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Inspector Maigret #65
Maigret e il caso Nahour
«Si sforzava, suo malgrado, di immaginare quella coppia di stranieri eleganti, sbucata Dio solo sa da dove nello studio di un modesto medico di quartiere. Pardon aveva capito subito che quei due non appartenevano al suo mondo, né a quello di Maigret o della gente che, come loro, abitava attorno a rue Picpus. Capitava spesso, al commissario, di imbattersi in personaggi di quel tipo, che a Londra, New York o Roma si sentono come a casa propria, prendono l’aereo come gli altri prendono il métro, scendono in alberghi di lusso e, a qualunque latitudine, ritrovano le loro abitudini e i loro amici. È una sorta di massoneria internazionale, e non solo del denaro, bensì di un certo stile di vita, di certi atteggiamenti, e anche di una certa morale, diversa da quella del comune mortale. Con loro Maigret non si sentiva mai del tutto a proprio agio, e a stento reprimeva un’irritazione che si sarebbe potuto scambiare per invidia».
167 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
80 people are currently reading
361 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,732 books2,287 followersGeorges 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 18, 2023
Sometimes Maigret wishes he could close his eyes, stop his ears and shut his mouth because what he sees, hears and says can destroy the hopes and lives of the people involved in L'Affaire Nahour. Alas, he must do his job even if he sometimes hates it.
February 11, 2023
Lunchtime listen Feb 2023
Another great story, well written by George Simenon and well narrated by Gareth Armstrong.
Asked for help by his friend Doctor Pardon, who has treated a gunshot wound and then had the patient disappear, Maigret becomes embroiled in the murder of a professional Roulette gambler. The wounded woman meanwhile is tracked to the Netherlands, and it turns out she was the estranged wife of the murdered man. Is there a connection between the shootings ? Maigret is sure there is, but initially everyone lies to him and he struggles to establish exactly who was where at the murder .
However continued questionimng begins to pay off and despite the continual lies he starts establishing some definites, and with the help of his faithful inspectors he is soon on his way to breaking bogus alibis and handing the case over to the prosecutors. Excellent !!
Another great story, well written by George Simenon and well narrated by Gareth Armstrong.
Asked for help by his friend Doctor Pardon, who has treated a gunshot wound and then had the patient disappear, Maigret becomes embroiled in the murder of a professional Roulette gambler. The wounded woman meanwhile is tracked to the Netherlands, and it turns out she was the estranged wife of the murdered man. Is there a connection between the shootings ? Maigret is sure there is, but initially everyone lies to him and he struggles to establish exactly who was where at the murder .
However continued questionimng begins to pay off and despite the continual lies he starts establishing some definites, and with the help of his faithful inspectors he is soon on his way to breaking bogus alibis and handing the case over to the prosecutors. Excellent !!
April 4, 2021
Non è la trama a coinvolgere chi legge, la bravura di Simenon è creare “personaggi” difficili da dimenticare. Qui ce ne sono un paio, soprattutto uno, un orientale scaltro, lucido, malvagio, passionale, che si scaglia contro il commissario Maigret con crudeltà. Una novità che non ho gradito nel finale è stata la mancata soluzione del caso, una sconfitta per la polizia, per il commissario Maigret. Ma d’altra parte come funzionano le cose nella giustizia? Quanti casi di reato rimangono irrisolti o vengono risolti sulla base di prove esclusivamente indiziarie? Così è la giustizia
November 28, 2021
Capita a volte che il colpevole individuato da Maigret susciti una strana simpatia. Capita cioe' di desiderare che il responsabile sia un altro dei personaggi sulla scena. E' un pregio enorme della scrittura di Simenon, questa capacita' di spiazzamento. Ad esempio in questa inchiesta, l'indagine sull'omicidio di un ricco giocatore di professione, un giocatore "scientifico", porta il commissario a contatto con un gruppo di sospetti, piu' o meno benestanti, tutti impegnati nel mentire, travisare o distorcere la realta' dei fatti. La loro condotta di vita, tra club, casino', grandi hotel, e' totalmente aliena al commissario della giudiziaria che li guarda con un misto di fastidio e curiosita' sociologica.
March 14, 2019
I fear I am getting soft and sentimental or maybe it is just Chief Inspector Jules Maigret.
Like me he is woken from a bad dream at the start of this book. He finds himself unable to land a blow on his assailant. He wakes in a tizzy, to be calmed by the reassuring presence of Mrs Maigret, his own bed and his phone ringing.
So, begins another investigation that was to become the Nahour Case.
It points up Maigret’s great friendship for Dr Pardon.
His longstanding relationship with his wife which oozes that affection only true love produces. Whether it is her concern, making coffee or preparing meals or him wearing her knitted scarf during one of the worst winters Paris endured. Indeed, the scarf almost becomes a standing joke or rather a constant reminder of an enduring love.
We learn of Maigret’s dislike for lies; his different approach where professional criminals are not a work. His reluctance to delegate as his status now requires especially in a world quite unknown to him.
