Maigret Sets a Trap (A Harvest/Hbj Book) [Paperback]

Georges Simenon (Author), Daphne Woodward (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1992 | Series: A Harvest/Hbj Book

It is a hot and steamy summer, and Maigret is hatching a plan to capture a serial murderer by playing on the killer's perverse vanity. He finally succeeds when an important clue leads him to a trio of suspects. But the three are entangled in a web of guilt and possessiveness so tight that the unraveling nearly exhausts the Inspector--until, at last, he discovers the tortured motives behind the murders.

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

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

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

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt (September 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156551268
• ISBN-13: 978-0156551267
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,087,322 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A real detective at work, August 10, 2005

By 

Tom Bruce (East Moriches, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maigret Sets A Trap (Maigret Mystery Series) (Paperback)

It's not dames, blazing guns, nor exploding fists. It's a battle of wits, stake outs and interrogations that set Inspector Maigret at the top of his profession in a series of 88 books written by Simenon between 1930 and 1972; books that led to movies and a TV series. A good case could be made that Simenon was the Arthur Conan Doyle of his day and Maigret his Sherlock Holmes. Written in 1955, "Trap" presents a Jack The Ripper style serial killer who has evaded police for five months while stabbing and killing a woman per month. Following an after dinner discussion with a psychiatrist, Maigret forms a plan to trap the villain. The plan is put in motion, and seems to work. But did it? There has been another killing and the Inspector is beside himself with guilt. This is a fast paced read of 170 pages that seem to turn themselves. In Maigret, Simenon has created an interesting, consistent character with human traits and foibles that lend a great deal of believability to the story. A good-sized step above pulp fiction, the Maigret books are a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mountain of the Martyr, February 8, 2012

By 

Craobh Rua "Craobh Rua" (N. Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maigret Sets a Trap (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

Georges Simenon was born in Liege, Belgium, in 1903. A hugely prolific writer, his best known creation is Inspector Maigret - a French policeman, based in Paris. "Maigret Sets a Trap" was first published in 1955.

The book opens in early August, with Paris struggling in the grip of a heatwave. While most of the city's population has fled for the coast, Maigret's had to postpone his hoped-for holiday in Brittany. As the book opens, five women have been murdered in Montmartre - all victims, it would seem, of the same killer. (At least some of the newspapers have dubbed the villain 'The Montmartre Maniac'). To date, the police have been, literally, clueless - they have no leads, no description of any sort of suspect...and no way to prevent the murders from continuing.

Every month, Maigret and his wife are invited to by Doctor Pardon - while the Maigrets are permanent fixtures, the other guests tend to vary. On this occasion, the doctor's other guest is Professor Tissot - the director of Sainte-Anne, a noted mental hospital, and a man who is often used in court for expert evidence. The conversation inevitably turns to Maigret's current case, and Tissot has obviously been following it closely. The evening that follows sees the formation of a plan - one that will hopefully manipulate the killer into making a mistake. However, Maigret knows the plan is very risky and fears that, perhaps, he's the one who's made a mistake.

A fun book, easily read and - although not particularly long - doesn't feel rushed at any point. Streets ahead of the Morse books, definitely recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Visit in the Paris Police Department, January 29, 2011

By 

Nash Black "Troubadour" (Jamestown, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Maigret Sets a Trap (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

Georges Simenon's MAIGRET SETS A TRAP is my introduction to Inspector Maigret, it will not be my last. Simenon gives readers a flesh and blood character who keeps his cool.

Five women have been murdered and their isn't a clue as to their killer. The reporters are blocking the hallways to Maigret's office for news of the investigation, but there isn't any. Frustrations are high in the department, but no one can discover an answer though man-hours of dogged police work is piling up.

Insp. Maigret devises an elaborate trap to use the newspaper reports to net the killer.

This one has a fantastic twist, but you'll have to read the book.

Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS.