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Inspector Maigret #23
Signed, Picpus
A small, thin man, rather dull to look at, neither young nor old, exuding the stale smell of a bachelor who does not look after himself. He pulls his fingers and cracks his knuckles and tells his tale the way a schoolboy recites his lesson.
A mysterious note predicting the murder of a fortune-teller; a confused old man locked in a Paris apartment; a financier who goes fishing; a South American heiress ... Maigret must make his way through a frustrating maze of clues, suspects and motives to find out what connects them.
A mysterious note predicting the murder of a fortune-teller; a confused old man locked in a Paris apartment; a financier who goes fishing; a South American heiress ... Maigret must make his way through a frustrating maze of clues, suspects and motives to find out what connects them.
170 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
211 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,679 books2,224 followersGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
January 3, 2025
Lunchtime listen December 2024
Can’t really say anymore than I said below, when I read the (physical) book. Oh I could add, brilliantly read by Gareth Armstrong, as it was !
As hoc series read 2020
Woah, that was good. More to follow.
This book starts with a nervous young man informing the French police that he has just found on a cafe blotter, a warning that a clairvoyant will be murdered at 5:00p.m. today.
Enter Maigret. With people in every district on the look out he sits near the telephone exchange waiting for information. Unfortunately the warning was not early enough and it is all too soon another murder investigation.
Add into the mix a confused old man who appears to be locked in his bedroom every night by his wife, despite being the family's wealthy benefactor, a bossy wife, an investor in the stock exchange who pretends to catch fish, a mystery man in a green convertible and a wealthy South American heiress.
This is Maigret at his best, delving deep into the background of all the characters, questioning suspects with his razor sharp intellect, ordering beer and sandwiches when required, pondering over every last detail, keeping the investigating magistrate waiting and even taking Mme Maigret away for the weekend in pursuit of the murderer.
A fabulous book full of the best of Maigret. And added to Favourite's shelf
Can’t really say anymore than I said below, when I read the (physical) book. Oh I could add, brilliantly read by Gareth Armstrong, as it was !
As hoc series read 2020
Woah, that was good. More to follow.
This book starts with a nervous young man informing the French police that he has just found on a cafe blotter, a warning that a clairvoyant will be murdered at 5:00p.m. today.
Enter Maigret. With people in every district on the look out he sits near the telephone exchange waiting for information. Unfortunately the warning was not early enough and it is all too soon another murder investigation.
Add into the mix a confused old man who appears to be locked in his bedroom every night by his wife, despite being the family's wealthy benefactor, a bossy wife, an investor in the stock exchange who pretends to catch fish, a mystery man in a green convertible and a wealthy South American heiress.
This is Maigret at his best, delving deep into the background of all the characters, questioning suspects with his razor sharp intellect, ordering beer and sandwiches when required, pondering over every last detail, keeping the investigating magistrate waiting and even taking Mme Maigret away for the weekend in pursuit of the murderer.
A fabulous book full of the best of Maigret. And added to Favourite's shelf
January 22, 2023
A detective novel by Georges Simenon most often shows the irruption of crime in hitherto ordinary lives. Through this crime, people from very different social backgrounds can meet.
Take Signé Picpus, for example. The investigation begins even before a murder is known. A simple employee, very conscientious, comes to denounce himself for theft and, at the same time, warns that a clairvoyant will be assassinated. Which? Hard to say. He only knows his profession. A current police officer would have sent the scrupulous employee home. Not Maigret, who stands ready to intervene at the risk of making a fool of himself. Bad luck for the seer: she is indeed murdered. And Joseph, who had tried to prevent this crime, does not recover from it.
Little or no suspicion at first sight. The person who discovered the body? A charming innkeeper who knew the seer well, a loyal inn client, came to bring her fish. The mysterious old gentleman who was locked in the kitchen? He seems out of his mind, which his wife and daughter seem to confirm. And Maigret persists. Why? For next to nothing, details that our current experts wouldn't even notice. There is nothing, indeed, absolutely nothing: no servants, few or no personal memories, no visitors. But a lock is outside the bedroom office, just as bare as the former sailor's doctor. Indeed, the old gentleman, in his threadbare old overcoat, had a promising career and an excellent income since he saved the life of a rich Argentinian. Neither he nor especially his wife seems to like outward signs of ease. They didn't commit any crimes, did they? So, while keeping them under almost discreet surveillance (one of Maigret's men can't resist the happiness of the disguise), Maigret continues his investigation into the seer's entourage.