We see also the gentleman, a softy at times where he sees the potential of a loving relationship as opposed to the loveless affairs, token marriages and self-centred and self-interested friendships.
It is a pure joy to read an author so at ease with his characters. Over 60 novels in, all read in order thanks to Penguin Classics re-publishing them in modern translations.
Only Simenon could write of a detective like this and only a fan will fully appreciate the comment.
“It was warm in the plush, quiet sitting room; you could easily slip into a sort of torpor. Lucas looked like a large purring cat.”
Like me he is woken from a bad dream at the start of this book. He finds himself unable to land a blow on his assailant. He wakes in a tizzy, to be calmed by the reassuring presence of Mrs Maigret, his own bed and his phone ringing.
So, begins another investigation that was to become the Nahour Case.
It points up Maigret’s great friendship for Dr Pardon.
His longstanding relationship with his wife which oozes that affection only true love produces. Whether it is her concern, making coffee or preparing meals or him wearing her knitted scarf during one of the worst winters Paris endured. Indeed, the scarf almost becomes a standing joke or rather a constant reminder of an enduring love.
We learn of Maigret’s dislike for lies; his different approach where professional criminals are not a work. His reluctance to delegate as his status now requires especially in a world quite unknown to him.
We see also the gentleman, a softy at times where he sees the potential of a loving relationship as opposed to the loveless affairs, token marriages and self-centred and self-interested friendships.
It is a pure joy to read an author so at ease with his characters. Over 60 novels in, all read in order thanks to Penguin Classics re-publishing them in modern translations.
Only Simenon could write of a detective like this and only a fan will fully appreciate the comment.
“It was warm in the plush, quiet sitting room; you could easily slip into a sort of torpor. Lucas looked like a large purring cat.”
July 25, 2021
Souveräner Maigret: ohne große Spannungselemente angenehm vor sich dahinplätschernd.
July 6, 2019
I do enjoy an Inspector Maigret mystery. I haven't read them in any particular order, although I did make a bit of an effort to get the first two or three in the past year or so. Having said that, Maigret and the Nahour Case is approximately the 65th book in this excellent series by Georges Simenon.
It's January and Paris is freezing in this Maigret story. Maigret and his wife have just returned from dinner with their friends, Doctor Pardon and his wife. In bed and asleep, Maigret receives an urgent call from Pardon. It seems that he had late patients show up on his door step and the woman was shot in the back. While he was cleaning up his office after working on the young lady, the two disappear. The next morning, when Maigret goes to his office he is made aware of the murder of a man in his home, the self-same Nahour of the title. While investigating this murder, it turns out that Nahour was married to a woman who matches the description of the lady who was fixed by Pardon.
Thus begins a very interesting investigation. Nahour's wife, a woman originally from Amsterdam, was planning to divorce and leave her husband for a young man from Columbia. Everybody seems to be lying when interrogated by Maigret and he is very frustrated. There seem to be four suspects and Maigret seems to be working in circles.
But the investigation is interesting and Maigret is at his best as he works through the case. It's simple but complex at the same time. Simenon lays out the case and the atmosphere excellently. You can feel the cold. I love Maigret's scratchy scarf, made for him by Madame Maigret. It's an enjoyable, quick read with an interesting ending (4 stars)
It's January and Paris is freezing in this Maigret story. Maigret and his wife have just returned from dinner with their friends, Doctor Pardon and his wife. In bed and asleep, Maigret receives an urgent call from Pardon. It seems that he had late patients show up on his door step and the woman was shot in the back. While he was cleaning up his office after working on the young lady, the two disappear. The next morning, when Maigret goes to his office he is made aware of the murder of a man in his home, the self-same Nahour of the title. While investigating this murder, it turns out that Nahour was married to a woman who matches the description of the lady who was fixed by Pardon.
Thus begins a very interesting investigation. Nahour's wife, a woman originally from Amsterdam, was planning to divorce and leave her husband for a young man from Columbia. Everybody seems to be lying when interrogated by Maigret and he is very frustrated. There seem to be four suspects and Maigret seems to be working in circles.
But the investigation is interesting and Maigret is at his best as he works through the case. It's simple but complex at the same time. Simenon lays out the case and the atmosphere excellently. You can feel the cold. I love Maigret's scratchy scarf, made for him by Madame Maigret. It's an enjoyable, quick read with an interesting ending (4 stars)
December 22, 2023
This was a good cosy murder mystery, only 163 pages in the telling. For those who have never read a Maigret book, Maigret is a very French detective who smokes a pipe and likes the occasional drink on the job. He comes across as a humane man when dealing with the victims and sometimes the instigators of crime. A number of the Maigret books have been seen on tv and are accessible on YouTube.
January 27, 2024
Really two and a half stars.
