Le Revolver de Maigret

Inspector Maigret #40

by Georges Simenon

Quand, plus tard, Maigret penserait à cette enquête-là, ce serait toujours comme à quelque chose d'un peu anormal, s'associant dans son esprit à ces maladies qui ne se déclarent pas franchement, mais commencent par des malaises vagues, des pincements, des symptômes trop bénins pour qu'on accepte d'y prêter attention. II n'y eut, au début, ni plainte à la P.J., ni appel à Police Secours, ni dénonciation anonyme, mais, pour remonter aussi loin que possible, un coup de téléphone banal de Mme Maigret. La pendule de marbre noir, sur la cheminée du bureau, marquait midi moins vingt, il revoyait nettement l'angle des aiguilles sur le cadran. La fenêtre était large ouverte, car on était en juin, et, sous le chaud soleil, Paris avait pris son odeur d'été.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, France, Audiobook, Detective, Thriller

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.

Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.

He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.

During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).

Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981).

In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.

In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.

Reviews

[Janet Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s another delicious story that brings the ever-patient, normally very sensible Mme. Maigret into focus. But in this tale she ill-advisedly lets someone into the apartment, takes her eye off the ball and lets him exit with Maigret’s revolver.

Well. It’s a great beginning to series of events that even has the Chief flying over to London and encountering the strict liquor licensing laws that mystify him even more than the crimes he investigates.

It’s a treat. Don’t miss out on this one.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solving crimes may be Maigret's job, but when one of his revolvers goes missing things become more personal.
George Simenon creates another laid back, though atmospheric, tale for the famous French detective. The plot may not be that exciting, but I really like the author's characters & his sense of humour. It's so enjoyable to read Maigret's thoughts on trying to find food to eat & I love his attitude towards British licensing laws when he wants to buy a beer while on a visit to London.
Gareth Armstrong reads this tale very well & it's wonderful to hear him make Maigret sound almost constantly grumpy throughout the story.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

March Lunchtime Listen

As ever brilliantly read by Gareth Armstrong and a really strong story from Simenon.
Maigret agrees to meet a friend of a friend at a dinner party but the man doesn't turn up. In the meantime someone calls at the home of Maugret whilst he's at work and when Mme Maigret's back is turned, steals the revolver presented to Maigret by his American colleagues.
How are these connected and why is the man who wanted to see him, now pretending to be mad ?
A few interviews and a lightning visit to London, sees Maigret solve the case, but being the compassionate man that he is, he is more interested in the cowardly blackmailer than the poor person forced into murder.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I've said before, Mr. Simenon has no poor books, the vast majority of them are good enough, and some of them are quite marvelous, including this one.
And, strange or not, it is NOT the plot the one which makes this story so valuable, but the deeply human side of Maigret...

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fortieth Margret novel.
This is an unusual detective story as it begins without a crime or investigation having been authorised. In this manner, it shows the skill of Simenon's writing and his ease with his character, Chief Inspector Maigret.
Also within the story one character has collected several press cuttings showing the humanity of the policeman, his compassion and ease with defendants and the guilty awaiting execution. This for me is the essence of these books the creation of this quite unique detective. The beauty of the writing is Maigret's character of dealing with criminals as people; providing them with time to talk and come to a reasoned decision rather than taking matters into their own hands.
When a young man calls at Maigret's home while he was as work Madame Maigret allows him to wait expecting her husband home for lunch. Unfortunately, Maigret is delayed and upon his return home the visitor has left. Upon closer inspection Maigret discovers that his revolver presented to him in America while he was observing their methods and operations has disappeared.
Despite the seriousness of this situation Maigret seems to show great patience in uncovering the circumstances of this theft and how a body found at Gare de Nord is associated with it all.
A clever episode in the career of Maigret and much the better as it takes him to London to discover the truth and finally recover his gun.

[The Frahorus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ritornare, di tanto in tanto, a leggere una nuova indagine del commissario Maigret è quasi terapeutico.

