[.ca] Dead Men Living (ISBN 0727870718)

From Amazon.com:
Dead Men Living marks the return of Charlie Muffin (you've got to love an ex-spy with a name like that) to the minefield of diplomatic negotiations between England and Russia. It's a territory that, even with the end of the cold war, remains tortuously difficult to transverse. The need to step carefully is equally apparent in Charlie's personal life: newly reunited with Natalia, the ex-KGB agent (and mother of their 5-year-old daughter) who years ago managed Charlie's false defection, he's finding it more difficult than ever to draw need-to-know lines between work and family. It's a decision that gets no easier when the thawing Siberian tundra reveals a World War II grave with an American soldier, a British soldier, and a Russian woman, stripped of all identifying marks. Charlie, Natalia (now in the Interior Ministry), and American agent Miriam Bell step warily into a dance of discovery, only to find that powerful, faceless persons are calling the steps. What were the Allied soldiers doing near Gulag 98, one of Stalin's most infamous prison camps? What decades-old secret could be so important that England, America, and Russia seem to be working overtime to keep it under wraps? Charlie's investigative journey into the past will take him into a world of looted Nazi art, terrified Russian exiles, and diplomatic wrangling. Brian Freemantle (Little Grey Mice, Comrade Charlie) does a neat job of sketching the interdepartmental turmoil that informs a new era of international cooperation. With the roles of good guy and bad guy--so familiar, so comforting--in constant flux, it's everyone for him- or herself. He's not as adept as le Carré (but who is?) at unraveling the mysteriously tangled threads of espionage--too often, the reader is simply told that Charlie has "figured something out," and the villains in the matter are duller than they have any right to be. But Freemantle's observations are generally adept and well phrased: "Charlie had never liked being a part of diplomatic house-tidying; the dirt always had the habit of bulging the carpet under which it was swept." As Muffins go, Freemantle has served up a pretty tasty text. --Kelly Flynn

Probably the Most Complex Novel in the Charlie Muffin Series:
Mr. Freemantle has brought readers a great deal of joy over the years with his series of novels centered around the rascal spy, Charlie Muffin, and he does not disappoint in "Dead Men Living". He is one of the few authors to carry forward the merciless surprise ending so wonderfully developed in the short stories of Saki (H.H. Munro). And here the author almost outdoes earlier Muffin novels in stacking the conspiracies and surprises literally on top of each other to the point that the the last surprise will leave the reader pondering over the pieces of the puzzle. If I had but one criticism it is that the conspiracies occasionally are so complex that the Author seemingly felt obligated to foreshadow certain events, diluting some of the intended effect; but this is more than outweighed by the sheer enjoyment in watching Charlie think and work his magic. Brian Freemantle's earlier Muffin novels are highly recommended as well, but are occasionally hard to find: read this one; and if you enjoy it, then dig into the Series with the first Muffin novel, "Charlie M" (as published in the US). You will not be disappointed.

Complex and convincing:
Charlie Muffin gets by by not getting noticed. He can't do that when he's roped into solving an ancient World War II mystery--a British and American officer are found dead in the Russian gulag. Worse, someone is trying to keep their story as buried as their bodies were. Author Brian Freemantle does a great job describing modern Russia and also characterizing the office politics that are the bane of Russian, American, and British existance. Could it be, though, that the women were a little stereotyped?

4 1/2 Stars - Big Recommendation for Charlie Muffin:
An unxpected thaw in Siberia uncovers two WWII murder victims with a lot more questions than answers. The victims are wearing American & British uniforms so Russian authorities invite England and the US to join in a joint effort to solve the mystery. Charlie Muffin, the British representative, doesn't want to go, but after getting there the investigative juices take over and he starts enjoying the battle of wits in which he can't trust anyone including the British government much less the CIA who have wanted his scalp since the first great book in this series and a fine TV segment with the delightful David Hemmings in the title role. When Charlie does identify the bodies, he finds he's even more vulnerable and exposed and has to lead the other parties down the garden path so that enough of the truth can be exposed without increasing the danger to him and his lover, a high person in the current Russian spy organization that we've met in previous books. While this book is complex, it's representative of the current state of espionage in which the good guys and bad guys aren't as easily identified as in the Cold War. Those who were bad guys yesterday can be the good guys today. It's often every man (or woman) for themselves. The book seemed a tad long but each new devlopment added another useful piece to the puzzle. If you like novels in which the mystery is more who is going to outsmart the other rather than whodunnit, this is for you. Freemantle is a master at developing situations in which one survives or dies by their wits, ability to recognize clues you hope your "allies" don't see and how to anticipate where the attacks will come (from enemies and allies alike). Charlie Muffin is one of the most clever (if not the most) series protagonists in the Crime/Spy genre. You can't breeze through this book, you need to pay attention all along so you don't miss the nuggets Charlie mines. Freemantle doesn't hit you over the head with clues, you have to work at it, and for me that greatly increases the pleasure from this terrific series. I wish the next sequel would come sooner than this one did. Incidentally, I haven't enjoyed other books by this author nearly as much as the ones with Charlie Muffin.