June 27, 2018
The truth is that the later 'Maigret' novels aren't as good as the early ones. Yet I have set myself the target of reading them all, and even a relatively weak 'Maigret' novel is still better than reading nothing. Also, this one isn't that bad. In fact the situation is interesting and the characters are intriguing. I have been reading the 'Maigret' novels for four years now and I am almost two-thirds of the way through the entire sequence :-)
April 16, 2020
I have read them in order and have found them all an enjoyable read. So sorry that I’m reaching the last one.
June 28, 2024
Újabb Maigret kötetet pipálhattam ki az olvasatlanok közül és a vcs-listáról is, méghozzá nem is akármilyet! A Maigret és a hazudós szeretők igazán remek olvasmány volt, ami kis híján kedvenc is lett, néhol úgy elandalítottak a mondatai.
"A főfelügyelő arca komor volt. Nagyokat szívott a pipából, sercegett a dohány. Csend vette körül őket, nem hatolt be zaj a kivattázott kinti világból."
Párizs, január tizennegyedike, mínusz 12 fok, vastag hó és fényes jégpáncélok...
Egy spanyol férfi és egy északi nő szegény Pardon doktort találja meg az éjszaka közepén, és a nő hátán egy lőtt seb van. A doktor persze segít, de jóhiszeműségét kihasználva, a párocska angolosan távozik, hogy ne hagyjanak maguk után nyomot... A golyó azonban ott van a rendelőben, és Pardon első dolga felhívni Maigret-t... Érdekes ügy bontakozik ki, és egész Amszterdamig vezet a nyomozás, amikor a nő férjét holtan találják dolgozószobájában. Lelőtték. A Pardonnál levő golyó pedig szintén egy, a szobában levő kis pisztolyból származik. Mi történhetett pontosan azon az éjszakán, abban a szobában? És pontosan kik voltak jelen? Ahogy Maigret nekilát rekonstruálni az eseményeket, lépten-nyomon akadályokba ütközik: a házvezetőnő, a szobalány, és a furcsa inas is kitérő válaszokat ad neki. Biztos, hogy van, aki hazudik, akár több ponton is.
És miközben a szeretőket előkerítik, még mindig sok kérdés marad megválaszolatlanul ebben a szerelmi háromszögben...
A nyomozás közben fogynak a pohár sörök, egy kis lélekerősítő whisky, burgunditörköly, és kávé. Ami pedig az étkezést illeti, már az első oldalon fűszeres, töltött birkalapockával találkozhatunk, később pedig hidegtál és elzászi káposzta is felbukkan.
Érdekesek a karakterek, jó húzás volt Pardon doktor bevonása a cselekménybe, tetszik a kettős jelentésű cím, a megoldás is, a hazugságok hálójának kibogozásával, és persze a szokásos kellemes elemek az ételekkel-italokkal-pipafüsttel, humorral, ezúttal a behavazott, "kivattázott" Párizsban. :)
Bővebben itt: https://pupillaolvas.blogspot.com/202...
"A főfelügyelő arca komor volt. Nagyokat szívott a pipából, sercegett a dohány. Csend vette körül őket, nem hatolt be zaj a kivattázott kinti világból."
Párizs, január tizennegyedike, mínusz 12 fok, vastag hó és fényes jégpáncélok...
Egy spanyol férfi és egy északi nő szegény Pardon doktort találja meg az éjszaka közepén, és a nő hátán egy lőtt seb van. A doktor persze segít, de jóhiszeműségét kihasználva, a párocska angolosan távozik, hogy ne hagyjanak maguk után nyomot... A golyó azonban ott van a rendelőben, és Pardon első dolga felhívni Maigret-t... Érdekes ügy bontakozik ki, és egész Amszterdamig vezet a nyomozás, amikor a nő férjét holtan találják dolgozószobájában. Lelőtték. A Pardonnál levő golyó pedig szintén egy, a szobában levő kis pisztolyból származik. Mi történhetett pontosan azon az éjszakán, abban a szobában? És pontosan kik voltak jelen? Ahogy Maigret nekilát rekonstruálni az eseményeket, lépten-nyomon akadályokba ütközik: a házvezetőnő, a szobalány, és a furcsa inas is kitérő válaszokat ad neki. Biztos, hogy van, aki hazudik, akár több ponton is.
És miközben a szeretőket előkerítik, még mindig sok kérdés marad megválaszolatlanul ebben a szerelmi háromszögben...
A nyomozás közben fogynak a pohár sörök, egy kis lélekerősítő whisky, burgunditörköly, és kávé. Ami pedig az étkezést illeti, már az első oldalon fűszeres, töltött birkalapockával találkozhatunk, később pedig hidegtál és elzászi káposzta is felbukkan.
Érdekesek a karakterek, jó húzás volt Pardon doktor bevonása a cselekménybe, tetszik a kettős jelentésű cím, a megoldás is, a hazugságok hálójának kibogozásával, és persze a szokásos kellemes elemek az ételekkel-italokkal-pipafüsttel, humorral, ezúttal a behavazott, "kivattázott" Párizsban. :)
Bővebben itt: https://pupillaolvas.blogspot.com/202...
September 26, 2022
This Maigret novel starts with a surprise for old fans. The phone rings in the middle of the night and Madame Maigret says, "Jules, the telephone....". She almost never refers to him by his first name.
Several pages later Simenon discusses Maigret's relationship with his closest friend, Dr. Pardon. He wonders, "Was it the respect they felt for each other that prevented them from using their first names?"
Maigret dives into the deepest and darkest parts of Parisians lives as he follows the trail of murderers. One of the ways he does it is to keep an almost bemused distance. To his fellow officers, to the criminals, to the witnesses, even to his best friend, he is "Maigret" or "Inspector Maigret". Even for his wife, it takes a startling late night phone call to be "Jules".
The call is from Dr. Pardon. A young woman with a gunshot wound came to his apartment with a man. They told a story that made no sense. After Pardon stopped the bleeding, they disappeared when he left the room for a few minutes. Pardon wants to know what to do.
The story spirals into an investigation of the murder of a wealthy society gambler, his much younger wife and her new lover. Maigret is a patient and cynical student of this idle rich world.
This is a good solid Maigret story.
Several pages later Simenon discusses Maigret's relationship with his closest friend, Dr. Pardon. He wonders, "Was it the respect they felt for each other that prevented them from using their first names?"
Maigret dives into the deepest and darkest parts of Parisians lives as he follows the trail of murderers. One of the ways he does it is to keep an almost bemused distance. To his fellow officers, to the criminals, to the witnesses, even to his best friend, he is "Maigret" or "Inspector Maigret". Even for his wife, it takes a startling late night phone call to be "Jules".
The call is from Dr. Pardon. A young woman with a gunshot wound came to his apartment with a man. They told a story that made no sense. After Pardon stopped the bleeding, they disappeared when he left the room for a few minutes. Pardon wants to know what to do.
The story spirals into an investigation of the murder of a wealthy society gambler, his much younger wife and her new lover. Maigret is a patient and cynical student of this idle rich world.
This is a good solid Maigret story.
July 15, 2010
This wasn't a BAD novel, it's just that it's a phenomenally nutless wonder of a book. It was all sort of polite and cozy, which I guess is why they call them "cozies." As a procedural, it's too methodical, and as a mystery, it's not that mysterious. There's no on-stage violence; it's all just sort of...bland. A fine read, but nothing to remember. Sort of feels like a wasted two hours, though not unpleasantly wasted.
November 15, 2017
Sorry, Maigret, but Simenon let you down on this one. The story is good, as far as it goes. However, it doesn't go very far. It's the shortest Maigret I've found (aside from those that are obviously short-stories); it builds up to a certain point, and then--nothing. Even the Chief Inspector gets ticked off by the end. It's like Simenon got bored and just tacked on an ending so he could send it off to the publisher. Perhaps using Middle Eastern characters was politically sensitive in 1966? Or was Simenon trying to write about a milieu he didn't know well? Or was he simply thinking about something else?
With a little development, this could have been a very good read. As it is, it just ends abruptly with a very unbelievable denouement--if you can even call it that.
The worst Simenon I've read to date--and it could have been very, very good. What he had was going well, but he just didn't bother.
With a little development, this could have been a very good read. As it is, it just ends abruptly with a very unbelievable denouement--if you can even call it that.
The worst Simenon I've read to date--and it could have been very, very good. What he had was going well, but he just didn't bother.
February 16, 2022
An engaging crime fiction novel about detective Maigret investigating the murder of Felix Nahour, a Lebanese professional gambler, aged 42. He has been married for six years to Lina, a beautiful blonde Dutch woman, in her 20s. They have two children. For the last twenty years Fouad Oueni, has been as Felix’s chauffeur and general aide.
Maigret learns early on that Lina had received a bullet wound to her side on the night her husband was murdered.
This book was first published in France in 1966. The novel is the 65th book in the Maigret series.
Maigret learns early on that Lina had received a bullet wound to her side on the night her husband was murdered.
This book was first published in France in 1966. The novel is the 65th book in the Maigret series.
November 12, 2021
La storia è bella, anche il finale/movente non scontati. La scrittura è splendida. Peccato che non mi abbia coinvolta più verso la fine, e non ho colto appieno il significato delle ultime 2 pagine..
July 15, 2024
Leitura leve, boa para as férias de verão.
April 12, 2023
When Maigret is in his home turf, he is an amazing investigator. I love his lunches and dinners with his wife, the way he delegates tasks, the way he thinks about stuff.
This might be the best book yet!
This might be the best book yet!
February 14, 2023
My original review as below from 2015 still stands.
Four and a half stars.
Another really atmospheric tale from Simenon. The fact that the ending was , I thought, a little sudden and just slightly unsatisfactory stopped me from giving it five stars. The rest of it was, as usual, a masterpiece of descriptive writing.
I don't know of any other writer who can say so much in so few pages.