"Entourage" is a big word. Who boasts of consulting a clairvoyant, yesterday as today? Person. Maigret has to count on the neighbors, the little people, who have observed something and would like to entrust it to the police. Not so easy, whether yesterday or today. Motivations change, and people too. Rare are those who "go up to Paris" hoping for a better life. It is no longer possible to "take a child from assistance" because one needs children any more than to fear for one's reputation. After all, a man has come up to his apartment.
On the other hand, what does not change are love and avarice, two conflicting feelings that clash in this novel. Maigret's patience and acute sense of observation do not change between books. One does not go without the other.
Take Signé Picpus, for example. The investigation begins even before a murder is known. A simple employee, very conscientious, comes to denounce himself for theft and, at the same time, warns that a clairvoyant will be assassinated. Which? Hard to say. He only knows his profession. A current police officer would have sent the scrupulous employee home. Not Maigret, who stands ready to intervene at the risk of making a fool of himself. Bad luck for the seer: she is indeed murdered. And Joseph, who had tried to prevent this crime, does not recover from it.
Little or no suspicion at first sight. The person who discovered the body? A charming innkeeper who knew the seer well, a loyal inn client, came to bring her fish. The mysterious old gentleman who was locked in the kitchen? He seems out of his mind, which his wife and daughter seem to confirm. And Maigret persists. Why? For next to nothing, details that our current experts wouldn't even notice. There is nothing, indeed, absolutely nothing: no servants, few or no personal memories, no visitors. But a lock is outside the bedroom office, just as bare as the former sailor's doctor. Indeed, the old gentleman, in his threadbare old overcoat, had a promising career and an excellent income since he saved the life of a rich Argentinian. Neither he nor especially his wife seems to like outward signs of ease. They didn't commit any crimes, did they? So, while keeping them under almost discreet surveillance (one of Maigret's men can't resist the happiness of the disguise), Maigret continues his investigation into the seer's entourage.
"Entourage" is a big word. Who boasts of consulting a clairvoyant, yesterday as today? Person. Maigret has to count on the neighbors, the little people, who have observed something and would like to entrust it to the police. Not so easy, whether yesterday or today. Motivations change, and people too. Rare are those who "go up to Paris" hoping for a better life. It is no longer possible to "take a child from assistance" because one needs children any more than to fear for one's reputation. After all, a man has come up to his apartment.
On the other hand, what does not change are love and avarice, two conflicting feelings that clash in this novel. Maigret's patience and acute sense of observation do not change between books. One does not go without the other.
February 20, 2024
There are no bad books in this series and the nice fact is that the more you read the most you get accustomed to Maigret, his hobbies (enjoying a good food, a tasty wine or beer, his cigars) his reactions, his thoughts, his relations with his wife (a very quite and loving lady and an excellent cook) and his subordinates...
July 13, 2022
Un Maigret intrecciato Agatha
Un episodio più intricato della media per il Commissario, con una trama piuttosto complicata e risolta con uno stratagemma non male.
Per il resto, invece, siamo nella media, con la solita efficace ambientazione, un paio di personaggi azzeccati di cui si sarebbe voluto sapere di più ma che vengono sacrificati alla sintesi (credo imposta da ragioni editoriali e di serialità, visto che i Maigret sono più o meno tutti lunghi uguali).
Ad esempio, la storia del vecchio Le Cloaguen sarebbe stata perfetta per un romanzo a sé, peccato.
Normale amministrazione, qualche ora di intrattenimento e poco più.
Un episodio più intricato della media per il Commissario, con una trama piuttosto complicata e risolta con uno stratagemma non male.
Per il resto, invece, siamo nella media, con la solita efficace ambientazione, un paio di personaggi azzeccati di cui si sarebbe voluto sapere di più ma che vengono sacrificati alla sintesi (credo imposta da ragioni editoriali e di serialità, visto che i Maigret sono più o meno tutti lunghi uguali).
Ad esempio, la storia del vecchio Le Cloaguen sarebbe stata perfetta per un romanzo a sé, peccato.
Normale amministrazione, qualche ora di intrattenimento e poco più.
July 26, 2011
Georges Simenon was one of a kind. Not that there aren't mystery writers under practically every bush, but Simenon brought something unique to the genre -- something I have not seen copied satisfactorily by any of the hordes that tried to follow in his footsteps.
