Mystery Noir – Page 2 – Lady Book Dragon

Maigret and the Saturday Caller by Georges Simenon

Blurb

A man visits Inspector Jules Maigret at his home to tell him he wants to kill his wife and her lover. Although it is not an official case, Maigret is interested, particularly when the man later disappears.

Review

My second Maigret book and yet again I was shocked by the amount of alcohol that Maigret consumed. I also loved how Maigret was convinced he had a cold brewing so he kept drinking lots of hot rum as a remedy to prevent it.

This book started off very mysteriously with the man nicknamed by Maigret’s colleagues as ‘the Saturday Caller’. This strange ‘Saturday Caller’ has been appearing at the police station like clock work every Saturday but the man never says anything and runs away before anyone speaks to him. However, one evening when Maigret walks through his door he finds ‘the Saturday Caller’ in his living room.

Maigret eventually manages to get the ‘Saturday Caller’ to tell his story, with the help of several glasses of plum brandy. The story unfurls that ‘the Saturday Caller’ wants to kill his wife and the wife’s lover who lives with them. I must admit I felt so sorry for this man as he tells his story to Maigret and you can tell that Maigret also feels the same. Even though there is no crime committed Maigret takes an interest in this man’s story and so agrees with him that they will talk on the phone everyday.

As soon as Maigret goes back to work he starts his investigations into the non-existent crime and things start to unfold. Maigret does what he does best, he gathers every little scrap of information and builds the picture up.

I really enjoyed this book and I loved seeing the little tricks that Maigret got his men to use to get the information required even if they were a little underhand. I also loved that the police have a new forensics man who helps them with some signatures and Maigret finds these modern techniques very interesting. I finished this book in less than 24 hours and loved it. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Foyles | Waterstones | Wordery

About the author

Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a Belgian writer who published nearly 500 novels and many short stories. Simenon is best known as the creator of the Maigret stories.

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Maigret and the Calame Report by Georges Simenon

Blurb

In ‘Maigret and the Calame Report’ the detective is reluctantly drawn into the seedy world of political manoeuvring and corruption when 128 children are killed in a collapsing building.

Review

The first impression I had of this book is how does Maigret’s liver cope? I fully expected him to need a new liver at the end of this book. Everywhere he goes he has an alcoholic drink! It did make me giggle when Maigret admits he doesn’t get on with driving as he finds his mind wanders and he has only just managed to avoid an accident whilst driving in the past. I’m not sure about his mind wandering but I am sure the alcohol he is consuming is affecting his driving.

So this is my first Maigret book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maigret deals firmly with facts and good old fashioned police work which often involves the use of his officers to gather all the facts he needs to build his case. Maigret lives a simple life of going to work and coming home to his wife who always has his slippers ready and tea on the table and who never complains if he is late or summoned out of the house at random hours. However, there is one thing that Maigret likes to avoid and that is politics but sadly with this case politicians need him to solve the case. Maigret must find the person who stole the all important Calame Report and he needs to do it fast.

The thing I loved about this book is that Maigret is unlike other detectives you read in other detective books. Sherlock Holmes for instance will deduce things and make assumptions on the evidence he has before him but Maigret does not do that. He carefully and painstakingly gathers every little fact and piece of evidence he can find and he starts to build the picture until he has a result. He never tries to predict or assume anything and won’t do anything unless he has all the facts. As the story unfolds Maigret builds the picture of what happened and the reader sees it all happen with Maigret.

The book is only short and in reality it could be read in one day but due to tiredness it took me nearly a week but I really enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to read the next one and see what Maigret is up to next. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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Purchase Links

Book Depository | Foyles | Waterstones | Wordery

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About the author

Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a Belgian writer who published nearly 500 novels and many short stories. Simenon is best known as the creator of the Maigret stories.