Brilliant!!!
Four and a half stars.
Another really atmospheric tale from Simenon. The fact that the ending was , I thought, a little sudden and just slightly unsatisfactory stopped me from giving it five stars. The rest of it was, as usual, a masterpiece of descriptive writing.
I don't know of any other writer who can say so much in so few pages.
Brilliant!!!
August 17, 2020
I laughed out loud when I saw another reviewer's headline: "No plot." I've read at least 40 of these and plot is beside the point. It's about atmosphere, baby. Sleety Paris streets, cozy dive bars, Madame Maigret's homemade cassoulet. It's 9 a.m. and you're drinking a nice glass of white wine, or a demi or two of beer. L'Affaire Nahour even has a couple of morning whiskeys!
November 29, 2025
Maigret and the Nahour Case (1966), #65 in Georges Simenon’s Chief Inspector Maigret detective series (I have only seven to go, as I already recently read two later ones!) is a complex, tightly constructed case where you have no idea what happened until nearly the end of the 160 page book. The book begins with Dr. Pardon, Maigret’s only friend, calling him in the middle of the night to report that he removed a bullet and dressed the wound of a woman who left before he could get her name (This might have been called Dr. Pardon’s Case, I thought in the first fifteen pages, but he is not involved after this call, really, except to file a report).
Maigret learns before morning that Felix Nahour has been killed, shot through the throat. A woman, Lina, who had also been shot at apparently the same time, was Felix’s wife, whom we discover has left Paris for Amsterdam. Nahour is Lebanese, Lina Dutch, and the guy she flew town with,Vincent, is Colombian. I know, back-seat detectives, you got this figured out already, right? The estranged couple shoots each other, one winning the duel, right, and then off with a lover?
This is an “upper crust” tale of the rich, where Nahour, born into a banker's family, is a successful gambler, who married Lina, the former Miss Europe, when she was 19. Nahour is never without his “friend” or private advisor or something, Fouad Oueni, and Lina has a Dutch maid. There are two kids sort of in the picture, too, though they are boarded with a nurse in the Riviera.
The story is a police procedural where Maigret’s wits are tested by several very intelligent and articulate people, many of whom have reason to lie, and often do. The dialogue is terrific. Even as I followed things closely, getting a sense of what had happened, I was very, very surprised by the resolution! I think we are misdirected to think one thing, as is often the way in mysteries, though the resolution also seems ultimately plausible.
PS: Personal genealogical/cultural connection: Lina and Nelly are not just Dutch, but are identified as Frisian, as I am, by blood, though I was born in the US. When my parents wanted to keep a topic secret, they talked in Dutch, which they forbade us to learn so we would assimilate quietly (though we were familiar with several words and phrases and able to piece things together at times), but when they REALLY wanted to keep us from knowing what they were talking about they spoke Frisian (or one of the Frisian dialects? Both my mother’s family, The Kuipers/Kuypers, and the Schaafsmas, my Dad’s family, grew up near Groningen,though I am told ancestral roots for at least one of the families extend more to the north, into the area more formally known as Groningen. I invite clarification.
There was one early Maigret set by the Belgian Simenon in The Netherlands, Maigret in Holland.
Maigret learns before morning that Felix Nahour has been killed, shot through the throat. A woman, Lina, who had also been shot at apparently the same time, was Felix’s wife, whom we discover has left Paris for Amsterdam. Nahour is Lebanese, Lina Dutch, and the guy she flew town with,Vincent, is Colombian. I know, back-seat detectives, you got this figured out already, right? The estranged couple shoots each other, one winning the duel, right, and then off with a lover?
This is an “upper crust” tale of the rich, where Nahour, born into a banker's family, is a successful gambler, who married Lina, the former Miss Europe, when she was 19. Nahour is never without his “friend” or private advisor or something, Fouad Oueni, and Lina has a Dutch maid. There are two kids sort of in the picture, too, though they are boarded with a nurse in the Riviera.
The story is a police procedural where Maigret’s wits are tested by several very intelligent and articulate people, many of whom have reason to lie, and often do. The dialogue is terrific. Even as I followed things closely, getting a sense of what had happened, I was very, very surprised by the resolution! I think we are misdirected to think one thing, as is often the way in mysteries, though the resolution also seems ultimately plausible.
PS: Personal genealogical/cultural connection: Lina and Nelly are not just Dutch, but are identified as Frisian, as I am, by blood, though I was born in the US. When my parents wanted to keep a topic secret, they talked in Dutch, which they forbade us to learn so we would assimilate quietly (though we were familiar with several words and phrases and able to piece things together at times), but when they REALLY wanted to keep us from knowing what they were talking about they spoke Frisian (or one of the Frisian dialects? Both my mother’s family, The Kuipers/Kuypers, and the Schaafsmas, my Dad’s family, grew up near Groningen,though I am told ancestral roots for at least one of the families extend more to the north, into the area more formally known as Groningen. I invite clarification.