La storia inizia in modo particolare: un giovane chiede di parlare al commissario a casa sua e viene accolto dalla moglie che lo fa accomodare. Lei telefona a suo marito ma gli dice che ritarderà, e quando tornerà dal giovane si accorge che è andato via. Quando rincaserà il commissario si accorgerà che manca un revolver che gli era stato regalato quando era andato in America. Ben presto verrà ritrovato il cadavere di un personaggio politico famoso ucciso proprio con un colpo di revolver. Il caso porterà il commissario Maigret ad indagare fino a Londra.

Forse non tra le sue storie più entusiasmanti, ma resta sempre un piacere leggere un'indagine del commissario Maigret.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grrr. What key did I accidentally touch to erase my best ever review?!
"Understand and judge not" was said to be Simenon's motto, and this book is a fine example of its application. Madame Maigret admits a young man into her home to wait for her husband's arrival for lunch. She calls him at the office to notify him that the boy will not tell her what it is about..."it's personal."
Things get wobbly at work and Maigret does not make it home for lunch. Circumstances allow for the desperate young man to steal the handgun, a gift to Maigret from the FBI. It does not take long to get id of young man with photos to distribute and they soon find a store that sold him ammunition.
The investigation launches, a dead body is found, a malingerer is dealt with, a boudoir or two are visited and Maigret flies by plane to London with cooperation of Scotland Yard to track his prey.

The world has certainly changed since these were written, but it is enjoyable to visit another era when you can spend time with this memorable character. The alcohol consumed is not quite as extreme this time out since the young man does not drink. Maigret's liver gets a teensy break.

[Julian Worker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the Penguin Modern Classics in the Crime and Espionage series.

Here a young man visits Maigret at his apartment. Maigret is delayed by police work from coming home for lunch. When Maigret arrives, the young man has gone along with the titular gun. What is going on? How is the strange robbery connected to a dead politician found in a packing case at Gard du Nord, a gibbering adult who may or may not be feigning madness, and a femme fatale who makes a sudden exit for the Savoy Hotel in London?

Maigret connects the dots and dashes for London deciphering the clues before a murder is committed. Published in 1952, this story includes flights from Le Bourget to Croydon. We also learn that Maigret's forenames are Jules-Joseph Anthelme.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Maigret with lots of humor about 1950s antiquated licensing laws. This story involves a visit to Maigret’s flat and a revolver disappearing which was a gift from the FBI. A body is found in a trunk at Gare de Nord and a young man is suspected.

An English woman who lives in Paris flees to London with Maigret in pursuit to prevent a tragedy. This story is set in summer and we get to know Maigret’s forenames Jules Francois Amedee. This story also has a theme of food and exotic meals.

SPOILERS AHEAD

It is not a complicated plot. Allain’s father a fantasist tries to blackmail a politician and in a struggle kills him. His son knows the mastermind to the blackmailing is the English woman who has used Allain’s father as a go between.

Maigret prevents the son murdering the woman and takes him for a meal of lobster at the Savoy in London. They return to Paris with Maigret awaiting the English woman’s return. He lets the father keep pretending he is mad so he is not executed.

[Barbarroja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Siguiendo una tradición autoimpuesta, mi primera lectura de 2019 es una novela policíaca, y aún más: una novela de Maigret. Puede parecer una tontería, pero me hace bastante ilusión saber que, al comenzar otro año más, me está esperando en la mesilla cierto comisario parisino.
En esta ocasión, Maigret se ve envuelto en un caso que le salpica más o menos personalmente desde el principio. En algún momento nuestro comisario está a punto de perder los nervios, pero siempre se repone y nos brinda una conclusión satisfactoria, en todos los sentidos.
Una lectura deliciosa para empezar el año con buen pie. Eso sí, tengo claro que no esperaré al 2020 para buscar de nuevo la compañía de Maigret.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drinking like a fish out of water...

