Most Popular Books by Georges Simenon

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré When the son of a wealthy businessman fears for his father’s life, Maigret is plucked from retirement to visit New York on an unlikely quest Aged 56 and in his first year of retirement at Meung-sur-Loire, Maigret is surprised with a visit by Jean, the son of wealthy New York businessman John Maura. With the assistance of his aging lawyer, Jean convinces Maigret to accompany him to New York, where he believes his father is in danger. But things take an unexpected turn upon their arrival when it is Jean himself who disappears. Set against the mysterious backdrop of New York City, Maigret’s investigation must unearth old crimes, outsmart treacherous characters, and overcome his status as an outsider policeman in the city.

When Inspector Maigret arrives in Delfzijl to investigate the murder of Conrad Popinga, he finds a long list of suspects.

For a weekend, the Arbelet family stops in Pouilly, at the Hôtel du Cheval-Blanc. Maurice Arbelet is immediately seduced by the atmosphere of the inn: he will keep in his memory the image of a very pleasant place. Singular characters are found there however: Felix, the night watchman, former colonial soldier who''s become messy and cynical, an uncle of Mme Arbelet, lost for years; M. Jean, the owner of the hotel, who abuses his maids, Rose and Thérèse; and the latter''s husband, a Pole, who only shows up when he needs money. Why does Maurice Arbelet come back alone one afternoon to the Cheval-Blanc? This novel explores the hidden links two different milieus have with one another: the landlords of the inn and their employees, and the members of a middle-class family who frequent the restaurant, related to one of those employees.

Two couples, Ray and Mona Sanders and Donald and Isabel Dodd, attend a party together. On their way home, a violent snowstorm prevents Dodd''s car from reaching the house. The four set out on foot, when they arrive, Ray has gone missing. Donald pretends to go looking for him in the snow, but, stupefied by fatigue and alcohol, he prefers to take refuge in the barn. As the night passes, Donald considers that his attachment to Ray is in fact only a badly disguised envy for a man who has succeeded financially. He begins to hate Ray and is convinced that he has just killed him by not coming to his aid. Donald''s physical and moral state deteriorates as he is tortured by his fantasies.

''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville Certain details of the case were etched more sharply than others in Maigret''s memory. Even years later he could recall the particular taste and smell of the rain shower in Rue Caulaincourt as keenly as a childhood memory. At a dinner party, Maigret recounts an old case in which Adrien Josset is found guilty and executed for the murder of his wife, Christine. As the case develops under the controlling hand of the magistrate, all clues point to Josset''s guilt yet Maigret is left unconvinced following his one interview with him. Years after the case, Maigret still doubts the true identity of the murderer. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret Has Doubts. ''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories'' Guardian

Nine short stories make up this delightful holiday-themed collection, each featuring Georges Simenon''s famous detective, Jules Maigret. Christmas mysteries abound: an otherwise sensible little girl insists that she has seen Father Christmas, a statement alarming to her neighbors, Monsieur and Madame Maigret. Then, a choirboy helps the inspector solve a crime while he lies in bed with a cold; another boy, pursued by a criminal, ingeniously leaves a trail to help Maigret track him. Many of these stories feature observant and resourceful children, frightened yet resolute, who bring out a paternal streak in the childless Maigret. The rapport between the inspector and these youthful heroes imparts a delightful freshness to this holiday collection- a cornucopia for fans of Maigret and mysteries.

On Rue de Turenne, two human teeth are found in the old furnace of a Flemish bookbinder, who is taken into custody. A neighboring shoemaker is willing to talk, but his stories vary with each trip he makes to the local tavern. The case seems impossibly perplexing until Madame Maigret leaves her kitchen to offer her husband able assistance. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book

Set in the oppressively squalid streets of Paris, A Man''s Head features Simenon''s famed detective as he tracks a killer on the run, while the writer''s sharp prose evokes the atmosphere of Parisian luxury hotels, seedy bars, and dark alleys.

Inspector Maigret believes a man he convicted may not be guilty after all—and so hatches an audacious plan to save him before he is condemned to death. A man escapes out of the High Surveillance wing of the most infamous penitentiary in Paris. Members of the Police Judiciaire see him, but no one moves a muscle. In fact, it’s part of a daring plan concocted by Inspector Maigret, who thinks Joseph Heurtin may not be guilty of the murder of Madame Henderson and her maid—despite Maigret’s having convicted Joseph himself months before. Once on the loose, Joseph is the subject of careful surveillance: will the accused return to his ring of criminal masterminds, or is he indeed as unknowing as he maintained in every interrogation? With his career hanging in the balance, and a search for the escapee ongoing, Maigret must prove Joseph’s innocence before it’s too late, before an execution comes to pass. Georges Simenon’s A Man’s Head is a suspenseful, thrilling tale of a desperate quest for the truth.

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré Inspector Maigret is drawn out of retirement when a young woman is found dead in the Seine and her grandmother turns up at his door Two years into his retirement at Meung-sur-Loire, Maigret has yet to come across a case compelling enough to tempt him back into the business. But when 18-year-old Monita Malik is found dead in the Seine River, he is all but ordered to the small town of Orsennes by the girl’s grandmother. There, Maigret encounters Ernest Malik, an old acquaintance from his school days whom he’s always disliked on instinct, and it quickly becomes clear that Maigret’s presence is not welcome in Orsenne. When others from Orsenne’s elite families begin to go missing as well, Maigret can’t help but be swept up in the mystery.

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré When his relaxing vacation is interrupted by a small-town murder, Inspector Maigret can''t resist lending his investigative powers to the case Inspector Maigret and his wife take a much needed holiday to Vichy, where they quickly become used to the slower pace of life. But when a woman who they regularly pass by on their daily strolls is murdered, Maigret can''t help but offer his assistance to the local Inspector, a former colleague of his. Set against a backdrop of gorgeous French countryside, Maigret in Vichy shows that even when our trusty detective is outside his jurisdiction, he is still very much in his element.

The city of Simenon''s youth comes to life in this new translation of this disturbing novel set in Liège, book ten in the new Penguin Maigret series. In the darkness, the main room is as vast as a cathedral. A great empty space. Some warmth is still seeps from the radiators. Delfosse strikes a match. They stop a moment to catch their breath, and work out how far they have still to go. And suddenly the match falls to the ground, as Delfosse gives a sharp cry and rushes back towards the washroom door. In the dark, he loses his way, returns and bumps into Chabot. Maigret observes from a distance as two boys are accused of killing a rich foreigner in Liège. Their loyalty, which binds them together through their adventures, is put to the test, and seemingly irrelevant social differences threaten their friendship and their freedom. Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret at the "Gai-Moulin". ''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray ''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century'' Guardian ''A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness'' Independent

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré An Inspector Maigret mystery that brings the dark side of glamorous expat life in Paris to life In this riveting mystery from Georges Simenon, Maigret must investigate the murder of Mrs. Clark, the wife of a wealthy American industrialist, whose strangled body is found in the basement of an upscale hotel near the Champs-Élysées. Maigret’s inquiries take him from the endless corridors of the Hotel Majestic to the countryside of the Bois de Boulogne and sun-drenched Cannes, into a world of illicit sex work, drug addiction, and blackmail.

Maigret must discover who killed a poverty-stricken Australian in this deft, psychologically fascinating story of men who kick over the traces--and of men who don''t.

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré A tense, unforgettable Inspector Maigret mystery from Georges Simenon “He recalled his travelling companion’s agitated sleep—was it really sleep?—his sighs, and his sobbing. Then the two dangling legs, the patent-leather shoes and hand-knitted socks . . . An insipid face. Glazed eyes. And Maigret was not surprised to see a grey beard eating into his cheeks.” A distressed passenger leaps off a night train and vanishes into the woods. Maigret, on his way to a well-earned break in the Dordogne, is soon plunged into the pursuit of a madman, hiding amongst the seemingly respectable citizens of Bergerac.

''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray Maigret plunges into the murky Parisian underworld in book twenty-nine of the new Penguin Maigret series. ''That shoeless foot looked incongruous lying on the pavement next to another foot encased in a shoe made of black kid leather. It was naked, private . . . It was Maigret who retrieved the other shoe which lay by the kerb six or seven metres away'' A series of strange phone calls leads Inspector Maigret through the Paris streets towards a man out of his depth amid a network of merciless criminals. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret''s Special Murder. ''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville ''A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness'' Independent

One of Simenon''s riveting explorations of female psychology, a study in contrasts between two women who are mutually dependent from their school days. Marie is ugly, of somewhat limited intelligence, but her fixation on her friend gives her an uncanny insight into the other''s nature, intentions, and motivations. Sylvie--cold, vicious, ruthless--is also beautiful and compellingly attractive to men. Her desire to hurt extends to her faithful slave, Marie. For a number of years they lose sight of each other, as Sylvie becomes the adored mistress of a rich and elderly man. How and why Marie re-enters Sylvie''s life and achieves a dominating role in their relationship is described with surgical precision by one of the world''s greatest realistic writers.

Another riveting tale from Georges Simenon, in which two siblings, living in isolation, are suspects in a tale of deception, theft, and murder. It’s been seventeen hours of interrogation, yet Carl Andersen’s air of elegance remains unruffled. Inspector Maigret is bewildered by the behavior exhibited by the only probable suspect of the case at Three Widows Crossroads, the location of Carl’s isolated mansion where he lives with his sister Else. The Saturday evening prior, Carl and Else go to sleep, after Carl has locked her away in her bedroom as usual—a curious habit, notes Maigret, but stranger things soon arise. Carl’s faraway neighbor Monsieur Michonnet discovers that his flashy new automobile has swapped places with Carl’s run-down vehicle; what’s more, in the front seat of Michonnet’s car sits a dead man, a Belgian diamond merchant no one purports to know, shot point-blank in the chest. Hours later, Carl and Else are caught trying to embark on a train to Paris. It’s bizarre business, but Maigret is determined to shake off the unease and find out what the residents of Three Widows Crossroads are covering up in The Night at the Crossroads, an exciting, unnerving story from the inimitable Georges Simenon.

“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré During a high-profile hunt for the latest criminal gang to hit Paris, Maigret is determined to track down the murderer of a quiet crook whom he cannot help but respect When the body of Honoré Cuendot, an old burglar acquaintance of Maigret’s, is found in the Bois de Boulogne with his face bashed in, Maigret is appalled that his superiors consider it a mere gangland killing. And there’s a personal element to this case as well: Maigret rather liked Cuendot. Instead of concentrating on the flashy bank robberies occupying the rest of his department, Maigret decides to inquire into Cuendot’s life—and finds himself tied up in the bank robberies, too, along the way. A deliberate, involving murder mystery that only the likes of our trusty Inspector could solve, Maigret and the Lazy Burglar reveals that Maigret’s famous intuition is only one of his skills, and that his incredible empathy is just as important for bringing about justice.

''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville They suddenly found themselves in an impersonal world, where everyday words no longer seemed to mean anything, where the most mundane details were translated into unintelligible formulae. The judges'' black gowns, the ermine, the prosecutor''s red robe further added to the impression of a ceremony set in stone where the individual counted for nothing Maigret receives an anonymous phone call concerning the brutal murder of a woman and young child. The tip off concerns the woman''s nephew, a mild-mannered man by the name of Gaston Meurant. Maigret remains unconvinced of the man''s guilt and at his trial exposes some shocking truths about Meurant''s private life that may prove his innocence. ''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories'' Guardian

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“A writer as comfortable with reality as with fiction, with passion as with reason.” —John Le Carré In the final novel featuring Inspector Maigret, the famous detective reaches a pivotal moment in his career Maigret is a few years short of his retirement and has just refused promotion to the post of Head of the Police Judiciare, preferring the human contact he enjoys as Head of the Criminal Division. His wish is granted when Madam Nathalie Sabin-Levesque, an elegant but highly nervous lwoman, insists that he personally investigates the disappearance of her husband Gėrard, a highly successful and wealthy Parisian lawyer. In Maigret and Monsieur Charles, the conclusive installment of the the Inspector Maigret mystery series, our famous detective finds himself contemplating his past and future as he delves into the Paris underworld one last time.

When a man traveling abroad is murdered in his hotel room, Inspector Maigret must sift through the misdirection and betrayal to find the truth hidden beneath. A Monsieur Gallet has been found dead—murdered—in his hotel room, in a small town outside of Paris. In Georges Simenon’s The Late Monsieur Gallet, Inspector Maigret sets off to figure out the course of events that led to this grim outcome. But as he delves deeper, the circumstances of the crime become increasingly intriguing: Gallet’s alias, his sickly pallor, his claimed profession, his wife’s and son’s strangely indifferent behavior in the wake of Gallet’s death. Using all his wits and intuition, Maigret must look beyond not-so-random coincidences and layers of deception to uncover the truth of the crime.

''Why all of a sudden did this shock him? He was annoyed with himself for being shocked. He felt as if he had been sucked into the bourgeois, almost edifying, atmosphere that surrounded those epeople, ''good people'' so everyone kept telling him.'' A retired manufacturer has been shot dead by his own pistol, last seen alive by his son-in-law. In this seemingly motiveless murder, Inspector Maigret must rely on his famous intuition to discover the truth.

''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray It wasn''t a traditional painter''s smock that Madam Jonker was wearing. It was more a Dominican''s monk''s habit, the fabric as thick and soft as a bathrobe...She was holding a palette in her left hand, a brush in her right, and her black eyes lighted on Maigret with curiosity. During an undercover case Inspector Lognon is shot in a room he was sharing with a beautiful woman who has since disappeared. Inspector Maigret retraces Lognon''s secretive last few days and is drawn into the darker side of the art world. Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret and the Apparition. ''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville ''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories'' Guardian

Mystery. Originally published in England as T̀he patience of Maigret'' in 1940.

''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray Inspector Maigret is followed home one evening by a man who reveals his intention to kill his wife and her lover. Maigret intervenes and speaks to the man daily but when the calls suddenly stop Maigret finds a murder on his hands. ''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories'' Guardian ''A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness'' Independent

Inspector Maigret investigates the death of fortuneteller Mademoiselle Jeanne, a case remarkable for its wealth of unconnected suspects and fragmentary clues

Chief Superintendent Maigret investigates three baffling cases of murder and struggles to bring the killers to justice

After Inspector Maigret''s assistant Detective Lognon, loses a body, three shady Americans arrive in Paris, and Pozzo, the restaurateur from St. Louis, discovers that he is dealing with professional criminals

Inspector Maigret shows the ways of police work to a young writer and reveals his rural upbringing, his first assignment as a bicycle messenger, and how he wooed and won Madame Maigret

On an errand of mercy, Maigret travels to a provincial village whose crafty inhabitants nearly foil the sleuth. Translated by Helen Thomson. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book.