There was one early Maigret set by the Belgian Simenon in The Netherlands, Maigret in Holland.
October 20, 2022
Rating between 3.5 & 4
One of the last dozen novels in the series and not one of the better ones in my opinion.
The best things about the novel were the descriptions of the Paris winter which for some reason really stuck in my mind from a previous read, the friendship between Maigret and Pardon which up to this point has never intruded on either of their professional lives (as far as I can remember), some of the descriptions of the over heated, too warm hotels, bars etc where Maigret and his men have to go.
The actual murder is a straightforward forward shooting but the circumstances are more complex with no evidence other than hearsay.
As in the best novels by GS, the thoughts and emotions of the various protagonists are what drive the story forward, this time Maigret doesn’t really like any of the 4 suspects and seems to almost lose his temper with all of them over their almost continuous lying about the events under investigation.
The guilt or innocence of each person can really only be implied by their conversations with Maigret and the examining magistrate. As such some readers might find this novel quite weak as far as the detective element is concerned, and an ending that just seems to happen (if you see what I mean).
This isn’t unique for a Maigret novel I think but at times did feel more like one of his non-series novels which generally have a much more psychological edge to the stories.
A difficult one to rate for me really, it is definitely better than average for the series especially being number 64/5, and I did enjoy the overall atmosphere of this one so bumped it to 4 rather than down to 3.
Still a solid recommendation but would suggest either read from the beginning, but that is a tall order as at one per month it would take 5 years to get to this title, or randomly take titles from various periods of the series to get full flavour and style of GS writing
One of the last dozen novels in the series and not one of the better ones in my opinion.
The best things about the novel were the descriptions of the Paris winter which for some reason really stuck in my mind from a previous read, the friendship between Maigret and Pardon which up to this point has never intruded on either of their professional lives (as far as I can remember), some of the descriptions of the over heated, too warm hotels, bars etc where Maigret and his men have to go.
The actual murder is a straightforward forward shooting but the circumstances are more complex with no evidence other than hearsay.
As in the best novels by GS, the thoughts and emotions of the various protagonists are what drive the story forward, this time Maigret doesn’t really like any of the 4 suspects and seems to almost lose his temper with all of them over their almost continuous lying about the events under investigation.
The guilt or innocence of each person can really only be implied by their conversations with Maigret and the examining magistrate. As such some readers might find this novel quite weak as far as the detective element is concerned, and an ending that just seems to happen (if you see what I mean).
This isn’t unique for a Maigret novel I think but at times did feel more like one of his non-series novels which generally have a much more psychological edge to the stories.
A difficult one to rate for me really, it is definitely better than average for the series especially being number 64/5, and I did enjoy the overall atmosphere of this one so bumped it to 4 rather than down to 3.
Still a solid recommendation but would suggest either read from the beginning, but that is a tall order as at one per month it would take 5 years to get to this title, or randomly take titles from various periods of the series to get full flavour and style of GS writing
October 16, 2024
This is a cool little whodunnit by Simenon. It has been a long time since I have read one of his mysteries, so I do not recall if all of his books follow this pattern, but they might. He was one of the world's most popular writers in his day, and his books used to be turn up everywhere. That is probably no longer the case; most mystery stories do not outlive their eras (with a few exceptions of course). One can see why his books were so popular; they are short, logical, and concise, and contain elements of everyday reality. For example, Maigret is often grabbing a beer at a bar, playing around with his tobacco pipe, or having dinner with his wife or a friend. These are not very exciting details, but any reader could relate to them.
In this story, a mysterious woman turns up at a doctor's office with an unexplained gunshot wound, and then disappears into the night. (By the way, I found it not at all believable that she shrugged off this bullet wound and returned to her normal behaviors the next day.) It turns out that she was a former beauty queen from Holland, and the unfaithful wife of a mysterious Lebanese man, a professional gambler and/or gambling club owner. Maigret visits the mysterious house in which the couple lived. Within there are a several potential suspects - a couple of maids and a suspicious personal secretary, not to mention the woman's young, Colombian lover. Most of them have little to say, and Maigret is certain that they are all hiding things. By carefully interviewing these people, Maigret unravels the relationships and eventually gets to the bottom of what happened. The story follows the classic mystery pattern: a rational detective (Maigret) delves into a sleazy world (this one featuring gambling, foreigners, and marital infidelity) in order to solve a crime and set things right.
In this story, a mysterious woman turns up at a doctor's office with an unexplained gunshot wound, and then disappears into the night. (By the way, I found it not at all believable that she shrugged off this bullet wound and returned to her normal behaviors the next day.) It turns out that she was a former beauty queen from Holland, and the unfaithful wife of a mysterious Lebanese man, a professional gambler and/or gambling club owner. Maigret visits the mysterious house in which the couple lived. Within there are a several potential suspects - a couple of maids and a suspicious personal secretary, not to mention the woman's young, Colombian lover. Most of them have little to say, and Maigret is certain that they are all hiding things. By carefully interviewing these people, Maigret unravels the relationships and eventually gets to the bottom of what happened. The story follows the classic mystery pattern: a rational detective (Maigret) delves into a sleazy world (this one featuring gambling, foreigners, and marital infidelity) in order to solve a crime and set things right.