Madame Maigret is upset when a young man who had called to see Inspector Maigret steals the revolver Maigret had been given as a keepsake by the American police. Mme Maigret had taken a liking to the youth and is fearful that he may intend to take his own life. Maigret fears the gun may be used for different, more criminal purposes. Either way, he feels it necessary to try to track the young man down. But first he’ll have to find out who the boy is...

This is an enjoyable entry in the long-running Maigret series. The plot is rather light, though it does eventually involve a corpse in a trunk, but the characterisation is particularly strong, I felt. We see Maigret interacting with his wife more than in some of the others I’ve read, getting a good impression of how strong their marriage is, even if Maigret isn’t the most demonstrative of husbands. We also see them in the company of friends and this gives a more rounded picture of him as someone who has a life outside work. There is a femme fatale-ish female character, with the associated sexism of the day in the descriptions of her (and any other female character who happens along). There’s a rather pathetic character, who might be bad or might be mad or might just be terrified – I’m saying no more for fear of spoilers – but I thought he was very well depicted, and also gave an opportunity for Maigret to show his humanity.

What really made this one stand out for me, though, is that the story takes Maigret to London. Though he stays mostly in one location in the city, I thought Simenon did a good job of contrasting London and Londoners with Paris and Parisians, all with a touch of humour that lightened the tone and let us see Maigret feeling suddenly less secure in an environment of which he wasn’t as much the master as usual. He’s horrified by the strict licensing laws which prevent him from getting a drink in the mornings or afternoons, but happily this doesn’t stop him from putting away enough to sink a ship in the course of the day or so that he spends there.

When he finally does find the youth and the reason behind the theft of the gun, we again see the mix in his character of equal drives towards justice and sympathy – he is not prepared to overlook crimes but he is willing to listen to and understand the reasons, and to do what he can to help those he considers worth helping. But for those whom he considers truly wicked, then he has the patience to spin a spider-like web and wait for them to trap themselves.

Good fun. I’ve been reading these randomly – they work perfectly as standalones – and have only read a few to date. Although this isn’t the most exciting plot, I think it’s the one I’ve enjoyed most so far because I got a real feel for Maigret’s character, more than in my other choices, and as a result found I liked him more as a person.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Gareth Armstrong, who again does a fine job. He’s very good at giving different voices to each character, each with an accent suited to their class and position, and avoids the temptation to go overboard, especially with the female characters. Overall, an enjoyable book enjoyably narrated. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to follow Maigret to London. I rather like it when he travels out of Paris, though as it happens he doesn't get to see much of London. The ending of this novel seems somewhat inconclusive but it isn't really. The wheels of justice have been set in motion and it's only a question of time before the criminal is arrested.

There are 75 'Maigret' novels and I have now read 69 of them. I began reading them back in 2014. I always wondered which one would be the last I read. There are six left:
* Maigret and the Old Lady
* Maigret Takes a Room
* Maigret's Failure
* Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
* Maigret Hesitates
* Maigret and the Loner

I have thrown a dice to determine which one I will read next ('Maigret Takes a Room') and I will continue to do this until there is only one left.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 40th novel in Georges Simenon’s timeless Maigret series begins tenuously but evolves into one of my favorite of the novels. A nervous young man steals Chief Inspector Maigret’s souvenir .44 Smith & Wesson from his apartment in the brief time Madame Maigret leaves him alone. As happens in Maigret novels, the young man leads Maigret into other crimes to investigate — including one across the English Channel.

Maigret must travel to London, where he feels the fishiest fish out of water, and several times, out of his milieu, he goes awry. And, in a rarity, the misogynistic Simenon allows Maigret stumped by a hard former courtesan, although he ends the novel working on her future demise. Highly, highly recommended.

[Liedzeit Liedzeit · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young man, Alain, visits the home of Maigret wanting to talk with him. Unfortunately Maigret is absent and so the young man steels a revolver instead. What is he intending to do with it?

Eventually there is a corpse found. Is Alain’s father a murderer? At the very least he is not a very successful father. And now either is or pretends to be a sick man. Maigret travels to London and manages to keep Alain from really using the revolver.