Especially in his Inspector Maigret novels, there is a uniquely French characteristic, which is closely related to the French verb débrouiller, which means to untangle or sort out, to "defog" as it were.
About forty pages into Maigret and the Fortuneteller (in French, Signé Picpus), Simenon muses about the very confusing tangle of evidence and large cast of suspicious characters:
The truth of the matter is that Inspector (excuse me, by now he's a Superintendent) Maigret is no Holmes. He is not even particularly imaginative; but what he is , more than anything, is dogged and observant. Things can get confusing with astonishing rapidity in a Simenon novel, but Maigret will light another pipe and order another beer or Calvados until the fog begins to clear.
And when it does, you can almost hear choirs of angels singing in exultation. Except, in reality, Maigret is dead tired, goes home after several days of absence, waves away his dinner from Mme Maigret, and goes straight to bed.
Especially in his Inspector Maigret novels, there is a uniquely French characteristic, which is closely related to the French verb débrouiller, which means to untangle or sort out, to "defog" as it were.
About forty pages into Maigret and the Fortuneteller (in French, Signé Picpus), Simenon muses about the very confusing tangle of evidence and large cast of suspicious characters:
This was the most discouraging moment in a case. The characters were beginning to take shape, the stage was more or less set, but the actors' parts seemed as yet unrelated.Where most writers of mysteries go astray is in following the grand tradition of Tales of Ratiocination more or less invented by Edgar Allan Poe and brought to its apogee with Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.
The truth of the matter is that Inspector (excuse me, by now he's a Superintendent) Maigret is no Holmes. He is not even particularly imaginative; but what he is , more than anything, is dogged and observant. Things can get confusing with astonishing rapidity in a Simenon novel, but Maigret will light another pipe and order another beer or Calvados until the fog begins to clear.
And when it does, you can almost hear choirs of angels singing in exultation. Except, in reality, Maigret is dead tired, goes home after several days of absence, waves away his dinner from Mme Maigret, and goes straight to bed.
June 10, 2016
French police are informed that someone’s going to kill a clairvoyant at 5 o’clock on a certain day. Despite the best precautions, one Madame Jeanne is stabbed to death at that precise moment. Locked in Madame Jeanne’s kitchen is a doddering old man, one Octave Le Cloaguen. What’s his real connection to the young fortuneteller? And who killed her?
Detective Chief Inspector Maigret is frustrated both by the many pieces of this puzzle that don’t fit and by an ignoramus of an examining magistrate who tries to push Maigret in the wrong direction. Needless to say, Maigret will solve the case; however, watching how masterfully Maigret navigates the many twists of this case will delight readers even before the novel’s most satisfactory end.
Although Signed, Picpus is the 23rd novel in the series, it’s set before Pietr the Latvian, the first-ever Maigret novel.
Detective Chief Inspector Maigret is frustrated both by the many pieces of this puzzle that don’t fit and by an ignoramus of an examining magistrate who tries to push Maigret in the wrong direction. Needless to say, Maigret will solve the case; however, watching how masterfully Maigret navigates the many twists of this case will delight readers even before the novel’s most satisfactory end.
Although Signed, Picpus is the 23rd novel in the series, it’s set before Pietr the Latvian, the first-ever Maigret novel.
December 15, 2021
Such a complicated plot! A man reports seeing a message on a blotter in a public house that at about 5pm tomorrow a clairvoyant will be killed. The Paris police immediately locate and start watching 82 clairvoyants. Unfortunately, they do not have on their list the one who is murdered. Maigret has raised the sheet which has been thrown over the body. Fine-looking woman, and no mistake. Fortyish. Well upholstered, well groomed, hair blonde but maybe not naturally so? I had suspicions about the motive, but most definitely not who. I don't usually try to guess these things, but can one help curiosity?
Maigret is intuitive and we don't always know what clues he has sniffed out. We don't always know why he takes the direction he does. But his ever present personality is there for us to share the journey. He is a large man and a pipe smoker who loves his beer - or something stronger if the occasion warrants. He is tenacious to a fault. The solutions to the crimes do not take months.
I love this series. I think this is one of my favorites. I have given several installments 4-stars and this is no exception.
Maigret is intuitive and we don't always know what clues he has sniffed out. We don't always know why he takes the direction he does. But his ever present personality is there for us to share the journey. He is a large man and a pipe smoker who loves his beer - or something stronger if the occasion warrants. He is tenacious to a fault. The solutions to the crimes do not take months.
