Freemantle,
Brian. Dead Men Living. Thomas Dunne Books. St. Martin’s.
June 2000. c336p. ISBN: 0-312-24379-0. $24.00. Fiction.
Maverick British agent Charlie Muffin, hero of Freemantle’s popular series,
is living in Moscow under difficult circumstances when he is asked to solve a
case that appears impossible. The frozen corpses of two men dressed in World
War II uniforms—one American, one British—and a woman who turns out
to be Russian have been uncovered by a freak thaw in the far reaches of Siberia.
Who were the Western agents, and what were they doing deep in forbidden territory?
In an atmosphere of paranoia and deception reminiscent of the Cold War and with
his own life at risk, Muffin must ferret out a conspiracy that all three countries—the
United States, Britain, and Russia—still want to conceal 54 years after
the end of the war. Fans of the “Charlie Muffin” series and readers
who don’t mind the tendency of Freemantle to withhold information already
deduced by Muffin will enjoy the piecing together of this intricate and intriguing
puzzle. Recommended for all public libraries.