There is undeniably a charming flow in the way Simenon writes. But this is not what I expect of a mystery.

5/10

[Loki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha azt kéne bemutatni, hogy Maigret mennyire jószívű és igazságos, ezt a regényt mondanám példának. És arra a híres angol-francia ellentétre is. Maigret Londonba utazik, ahol egy hotelben várakozva finoman szólva elemezgeti az embereket és a szokásokat. Valójában megállás nélkül morog és már a hiszti határát súrolja. Miután végre eszik-iszik-pipázik és megoldja az ügyet, megenyhül az angolok iránt. Szórakoztató volt nagyon.

[PuPilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kellemesen el lehet időzni a random képekből összeállított, fura borítón, aminek a végére mégis valahogy nagyon passzolt a hangulata a könyvhöz. Megszokta a szemem. :)
Maigret ebben a részben Párizsban és Londonban is nyomoz, amikor a megérzéseire hagyatkozva elkezd kutakodni egy fiú után, aki meglátogatta őt otthonában, majd mégsem várta meg, hogy hazaérjen, ellenben ellopta a felügyelő revolverét a szalonból. Vajon mi célból? Mit tervez a fegyverrel? Maigret hamarosan bérházakban kérdezősködik, megleli a fiú apját, és nem sokkal később egy képviselő hulláját is a pályaudvar csomagmegőrzőjében... Hogy áll össze mindez, mi az összefüggés, és hogy kerül Maigret Londonban a Savoyba, ahol nem mindig sikerül italhoz jutnia, és a forgóajtót figyelve egy egész napon át éhezni kényszerül, hogy aztán kiadós luxusvacsorát fogyasszon el az étteremben?

"Emlékezett rá, hogy balra van egy bár. Szomjas volt. Az üvegajtó felé tartott, de hiába próbálta kinyitni.
– Fél tizenkettőkor nyitunk, uram!
Elkomorult. Külföldön mindig így jár."

Ez a regény sokkal inkább hasonlít Simenon roman dur köteteire, nem a krimiszál erős benne: ki sem kristályosodik teljesen a miként, és a hogyan, csak a miért. A lélektani vonal, szociológiai elemek az hangsúlyosak, és a felügyelő emberségessége, amivel szinte megment néha egy-egy leendő elkövetőt valami végzetestől, pont a jó pillanatban beavatkozva, elbeszélgetve vele, elnyisszantva a cselekvések folyamatát.

"Egy bisztró előtt eszébe jutott a tegnapi ánizsos likőr, amely olyan jól illett a születő nyárhoz. Bement, rendelt egyet a bárpultnál (…)"

"Elfelejtett kávét rendelni, megtörölte a száját, kivette a faliszekrénybe dugott konyakos üveget, és töltött egy pohárral."

Maigret persze ebben a könyvben is rengeteget iszik... Néha örültem volna, ha kap egy kis vizet is, mert én már szinte rosszul voltam a sok whiskeytől, ánizslikőrtől, bortól és sörtől. Plusz konyak. :O

"– (…) Gondolom, sörük nincs.
– De igen, uram. Milyen sört parancsol?
Mindenféle sör volt: holland, dán, német, sőt egy olyan francia márka is, amelyet Maigret nem ismert.
Franciaországban egyszerre két üveggel rendelt volna annyira elcsigázottnak érezte magát, de itt nem mert."

A londoni nagy vacsorán kívül Pardonéknál is esznek párszor, tőkehalvagdalék és borjúfej teknőc módra jut ki erre a kötetre, amihez a jó doktor választ mindig megfelelő bort. :)

Nagyon sajnáltam szegény Maigret-t, amikor a szálloda hallba volt kárhoztatva, és ételt ott nem szolgáltak fel neki, sőt, néha italhoz se jutott már, amikor bezárt a bár...

"– Ugyanazt, uram?
– Nem, egy szendvicset kérek.
– Bocsánat, uram. A hallban tilos ételt felszolgálnunk.
Maigret sírni tudott volna dühében.
– Akkor hozzon, amit akar. Rendben van! Hozzon whiskyt."

