Maigret and the Gangsters was first published in 1952 as Maigret, Lognon et les Gangsters, and was translated into English by Louise Varèse. The gangsters of the title are the American Mafia variety, in Paris to eliminate a witness against them. They have an influential American politician to protect them, and act with callous disregard for the conventions known to French criminals. So many people tell Maigret that these men are dangerous, killers, out of his league, that he should leave the matter of stopping them to the ADA from St Louis on their trail, that he becomes infuriated. Besides, they have attacked a member of the Murder Squad, and Maigret himself has been threatened. The lugubrious Lognon, and even worse, Madame Lognon, are also involved. Lognon, a self pitying officer with a chip on his shoulder about not being promoted, discovers the crime, and then gets in everyone’s way. The story is a thriller reminiscent of Maigret stories of the 30s, with car chases, gun fights, beatings, kidnapping, tough guys, floozies and lots of booze. It may be Chandleresque, but the setting is solidly Parisian. Simenon seems as interested in the humour of contrasting Maigret with Lognon on the one hand and the American thugs on the other as he is in unravelling the plot. One of the more entertaining Maigret stories.