I love this series. I think this is one of my favorites. I have given several installments 4-stars and this is no exception.
January 24, 2021
“ Domani alle cinque ucciderò una chiromante. Firmato Picpus”. Bella noia per Maigret.
Una Parigi calda e soffocante fa da sfondo a questo mistero. Arsura che combatte con la birra, boccali di birra, uno di seguito all’altro, una breve vacanza, serate fresche con le finestre aperte e tende gonfiate dalla brezza notturna e un imbrogliato caso da risolvere. Ma stavolta ce l’ho fatta, ti ho capito dove volevi andare a parare Georges. Sto diventando brava! Una storia che porta a galla quanto l’essere umano possa essere meschino e senza cuore
Una Parigi calda e soffocante fa da sfondo a questo mistero. Arsura che combatte con la birra, boccali di birra, uno di seguito all’altro, una breve vacanza, serate fresche con le finestre aperte e tende gonfiate dalla brezza notturna e un imbrogliato caso da risolvere. Ma stavolta ce l’ho fatta, ti ho capito dove volevi andare a parare Georges. Sto diventando brava! Una storia che porta a galla quanto l’essere umano possa essere meschino e senza cuore
September 4, 2020
Had its moments (the day at Morsang for example: Simenon could’ve been a great travel writer) but was too neat for me. Maigret’s venom towards Antoinette (!) was overdone. Slight connection with my previous read, Christie’s 4:50 to Paddington, in its “allowance” subplot! Why so stingy?
June 23, 2025
Maigret investigates the murder of a fortune teller, a murder which was predicted by an insignificant clerk. Gradually he encounters a number of characters with unexpected connections to the dead woman who are trying desperately to keep their secrets.
This was quite intriguing and definitely enjoyable, but I found that I’d encountered a number of the tropes in previous books. Simenon certainly likes the idea of secrets hidden in the past that burst out in the present, and he also enjoys sending Maigret to stay in provincial hotels. All the same, I liked the web of secrets that Maigret cuts through (although I’m never sure how he does it!)
Quite a sad little story that unwinds very satisfactorily. 3.5*, rounded down for the elements of repetition.
This was quite intriguing and definitely enjoyable, but I found that I’d encountered a number of the tropes in previous books. Simenon certainly likes the idea of secrets hidden in the past that burst out in the present, and he also enjoys sending Maigret to stay in provincial hotels. All the same, I liked the web of secrets that Maigret cuts through (although I’m never sure how he does it!)
Quite a sad little story that unwinds very satisfactorily. 3.5*, rounded down for the elements of repetition.
December 11, 2020
Simenon mi piace, sto leggendo pian piano tutte le indagini del commissario Maigret e ci sta che, tra i tanti libri da lui scritti, alcuni non siano al top. Questa indagine non mi ha appassionato come le altre, anzi, mi è parsa una tra quelle più noiose che ho letto fino ad ora. Il commissario stesso sembra annoiato, e forse lo era lo stesso Simenon quando scrisse questa storia.
January 26, 2022
An engaging crime fiction novel where Maigret unravels how a number of characters are connected to the murder of a fortune teller. There is a young man, Mascouvin, who tries to kill himself, and a mother, Madame Le Cloaguen and her daughter who keep the old man under too much control. There is a financier who goes fishing and is Mascouvin’s boss.
This book was first published in France in 1944 and is the 23rd book in the Maigret series.
This book was first published in France in 1944 and is the 23rd book in the Maigret series.
May 17, 2013
Another perfect miniature filled with telling little observations, economical yet vivid characterisation and a lot of beer down the hatch as Maigret deals with a murder that was predicted before it happened - the murder of a fortuneteller.
June 29, 2020
Quite possibly the best of the 23 Maigret novels I've read so far. Brilliant stuff.
June 22, 2017
For once, too much complicated puzzle, and not enough local colour and depth of characters. So, only 4*!
"A small, thin man, rather dull to look at, neither young nor old, exuding the stale smell of a bachelor who does not look after himself. He pulls his fingers and cracks his knuckles and tells his tale the way a schoolboy recites his lesson.
A mysterious note predicting the murder of a fortune-teller; a confused old man locked in a Paris apartment; a financier who goes fishing; a South American heiress ... Maigret must make his way through a frustrating maze of clues, suspects and motives to find out what connects them."
"A small, thin man, rather dull to look at, neither young nor old, exuding the stale smell of a bachelor who does not look after himself. He pulls his fingers and cracks his knuckles and tells his tale the way a schoolboy recites his lesson.