Vicces volt a zsebből, titokban elmajszolt tábla csokoládé, és persze a feszengés is, ami angolhonban rászállt Maigret-re, a nyelvtudás hiánya, vagy az angolos modor és egyéb kellemetlenségek miatt, amik miatt nem tudja otthon érezni magát - pl. amikor "kinézi" a szobalány a folyosóról..., vagy amikor nem pipázhat, csak szivarozhat az étteremben. Tetszett aztán, ahogy visszaszerezte magabiztosságát, és jó kedélyét is.

"– Tényleg nem akarsz inni semmit?
– Csak vizet.
Maigret azért rendelt magának egy üveg bort, rajnait. Magas, kecses, zöld színben játszó talpas poharakat tettek eléjük, a talp egy árnyalattal sötétebb volt."

Ó, és egy kedves szereplő tért vissza, akivel pont az előző Maigret kötetben találkoztam: Pyke! :) Igaz, most nem sok időt töltöttek együtt, de nagyon örültem a fel-felvillanásának, és hogy segített nyomozni.
Ezen kívül nem hiányzott ebből az epizódból sem sok-sok telefonálgatás, egy dús keblű fiatal lány, aki kelleti magát Maigret-nek, és a házmesternék sem.

Hiába, egy jó Maigret sosem rossz, és egy jó Maigret ezzel a sok étel-itallal, Pardon doktorral, Madame Maigret-vel, a Szajnával és pipafüsttel: életérzés.

https://pupillaolvas.blogspot.com/202...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's far too many years since last I read a Maigret. I enjoyed remaking his acquaintance enough that I plan to seek out a few more of these novels in the near future.

Maigret receives a call at the office from Mme Maigret, who tells him a strange young man has arrived at their apartment wishing to see him. He tells her he'll soon be home for lunch, but dallies along the way for a pastis or three and, by the time he arrives, finds that the young man has left -- taking with him the old souvenir revolver that Maigret had left out after cleaning. It doesn't take Maigret long to work out that the thief is Alain Lagrange, youngest son of one of Paris society's more notorious scroungers, "Baron" François Lagrange. Investigating more closely, Maigret learns that last night Lagrange, now feigning illness, was seen hailing a taxi to take a large heavy trunk to to the Gare du Nord railway station.

And the trunk proves to contain the corpse of a murdered politician . . .

There must be a connection between the fugitive youth and the dead man, and that connection appears to be the wealthy Jeanne Debul, who for some reason has suddenly taken a trip to London, where she's put herself up at the Savoy Hotel. Maigret follows and, liaising with an old friend from Scotland Yard, spends an interminably long day hanging around at the Savoy, mainly in the lobby, before he can locate the fugitive and solve the case.

I'm opposed to the current online trend of calling any shortish novel a novella (I recently found someone using the term of a book that's 208 pages long!), but Maigret's Revolver has the simple structure and limited scope that make it feel far more like a novella than a full-scale piece; this may be one of the reasons it wasn't filmed for the massive series of Maigret TV movies starring Bruno Cremer -- that there wasn't really enough plot to fill out 90 minutes of screen time -- and why it didn't see US publication until 1984. But it's an engaging piece nonetheless, despite a somewhat pedestrian translation.

As an aside, during that long hot day at the Savoy Maigret manages to whack away a quite startling amount of booze: I lost count of the numbers of beers and double-scotches, while he capped it all off with a bottle of white wine over dinner, plus a few more little snifters afterwards. How he managed to stay upright, leave alone solve the case, is I guess the real mystery of Maigret's Revolver.

=====

I read this book as part of the #1952 Book Challenge mounted by Rich Westwood at his much recommended Past Offences crime-fiction blog.

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un inno alle capacità ma soprattutto all’umanità di Maigret.

