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Charlie Muffin #14
Red Star Rising
Britain's MI5 tolerates Charlie Muffin because he's their best field agent. What none of his colleagues knows, though, is that he is married to Natalia Fedova, a colonel in the FSB, the Russian intelligence successor to the KGB. It's a secret that could land her in front of a firing squad, and him in jail for life. Worst of all, their daughter would then end up in a Russian state orphanage.But a frantic call from Natalia has brought their secret out, and Charlie must lead a combined MI5/MI6 mission to rescue her. He soon realizes that his higher-ups have other priorities than his family's safety. Charlie will have to outwit not just the Russians but his own government as well to protect the lives of his wife and child.Clever, unpredictable, and exciting, Red Star Burning shows why Brian Freemantle has been widely praised as one of the greatest living espionage novelists.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2010
12 people are currently reading
106 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 8, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Charlie Muffin, MI5 agent
SETTING: Moscow
SERIES: #14 of 14
RATING: 3.5
It all began with the shooting of a one-armed man in a cheap suit and cardboard shoes. Ordinarily, such a death would have attracted no attention. However, the fact that the body was found on the grounds of the British Embassy in Moscow and the murder assumed to have been committed there has raised the stakes. According to an agreement between the British and the Russians, such a situation results in an investigation that is jointly conducted by both countries. The Russians are attempting to falsify the evidence so that they can have soul responsibility for the case. However, MI5 has sent veteran agent Charlie Muffin to run their investigation; and he is up to some misdirection of his own. At the same time, the Americans are showing interest, for their own reasons.
This is one of those books where every character is not what he or she seems. Almost all of them seem to be operating under their own hidden agenda. There is no one that is really honest; you can never trust that what is being said or done is the truth. Charlie is a master at this game of deception. He usually can sense when his counterparts are playing him, and he is quite adept at adjusting his own approaches on the fly and is fearless at asserting his investigative independence. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t make any mistakes; in fact, he makes quite a lot of them, to the point where his own career appears to be in jeopardy. In addition to the Russians, who at times do seem to be genuinely partnering on solving the murder, Charlie also has to deal with representatives of the CIA. As it turns out, there is a spy deep within the British Embassy, and another who seems to be buried in the Russian organization. Bugging is assumed; trying to have any secret communication is a real challenge.
It doesn’t appear that the murder will ever be solved, as there are many political concerns, foremost of which is the upcoming election of a new Russian president. It doesn’t help that the British Embassy administration is completely incompetent and inept, further complicating the precarious situation. Every encounter between the principals is a dizzying mesh of political and strategic machinations. I found myself lost quite a few times in the narrative, trying vainly to hold on to the thread of what was going on at any given moment.
Charlie has another reason for being in Russian in addition to his assignment. He has not seen his Russian wife, Natalia, and daughter, Sasha, in 5 years. It is his mission to convince Natalia to give up her post with the FSB (former KGB) and return to England with him. He is even willing to leave MI5 in order to make this happen. It’s not a given that Natalia will agree; but in their meetings with one another she doesn’t entirely shut the door to the possibility.
Although I found the plot overly complicated with far too many characters with far too many secrets, the book resolved in a most satisfactory fashion. Charlie had a few aces up his sleeve that he played on the last hand. What remains unresolved is where his life is going to go after this book. Will there be a fifteenth Charlie Muffin book? Fans of the series will certainly hope so.
SETTING: Moscow
SERIES: #14 of 14
RATING: 3.5
It all began with the shooting of a one-armed man in a cheap suit and cardboard shoes. Ordinarily, such a death would have attracted no attention. However, the fact that the body was found on the grounds of the British Embassy in Moscow and the murder assumed to have been committed there has raised the stakes. According to an agreement between the British and the Russians, such a situation results in an investigation that is jointly conducted by both countries. The Russians are attempting to falsify the evidence so that they can have soul responsibility for the case. However, MI5 has sent veteran agent Charlie Muffin to run their investigation; and he is up to some misdirection of his own. At the same time, the Americans are showing interest, for their own reasons.
This is one of those books where every character is not what he or she seems. Almost all of them seem to be operating under their own hidden agenda. There is no one that is really honest; you can never trust that what is being said or done is the truth. Charlie is a master at this game of deception. He usually can sense when his counterparts are playing him, and he is quite adept at adjusting his own approaches on the fly and is fearless at asserting his investigative independence. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t make any mistakes; in fact, he makes quite a lot of them, to the point where his own career appears to be in jeopardy. In addition to the Russians, who at times do seem to be genuinely partnering on solving the murder, Charlie also has to deal with representatives of the CIA. As it turns out, there is a spy deep within the British Embassy, and another who seems to be buried in the Russian organization. Bugging is assumed; trying to have any secret communication is a real challenge.
