'The father of contemporary European detective fiction' Ann Cleeves'Maigret looked at him in some confusion, wondering if he waas dealing with a skilful actor or, on the contrary, with a sickly little man who found consolation in a subtle sense of humour.
Acute psychological insight and a distinctive, spare, atmospheric style Simenon ought to be spoken of in the same breath as Camus, Beckett and Kafka Independent on SundayThe seemingly open and shut case of the murdered gambler is anything but simple in this classic novel featuring the legendary Inspector Maigret Maigret had often been called on to deal with individuals of this sort, who were equally at home in London, New York and Rome, who took planes the way other people took the Metro A professional gambler, Felix Nahour, has been shot dead in his elegant Parisian home, and his enigmatic wife seems the most likely culprit.
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray For the first time in his career Inspector Maigret receives written summons to the Prefect's office where he learns that he has been accused of assaulting a young woman.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville Eyes half-closed, head tilted against the back of his seat, he seemed not to be thinking, as the plane flew over a thick carpet of bright clouds.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville Conflict rather than harmony probably reigned in eight out of ten of the still magnificent houses that surrounded the park.
'Read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss' Sunday TimesCaptain Lannec has finally managed to buy his own ship with the financial help of his in-laws, the Pitards - and they've never let him forget it.
He is fond of enigmas, of conundrums, hieroglyphics; exhibiting in his solutions of each a degree of acumen which appears to the ordinary apprehension praeternatural.
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray In his mind's eye he would see that slim figure in the striking clothes, those wide eyes the colour of forget-me-not, the pert nose and especially the hat, that giddy, crimson bonnet perched on the top of her head with a bronze-green feather shaped like a blade stuck in it .
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray In everyone's eyes, even the old ladies hiding behind their quivering curtains, even the kids just now who had turned to stare after they had passed him, he was the intruder, the undesirable.
WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION'This ambitious account of a sudden coming of age reminded me strongly of To Kill a Mockingbird - and is every bit as moving and satisfying' Daily TelegraphIn the long hot summer of 1972, three events shattered the serenity of ten-year-old Marsha's life: her father ran away with her mother's sister; a young boy called Boyd Ellison was molested and murdered; and Watergate made the headlines.
A masterful tale of murder and intrigue in a small French town, from the celebrated author of the Maigret seriesNot only had the rain in the dark streets, with a halo around each light and reflections on the ground, always given him a certain thrill, it also made it easier for him to move around.
This new selection of stories featuring Inspector Maigret - three of which are published in English for the first time - takes the detective from a mysterious death in a Cannes hotel to a love triangle in the Loire countryside and a bitter rivalry within a Parisian family.
'One of Simenon's darkest novels' Le MondeOn a foggy winter's evening in Dieppe, after the arrival of the daily ferry from England, a railway signalman habitually scrutinizes the port from his tiny, isolated cabin.
'An irresistible Hitchcockian gem: a fiendishly-plotted crime novel told in crisp, elegant prose' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train 'Matsumoto was Japan's Agatha Christie' Laura Hackett, The Sunday Times'It was a puzzle with no solution.
'His artistry is supreme' John BanvilleThey 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.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville While at this time the previous day he had never heard of the Martons, the train set specialist was beginning to haunt his thoughts, and so was the elegant young woman who, he admitted, had boldly stood up to him when he had done everything he could to unsettle her.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville Standing here at the window in the middle of the morning, vaguely observing the comings and goings in the street, he had a feeling that reminded of certain days in his childhood, when his mother was still alive and he was off school because he had the 'flu or it was the end of term.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville 'Once alone in his office, he went over and opened the window as if being in charge of this case made him gasp for a breath of fresh air.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville'He was wearing a dark suit, a beige raincoat and on his feet, which were twisted at an odd angle, he wore yellow-brown shoes, which seemed out of keeping with a day as colourless as this.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville'You're a good soul, inspector, and when you're up against the second-rate criminals you get here in Paris, you're a crack policeman.
'The father of contemporary European detective fiction' Ann CleevesAn omnibus edition containing four titles featuring Inspector Maigret: The Saint-Fiacre Affair (where Maigret goes back to the place of his birth), The Misty Harbour (where Maigret is left tied up on a rainy quayside all night), Maigret (where Maigret comes back from retirement) and The Judge's House (where Maigret is exiled to a mussel farming community).
'The most addictive of writers' Observer 'High up in Montmartre, there was a festive atmosphere, people were crowding round the little tables where ros wine was being served .
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray 'He opened the door for her and watched her walk away down the huge corridor, then hesitate at the top of the stairs.
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray When he got to his door, he was surprised not to hear any noise in the kitchen and not to smell any food.
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray The FBI man was convinced, in short, that Maigret was a big shot in his own country but that here, in the United States, he was incapable of figuring out anything .
Introducing Inspector Maigret, the literary character behind the major ITV drama starring Rowan AtkinsonThe first four titles from the new Penguin Inspector Maigret series: Pietr the Latvian, The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, The Carter of La Providence and The Grand Banks Cafe.
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray Maigret plunges into the murky Parisian underworld in book twenty-nine of the new Penguin Maigret series.
