Charlie Muffin

A cagey British spy fights enemies from without and within 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 twenty-five 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 organization get in his way.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

Disavowed spy Charlie Muffin wages war against his former employers Charlie Muffin has come back to England. The ex-spy, a veteran of twenty-five years' service to the Crown, was last seen in Berlin, where an attempt on his life by his own organization led to international embarrassment. They had expected Charlie-a disheveled, middle-aged survivor of every double cross in the book-to die easily. Instead, he disappeared.   But after months on the run, dulling his instincts with alcohol and laziness, the strain of life in the shadows finally gets to Charlie. By now the heat back home must have died down, and he shouldn't have any trouble sneaking across the Channel. Now, he expects, he can finally be safe in England.   Charlie Muffin is dead wrong.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

The un-Bond-like British spy is back-from a multimillion-selling author who hauls you aboard and won't let you off until the roller coaster stops. In his long-running Charlie Muffin series, Freemantle gives us an atypical British spy. Charlie is neither high cultured nor well mannered. He's working-class, scruffy, and fond of a drink. But he gets the job done . . . Charlie Muffin U.S.A.: Officially declared dead, Charlie can breathe again without the intelligence forces of Great Britain and the United States hunting him. He puts his espionage skills to work for an English insurance company, ensuring the security of the Romanov stamps, a priceless collection assembled before the Russian Revolution. When the American government decides to use them as bait for a vicious drug lord, Charlie gets stuck in the middle. But he's not licked yet. Madrigal for Charlie Muffin: Since British intelligence first turned on him and forced him to go into hiding, the ex-spy has had a rough few years. He takes a job for his only friend, Rupert Willoughby, who sends Charlie to Rome to check the security system for some valuable jewels. But Charlie has chosen the wrong time to visit the Eternal City. There's a mole in the British embassy there, and with agents of the East and West homing in fast, he's soon caught between a rock and a hard place. The Blind Run: In this Edgar Award finalist, after a trumped-up trial, Charlie lands in jail for treason. But when KGB agents stage a prison break to free his fellow inmate, a convicted British traitor, Charlie also flees to Moscow. There he meets Natalia Fedova, the KGB interrogator assigned to determine if his defection is genuine. For anyone else, the risk would be suicidal. But for Charlie, the greatest danger may be falling in love. See Charlie Run: Back at work for British intelligence, Charlie finally has a real assignment: A KGB agent in Tokyo wants to defect to the other side. Charlie's role is to bring him across. But as he himself has learned from all those evasive years, there's never anything simple or safe about running away.

The un-Bond-like British spy is back-from a multimillion-selling author who hauls you aboard and won't let you off until the roller coaster stops. In his long-running Charlie Muffin series, Freemantle gives us an atypical British spy. Charlie is neither high cultured nor well mannered. He's working-class, scruffy, and fond of a drink. But he gets the job done . . . The Run Around: It could be the most sensational defection of all time. The head of the KGB's cipher section comes with every code, every plot, and every secret. But his most startling disclosure of all is that the Russians are planning a shocking assassination. But the defector doesn't know who, where, when, or how. All Charlie knows is that he must stop the murder from happening-without being marked for death himself. Comrade Charlie: Charlie uncovers a last-gasp plot from the collapsing Soviet Union. The signs point to a new Soviet Star Wars system-and to the involvement of a British traitor. But can he trust the intel? Or does the KGB want one more chance to set up their old adversary? His nemesis, Berenkov, sets a nasty trap using Natalia Fedova as bait, and as the Soviet regime crumbles, it could take Charlie down with it . . . Charlie's Apprentice: Following the end of the Cold War, Charlie is tasked with training new recruits. When one of his trainees is arrested within days of arriving in Beijing to extract a blown British agent, Charlie must go to China and get both of them out. Meanwhile, his former lover Natalia Fedova is searching for him-with a daughter she says is his. Bomb Grade: It has been more than five years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Britain's cagiest spy is beginning to feel obsolete-until he's assigned to Russia one more time. The British government needs him to go undercover as an arms dealer to retrieve 250 kilograms of uranium stolen from their nuclear silos. To complicate the explosive situation, heading the anti-smuggling unit is none other than his old flame, Natalia Fedova.

On-the-run spy Charlie Muffin investigates the destruction of an ocean liner They call Charlie Muffin a traitor. He has been on the run ever since the blow-up in Berlin, when British intelligence declared him obsolete and tried to kill him. Charlie outsmarted them then, and he has done so ever since, staying one step ahead by forgoing any semblance of an even halfway normal life. Now he is alone in Hong Kong and his only protector and friend, Rupert Willoughby, is a hemisphere away.   Now Rupert is in trouble. He has invested £6 million in a massive new ocean liner but the ship is destroyed by arsonists, burning completely down in a Hong Kong harbor. The owners blame Chinese agents, but Charlie smells a rat and agrees to investigate. But the conspiracy is more dangerous than anyone knew, and it's not long before Charlie realizes that his good deed could be his last.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

Charlie Muffin's new job puts him in the crosshairs of a vicious American drug lord Charlie 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.

On a routine insurance job in Rome, Charlie yet again becomes a target Charlie Muffin is back at rock bottom. The ex-spy has had a rough few years since British intelligence first turned on him and forced him to go into hiding. He's drinking again, forgetting things-getting soft. He hasn't even noticed the tap on his phone. Though Charlie doesn't know it yet, the walls are closing in again.   He takes a job for his only friend, Rupert Willoughby, who sends Charlie to Rome to check   the security system for some valuable jewels. Charlie has chosen the wrong time to visit the Eternal City. There's a mole in the British embassy there, and the agents of the East and West are homing in fast. Charlie, unlucky as always, is about to find himself caught between a very solid rock and an equally hard place.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

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 choice: 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 from the author's personal collection.

Back at work for British intelligence, Charlie's Japanese assignment might just be his last Charlie Muffin was once the toughest agent in British intelligence. He wasn't strong, fast, or charming, but he knew how to survive. When his agency branded him a traitor, he eluded their pursuit for years. After eventually proving his innocence, he's invited back into The Firm. But only just.   Consigned to a monotonous desk job, it takes months for Charlie to get a real assignment. A KGB agent in Tokyo wants to defect to the other side. Charlie's role is to bring him across. But as Charlie has learned from all those evasive years, there's never anything simple or safe about running away.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

An authorized agent again, Charlie Muffin must thwart an assassination attempt that could turn the tides of the Cold War It could be the most sensational defection of all time. The head of the Russian KGB's cipher section comes with every code, every plot, every secret. But his most startling disclosure of all is that the Russians are planning a shocking assassination.   But the defector doesn't know who. Or where. Or how. Or when. All Charlie knows is that he must stop the murder from happening-without being marked for death himself.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

Trapped at a desk job, Charlie Muffin uncovers a deadly KGB plot Charlie Muffin is too good an agent to be working a desk, but after a bust-up with his new director, he has been relegated to clerk work. Among the heaps of papers, though, Charlie stumbles upon the clues to a last-gasp plot from the collapsing Soviet Union. The signs point to a new Soviet Star Wars system-and to the involvement of a British traitor.   Or do they? After all, the KGB wants one more chance to eliminate their old adversary Charlie. When the agency discovers his involvement, it sets a nasty trap. As the Soviet regime crumbles, it could take Charlie down with it.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

As the Soviet Union dissolves, a long-buried secret puts Charlie's life in danger-again Charlie Muffin shouldn't be condemned for mourning the end of the Cold War. For decades the KGB provided him with endless professional success and now that it's gone, Charlie is nearly out of a job. Removed from active duty, he is now training new recruits on operations in a post-Soviet era. It's dull work that leaves Charlie yearning for the adventures of old and this time, he'll get more than he bargained for.   One of Charlie's first pupils is arrested within days of arriving in Beijing to extract a blown British agent. Now Charlie must go to China and get both of them out. Meanwhile, someone is searching for Charlie-Natalia Fedova, a former lover, who surfaces with a new job high up in Russian intelligence and a daughter she says is his.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

As the dust settles after the demise of the Cold War, Charlie Muffin must thwart a plan that could bring the world to the brink of nuclear holocaust   It has been more than five years since the collapse of the Soviet Union, and Charlie Muffin, Britain's cagiest spy, is beginning to feel obsolete. As the machine of state intelligence is dismantled around him, he expects that he too will soon be on the scrap heap. But Britain needs him in Russia one more time.   Since the demise of the Soviet empire, Charlie's old stomping grounds have gone to seed. The Communist bureaucracy has degenerated into chaos. Rampant corruption, coupled with easy gangland money, means that disorder reigns. In the anarchy, 250 kilograms of uranium goes missing and Charlie must track it down before it goes to the highest bidder.   This ebook features an illustrated biography of Brian Freemantle including rare photos from the author's personal collection.

In Siberia, a sudden thaw uncovers two fifty-year-old murder victims as well as a host of disturbing questions. Since each is dressed in the uniform of a WWII Allied officer, Russian authorities decide to invite agents from England and the United States to join in a collaborative effort to discover the truth behind the murders. Charlie Muffin, the British operative, is having enough problems without traveling to the hell-on-earth that is Siberia, but once there he begins to suspect that this might be just his sort of case. His phones are tapped, his own government seems to be against him, and his fellow agents are as uncooperative as the corpses they're investigating. When Charlie finally identifies the bodies, he finds he's unearthed a secret that all three governments will kill to put back in the ground--even if he has to go there with it. Dead Men Living is the much-anticipated next thriller in Brian Freemantle's acclaimed Charlie Muffin series, and as his fans and critics will agree, it's his best yet.

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.

In a botched escape from Russia, MI5 spy Charlie Muffin is seized by the FSB, Russia's intelligence-service successor to the infamous KGB. Charlie is Russia's long-term target in British counter-intelligence, and Moscow is determined to extract, by whatever means necessary, every secret of British---and Western---espionage over Charlie's thirty-year career. Charlie's determined not only to resist the interrogation but to learn from it if his Russian intelligence-officer wife and their daughter escaped the trap that snared him and have reached England. He embarks on a cat-and-mouse battle of deception to convince his interrogators that they're learning what they want---or think they want---aware that one misspoken word could be fatal. That's not Charlie's only problem. He's also trying to work out how his escape was foiled. It could not have been only due to the FSB, or his wife and daughter would have been caught as well. His MI5 boss doesn't think it was, either, and suspects treachery by Britain's external intelligence organization, MI6. To help discover the truth, Natalia, Charlie's wife, uses all the Russian tradecraft she's ever learned to help save her husband. Red Star Falling---the third in the Red Star trilogy---continues the acclaimed series that has established Brian Freemantle as one of the world's most ingenious espionage writers.

Charlie Muffin isn't your typical British spy. He's neither high cultured nor well mannered. He doesn't care about being smooth, pretty, or popular; he only cares about getting the job done . . . Charlie M: After twenty-five years serving the Crown in the shadows of the Cold War, Charlie finds himself under fire from a new breed of superiors who believe his lack of proper breeding makes him a liability in the spy game against the Soviets. But Charlie's going to show them that you don't survive as long as he has without knowing how to turn the tables on your enemy . . . Here Comes Charlie M: On the run, Charlie has slowly devolved into what his former masters once accused him of being. His formerly razor-edged instincts have been dulled by indolence, drink, and the monotonous tension of living in the dark. Believing the heat must have cooled by now, he returns to England, only to discover how very wrong he was-and how much more dangerous life has just become . . . The Inscrutable Charlie Muffin: Charlie has been keeping his head down with the help of his only friend and ally, Rupert Willoughby. But Rupert's own fortunes turn sour when an ocean liner he invested in burns and sinks in the Hong Kong harbor. Desperate, he turns to Charlie to find out what really happened. Charlie can hardly refuse-but he'll wish he had.