It doesn’t appear that the murder will ever be solved, as there are many political concerns, foremost of which is the upcoming election of a new Russian president. It doesn’t help that the British Embassy administration is completely incompetent and inept, further complicating the precarious situation. Every encounter between the principals is a dizzying mesh of political and strategic machinations. I found myself lost quite a few times in the narrative, trying vainly to hold on to the thread of what was going on at any given moment.
Charlie has another reason for being in Russian in addition to his assignment. He has not seen his Russian wife, Natalia, and daughter, Sasha, in 5 years. It is his mission to convince Natalia to give up her post with the FSB (former KGB) and return to England with him. He is even willing to leave MI5 in order to make this happen. It’s not a given that Natalia will agree; but in their meetings with one another she doesn’t entirely shut the door to the possibility.
Although I found the plot overly complicated with far too many characters with far too many secrets, the book resolved in a most satisfactory fashion. Charlie had a few aces up his sleeve that he played on the last hand. What remains unresolved is where his life is going to go after this book. Will there be a fifteenth Charlie Muffin book? Fans of the series will certainly hope so.
August 10, 2017
It was a bit slow at points. The story is about a murder. I kept wanting the plot to develop. But very little progress was ever made towards solving the murder. The espionage aspects were enjoyable. But I had started reading the second book so the plot twists were kinda ruined. :(
Overall I enjoyed it. I will go into the second with a different expectation.
Overall I enjoyed it. I will go into the second with a different expectation.
June 14, 2017
Good old Charlie come through again in the end. This book is more in the style of the earliest ones and which have gathers many fans to Charlie's adventures. Without divulging the total plot I am glad I never aspired to be the assistant director-general.
May 1, 2020
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but once you are sucked in, you are sucked in. As always, a very convoluted plot, lots and lots of characters, lots of hard names to remember, lots of innuendo and secret plans. Yeah. Typical Muffin.
August 20, 2022
With only a couple of books left in the series, Brian Freemantle seems to be saving his best for last. The last couple of books have been SO GOOD! Can't wait to move on to the next book in the series.
January 31, 2026
.somewhat complex . Worth reading
Many twists and turns, creating ongoing interest. Read in Kindle as book print was too small. That also facilitated keeping track of the characters as you travel through several countries intelligence and political operatives.
A Good Read...
Many twists and turns, creating ongoing interest. Read in Kindle as book print was too small. That also facilitated keeping track of the characters as you travel through several countries intelligence and political operatives.
A Good Read...
July 29, 2018
I have read all the Charlie Muffin books. The ey should be read in order from book 1 'Charkie Muffin' to get the FULL experience. They are all excelle ...more
March 19, 2024
Nah!
The plot sounds good, but is not so consistent.
The plot sounds good, but is not so consistent.
October 6, 2024
Unable to read beyond the first few pages. Boring..
June 21, 2016
Veteran MI5 agent Charlie Muffin arrives at the British Embassy in Moscow ready to solve a murder. Instead, he runs into jurisdictional issues as the Russians have since removed the dead Russian body (as well as the evidence) found on embassy grounds to their facilities. Of course, they do promise full cooperation. Add to that the facts that the victim's face was beyond recognition, fingers burned in acid, and an inoperable security video system at the embassy, interestingly enough after someone allowed Russian technicians to work inside Britain's highly secure area. Complicating matters, Americans arrive as well.
Charlie sifts through everything available to him using tried and true spycraft methodology attempting to identify the dead man, determine why he ended up on British soil within Russia, and, of course, why he was murdered. Add to his difficult task, Charlie is able to reunite with his wife, Natalia, and daughter, neither of whom he has seen for five years, after being abruptly called back to the UK. Though, she being an FSB colonel (no one in MI5 or FSB knows they are married) means that all meetings with her, where he tries to convince her to come back to the UK with him, must be clandestine in nature. The relationship issues, and what ultimately transpires, are integrated well into the overall plot.
The reader keeps going in order to find out how Charlie solves this international dilemma and what the outcome will actually be. This is the 15th Charlie Muffin installment (the first in almost a decade) and the first of a trilogy. Though Red Star Rising does not contain the amount of compelling action as many spy/espionage thrillers do, it is, nonetheless, clever, many times unpredictable and quite intriguing. I rate it 3.5 stars and round it up.
