s arm candy! So there’s that. Plus the writing sucked. I guess if you’re a cis-male straightriarch who’s enamored of women’s bodies, highly focused on how what other men think of the women you date reflects back on you, and also happen to love mediocre spy books, this one might be your winner.
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Unrated: Either DNF'ed - generally because the writing at some point made me angry and I lost faith in the author - or F'ed but resentfully so.
*: The author delivered the bare minimum for me to finish the book
**: Good enough to hold my attention on a subway ride or, for non-fiction, interesting ideas told in a mediocre way
***: Maybe there were some issues with the writing but still totally absorbing/interesting
****: Either a book where the writing wasn't the best but I inhaled it anyway or the reverse, where the writing was fantastic though maybe it was a bit slow-going in parts
*****: I loved the writing and was totally inhaled by the book period
This is a spy book from the '70s and you know what? It's really difficult to read things like this post-woke! Bearing in mind that, as a Janice, I was basically born woke, this book isn't a look back at a sexist/racist time like, say, the TV show Mad Men and its spawn, but was rather written in a James Bond-y time where women exist solely to disrobe for men 20 years older - you know the type, they’re 21 and acting all cool about having casz sex with their 40 year old married CIA operative lover but underneath, because they’re women and women are incapable of having sex without emotions DUH, they’re really all pine-y and in love but don’t express it because they know they’ll be dumped because men hate emotions - it’s all so difficult being ‘70s arm candy! So there’s that. Plus the writing sucked. I guess if you’re a cis-male straightriarch who’s enamored of women’s bodies, highly focused on how what other men think of the women you date reflects back on you, and also happen to love mediocre spy books, this one might be your winner.
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December 17, 2024
I discovered Brian Freemantle via Spybrary and am quite glad I did. As a lover of spy fiction and Cold War hi-jinks, his stuff is right up my alley and "Charlie M" is a fine start for what I expect was a great series back in the day.
Charlie Muffin, the main man in this installment, is an out-of-favor English spy back in the 70s who happens to be not only very competent, but vindictive as heck. He's looked down upon by his new superiors because he's not of their class and his 'grammar school' education and northern speech patterns give him away. He was the lead spook in capturing a big Russian spy and should be receiving accolades, but he's not only getting grief but is being set up by his fellow agents, who happen to be part of the new regime, to not only fail in being extracted from East Berlin but to die during the effort. Charlie survives, though, and lives to spy another day.
The main action in Charlie M centers around the potential defection of a very top, elderly, KGB general who has evaded being photographed for his entire career. He suddenly makes an appearance, setting off alarms both in London and DC, and contact is eventually made by the Brits. The process doesn't go well, the CIA wants in on the action, and Charlie and his crap career are resurrected to move things forward. He does, indeed, bring it all to a conclusion that was unexpected, to say the least.
Charlie M is about as old-school as you can get, with all the analog technology and tradecraft that entails. Freemantle's writing is fine and I thought he did a great job defining Charlie's character. There's a bit of humor involved, a little sex, and a bit of class warfare among the Brits, so there's something for everyone. Really liked this one and hope I can latch on to others in this old series.
Charlie Muffin, the main man in this installment, is an out-of-favor English spy back in the 70s who happens to be not only very competent, but vindictive as heck. He's looked down upon by his new superiors because he's not of their class and his 'grammar school' education and northern speech patterns give him away. He was the lead spook in capturing a big Russian spy and should be receiving accolades, but he's not only getting grief but is being set up by his fellow agents, who happen to be part of the new regime, to not only fail in being extracted from East Berlin but to die during the effort. Charlie survives, though, and lives to spy another day.
The main action in Charlie M centers around the potential defection of a very top, elderly, KGB general who has evaded being photographed for his entire career. He suddenly makes an appearance, setting off alarms both in London and DC, and contact is eventually made by the Brits. The process doesn't go well, the CIA wants in on the action, and Charlie and his crap career are resurrected to move things forward. He does, indeed, bring it all to a conclusion that was unexpected, to say the least.
Charlie M is about as old-school as you can get, with all the analog technology and tradecraft that entails. Freemantle's writing is fine and I thought he did a great job defining Charlie's character. There's a bit of humor involved, a little sex, and a bit of class warfare among the Brits, so there's something for everyone. Really liked this one and hope I can latch on to others in this old series.
February 22, 2025
A Spy Thriller with Brains and Bite
In the landscape of Cold War espionage fiction, Brian Freemantle’s Charlie M stands apart, not through high-octane action or sleek government agents, but through its protagonist—Charlie Muffin, a rumpled, unpretentious, and deeply underestimated intelligence officer.
What makes Charlie M so compelling is its sheer intelligence. Freemantle crafts a story that is less about gunfights and more about the battle of wits—of bureaucratic maneuvering, of mind games played in the shadows. Charlie himself is an anomaly in the spy genre; he is shrewd but scruffy, a man who has survived not through brute force, but through sheer cunning. His superiors dismiss him as a relic, but he proves time and again that experience and ingenuity are more valuable than polish and pedigree.
The tension is superbly built, with shifting loyalties and betrayals lurking behind every interaction. Freemantle’s prose is taut and intelligent, immersing the reader in the world of British intelligence without ever feeling dry or bogged down in technicalities.
