Maigret and the Killer (Helen and Kurt Wolff Books) [Paperback]

Georges Simenon (Author)

Book Description

Series: Helen and Kurt Wolff Books | Publication Date: June 16, 2003

Maigret, accompanying his physician on an emergency call, is drawn into one of his most stubborn cases yet. The victim, a son of a wealthy perfume manufacturer, had been enjoying an odd hobby before his death: collecting human voices with a tape recorder, often in the rougher districts of Paris. But his wallet and his tape recorder have been left untouched, so the killer's motive is unclear. The absence of clues begins to exasperate Maigret until an anonymous letter reveals that he is dealing with no ordinary criminal.

Maigret is a registered trademark of the Estate of Georges Simenon.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Adapted for audio by Frederick Spoerly???, this excellent full-cast recording of a Simenon trilogy offers crime drama of psychological depth. In the first story, Chief Inspector Maigret of the Paris police investigates the murder of a young man who is stabbed from behind on a street. It first appears his death is the result of his habit of tape-recording conversations, and four burglars are arrested. Whereupon, the real murderer writes to the newspapers. In "Maigret Sets a Trap" (Audio Reviews, LJ 10/1/93), five women have been stabbed to death as they walk along the streets of Paris. Maigret arranges for a female policewoman to act as a decoy. The killer refuses to confess, and Maigret effectively psychoanalyzes what led him to become a hater of women. In "Maigret's Christmas," the appearance of "Father Time" in a child's bedroom leads to a case of theft and murder that Maigret solves virtually from his armchair. Each case offers up middle-class criminals, along with some interesting insights into the character of Madame Maigret. Sound quality is excellent. Recommended for public libraries.?Jacqueline Seewald, Red Bank Reg. H.S., Little Silver, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Review

"One of the great revolutionists of the detective story." -The New York Times Book Review

"Maigret...ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals." -People

"Simenon is ... in a class by himself." -The New Yorker

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (June 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156028417
• ISBN-13: 978-0156028417
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #962,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stuff, one of the best Maigrets, May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Maigret and the Killer (G.K. Hall Audio Series) (Audio Cassette)

This is one of my very favorite Simenon novels; superbly paced and brilliant characterizations.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Never fails, April 28, 2008

By 

Roger Long "longrush" (Port Clinton, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maigret and the Killer (Helen and Kurt Wolff Books) (Paperback)

Simenon's Chief Inspector Maigret never fails to take me to Paris, to enfold me into the city's daily life and the problems of solving a crime. This is accomplished by an economy of language that somehow includes all the details necessary to create a lucid scene.

This novel begins on a rainy night when Maigret accompanies his doctor friend on an amergency call: a man has been stabbed on a nearby sidewalk. It is no ordinary victim. He is the young son of a wealthy perfume manufacturer. The victim's hobby is secretly taping conversations wherever he goes. It is a pastime that proved fatal--or did it?

Maigret's investigation takes him to cafes and brasseries, from the wealthy to the poor, and piece by piece he solves the crime. Or, perhaps, it should be said that Maigret lets the killer play out and solve the case on his own. In either case it is the journey, not the solution, that ntrigues. There are the sights, and sounds, and smells of Paris. As usual, Maigret chats with his wife, goes to movies, and pauses often to have a beer or wine and to reflect on what he has uncovered to date.

Any lover of crime fiction who has not yet discovered Georges Simenon should do so immediately. Like Arthur Conan Doyle, he is one of the best, not just of crime fiction but of fiction writing in general.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "There's a killer on the road, July 17, 2011

By 

Leonard Fleisig "Len" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Maigret and the Killer (Helen and Kurt Wolff Books) (Paperback)

his brain is squirming like a toad." Jim Morrison.

Inspector and Mrs. Maigret usually have a very pleasant evening when they have dinner at the flat of Dr. and Mrs. Pardon. They enjoy good food, good conversation and the company of old friends. However, on this rainy night in Paris their evening is ruined when one of Dr. Pardon's patients rushes in to tell them that a man has been brutally knifed and killed on the Boulevard just down the street. The victim, Antoine Batille, is the son of a wealthy perfume manager. Maigret, by dint of his arriving at the scene with his friend the Doctor, takes charge of the investigation. A loner, Antoine does not seem the sort to make enemies or to make anyone angry enough to get stabbed almost a dozen times. However, Batille did have a hobby unusual enough for Maigret to launch an investigation. Batille was in the habit of taking a portable tape-recorder (a new and unusual gadget when this story was written in 1969) and taping random conversations in bars and bistros across Paris. As the story continues we see Maigret following a lead provided by the tape recorder. It seems that an easy solution is at hand. But Maigret sees something that takes him on a path that seems contrary to the evidence. As the plot unfolds we see Maigret following two paths, leaving the reader to guess which path leads to a solution.

I enjoyed "Maigret and the Killer" for a couple of reasons. Maigret is aging. He has been on the force now for over thirty-five years (I think Simenon penned the first Maigret in 1933 or so.) He is eyeing retirement and longs for life in the country cottage he and his wife purchased a while back. Perhaps because of his age Maigret also has a very strong sense of how best to bring in a suspect and get that suspect to the point where he has no choice but to confess. That is the path he takes here, much to the annoyance of the Magistrate who would prefer a quick arrest and prosecution. Maigret has a certain sense here that justice will best be served if he lets the object of the investigation talk himself into making a statement. George Simenon does an admirable job in setting the scene. As always, Simenon does not indulge in excess prose, but his compact sentences always manage to convey a certain sense of the character of Maigret and the characters that he encounters. The dialogues between Maigret and his primary suspect are compelling and bespeak an acute awareness of the human condition. The fact that he manages to do this with less rather than more words makes it all the more remarkable.

Once again, George Simenon delivers a thoughtful, well-paced and insightful Maigret story. Recommended. L. Fleisig.