Charlie Muffin U.S.A.

Charlie Muffin #4

by Brian Freemantle

Charlie Muffin’s new job puts him in the crosshairs of a vicious American drug lordCharlie Muffin has done well since he “died.” He’s been on the run for years from the intelligence forces of Great Britain and the United States when an official declaration of death finally puts an end to their pursuit. Suddenly, Charlie can breathe again. He’s even put a lid on his single malt whisky habit. Now all he needs is a job. He puts his espionage skills to work for an English insurance company, ensuring the security of the Romanov stamps. A priceless collection assembled in the years before the Russian Revolution, the stamps survived only because the Bolsheviks failed to recognize their value. Now the American government means to use them as bait for a brutal drug lord. He wants the stamps, and Charlie must stop him from getting them—even if it means getting “killed” a second time. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author’s personal collection.

Genres: Espionage, Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Adventure, Thriller, Audiobook

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Aka 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.

Reviews

[Anna Lyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Muffin continues to try to find sense in his life after he lost his job at the British Intelligence (well, they wanted and still want to kill him, so there's that for a vengeful employer) and his wife.

His friend at Lloyds of London shoves another job on to Charlie, this time in Florida, where he shows what investigative mind he possesses and how keen he is in staying alive.

Again, the Charlie Muffin series is well written espionage mystery. Even better than the last book it shows that Freemantle is there at the top with LeCarré and Deighton. Only drawdown - the characters are quite black and white, good or bad. It would be nice to see more depth especially for recurring characters.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pacing is much more clunky than in previous installments of the series but the nuts-o chaos towards the end is a real showstopper.

[Dipanjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cahrlie Muffin’s Uncle Sam is the 4th book in the series that is definitely one of the finest examples of the espionage genre. This episode takes Charlie Muffin across the pond to USA. Charlie M is still on the run from the British intelligence and 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. In this episode, Charlie comes out of hiding to do a favor for his insurance-biz chum Rupert Willoughby. Rupert's firm is insuring the three million dollars' worth of stamps (the collection of Tsar Nicholas II) about to go on exhibit in Florida, and Charlie agrees to go over and play watchdog. What Rupert and Charlie don't know, however, is that the whole exhibition has been set up so that the FBI cab lure stamp-crazy Mafia chieftain Giuseppe Terrilli of Miami into heisting the stamps: ""We got Capone for income tax evasion and we'll get Terrilli for stealing stamps." So Charlie's topnotch testing of the exhibition's security--which he manages while carrying on a semi-reluctant affair with Rupert's wife Clarissa--is driving the FBI folks up the wall; and they decide to kill Charlie (who starts figuring out what's going on) before Terrilli (who has taken the bait) calls off his elaborate stamp-heist caper. Charlie's only ally, unbeknownst to him: a Soviet agent who's been ordered to watch over him (Charlie won KGB hearts in earlier exploits). And all these forces naturally converge in bloody chases and heist-night shootouts around the Mafia chief's estate.

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.

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 fourth novel "Charlie Muffin’s Uncle Sam" 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 4th 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 loving husband, 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.

[ShanDizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

that Giuseppe Terrilli was one of the top five Mafia figures in the United States of America and a fanatical philatelist. This is the kind of man Terrilli really is...
*All his life Terrilli had guarded against what he considered weakness. He had loved his wife absolutely and had seen no contradiction in his readiness to kill her if she had become attracted to someone else, not because of any sexual betrayal but because she might have revealed his secrets. He accepted that he might have enjoyed the effect of alcohol or drugs, but abstained from both because he knew they would weaken his self-control, and there had never been a moment, not since he was eight years old and had pushed his elder brother to his death from the top of their tenement building in New York’s Little Italy and then held back from the instinct to look over the parapet to see what had happened, knowing someone below might look up and identify him, when Terrilli had not known complete self-control.*

'The security of £3,000,000 worth of stamps is hardly something for a caretaker,’ argued Willoughby.
‘There’ll be security,’ pointed out Charlie.
‘Of course,’ agreed the underwriter. ‘We insisted upon that before agreeing any sort of cover. But it’s still an unusual situation. I’d feel happier if you were there.’
‘And it’s Russian,’ Charlie reminded him.
'Not any more. The collections have been in Western ownership for years. What interest would they still have?’
‘I don’t want anyone to find me,’ said Charlie.
‘I think you’re exaggerating the risk,’ Willoughby accused him.
‘Perhaps,’ admitted Charlie. The dangers weren’t as great as he was attempting to make them, despite what had happened in Hong Kong.
'All I’m suggesting is a month in America, three weeks of that in the sunshine of Florida,’ said the underwriter.
‘What’s Florida got apart from Disneyworld, oranges and vacationing Jewish mothers worrying about their sons becoming doctors?’ demanded Charlie.
‘You never know,’ said Willoughby, relieved. Charlie was going to accept, Willoughby realised. He was glad he had warned the organisers that he would be sending a representative.

Read this book on Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/book/171082087

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this 4th book in the Charlie Muffin series, though I confess not as much as the first 3. I think for me, the trend of book 3 of splicing spy fiction with other genres was pushed too far in this book, which is essentially a crime caper that could have worked without Muffin’s inclusion. I also felt that the plot was a little slight. That being said it *is* entertaining and worth a read.

[Tom Woodbery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book in the series. There were several editing oversights, which were surprising. For example, although the setting and many characters were American, they referred to the "car park" instead of a parking lot. One FBI agent exclaimed, "This was a bloody mess." Not something you'd hear in the US.

[Krishnan Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another solid thriller featuring Charlie Muffin. It didn't have the same level of twists and the previous book, but it was very entertaining. It also had a significantly higher body count and makes me want to read the next one.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+

[Shawn MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth Charlie Muffin book I've read and I liked it much more than the first three. It's not quite a five-star book, but it's close. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Adolfo Ramon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixing british and american should be illegal. The level of arrogance here is high. But unfortunately it would be the reality in real world. Seems accurate.

[Diogenes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth in this delightful series is more a crime story than the espionage adventure we're used to, but many of the familiar characters remain. A ruthless mob boss and his ambitious underlings, a totally inept FBI and its overconfident underlings, a Russian sleeper agent and his Cuban underlings, a greedy senator, and his boss's randy wife could cause Charlie to lose his hidden identity and thus his life. All told with a light touch that makes it highly entertaining.

[Jeff Crosby]

Charlie Muffin comes to America. This time our former spy tangles with the FBI and the mob. I am not quite stalled, but progress is slow.