Charlie sifts through everything available to him using tried and true spycraft methodology attempting to identify the dead man, determine why he ended up on British soil within Russia, and, of course, why he was murdered. Add to his difficult task, Charlie is able to reunite with his wife, Natalia, and daughter, neither of whom he has seen for five years, after being abruptly called back to the UK. Though, she being an FSB colonel (no one in MI5 or FSB knows they are married) means that all meetings with her, where he tries to convince her to come back to the UK with him, must be clandestine in nature. The relationship issues, and what ultimately transpires, are integrated well into the overall plot.
The reader keeps going in order to find out how Charlie solves this international dilemma and what the outcome will actually be. This is the 15th Charlie Muffin installment (the first in almost a decade) and the first of a trilogy. Though Red Star Rising does not contain the amount of compelling action as many spy/espionage thrillers do, it is, nonetheless, clever, many times unpredictable and quite intriguing. I rate it 3.5 stars and round it up.
August 25, 2010
A body has been located on the grounds of the British embassy. M15 agent, Charlie Muffin has been sent from London to investigate. It appears at first that the murder was gang related. Though, the deeper Charlie digs, he uncovers something that someone wants desperately to keep hidden. Charlie will have to watch his back or he will be the next dead body. As if Charlie doesn’t already have enough on his place, Charlie ends up reconnecting with his wife Natalia and their daughter, Sasha. Natalia works for the Russia FSB intelligence service. There is one thing you can guarantee about Charlie…He is the right man for the job.
Red Star Rising is my first introduction to author, Brian Freemantle. After reading this book, I can’t believe I haven’t tried him sooner. I really like this type of genre of books…international spy thriller. Charlie Muffin is the perfect agent. He is good at his job. He is very precise and asks the questions that no one else wants to ask. While I was reading this book, it was like I was walking in Charlie’s shoes and seeing and experiencing everything that he did at that present moment. The only issue I had with this book was that I didn’t always feel that the other characters were as evenly matched to Charlie. I could though easily see this book being turning into a movie on the big screens. Red Star Rising rises to Silver status in my books.
Red Star Rising is my first introduction to author, Brian Freemantle. After reading this book, I can’t believe I haven’t tried him sooner. I really like this type of genre of books…international spy thriller. Charlie Muffin is the perfect agent. He is good at his job. He is very precise and asks the questions that no one else wants to ask. While I was reading this book, it was like I was walking in Charlie’s shoes and seeing and experiencing everything that he did at that present moment. The only issue I had with this book was that I didn’t always feel that the other characters were as evenly matched to Charlie. I could though easily see this book being turning into a movie on the big screens. Red Star Rising rises to Silver status in my books.
March 20, 2011
Interesting spy read with a very unexpected ending.
The body of a murdered, tortured Russian has been found in Moscow, which isn’t unusual in the crime-ridden city. What is different is that this corpse is on the lawn of the British embassy. Eager to prevent an international incident, London dispatches veteran MI5 agent Charlie Muffin to investigate. Charlie is an old hand who recognizes that little has changed in the post—Soviet Union, most definitely not the espionage enmity between Russia, Britain, and America. The search for the identity of the murdered man enmeshes Charlie in what might be the biggest attempted espionage coup of his life. Being in Moscow has very personal implications for Charlie, too. It provides the opportunity for a re-union with his Russian wife, Natalia, and their young daughter, whom he had to abandon because of a hurried recall to the UK five years earlier. It's also the chance to persuade the reluctant Natalia, an officer in Russia’s FSB intelligence service, to return with him to London.
The body of a murdered, tortured Russian has been found in Moscow, which isn’t unusual in the crime-ridden city. What is different is that this corpse is on the lawn of the British embassy. Eager to prevent an international incident, London dispatches veteran MI5 agent Charlie Muffin to investigate. Charlie is an old hand who recognizes that little has changed in the post—Soviet Union, most definitely not the espionage enmity between Russia, Britain, and America. The search for the identity of the murdered man enmeshes Charlie in what might be the biggest attempted espionage coup of his life. Being in Moscow has very personal implications for Charlie, too. It provides the opportunity for a re-union with his Russian wife, Natalia, and their young daughter, whom he had to abandon because of a hurried recall to the UK five years earlier. It's also the chance to persuade the reluctant Natalia, an officer in Russia’s FSB intelligence service, to return with him to London.