A mysterious note predicting the murder of a fortune-teller; a confused old man locked in a Paris apartment; a financier who goes fishing; a South American heiress ... Maigret must make his way through a frustrating maze of clues, suspects and motives to find out what connects them."
March 27, 2024
Maybe it’s the fact Maigret is lugubrious which lends these books such a strange, dreamlike atmosphere. Whatever. I can’t wholeheartedly endorse an entry which makes it almost impossible for the reader to guess whodunnit.
July 26, 2020
Although basic mathematics will tell you that Simenon just can't have spent very long on each book, it usually doesn't show. This one, my fifth, is the first time I've felt it on the page, most of it reading like a summary of a story rather than a story. It switches locations and jumps time with a line, cuts out apparently superfluous dialogue with copious elipses, and generally feels rushed, a sense of urgency entirely at odds with Maigret's slow and careful approach, often letting people stew all night before asking them a single question. It picks up in the last few chapters, as the layers peel back, but unless you're a diehard, I'd say skip this one.
January 25, 2025
Jak jsem zjistila, s knihami Georgese Simenona mám určitý problém. Do tištěného textu této knihy jsem se vůbec nemohla začíst, nebavil mne to a vlastně by mi celý příběh byl jedno. Jenže jsem se bůh ví proč rozhodla dát příběhu šanci v podobě audioknihy a ejhle, nakonec to bylo vlastně fajn. Ten poslech k práci mne nakonec docela solidně vtáhnul.
Jedná se o takovou tu klasickou detektivní záležitost, kdy se příběh soustředí přímo na tu vyšetřovatelskou práci a čtenář sleduje detektiva, jak postupuje při vyšetřování - byť mu ne vždy vidí do hlavy. Pokud je tohle něco, co vás v knihách moc nebaví, tak asi Maigretovky nebudou úplně pro vás.
Nakonec průměrné hodnocení. Na poslech to nebylo vůbec špatné, ale k příběhu se už vracet nebudu.
Jedná se o takovou tu klasickou detektivní záležitost, kdy se příběh soustředí přímo na tu vyšetřovatelskou práci a čtenář sleduje detektiva, jak postupuje při vyšetřování - byť mu ne vždy vidí do hlavy. Pokud je tohle něco, co vás v knihách moc nebaví, tak asi Maigretovky nebudou úplně pro vás.
Nakonec průměrné hodnocení. Na poslech to nebylo vůbec špatné, ale k příběhu se už vracet nebudu.
September 17, 2020
Very nicely done indeed.
Intriguing set-up for this story. A clairvoyant has been killed in her Caulaincourt apartment, and in her locked kitchen is discovered a docile and confused old man. Who killed the girl? Who is the man?
The answers will take Maigret all over Paris, and even to its outskirts, to spend a long weekend at an idyllic inn by the river at Morsang.... this extended scene is one of the more beautiful stretches in the work of a writer already legendary for his impressionistic, atmospheric style, and it put me in mind of nothing so much as Renoir’s prewar flick Partie de Campagne. Maybe Morsang too, some day..
The rest of the plot involves a particularly snappy change d’identité and has everything from Argentine heiresses to Riviera tramps like one can find in JC Izzo. And the ending is just too deliciously ironic, so much so that it manages to send even Maigret into a rage!
Like I said, a fine addition to the oeuvre. Love me some good summery Maigret.
Intriguing set-up for this story. A clairvoyant has been killed in her Caulaincourt apartment, and in her locked kitchen is discovered a docile and confused old man. Who killed the girl? Who is the man?
The answers will take Maigret all over Paris, and even to its outskirts, to spend a long weekend at an idyllic inn by the river at Morsang.... this extended scene is one of the more beautiful stretches in the work of a writer already legendary for his impressionistic, atmospheric style, and it put me in mind of nothing so much as Renoir’s prewar flick Partie de Campagne. Maybe Morsang too, some day..
The rest of the plot involves a particularly snappy change d’identité and has everything from Argentine heiresses to Riviera tramps like one can find in JC Izzo. And the ending is just too deliciously ironic, so much so that it manages to send even Maigret into a rage!
Like I said, a fine addition to the oeuvre. Love me some good summery Maigret.
February 15, 2020
While I enjoyed this book, as I do all of Simenon Georges’s work, I found this less satisfying than the several that preceded it. The moment when Maigret works out the problem was never fully clear to me, nor are the characters as compelling as others he has written. The story also seemed to have too many pieces for me to be satisfied. I prefer Simenon when he is at has simplest. So a solid production, but not my favourite.
