Not a book to make your acquaintance with the writing of Georges Simenon and his wonderful creation - Chief Inspector Maigret. This is the 8th in the series and perhaps the weakest to date. It is a confusing plot set in Holland; the French police are requested to go to support a French national who is being asked to remain in the locality following an unresolved murder, Maigret is sent and soon carrying out his own investigation.The sad aspect of this case is that the Dutch police and local community are not keen to reveal the truth; that almost reflects the value of this story; "who did it? - who cares?"Happily Maigret is not amused even though he doesn't understand Dutch. His character is further revealed in this account, in that he cannot accept that a premeditated criminal could 'get away with murder'. Here the book is quite clever and could be a treatise on that very subject. It even has an amazing reconstruction of the crime, (beyond any denouement with Poirot) and it is worth reading this novel for both these reasons.However, I fear if this was the first book you picked up you might not be impressed enough to read another one. That would be your loss and I'm ready and willing to read number nine and beyond.
Simenon's novels are an acquired taste. I first read one many years ago and wondered how he achieved such success--now I get it. It's a bit like eating something unusual for the first time (think Wasabi encrusted peanuts)-- you may not be sure it is to your taste, but you keep nibbling.Simenon is a master of the environments he writes about. After a few short chapters you are part of its culture, feeling the atmosphere of the streets and cafes, and understanding the cadence of life there. It is intoxicating for me and I particularly love the Maigret books that are set in Paris. It is a charming way to visit Paris for a few hours, savouring the food and the drinks that Maigret often over-indulges in.BUT, this book was set in Holland. And for the exact reasons that the French settings are so much fun for me, this one was restrictive and stifling. The author does such a thorough job of describing the village and its inhabitants that I was screaming to escape after 15 pages. Although this was far from my favorite Maigret story, it enhanced my appreciation for the author if he can accomplish so much in one spare volume.
Maigret is told to go to a little Dutch fishing village where a French subject is a person of interest in a murder. The accused is actually a French speaking Swiss, a pompous Nietzschean criminologist. Maigret sits around and I meets everyone he can; the flirt, the tyrannical father, the would be saint widow, the venomous sister-in-law, the bumpkin policemen. And as Maigret keeps noticing between France and Holland he learns enough to corral all the actors, Agatha Christie style, to point out to the local policeman whom to pursue. There is a cute follow-up several years later telling us what they are doing now. In typical Simenon style, it is sparse, tight, well constructed and enjoyable.
—Maui Island
Penguin is republishing 75 Inspector Maigret novels in new translations. When a French professor visiting the quiet, Dutch coastal town of Delfzjil is accused of murder, Maigret is sent to investigate. The community seem happy to blame an unknown outsider, but there are people much closer to home who seem to know much more than they're letting on. This is a fun because it takes French Police Detective Jules Maigret out of his home turf and into a setting where he does not understand the language. Be sure to read one of these new, Penguin translations.
—Kenneth Iltz
3.5 stars - Though really hard to rate. Probably should be higher based on how much I did like.I'm 8 books into Simenon's Maigret series. This volume included both elements that were really interesting, as well as, elements that are (now at least) tired mystery tropes. The cold open simply dumps a list of the suspects with brief bios. Most of the stories to this point introduce the characters along the journey rather than in the form of a barely disguised dramatis personae. The end (view spoiler)[brings that (now) well-worn trope of bringing everyone together to reenact the crime. One of the chapters of the recreation is aptly titled "The Evening Drags On." (hide spoiler)]
—Hans