Il fatto: un ragazzo si presenta a casa del commissario per parlargli; accolto dalla moglie, il ragazzo, visto il ritardo di Maigret, rinuncia all’incontro e scompare portandosi via un souvenir: la pistola del commissario.
Il padre del ragazzo risulta malato, ma non poi così tanto visto che la sera precedente è stato visto uscire con un pesante baule, ritrovato in seguito alla stazione. Dentro, il corpo senza vita di un personaggio politico di spicco. Ucciso con n un colpo di pistola.
Una storia di amore e di protezione fra padre e figlio, una storia di amore per una donna la cui dote migliore è la scaltrezza che la porta ad osare di più, a perpetrare pesanti ricatti nei confronti di noti personaggi, fino a deflagrare nel caso in discorso; una vicenda che porta il commissario fino a Londra, città in cui si comincia a dipanare la matassa di cui però non si troverà il bandolo in maniera definitiva, anche se Maigret confida in futuri sviluppi positivi.
E la sua rivoltella? Tranquilli: non è stata usata.


🌍 LdM - Sfida 2024: Francia 🇫🇷
✍️ GS/Maigret

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a Maigret novel in nearly 30 years, so it was fun to be reacquainted with the characters. I especially liked this one, because for one long scene Maigret found himself stranded in the lobby of the Savoy Hotel in London, uncomfortable, unsure, out-of-place, feeling conspicuous, hungry, thirsty, and annoyed by people blithely speaking English as if it were normal. Since I always feel the same way in reverse in France, it warmed my heart. Typical economical story-telling with Maigret's characteristic empathy providing him with insights and clues that keep him several steps ahead of the reader.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging crime fiction short novel where Maigret travels to London to prevent a crime! A French politician is murdered. A young man invited into Maigret’s house steals Maigret’s revolver, (a gift from the US police force).

Another satisfying Maigret reading experience!

This book was first published in 1952 and is the 40th novel in the Maigret series.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Inspector Maigret book. I needed something about four hours long to listen to with my teenaged son while we drove back and forth about two hours each way. We both enjoyed hearing about Paris and London as Maigret followed the trail of a murder and the theft of Maigret's revolver (which was a gift from some Americans).

I'd absolutely pick up another Maigret novel if I saw one. Apparently, there are lots.

The narrator for the audible version of this book did a nice job with the narration.

[Meg Bywater]

Read this because I thought it said Margaret’s Revolver

[Three · Rating 4 out of 5]

...dove si constata che i colpevoli possono andare liberi, per un po' o per sempre, per un motivo o per un altro, anche se ormai chi deve sapere sa che cosa hanno fatto.....

[John Frankham · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Maigrets. Maigret at his most understanding of the pressures of insecure family life on the young.

Borrowing a review from 2009:

'While at work one morning, Maigret receives a call from his wife. She tells him that a young man is waiting at their apartment to meet with him when he comes home for lunch. As it turns out, Maigret is delayed – especially when he stops for a drink or two with friends. When he finally reaches his place, the young man has gone; also gone is his revolver which he had left on his mantel. The revolver was a gift from his FBI friends as a memento of his visit to the U.S. and he had taken it out to clean it and neglected to put it back in the drawer when he was done. Later, a corpse is discovered in a trunk checked at the railway station, and Maigret realizes that his pistol may be used as a weapon of retribution or vengeance unless he can find the mysterious young man. The chase begins in Paris, but ultimately leads to London, where Maigret tracks down the young man and his intended target – soon enough to prevent another killing. The story is unusual, and brings out all of the humanity of Maigret. This was another novel that Simenon wrote while he was living in the U.S. Recommended.'

[Tony Fitzpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maigret takes a trip to London in this well written tale of blackmail and murder, kicked off by the theft of his prize American gift of a Smith & Wesson gun under the nose of Mme Maigret in his apartment. His gun is stolen by a young man keen to meet him, a body is found in a trunk in a lock up, and a guest fails to show up a dinner party at which the Maigret's are guests. More or less on a hunch, Maigret heads off to the Savoy Hotel to follow a woman who he suspects is the intended victim of the young man who stole the gun. He meets up again with Inspector Pyke, and is hugely impressed not just with the efficiency of Scotland Yard, but also the quality of the waiters and staff at the Savoy. At the end of the book he even manages to enjoy himself with a stroll round Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. The only aspect of British life he can't stand are the licensing hours! This novel is well paced, intriguing, and Maigret's approach well narrated. Simenon is brilliant at this sort of thing. Although I am now over half way through his published oeuvre, my appetite for these stories is undiminished.

[Ninaminacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I read my first Maigret novel - his final case, rather incongruously, which I realised at the time might not be the best approach. I enjoyed the book, but wasn't wowed. However, having listened to "Maigret's Revolver", I am now officially a fan and am wondering why it took me so long to discover this detective, who is so human and credible. Despite his reputation, he shows humility where appropriate; his anxiety at the need to speak English, when his case takes him to London, is both realistic and endearing. The plot is clever and the denouement in particular requires you to pay careful attention. (My concentration must have lapsed since I reached the end and realised I hadn't grasped the role of one character, an error - wholly my own, not Simenon's - I was easy able to rectify.) I defy anyone to have worked out the solution to the case before Maigret reveals it with humanity and benevolence.

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simenon's spare writing is one of the joys of his Maigret mysteries. In this book, the detective is searching for the young man who stole his revolver before it is used for mischief. A murder intervenes and Maigret ends up in London. This tale has an unusual twist as the murder and a blackmailer are not brought to justice although it appears that they will in the future. This is not one of my favorite Maigret's......it moves much slower than his usual stories and leaves some questions unanswered. But it is still worth reading, as are all of Simenon's books.

[Martina Sartor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sempre lui: il pacato, affascinante, sornione commissario Maigret, che stavolta vola anche a Londra.
Qui la signora Maigret ha un ruolo rilevante.

[Tras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an especially memorable Maigret. Bang average at best.

[Larry Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maigret’s Revolver (Book 40 in the series) by Georges Simenon started strangely for this reader, and put me out of sorts, which also strangely mirrored the mood of Maigret for the bulk of this story. I was at once familiar with the happenings in the first chapter. I recalled Madame Maigret informing the inspector of the unhappy young man at their home, wishing to speak with Maigret, and subsequently the discovery of his revolver gone missing. Deja vu? Not really, it eventually occurred to me [and taught me a lesson] -Penguin inserts a teaser chapter to lure the reader on to the next episode in the series, and evidently I had previously succumbed… so read on, albeit somewhat put off.

Maigret. “something a little out of the ordinary, associated in his mind with the kind of illness that does not declare itself clearly but begins with vague twinges, feelings of unease, symptoms too mild to take seriously.” Maigret is also put off by the weather, and the good cheer of those around him. Then there’s the taking of his revolver -Madame takes ownership. Unstated is Maigret’s awareness of his error -not having returned it to its rightful place in the drawer. Then the weirdest discovery that the young visitor is the son, of Pardon’s patient, who had wanted to meet Maigret. François Lagrange “the Baron” is a pathetic excuse for a man, and apparently involved in the murder of a political figure, and subsequent attempt to dispose of his body in a trunk. Yes off putting and a strange set of circumstances indeed.

Maigret. “He took the Métro, which was crowded, allowing him to go on nursing his bad mood. He was out of sorts with everyone, including himself. If he had bumped into Pardon, he would have reproached him for ever having mentioned this Lagrange character, with his look of a fat ghost inflated with air. He was still feeling sore at his wife over the incident with the revolver, and not far off holding her responsible for it. Métro smelled of disinfectant. The advertisements, always the same in every station, disgusted him. Outside, the sun was almost baking hot, and he was irritated…”

Lagrange’s flat. “Maigret had stepped closer to the bed, and had perhaps leaned forward a little without realizing it; the man’s lips finally moved, he was stammering something. ‘What did you say?’
‘Don’t hit me . . . Don’t . . .’ Suddenly he threw back the covers and thrashed about, looking as if he were fending off an attack. ‘Please don’t . . . Don’t hit me!’ It was unpleasant and pathetic to watch. Maigret turned to Pardon again, as if asking for advice. But what advice could the doctor give him?
Maigret did not watch but heard the click of the handcuffs, then heavy breathing, footsteps, thuds. ‘Don’t let them hit me . . . Help, help . . . !’

A politician killed. “They must have given you orders from on high to hush up the affair as much as possible. So let me tell you—’ ‘Please sit down, Monsieur Delteil.’ He did not sit down at once. ‘I hate talking to a man who’s standing up.’ Maigret sounded tired and his voice was rather gruff.” … “And let me tell you—’ ‘You know who the killer was, do you?’ ‘Not necessarily, but my brother was becoming a nuisance, and someone arranged to have him—’ … ‘I suppose that, as far as you are concerned, a political crime is the only possibility?’

Madame Debul’s maid. “She was rosy-complexioned, with full breasts, and was wearing candy-pink crepe pyjamas. Her body, with bouncing curves in every direction, had an unfinished look: too fresh-faced for Paris, she made you think of a duckling that had not yet lost its fluffy down.” — ‘You don’t like her?’ ‘She’s not the kind of woman you can like. Anyway she doesn’t care.’ ‘What do you mean?’ ‘She just lives for herself. She doesn’t bother to be nice. When she’s talking, it’s not for you, it’s because she wants to talk.’ ‘ Have you ever seen a man called François Lagrange?’ ‘The bad penny!’ When I announce him, she mutters: ‘“Oh, the bad old penny, turning up again!” He always says when he arrives: ‘“Ask Madame Debul if she is willing to receive Baron Lagrange.”’ ‘And is that often?’ ‘Maybe once a week.’

London at the Savoy. “In France he would have asked for two glasses at once, so thirsty was he. Here, he didn’t dare. And he was furious with himself for not daring. It humiliated him to feel intimidated.” -“Now and then, he found himself examining his neighbours as if he felt personal animosity towards them. At other moments, an inferiority complex weighed down on him and made him look sullen. They were all too clean, all too sure of themselves!” —“By now, in this luxury hotel, he was surely looking like a caricature of a French policeman, the kind journalists describe as a clodhopper. He caught himself glancing at his reflection, and thought he appeared clumsy and badly dressed.”

Maigret then rises to the matter of young Alain Lagrange with intelligence and compassion. His humanity and patience surprises and literally disarms the young man. Revolver returned, young man returned to Paris and father… Madame Debul will wait, but firmly in Maigret’s crosshairs…

Maigret restored. “And he surprised himself by remarking, as he went through a ray of sunshine striking into the hall through a large bay window: ‘It is such a beautiful day!’ ‘Shall we take a little stroll outside?’ ‘If you like.’ ‘Otherwise, I won’t have set foot on the pavements of London in my whole trip!’ It seemed to him that the streetlamps shone differently from the Parisian ones, the night
was a different colour, and that even the air tasted different. Right to the end, this was not a case like any other. ‘I must say I’m feeling very pleased.’

Scotland Yard escort. “Pyke was waiting for them downstairs, looking just the same as yesterday, and it was another glorious morning. ‘ Lovely day, isn’t it?’ ‘Splendid!’

Paris and home. “The French windows were open, the curved shapes of the wrought-iron balcony outlined against the blue of the evening. ‘Beautiful night, isn’t it?’ Maigret gave a little smile that no one else would have been able to understand.

The matter of François Lagrange. “Well, as far as I’m concerned,’ Maigret said quietly, ‘it’s out of my hands. I’ve put in my report. Rateau, the examining magistrate, will abide by the decision of the experts.’ Why did Pardon look at him with what seemed to be gratitude?”

Evening stroll with Madame Maigret. “she took his arm again. ‘Lovely night.’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Lots of stars.’ Why was it that, seeing a cat slinking into a cellar window as they approached, his face clouded over for a moment?”

More cases to read and savor-74 I believe, just don’t fall for those Penguin teasers, it can mess you up.