January 4, 2013
Another installment in the terrific Charlie Muffin spy series. Where Le Carre can be wordy and obtuse (and I don't mean that in a bad way), Freemantle's writing is direct and concise, with no wasted words or time. Which doesn't mean he can't come up with a labyrinthine plotline full of surprising twists and turns. Muffin is one of my favorite spy characters, brilliant and always several steps ahead of everyone else, but embattled by his own people and always on the verge of being sacked. This time out, not only is he trying to solve a murder on the British embassy grounds in Moscow and identify a mole within the embassy, but also reunite with his Russian lover and their daughter. Complex and engaging.
September 5, 2010
Classic espionage fiction updated to the post-cold war world but ironically still set in Moscow and involving tensions between the US, UK and Russia.
A body at the British embassy in Moscow sets up what should be a murder investigation but, as is so often the case, nothing is as it appears. And it the case isn't complicated enough M15 agent Charlie Muffin is trying to sort out his family and his future at the same time.
This is the first Charlie Muffin book I have read and I think I will need to go back and catch up on the history. A nice mix of action, character and suspense. It got a little convoluted at the end but I was still racing to finish it.
A body at the British embassy in Moscow sets up what should be a murder investigation but, as is so often the case, nothing is as it appears. And it the case isn't complicated enough M15 agent Charlie Muffin is trying to sort out his family and his future at the same time.
This is the first Charlie Muffin book I have read and I think I will need to go back and catch up on the history. A nice mix of action, character and suspense. It got a little convoluted at the end but I was still racing to finish it.
May 4, 2014
A very different sort of spy thriller, focusing more on internal security concerns playing out in the midst of an international murder mystery. The story keeps piling on layer after layer of mysteries and complications before finally revealing everything rapidly and unexpectedly in the final two chapters. I didn't enjoy this one as much as Red Star Burning (which I mistakenly read first, not realizing it was the middle book in the story arc), but it was still get enjoyable. Perhaps suffered a bit too much from trying to pile on the multiple levels of mystery - after a while, the plot felt convoluted and strung out just for the sake of obfuscation. Still a good read though.
January 7, 2013
The cover of this book touts Brian Freemantle as LeCarre's equal. That is, to say the last, over selling. I can see where it comes from, Red Star Rising's Charlie Muffin is reminiscent of a George Smiley. Still, Freemantle doesn't achieve LeCarre's stark realism and story creation.
Yet, I enjoyed the book. The focus was on the internal politics of espionage instead of the operations side which was interesting. And I got caught up with the characters and the story and enjoyed reading it. I will read more about Charlie Muffin if i can.
Yet, I enjoyed the book. The focus was on the internal politics of espionage instead of the operations side which was interesting. And I got caught up with the characters and the story and enjoyed reading it. I will read more about Charlie Muffin if i can.
January 28, 2015
It kept twisting and twisting, although I'm not a good enough detective/reader to figure out where it was going, so I got lost.
Then, everything was exposed in a tape playback out of left field as something else entirely, and lots of people were suddenly affected, spinning it all off in another direction, all within the last 10 pages or so. Rather deflating, I thought.
Then, everything was exposed in a tape playback out of left field as something else entirely, and lots of people were suddenly affected, spinning it all off in another direction, all within the last 10 pages or so. Rather deflating, I thought.
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July 30, 2011English agent Charlie Muffin is flown to Moscow when a faceless body is found at the English embassy there. Tasked with solving the murder, he battles FSB disinformation, incompetency within his own embassy, etc to crack the case and the bigger one that surrounds it.
July 13, 2012
A good mystery with a surprise ending.
July 24, 2013
Excellent!
August 10, 2013
Boring...not that good..
August 31, 2018
4.5 stars
A roller-coaster ride of twists, turns and surprises to the very last page. Insubordinate and irascible, Charlie Muffin, after 14 adventures, remains as endearing, surprising and deceitful as ever. Trying to do the right thing while breaking rules and alienating almost all of his colleagues, this disheveled, footsore spy out-thinks and outplays his opponents in ways as clever as a chess master. But learns that sometimes winning is losing. A highly satisfying and entertaining read.
A roller-coaster ride of twists, turns and surprises to the very last page. Insubordinate and irascible, Charlie Muffin, after 14 adventures, remains as endearing, surprising and deceitful as ever. Trying to do the right thing while breaking rules and alienating almost all of his colleagues, this disheveled, footsore spy out-thinks and outplays his opponents in ways as clever as a chess master. But learns that sometimes winning is losing. A highly satisfying and entertaining read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews