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Charlie Muffin #3
The Inscrutable Charlie Muffin
Asian millionaire J. L. Lu turns an ocean liner into a floating international university dedicated to world freedom and when the ship is blown up off the Asian coast the insurance company sends Charlie Muffin to investigate
182 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Brian Freemantle
106 books69 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 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 30, 2023
A gripping story, but I never felt the pieces come together especially well and there was a bit of a rush to tie everything up in the denouement.
January 8, 2023
Charlie Muffin, der in Ungnade gefallene Spion der British Intelligence, wird nach wie vor gesucht, resp. ist nach wie vor sauer auf seine ehemaligen Vorgesetzten. Hier aber nutzt er die Chance, sich in Hong Kong unsichtbar zu machen, unter dem Vorwand, ein Investigator für ein Lloyd Syndikat zu sein. Da wurde ein Schiff des erklärten chinesischen Antikommunisten Lu in die Luft gejagt und die Versicherung hat nicht nur Mühe, das Geld aufzubringen, sondern auch zu glauben, dass da wirklich der Chinesische Staat so stümperhaft opiumabhängige Taugenichts für diese ausgeklügelte Aktion benutzt hätte.
Charlie macht sich also auf die Suche nach der Wahrheit und gerät in den engen Gassen von Kowloon beinahe selber ins Visier seiner ehemaligen Kollegen.
Ein Buch, das gutmütig aufgerundete vier Sterne erhält, nicht unbedingt, weil es so fantastisch ist (recht einfache Geschichte), sondern weil mir die Figur gefällt, der Stil, die Schreibe von Freemantle. Da werde ich einfach etwas blind… Buch 4-11 sind bereits im Regal.
Charlie macht sich also auf die Suche nach der Wahrheit und gerät in den engen Gassen von Kowloon beinahe selber ins Visier seiner ehemaligen Kollegen.
Ein Buch, das gutmütig aufgerundete vier Sterne erhält, nicht unbedingt, weil es so fantastisch ist (recht einfache Geschichte), sondern weil mir die Figur gefällt, der Stil, die Schreibe von Freemantle. Da werde ich einfach etwas blind… Buch 4-11 sind bereits im Regal.
June 17, 2013
Another solid installment of the Charlie Muffin series, which I adore.
October 23, 2018
The Inscrutable Charlie M is the 3rd book in the series that is definitely one of the finest examples of the espionage genre. This episode is a bit dull and lack-luster when compared to the last two episodes. Charlie M is still on the run from the British intelligence. To understand the current scenario and the setup it is imperative for any reader to start this series from the very beginning. This time Charlie is called on by his friend Rupert Willoughby who also happens to be the son of his late lamented boss/mentor from the British Intelligence. Willoughby’s insurance company has written an 8 million pound policy on Asian millionaire J.L. Lu's ""University of Freedom"" ocean-liner, and someone has just blown up this floating anti-Communist university in Hong Kong harbor. Can Charlie find some way to save Willoughby from paying and going bankrupt? The mission takes Charlie to Hong Kong and China to investigate if there is any foul play. In true Charlie M intelligence scenario he learns that the entire insurance/bombing scheme has been rigged but has no way to prove it? This takes him to the heart of Peking amidst a cat-and-mouse environment. To add to the complication: a fumbling CIA agent who might gum up the works, and expose Charlie as the CIA archenemy he became in previous Muffin volumes. 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 third novel "The Inscrutable Charlie M." 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 3nd appearance of Charlie M stand 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.
However, as compared to the last two adventures, this episode is a bit less complex and has a little less twists and turns but nevertheless does not fail to keep the reader from turning the pages as fast as possible to keep pace with the devious mind of Charlie M.
This series is a MUST for anyone that loves old school espionage of the Cold War Era.
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 third novel "The Inscrutable Charlie M." 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 3nd appearance of Charlie M stand 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.
However, as compared to the last two adventures, this episode is a bit less complex and has a little less twists and turns but nevertheless does not fail to keep the reader from turning the pages as fast as possible to keep pace with the devious mind of Charlie M.
This series is a MUST for anyone that loves old school espionage of the Cold War Era.
January 7, 2025
3rd in the series, "The Inscrutable Charlie Muffin" is yet another shining example of how a disheveled, past-his-prime, on-the-run, ex-spy can still run circles around pretty much every one with whom he engages.
Charlie Muffin, still in hiding since the unfortunate incidents in the initial stories in the series that now have him branded as a traitor to Britain, is talked into investigating the fire on a ship in Hong Kong's harbor that had been insured by his friend Rupert Willoughby. Not only does he risk exposing his identity to the authorities by traveling to HK, he also soon finds himself in the company of various island and Chinese police, the CIA, and an English diplomat he once had a disagreement with. The fire on the ship, branded by Hong Kong investigators as an arson crime committed by a couple poor imported Chinese workers, results in said workers being poisoned while in custody.
The owner of the burned ship, an uber-wealthy HK resident who we also discover is involved in a lot of shady business around the island, finds himself under suspicion by Charlie but is largely protected by his wealth, connections, and lethal associates. A CIA agent shows up, operating undercover, to try to make sense of the situation since the vessel was originally American, but Charlie continues to be concerned over his possible exposure and decides to operate on his own. Based on both speculation and logic, Charlie develops a hypothesis and charges forward to prove it.
This installment of the series moves quickly with solid writing and dialogue, a good plot, and a one-of-a-kind character. It's chock full of Charlie's peccadillos (bad fashion sense, class resentment, talking to himself, etc.) but also showcases his enormous capacity to outthink his opponents. My only issue with "Inscrutable..." is that the concluding action is dropped in our lap. It made sense and tied things together but sort of came out of nowhere. Otherwise, another Muffin winner!
Charlie Muffin, still in hiding since the unfortunate incidents in the initial stories in the series that now have him branded as a traitor to Britain, is talked into investigating the fire on a ship in Hong Kong's harbor that had been insured by his friend Rupert Willoughby. Not only does he risk exposing his identity to the authorities by traveling to HK, he also soon finds himself in the company of various island and Chinese police, the CIA, and an English diplomat he once had a disagreement with. The fire on the ship, branded by Hong Kong investigators as an arson crime committed by a couple poor imported Chinese workers, results in said workers being poisoned while in custody.
The owner of the burned ship, an uber-wealthy HK resident who we also discover is involved in a lot of shady business around the island, finds himself under suspicion by Charlie but is largely protected by his wealth, connections, and lethal associates. A CIA agent shows up, operating undercover, to try to make sense of the situation since the vessel was originally American, but Charlie continues to be concerned over his possible exposure and decides to operate on his own. Based on both speculation and logic, Charlie develops a hypothesis and charges forward to prove it.
This installment of the series moves quickly with solid writing and dialogue, a good plot, and a one-of-a-kind character. It's chock full of Charlie's peccadillos (bad fashion sense, class resentment, talking to himself, etc.) but also showcases his enormous capacity to outthink his opponents. My only issue with "Inscrutable..." is that the concluding action is dropped in our lap. It made sense and tied things together but sort of came out of nowhere. Otherwise, another Muffin winner!
December 24, 2019
Like the first two Charlie Muffin novels, The Inscrutable Charlie Muffin is a briskly paced and quick read. Set in Hong Kong, Charlie Muffin is hired by the son of his former intelligence boss to investigate the burning of an ex-ocean liner converted to a university in Hong Kong...very reminiscent of the fate of the Queen Elizabeth. Freemantle's writing style is simple, no words are wasted, and most of the chapters end with a brief excursion away from Charlie's point-of-view to a quick scene involving one of the other characters that keeps you intrigued and wanting to continue reading. Many times I planned to put the book down at the end of a chapter but found myself unable to do so.
A solid, entertaining espionage thriller that you should definitely read if you've enjoyed the first two Charlie Muffin books. And if you haven't read any Muffin yet, find book #1 and give it a try.
A solid, entertaining espionage thriller that you should definitely read if you've enjoyed the first two Charlie Muffin books. And if you haven't read any Muffin yet, find book #1 and give it a try.
December 29, 2023
I enjoyed this quite a bit. At the start, the mystery of the destroyed boat appeared to be pretty straightforward but the ending managed to surprise me which reminded me of the first book.
As in the second book, there were innocent characters caught in the middle of Charlie Muffin's business and the reader feels conflicted about how things went down.
On a separate note, it was something to catch a mention of Tiananmen Square in a book written 10 years before the massacre.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one.
As in the second book, there were innocent characters caught in the middle of Charlie Muffin's business and the reader feels conflicted about how things went down.
On a separate note, it was something to catch a mention of Tiananmen Square in a book written 10 years before the massacre.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book and will definitely read the next one.
June 22, 2017
Freemantle doesn't disappoint in this Charlie Muffin story. The hero, like all the really good storybook heroes, is a man with very obvious flaws. In his own words, he "made a lot of mistakes" before "only just" winning in the end. Although it was fairly clear early in the story what winning would mean, the path to winning was far from straightforward and the surprising developments along the path made perfect sense.
May 30, 2018
An almost change of genre with this third entry in Freemantle’s Charlie Muffin series, but no less enjoyable for all that. Muffin remains the entertaining downtrodden underdog who is always one step ahead of his opponents and the Far East location is a welcome change from the norm. Really enjoy this series discovered exclusively via my association with @spybrary podcast.
February 19, 2019
Charlie is in Hong Kong, helping the son of his old mentor and dealing with a billionaire Hong Kong crime lord, the Hong Kong police, the CIA and the Chinese intelligence service, none of whom have the same motives. . . and Charlie must not allow his real identity to be revealed.
December 4, 2022
One of the best
Charlie muffin books have always been one of my favourite series of books. Well written showing the true human nature of espionage and intrigue. Charlie muffin is everything James bond is not, and all the better for it.
Charlie muffin books have always been one of my favourite series of books. Well written showing the true human nature of espionage and intrigue. Charlie muffin is everything James bond is not, and all the better for it.
February 10, 2023
Good fun. Our former working class intelligence operative has moved on to a new career. Same warnings as other books in this series: IT IS A PERIOD BOOK.
Sexism, Racism and classism are all apparent. (and in my opinion add to the ambiance).
Nice twists and turns and an excellent reader.
Sexism, Racism and classism are all apparent. (and in my opinion add to the ambiance).
Nice twists and turns and an excellent reader.
January 7, 2018
3.5 *
February 4, 2023
Another winner in the series. Doing a good deed despite knowing better... Not quite as tight and flawlessly written as the first two, but still very good and enjoyed.
March 19, 2024
I had higher expectations on that, but it was pretty average.
June 12, 2024
Predictable but still fun. Freemantle knows how to write an entertaining spy novel, like Ross Thomas' British counterpart.
September 30, 2024
Such weird premise after the previous two, but Charlie is a good character to throw into head scratching situations and once again proves he's an utter bastard.
November 26, 2020
'In a fanfare of publicity,’ said Charlie, ‘one of the world’s most famous passenger liners is brought here and a man renowned for years of anti-communist preaching announces that it’s to become a prestige university at which he’s going permanently to lecture against the Peking regime …’
‘I’m aware of the facts,’ interrupted Johnson.
‘Then don’t you think it’s odd,’ broke in Charlie, ‘that a country which decides to stifle that criticism – a country which according to you can without the risk of interception move ten thousand people into this colony and therefore, presumably, include in that figure the most expert sabotage agents in any of its armed forces – should select for the task three near-illiterate, drug-taking Chinese whose capture or discovery was practically a foregone conclusion? And by so doing guarantee worse publicity than if they’d let the damned remain?'
Johnson laughed a dismissive gesture.
‘I’m aware of the facts,’ interrupted Johnson.
‘Then don’t you think it’s odd,’ broke in Charlie, ‘that a country which decides to stifle that criticism – a country which according to you can without the risk of interception move ten thousand people into this colony and therefore, presumably, include in that figure the most expert sabotage agents in any of its armed forces – should select for the task three near-illiterate, drug-taking Chinese whose capture or discovery was practically a foregone conclusion? And by so doing guarantee worse publicity than if they’d let the damned remain?'
Johnson laughed a dismissive gesture.
December 23, 2015
3.75 stars : Charlie's 3rd adventure takes him to China, where Charlie is almost as inscrutable as those he must outwit. Not quite as many clever twists as the first two tales, but still very satisfying for this quickly read short novel.
October 28, 2013
Wonderfully twisted. Once again Charlie proves to be an amoral user. Even when he tries to be kind to someone, he fails. Another clever cold war thriller.
November 4, 2016
Great
It is great.. I like it very much because it is interesting. The plot is lot of fun. Therefore it is nice
It is great.. I like it very much because it is interesting. The plot is lot of fun. Therefore it is nice
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews