Thursday, August 26, 2010

Book Review: RED STAR RISING by Brian Freemantle

I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this book--a spy novel featuring veteran MI5 agent, Charlie Muffin.  The setting is Moscow, where Charlie works on discovering who killed and tortured the fellow found on the British Embassy's front lawn.  He's also attempting a reconciliation with his Russian wife (an intelligence officer herself), whom he secretly married and was forced to abandon when recalled to the UK five years before. 

British, Russian, and American spies battle openly and subversively for intelligence about the motive for the murder--and it's political implications.  Muffin is a wonderful character, complete with strengths, frailties, and and terrific insights.

Freemantle's quick pacing, clever dialogue, and complicated plot snagged my attention on page one and never let go.  Sub-plots and secondary characters were woven into the storyline with cleverness and subtlety, surprising me at nearly every turn.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate this book a 9.

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