An Inspector Maigret novel by Georges Simenon
ISBN: 978-0-241-24016-8
First published 1950
180 pages
Cover design: Alceu Chiesorin Nunes
Cover photo: Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos
Translated by Howard Curtis
3/5 Stars
A wonderfully easy read by Georges Simenon. Georges was born in Belgium in 1903 and died in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1989. Maigret is a detective seeking to “understand and judge not”.
An anonymous letter arrives at Police HQ in Paris, claiming someone is burning a body in an oven. However, there is no body, only 2 teeth left in the oven. Maigret begins to churn over the case, but the case only comes alive when his wife’s evidence becomes involved, and what seems to be unrelated, becomes central to the murder mystery.
At 180 pages this is a lovely holiday read, and would have deserved more stars had it been longer or had the Inspector himself been in trouble. However, there were twists and false leads and enough interest to keep the reader wanting to know what would happen next.
There are 74 other Maigret novels to read next…
The Eclectic Book Review 