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A review by topdragon
Maigret in Vichy by Georges Simenon
4.0
One more stop is now complete on my grand sampling tour of the great fictional detectives of 20th century fiction with the completion of my first Detective Maigret novel. I realize, of course, that a reader can hardly get a good feel for a character such as this by only reading a single novel of the set. After all, author Georges Simenon wrote some seventy-five novels and twenty-eight short stories about Maigret which were published between 1931 and 1972 and there have been several radio and TV adaptations as well. But for all of that, I had never picked up a Maigret novel until now.
Jules Maigret, or simply Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a French police detective, actually a commissaire or commissioner of the Paris "Brigade Criminelle". The character is reportedly heavily influenced by real life Chief Inspector Marcel Guillaume, said to be the greatest French detective of his day.
Published in 1967, this particular novel, Maigret in Vichy (it has also born the title “Maigret Takes the Waters” in some versions) comes near the end of the entire series. Maigret and his wife are vacationing in Vichy where his doctor has advised he relax and engage in the lavish spa and healthful waters of the region. He notices a mysterious lady in lavender and when said lady is found murdered, the local police engage his famous detective skills to aid them in their case.
I will say that I enjoyed this reading experience more than I had expected. I found the style to be easy and straight forward and I rather enjoyed the leisurely pace of Detective Maigret’s lifestyle at this point in his career. It’s quite a different pace than the more modern day thriller/mysteries which I have been reading lately. The plot was interesting, albeit straightforward with some old fashioned hard work by the police required to solve the case. As a character, Maigret is pleasant to spend time with and I would enjoy doing so again.
Jules Maigret, or simply Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a French police detective, actually a commissaire or commissioner of the Paris "Brigade Criminelle". The character is reportedly heavily influenced by real life Chief Inspector Marcel Guillaume, said to be the greatest French detective of his day.
Published in 1967, this particular novel, Maigret in Vichy (it has also born the title “Maigret Takes the Waters” in some versions) comes near the end of the entire series. Maigret and his wife are vacationing in Vichy where his doctor has advised he relax and engage in the lavish spa and healthful waters of the region. He notices a mysterious lady in lavender and when said lady is found murdered, the local police engage his famous detective skills to aid them in their case.
I will say that I enjoyed this reading experience more than I had expected. I found the style to be easy and straight forward and I rather enjoyed the leisurely pace of Detective Maigret’s lifestyle at this point in his career. It’s quite a different pace than the more modern day thriller/mysteries which I have been reading lately. The plot was interesting, albeit straightforward with some old fashioned hard work by the police required to solve the case. As a character, Maigret is pleasant to spend time with and I would enjoy doing so again.