October 19, 2015
Sometimes reading can be like dining out on a heavy many coursed banquet; short novels or classics like a Maigret story can be as refreshing as a citrus sorbet. To cleanse your reading palate ready for the next novel that otherwise could cause you intergestion.
Maigret is a wonderful constant. He is a fine judge of people and a keen observer of social interaction and mannerisms. With a novel like this you know you are going to get a mystery that perhaps only the Chief Inspector will solve and along the way you will meet interesting characters caught up in a dark crime. As in Agatha Christie's book A Murder is Announced a young main brings the impression on a blotter where someone foretells the demise of a clairvoyant by 5pm and intrigingly signed, Picpus.
The frustrations of the Police are that they cannot stop the murder yet all the immediates clues lead nowhere but into the lives of strange people and events that make little sense.
The first 2 thirds of the book is a gathering of background information and likely suspects but with no clear prospect of a conviction. While everyone else is stuck in this mindset Maigret has sudden illumination and armed with a soluition then finds the evidence to support his suspicions.
Simenon is able to write about the odd aspects of life and while it brings great depth to his tableau elements stay with his detective. Who has a mind that having met or visited a scene can then let his thoughts travel over each element simitaneously to fashion a truth and crack the case.
This book wonderfully delivers with beautiful asides to the Paris of his day and full of colour, food and alcohol to oil the detective process. The weather and the Seine add to the atmosphere and the beauty of this backdrop often is captured in almost through away sentences.
"Place Blanche with its electric signs, beyond a patch of darkness where taxis skidded on the wet asphalt, and the glowing reflection of the sails of the Moulin Rouge, which turned tirelessly ....."
Well done to Penguin for revisiting these novels and commissioning new modern translations. A great statement to bring classic literature within our reach it just needs crime fans to read them and for a new generation to fall in love with Maigret.
Maigret is a wonderful constant. He is a fine judge of people and a keen observer of social interaction and mannerisms. With a novel like this you know you are going to get a mystery that perhaps only the Chief Inspector will solve and along the way you will meet interesting characters caught up in a dark crime. As in Agatha Christie's book A Murder is Announced a young main brings the impression on a blotter where someone foretells the demise of a clairvoyant by 5pm and intrigingly signed, Picpus.
The frustrations of the Police are that they cannot stop the murder yet all the immediates clues lead nowhere but into the lives of strange people and events that make little sense.
The first 2 thirds of the book is a gathering of background information and likely suspects but with no clear prospect of a conviction. While everyone else is stuck in this mindset Maigret has sudden illumination and armed with a soluition then finds the evidence to support his suspicions.
Simenon is able to write about the odd aspects of life and while it brings great depth to his tableau elements stay with his detective. Who has a mind that having met or visited a scene can then let his thoughts travel over each element simitaneously to fashion a truth and crack the case.
This book wonderfully delivers with beautiful asides to the Paris of his day and full of colour, food and alcohol to oil the detective process. The weather and the Seine add to the atmosphere and the beauty of this backdrop often is captured in almost through away sentences.
"Place Blanche with its electric signs, beyond a patch of darkness where taxis skidded on the wet asphalt, and the glowing reflection of the sails of the Moulin Rouge, which turned tirelessly ....."
Well done to Penguin for revisiting these novels and commissioning new modern translations. A great statement to bring classic literature within our reach it just needs crime fans to read them and for a new generation to fall in love with Maigret.
May 9, 2022
Maigret ha scoperto tutto da solo, senza alcun indizio, o per meglio dire sulla base di indizi che gli altri hanno trascurato, grazie sopratutto al suo intuito straordinario e all’incredibile capacità di mettersi nei panni dei suoi simili.
Avidità. Insieme all’amore, che spesso sfocia in una insana gelosia, il denaro è un ottimo movente per un delitto e questo racconto lo dimostra ampiamente. Una storia che mette in risalto la meschinità di persone senza cuore. Che pena!
Caso piuttosto intricato, parecchi personaggi, alcuni come meteore; atmosfera un po’ opprimente, forse a causa della calura estiva che soffoca Parigi, che strania le persone e che induce il commissario a bere boccali di birra uno dietro l’altro. Ma i pezzi del puzzle, anzi le pedine, pian piano trovano la loro giusta collocazione; con pazienza e un filo di ragionamento il quadro si compone, lasciando un po’ di amaro in bocca.
Leggermente sotto tono rispetto ad altri della serie, ma reputo sia difficile mantenere sempre alto il livello in una produzione così vasta.
✍️ GS/Maigret
🔠 Alphabet Titoli: F
Avidità. Insieme all’amore, che spesso sfocia in una insana gelosia, il denaro è un ottimo movente per un delitto e questo racconto lo dimostra ampiamente. Una storia che mette in risalto la meschinità di persone senza cuore. Che pena!
Caso piuttosto intricato, parecchi personaggi, alcuni come meteore; atmosfera un po’ opprimente, forse a causa della calura estiva che soffoca Parigi, che strania le persone e che induce il commissario a bere boccali di birra uno dietro l’altro. Ma i pezzi del puzzle, anzi le pedine, pian piano trovano la loro giusta collocazione; con pazienza e un filo di ragionamento il quadro si compone, lasciando un po’ di amaro in bocca.
Leggermente sotto tono rispetto ad altri della serie, ma reputo sia difficile mantenere sempre alto il livello in una produzione così vasta.
✍️ GS/Maigret
🔠 Alphabet Titoli: F
May 16, 2012
Another of the short but neat little tales of Inspector Maigret of the Paris Police. In this outing, a fortuneteller is murdered and Maigret finds an befuddled old man locked in the kitchen of the murder apartment. He doesn't seem to know anything and appears to be a tramp......but it is discovered that he is a retired doctor which doesn't quite fit the image he presents. Is he the murderer or just someone who came to have their future told? There are many twists and turns before the solution is reached and you will have fun trying to guess what is really going on.
October 22, 2013
Un rompicapo di nome Picpus.
Trovare tutti i pezzi e combinarli nel modo giusto non sarà cosa semplice, ma Maigret è famoso proprio per questo.
Elementi umani, dettagli curiosi e l'immancabile fondale di Parigi che ammicca sornione mentre le indagini proseguono senza sosta: un perfetto equilibrio per un altro giallo imperdibile.
Trovare tutti i pezzi e combinarli nel modo giusto non sarà cosa semplice, ma Maigret è famoso proprio per questo.
Elementi umani, dettagli curiosi e l'immancabile fondale di Parigi che ammicca sornione mentre le indagini proseguono senza sosta: un perfetto equilibrio per un altro giallo imperdibile.
February 21, 2020
Can't say I especially liked the way the story was put together -- not just the plot and resolution, which didn't make much sense, but the way the narrating voice would change. This was made into one of the French Maigret TV series (with Bruno Cremer) and I thought their scaling down of the plot and their resolution was better and more coherent.
March 6, 2022
Während die erste Hälfte gerade spannend genug vor sich hin plätscherte, erinnerte mich das Folgende an ein perfekt konstruiertes Finale à la Hercule Poirot. Maigret verschwindet just aus dem Sichtfeld der bekannten Beteiligten, unternimmt mysteriöse Telefonate, um voilà die große Unbekannte hervorzuzaubern.
August 19, 2016
There are generally three categories of Maigret book-good, very good and classic. This book falls into the latter category. Murder, blackmail and fraud in the sweltering Parisian August heat. Maigret smokes his pipe and drinks his beer and sees all. Read it!
April 28, 2020
Such a fun read - Maigret is a wonderfully understated Inspector. He must have been an inspiration for Columbo- same laid back attitude!!
August 10, 2025
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for over 900 book reviews in all genres
This 23rd Detective Chief Inspector Maigret mystery by Georges Simenon is one of his best—quirky and labyrinthine, Simenon once again pulls it all together.
Half the population of Paris is on holiday to escape the August heat - the rest of the men are in shirt-sleeves and the women are almost naked under their light dresses.
An agitated man named Mascouvin rushes into the Police Judiciarie on a matter of life or death, the note he found in a bar predicting a murder: "Tomorrow, at 5 in the afternoon, I will kill the clairvoyant. Signed, Picpus"
Despite a police dragnet around every known medium, at 5 o'clock the body of a woman is found in her apartment at 67a Rue Coulaincourt. She called herself Madame Jeanne, a clairvoyant unknown to police. The second thrust of the knife was the one that killed her.