For those who prefer their espionage grounded in reality rather than spectacle, Charlie M is a refreshing and masterfully crafted read.
In the landscape of Cold War espionage fiction, Brian Freemantle’s Charlie M stands apart, not through high-octane action or sleek government agents, but through its protagonist—Charlie Muffin, a rumpled, unpretentious, and deeply underestimated intelligence officer.
What makes Charlie M so compelling is its sheer intelligence. Freemantle crafts a story that is less about gunfights and more about the battle of wits—of bureaucratic maneuvering, of mind games played in the shadows. Charlie himself is an anomaly in the spy genre; he is shrewd but scruffy, a man who has survived not through brute force, but through sheer cunning. His superiors dismiss him as a relic, but he proves time and again that experience and ingenuity are more valuable than polish and pedigree.
The tension is superbly built, with shifting loyalties and betrayals lurking behind every interaction. Freemantle’s prose is taut and intelligent, immersing the reader in the world of British intelligence without ever feeling dry or bogged down in technicalities.
For those who prefer their espionage grounded in reality rather than spectacle, Charlie M is a refreshing and masterfully crafted read.
April 18, 2024
I have just started the Charlie Muffin series, and it has got off to an excellent start. A little shaky to start with maybe, but once the characters were established it kept up a cracking pace with some excellent plot twists, the main one of which I didn't see coming. Charlie reminds me of Ricky Tarr, played by Hywel Bennett in the original Tinker Tayler Soldier Spy TV series. The one with Alec Guinness as Smiley. A downtrodden, and underestimated, member of the British Intelligence Service, but one with a cleverly conceived plan that will make his snobbish, and superior, fellow spies sorry they crossed our Charlie.
I'm well into book two now, and starting to think that author Brian Freemantle might be as engaging as John leCarré, who is one of my very favourite authors. I listen to several audiobooks every week, but seldom feel moved to write a review — although Goodreads is where I come to check out a new author before starting one of their books.
I'm well into book two now, and starting to think that author Brian Freemantle might be as engaging as John leCarré, who is one of my very favourite authors. I listen to several audiobooks every week, but seldom feel moved to write a review — although Goodreads is where I come to check out a new author before starting one of their books.
May 25, 2022
Although this author was compared to Le Carre and Deighton, I found that hard to believe at first. I still don't think he is quite there but I really enjoyed this first in the series. Charlie Muffin is an experienced spy, but due to a restructure of the department, he is not liked or appreciated by his new colleagues and the departments director. In fact his life is put in peril by these people, who look down on him and his humble beginnings, as they are all of the upper-class in society and feel he does not fit.
Once into this book, I found it hard to stop reading, and the twist at the end was truly surprising. I will definitely read on in this series, as I need to know what comes next.
Once into this book, I found it hard to stop reading, and the twist at the end was truly surprising. I will definitely read on in this series, as I need to know what comes next.
February 10, 2023
Good entertainment! Well written, clear plot line, well read. No smarmy or cookie cutter personalities.
Some people will be unhappy with the class structure and Sexism, mostly I suspect people who are too young to understand how the world was in the 50's and 60's.
These will be the same people who call James Bond a misogynistic psychopathic killer.
If you can get past...the past. You will find this to be enjoyable fun.
By the by, I am old enough to remember women being sent home from school because they wore pants and people holding the door for me in England because they were working class and it was expected.
So be warned.
Some people will be unhappy with the class structure and Sexism, mostly I suspect people who are too young to understand how the world was in the 50's and 60's.
These will be the same people who call James Bond a misogynistic psychopathic killer.
If you can get past...the past. You will find this to be enjoyable fun.
By the by, I am old enough to remember women being sent home from school because they wore pants and people holding the door for me in England because they were working class and it was expected.
So be warned.
February 19, 2019
Espionage with a twist. At first I thought Charlie, the main character and a spy, was a George Smiley knockoff- a hanging of the guard in the intelligence service he worked for with a growing incompetence of his superiors, looked down on by his superior and coworkers, just a little bit slovenly. But Freemantle's Charlie Muffin is not George Smiley. He is just a smart, and underestimated by all, but he's more focused on Charlie than the service - at least after the attempt his side made to murder him. From there the divergence grows and Charlie becomes his own character, in his own world.
March 28, 2019
Charlie M reminds me of a Richard Burton - acerbic tongued, brilliant old school spy that evades the crushing oppression of his uppercrust superiors that try to track him and control him with lesser success than to rely on Charlie - the clever boy. This is much more british in the LeCarre type genre of very subtle and nuanced spycraft with really more to do with the inner bureaucracys and innerpolitics of the MI6 than a more adventurous larger than life action spy novel...entertaining with a great twist.
January 12, 2021
Charlie Muffin is a British spy. He's no James Bond--he is middle-class and unsophisticated, and his superiors consider him obsolete and dispensable. But they underestimate Charlie, and that is their mistake.
Charlie M has suspense, clever plot twists, just the right amount of humor, and a wonderful snapper of an ending that made me want to go back and reread the book from the beginning to look for the clues I missed the first time. I'm looking forward to the next books in this series.
Charlie M has suspense, clever plot twists, just the right amount of humor, and a wonderful snapper of an ending that made me want to go back and reread the book from the beginning to look for the clues I missed the first time. I'm looking forward to the next books in this series.
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