The Charm School

By: Nelson DeMille

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 24 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Something very strange -- and sinister -- is going on in the Russian woods at Borodino. In a place called Mrs. Ivanova's Charm School, young KGB agents are being taught by American POW's how to be model citizens of the USA. The Soviet goal -- to infiltrate the United States undetected.

When an unsuspecting American tourist stumbles upon this secret, he sets in motion a CIA investigation that will reveal horrifying police state savagery and superpower treachery.

©1999 Nelson DeMille (P)2009 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Riveting." ( Publishers Weekly)

twists and turns

Evil Russians meet the evil Americans. Who wins? It's difficult to say, but people everywhere are left in the l urch.

Captivating story.

A hard to put down novel. An excellent US vs USSR example of the game of espionage.

The Charm School

This is the best Audio Book I have listened to since joining many years ago. Scott Brick's naration is superb.

Long But Worth The Time

DeMille has a talent of making me laugh even in the most outrageous circumstances. This was a very different setting than the typical DeMille books, but I found it to be very informative and entertaining. No matter what the subject matter, his dry humor and wit make his books interesting plus this one adds a history lesson. A little long and rambling in some spots, but easy to overlook if you just enjoy the story rather than analyze the circumstances behind it.

Exceptional !

DeMille hit this one out of the ball park. Scott Brick is such a great Narrator,Just an all around great book.

Cold War Thriller

A rich American who isn't too bright (drives an expensive American car into Soviet Russia) kicks off the plot. Information he provides to the CIA kicks off a search for "The Charm School" where it is believed many Americans are being held. A solid listen if you are interested in Cold War era Russia and the mystery/thriller genre.

Wow, What a Story

A great story and very well told by DeMille.This was definitely a "couldn't put down" for me. Although some of Demille's other books were dreary with excessive adjetives to describe each scene or event, I didn't find that to be the case in this book. This is a must read. One of DeMille's best.

Much more than an incredible story

Since this book appears to be a pre 9/11, cold war type book, I thought it would come across as dated. It was excellent.

DeMille has a knack for showing us the subtleties of a different ways people live and survive. This book showed Soviet cold war living in the same way Up Country showed the living in Viet Nam 20 years after America pulled out.

On top of that is an incredible story,

WOW–From the first page to the last, I was caught

WOW –From the first page to the last, I was caught up in this compelling, fast paced novel.

Never thought I’d like this genre of espionage but I couldn’t put down this masterful writer. I knew the book was fiction, but it made me think about what the government can do, has done, and will do.

The characters came to life right from the get go with the hero up to his neck in trouble. This was my introduction to Nelson DeMille who kept this fast pace saga going by keeping the people 'real'.

A great read that really makes one wonder if things like this happened. Very thought provoking with twists still coming right up to the very end.

Dated but still worth a listen

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The characters were a bit stereotyped, strong silent hero, warm loving heroine, close band of brothers, but these types were appropriate for this novel and well done. The premise of the book with missing MIA soldiers was not likely, but possible. I thought I wouldn't like the book since history has moved on, but the book was worthy in its own right.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Charm School?

The visit to one of the last non-collectivized villages was vivid. You felt like you were there.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

I loved his Russian accents. The villain, a fanatical KGB agent was a real person, especially at the end when you met his mother. The equally fanatical CIA agent was excellent as well.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

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Any additional comments?

This is not my kind of book so I was surprised I enjoyed it so much. It kept my interest and was not predictable.