Unexpectedly, they find a feeble older man locked in her kitchen from the outside. He claims Madame shut him in there when another visitor knocked at her door. He knows nothing of a crime committed. Delivering him home, they find he is used to being shut in his room by his shrewish wife and daughter, who find him an embarrassing nuisance. The house is sparse with bare walls despite his receiving a yearly allowance of 200,000 francs.
The mystery deepens when a woman reports Madame Jeanne used to frequent her inn, upstream on the Seine. There, Maigret discovers a man who returns from boating all day with a catch, despite not fishing. His ties to Madame Jeanne and Mascouvin interest Maigret.
The characters are followed, as Maigret probes for a lead in the case—his deceptively simple conversations forming a picture, as he "finds another question to ask... just a small one, hardly a question at all... his heart misses a beat... Maigret was certain it would happen... and yet all he had to go on were hunches..."
Simenon's Maigret series always features sharply drawn, entertaining characters. Each mystery has a mood and no matter how disparate the clues, he satisfyingly pulls it all together. Great writing only adds to the pleasure of reading Simenon. Regarded as one of his best, this has been filmed in France in 1943 and for TV in 1968 and 2003.
"There are days which, though you don’t know why, sum up a season, a phase of your life, a whole gamut of sensations. That Saturday night (and) the Sunday that followed were for Maigret the quintessence of summers spent by the river, the ease of life and the simple, sweet pleasures.
The lanterns under the trees which did not have to be lit until the end of dinner; the leaves which turned a sumptuous dark green, the green of old tapestries; the whitish mist which rose off the moving surface of the Seine; the sound of laughter from the small restaurant tables and the dreamy voices of loving couples…
The Maigrets were in bed when someone had brought a gramophone out onto the hotel terrace, and for some considerable time they had heard the sounds of soft, easy music and the crunch of gravel under the feet of dancers.
That night everyone slept with the doors and windows open to the August Night…"
for over 900 book reviews in all genres
This 23rd Detective Chief Inspector Maigret mystery by Georges Simenon is one of his best—quirky and labyrinthine, Simenon once again pulls it all together.
Half the population of Paris is on holiday to escape the August heat - the rest of the men are in shirt-sleeves and the women are almost naked under their light dresses.
An agitated man named Mascouvin rushes into the Police Judiciarie on a matter of life or death, the note he found in a bar predicting a murder: "Tomorrow, at 5 in the afternoon, I will kill the clairvoyant. Signed, Picpus"
Despite a police dragnet around every known medium, at 5 o'clock the body of a woman is found in her apartment at 67a Rue Coulaincourt. She called herself Madame Jeanne, a clairvoyant unknown to police. The second thrust of the knife was the one that killed her.
Unexpectedly, they find a feeble older man locked in her kitchen from the outside. He claims Madame shut him in there when another visitor knocked at her door. He knows nothing of a crime committed. Delivering him home, they find he is used to being shut in his room by his shrewish wife and daughter, who find him an embarrassing nuisance. The house is sparse with bare walls despite his receiving a yearly allowance of 200,000 francs.
The mystery deepens when a woman reports Madame Jeanne used to frequent her inn, upstream on the Seine. There, Maigret discovers a man who returns from boating all day with a catch, despite not fishing. His ties to Madame Jeanne and Mascouvin interest Maigret.
The characters are followed, as Maigret probes for a lead in the case—his deceptively simple conversations forming a picture, as he "finds another question to ask... just a small one, hardly a question at all... his heart misses a beat... Maigret was certain it would happen... and yet all he had to go on were hunches..."
Simenon's Maigret series always features sharply drawn, entertaining characters. Each mystery has a mood and no matter how disparate the clues, he satisfyingly pulls it all together. Great writing only adds to the pleasure of reading Simenon. Regarded as one of his best, this has been filmed in France in 1943 and for TV in 1968 and 2003.
"There are days which, though you don’t know why, sum up a season, a phase of your life, a whole gamut of sensations. That Saturday night (and) the Sunday that followed were for Maigret the quintessence of summers spent by the river, the ease of life and the simple, sweet pleasures.
The lanterns under the trees which did not have to be lit until the end of dinner; the leaves which turned a sumptuous dark green, the green of old tapestries; the whitish mist which rose off the moving surface of the Seine; the sound of laughter from the small restaurant tables and the dreamy voices of loving couples…
The Maigrets were in bed when someone had brought a gramophone out onto the hotel terrace, and for some considerable time they had heard the sounds of soft, easy music and the crunch of gravel under the feet of dancers.
That night everyone slept with the doors and windows open to the August Night…"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews