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"When a tape recorder is found on a murder victim, Inspector Maigret hopes this will be the clue he needs to track down the killer."--Publisher description.Tags
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Member Reviews
Maigret is close to retirement, though the authorities have just raised retirement age for police inspectors by five years, so he's got some way to go yet. Simenon deftly paints an impression of a man ready to lay down the burden of long responsibility, and who will likely be lost without that lifetime purpose.
Following what the papers report as a frenzied knife attack by a lunatic, Maigret is pressured by the Examining Magistrate to bring in the "psychopath" as soon as possible. Maigret eschews these gross oversimplifications of character, taking chances on his intuition to understand the character of the man he needs to bring before what passes for justice. While Maigret is never conflicted in his duty, his compassion for victim and show more perpetrator set him apart from those around him as much as the killer's crime sets him apart from society. show less
Following what the papers report as a frenzied knife attack by a lunatic, Maigret is pressured by the Examining Magistrate to bring in the "psychopath" as soon as possible. Maigret eschews these gross oversimplifications of character, taking chances on his intuition to understand the character of the man he needs to bring before what passes for justice. While Maigret is never conflicted in his duty, his compassion for victim and show more perpetrator set him apart from those around him as much as the killer's crime sets him apart from society. show less
This seems to be one of those Maigret's that Penguin has dug up in their project of publishing all the Maigrets, even ones that hadn't been translated to English before. I like the idea because I do want to read them all. But having said that, you have to admit that some of them are way better than others.
This one seems to me to be one of those that Simenon wrote in haste. He wrote it in 1969. Maybe he was getting fed up with Maigret. It's not a great story and it's sloppy writing. Just one sloppy detail is near the end when Maigret is waiting for the suspect to call him on the phone. He's sure the man is going to call. But the morning passes, he stays in the office rather than go out for lunch, still waiting, but eventually hunger show more calls. When he comes back he's told there was no call. Later in the afternoon he goes into the office of his agents to talk with them but he leaves the door to his office open -- just in case the man calls. Well hey! Maigret doesn't receive calls directly. They always go through the outer office. Did Simenon forget? It's not particularly important, but I noticed it and together with the story that didn't hang together for me, it made me think that Simenon wasn't giving it his best. show less
This one seems to me to be one of those that Simenon wrote in haste. He wrote it in 1969. Maybe he was getting fed up with Maigret. It's not a great story and it's sloppy writing. Just one sloppy detail is near the end when Maigret is waiting for the suspect to call him on the phone. He's sure the man is going to call. But the morning passes, he stays in the office rather than go out for lunch, still waiting, but eventually hunger show more calls. When he comes back he's told there was no call. Later in the afternoon he goes into the office of his agents to talk with them but he leaves the door to his office open -- just in case the man calls. Well hey! Maigret doesn't receive calls directly. They always go through the outer office. Did Simenon forget? It's not particularly important, but I noticed it and together with the story that didn't hang together for me, it made me think that Simenon wasn't giving it his best. show less
This is my second Maigret book. Simenon seems always to be a good read. This is a man who knows his metier. In this book the social indignation of Simenon seems to surface quite explicit, since Maigret feels quite much compassion towards the murderer, seemingly more than with the victim. It's quite amazing to me how undeveloped and backwards the France of Simenon is, the man obviously felt a need for improvement of the country. One bad thing about this novel is that Maigret seems to be too familar, friendly and understanding with the murderer, it's not quite credible.
He drank Vouvray and cognac (not together), and he regretted missing the lunch of snails that his wife ate. Think there was some more food in there, but don't remember. I enjoyed this, but not top drawer Maigret for me.
Maigret solves a case with some suffering some guilt and trepidation in the process and the reader enjoys a unique ending.
Finished: 1/1/2021
Encore un excellent Maigret ! Décidément les derniers écrits me semblent tellement plus riches que les premiers !
Dans cette enquête on retrouve l’amour de de l’auteur pour Paris et ses canaux, ses péniches, ses quartiers et ses petites ruelles.
Une enquête avec un petit twist qui débouche sur un tueur fort attachant ?!? Car oui, Maigret ne juge généralement pas, il laisse ce soin à la justice.
Un roman qui m’a pas mal fait rire (jaune) aujourd’hui, alors que toute la France revendique la conservation des acquis sociaux sur les retraites. A deux ans de la retraite, Maigret apprend qu’il va écoper de trois ans de malus. Bim ! (Et personne ne moufte ?)
Un polar avec des voleurs de tableaux, un psychopathe au couteau, une show more famille richissime, une serveuse amoureuse, Madame Maigret (qui conduit la voiture !), des sandwiches et des bières… show less
Dans cette enquête on retrouve l’amour de de l’auteur pour Paris et ses canaux, ses péniches, ses quartiers et ses petites ruelles.
Une enquête avec un petit twist qui débouche sur un tueur fort attachant ?!? Car oui, Maigret ne juge généralement pas, il laisse ce soin à la justice.
Un roman qui m’a pas mal fait rire (jaune) aujourd’hui, alors que toute la France revendique la conservation des acquis sociaux sur les retraites. A deux ans de la retraite, Maigret apprend qu’il va écoper de trois ans de malus. Bim ! (Et personne ne moufte ?)
Un polar avec des voleurs de tableaux, un psychopathe au couteau, une show more famille richissime, une serveuse amoureuse, Madame Maigret (qui conduit la voiture !), des sandwiches et des bières… show less
Feb 13, 2023 (Edited)French
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Author Information
1,317+ Works 62,741 Members
The prolific Belgian-born writer Georges Simenon produced hundreds of fictional works under his own name and 17 pseudonyms, in addition to more than 70 books about Inspector Maigret, long "the favorite sleuth of highbrow detective-story readers" (SR). More than 50 "Simenons" have been made into films. In addition to his mystery stories, he wrote show more what he called "hard" books, the serious psychological novels numbering well over 100. The autobiographical Pedigree, set in his native town of Liege, is perhaps his finest work. The publication of Simenon's intimate memoirs also attracted considerable attention. Simenon himself once said that he would never write a "great novel." Yet Gide called him "a great novelist, perhaps the greatest and truest novelist we have in French literature today," and Thornton Wilder (see Vol. 1) found that Simenon's narrative gift extends "to the tips of his fingers." The following are some of Simenon's novels, exclusive of the Maigret detective stories, that are in print. (Bowker Author Biography) Georges Simenon was born on February 13, 1903 in Liege, Belgium. He wrote more than 200 fiction works under 16 different pseudonyms. His first book, The Case of Peter the Lent led to 80 more of the like including the main character, Inspector Maigret. He published over 400 books that were translated into 50 different languages and sold by the millions. He also wrote psychological novels, including The Man Who Watched the Train Go By. He died on September 4, 1989 in Lausanne. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Diogenes: Sämtliche Maigret Romane (Band 70)
Gli Adelphi [Adelphi] (397)
Zwarte Beertjes (1317)
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Maigret and the Killer
- Original title
- Maigret et le tueur, 1969
- Alternate titles*
- Maigret e il capellone imprudente
- Original publication date
- 1969; 1970 (English translation) (English translation)
- People/Characters
- Jules Maigret; Louise Maigret; André Lucas; Albert Janvier; Albert Lapointe; Dr. Pardon (show all 25); Alice Pardon; Gino Pagliati; Antoine Batille; Monique Batille (Minou); Gérard Batille; Martine Batille; Émile Branchu (Mimile); Julien Mila; Philippe Lherbier; Examining Magistrate Poiret; Dr. Desalle; Monsieur Huet; Yvon Demarle; Gouvion; Joseph Moers; Van Hamme; Monsieur Frémiet; Harteau; Mauricette Gallois
- Important places
- Paris, France; France; Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, Paris, France; 36 Quai des Orfèvres, Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Related movies
- Maigret et le tueur (1978 | IMDb)
- First words
- For the first time since they had started dining once a month at the Pardons, Maigret would keep an unpleasant memory of the evening on the Boulevard Voltaire.
For the first time since they had been going for dinner with the Pardons once a month, Maigret had a memory of the evening at Boulevard Voltaire that was almost painful. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)When Maigret left, his shoulders were a little heavier than before.
- Original language
- French
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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