MADRIGAL FOR CHARLIE MUFFIN

Within the very first chapter, the listener becomes fond, even protective, of Charlie Muffin, hard-drinking British ex-secret agent. Hired by an insurance company to protect the jewelry of the British ambassador’s wife in Italy, Charlie goes to Rome. At the same time, his former intelligence service determines that the embassy in Rome has a mole. Unbeknownst to him, Charlie is chosen by both the KGB and MI6 to be the patsy. Narrator Hayward Morse has many voices--all of them consistent, most of them appealing. Even the female characters sound authentic. The listener never loses track of who is speaking, which is important, as most of the action in the book is conveyed by dialogue. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]