December 21, 2025
Short but satisfying. Hours after he and his wife join friends for a monthly dinner, Maigret is awakened by a phone call from the people he just left. The man, a doctor, has just treated a beautiful but mute woman wounded by a gunshot, but then she and her handsome male companion beat it before he can report the wound to the police. He gives Maigret a description, noting
that the woman had an odd scar by her eye, but there's little Maigret can do about it.
Later, he's called to the scene of a murder. A Lebanese man known as a professional gambler has been killed in his study, shot dead by a large caliber gun. Under his body is a smaller caliber gun that matches the caliber of the bullet pulled from the wounded woman, and on his desk is a picture showing a blonde woman with that exact scar.
Maigret then has to track down the fugitives and question everyone in the house, knowing that they are all, for various reasons, lying to him. It takes a while for him to pierce the web of deceit, but the plot of the book keeps moving along steadily, puffing like Maigret with one of his pipes. In the end, he gets his man, but in the process feels he's destroyed a chance at happiness for someone who was innocent.
This book is fewer than 200 pages long, a model for more verbose mystery writers. Simenon was a master at evoking Paris, in this case in the dead of winter. As I got to the end, I felt a shiver.
that the woman had an odd scar by her eye, but there's little Maigret can do about it.
Later, he's called to the scene of a murder. A Lebanese man known as a professional gambler has been killed in his study, shot dead by a large caliber gun. Under his body is a smaller caliber gun that matches the caliber of the bullet pulled from the wounded woman, and on his desk is a picture showing a blonde woman with that exact scar.
Maigret then has to track down the fugitives and question everyone in the house, knowing that they are all, for various reasons, lying to him. It takes a while for him to pierce the web of deceit, but the plot of the book keeps moving along steadily, puffing like Maigret with one of his pipes. In the end, he gets his man, but in the process feels he's destroyed a chance at happiness for someone who was innocent.
This book is fewer than 200 pages long, a model for more verbose mystery writers. Simenon was a master at evoking Paris, in this case in the dead of winter. As I got to the end, I felt a shiver.
May 16, 2022
L'entrée de ce roman est atypique: le Dr Pardon, le meilleur ami du couple Maigret, reçoit la visite nocturne d'une jeune femme blessée par balle, accompagnée d'un jeune homme aux airs exotiques. Une fois les soins reçus, ils s'enfuient. Pardon contacte Maigret.
Félix Nahour, un Oriental, a gagné sa fortune au jeu et épousé, sur le tard, une reine de beauté Hollandaise. Ensemble, ils voyagent de casino en cercles de jeux. Ils sont établis à Paris quand, le matin suivant la visite nocturne chez le Dr Pardon, Nahour est retrouvé abattu dans son bureau.
Très vite, le lien entre les deux évènements s'établit. Mais, chaque témoin, chaque membre de la maisonnée est peu disert. Qui ment ? Qui est sincère ? Qui était Félix Nahour ? Quel est le rôle de son étrange secrétaire ?
Comme d'habitude, l'affaire est réglée en 8 chapitres. Cette fois-ci, j'ai particulièrement ressenti l'époque d'écriture du livre : le suprématisme Blanc sur les "Orientaux", les personnes "d'une autre race"; la suprématie française sur les Pays-Bas ; Maigret en chef paternel distribuant les "mon petit" à tour de bras... et, bien entendu, la place secondaire et servile des femmes, (ah cette Madame Maigret, qui cuisine de la choucroute, et tricote des écharpes trop chaude...) Une ancienne normalité qu'on ne regrette pas.
Félix Nahour, un Oriental, a gagné sa fortune au jeu et épousé, sur le tard, une reine de beauté Hollandaise. Ensemble, ils voyagent de casino en cercles de jeux. Ils sont établis à Paris quand, le matin suivant la visite nocturne chez le Dr Pardon, Nahour est retrouvé abattu dans son bureau.
Très vite, le lien entre les deux évènements s'établit. Mais, chaque témoin, chaque membre de la maisonnée est peu disert. Qui ment ? Qui est sincère ? Qui était Félix Nahour ? Quel est le rôle de son étrange secrétaire ?
Comme d'habitude, l'affaire est réglée en 8 chapitres. Cette fois-ci, j'ai particulièrement ressenti l'époque d'écriture du livre : le suprématisme Blanc sur les "Orientaux", les personnes "d'une autre race"; la suprématie française sur les Pays-Bas ; Maigret en chef paternel distribuant les "mon petit" à tour de bras... et, bien entendu, la place secondaire et servile des femmes, (ah cette Madame Maigret, qui cuisine de la choucroute, et tricote des écharpes trop chaude...) Une ancienne normalité qu'on ne regrette pas.
November 5, 2021
Many of Maigret’s cases (or Simenon’s plots) involve a rich man shot in his own home. This is one of those, only it starts with a mysterious call to Maigret from Pardon, the Maigrets’ physician and personal friend. By the time Maigret learns of the death of Félix Nahour he has already been introduced to another aspect of the case.
In many of his plots, Simenon also includes people telling lies when they are questioned, so that Maigret has to puzzle through and determine the truth for himself. This is one of those.
Nahour is a man from a banking family in Beirut. His wife is a Dutch beauty queen. They are ill-matched and once she has given him a son they grow apart, and the seeds are planted for the tragedy that follows.
Basically, this is a typical Maigret case from start to finish, one of the few where the story ends with a court verdict. The story takes place in harsh January weather, where the worst that winter throws at Paris is on display. Maigret wears the thick woolly scarf that his wife has knit for him, but as the case comes to a close he finds it too warm and itchy and regrets that he must carry it around with him. I think there’s symbolism there.
Definitely one of the better Maigrets, and it can work as a standalone. Recommended.
In many of his plots, Simenon also includes people telling lies when they are questioned, so that Maigret has to puzzle through and determine the truth for himself. This is one of those.
Nahour is a man from a banking family in Beirut. His wife is a Dutch beauty queen. They are ill-matched and once she has given him a son they grow apart, and the seeds are planted for the tragedy that follows.
Basically, this is a typical Maigret case from start to finish, one of the few where the story ends with a court verdict. The story takes place in harsh January weather, where the worst that winter throws at Paris is on display. Maigret wears the thick woolly scarf that his wife has knit for him, but as the case comes to a close he finds it too warm and itchy and regrets that he must carry it around with him. I think there’s symbolism there.
Definitely one of the better Maigrets, and it can work as a standalone. Recommended.
March 11, 2019
It is harshest winter in Paris and Maigret has another perplexing murder. The inspector is having dinner with Dr. Pardon when the good doctor is called to treat an emergency in his office. A beautiful young woman has been wounded in the back; her companion says it was a random street crime, but they both leave the office without a referral to a hospital. Maigret isn’t buying THAT story. Next day, M Nahour, a Lebanese backer/gambler has been fund shot in his fancy apartment. It turns out Nahour’s wife is a gorgeous beauty contest winner, but she has fled to her native Holland; she is clearly the wounded lady. Nahour has a secretary M. Oueni, who lives there and is some kind of gambling guru, but what is his role in all this? Efforts to find out what happened let alone who did it are stone walled by lies. Needless to say, Maigret’s experience and skill are ultimately up to the task. As usual, these short novels are a soothing diversion from real life.
March 11, 2023
Suite à ma précédente lecture, je remarquais l’image de Paris et de la France qu’offraient les Maigret. Sortes de photographies nous racontant la vie d’alors, les concierges, les relations de couples (et extra-conjugales) et la vie des hommes avec la consommation d’alcool ou du tabac (pas vraiment compatible avec la loi Évin)
Mais aujourd’hui, il est tout aussi intéressant de voir quel est la place des femmes chez Simenon. Certes, l’homme aux 10’000 femmes a déjà du tirer l’oeil là dessus. Reste qu’il est fort amusant de s’attarder sur Madame Maigret, son rôle d’épouse, de ménagère, de cuisinière (et quelle cuisinière, misère !), de confidente, de supportrice inconditionnelle ou chauffeuse (oui, elle a son permis de conduire, Monsieur non !).
Et la cuisine française !
Un meurtre dans le monde du jeu, celui de l’illusion et du mensonge
https://www.noid.ch/maigret-et-laffai...
Mais aujourd’hui, il est tout aussi intéressant de voir quel est la place des femmes chez Simenon. Certes, l’homme aux 10’000 femmes a déjà du tirer l’oeil là dessus. Reste qu’il est fort amusant de s’attarder sur Madame Maigret, son rôle d’épouse, de ménagère, de cuisinière (et quelle cuisinière, misère !), de confidente, de supportrice inconditionnelle ou chauffeuse (oui, elle a son permis de conduire, Monsieur non !).
Et la cuisine française !
Un meurtre dans le monde du jeu, celui de l’illusion et du mensonge
https://www.noid.ch/maigret-et-laffai...
June 20, 2025
🇨🇵 Les personnages sont excellents, comme souvent chez Simenon, en particulier une sorte de secrétaire du défunt. Dommage pour la fin en queue de poisson. Mais cela fait écho au malaise de Maigret, qui évolue dans un milieu qui lui est étranger et qui l’indispose.
3 étoiles pour l’histoire seule, mais 4 étoiles si l’on connaît un peu Maigret à travers d’autres romans.
🇮🇹 I personaggi sono eccellenti, come spesso accade nei romanzi di Simenon, in particolare una sorta di segretario del defunto. Peccato per il finale un po’ inconcludente. Ma questo riflette il disagio di Maigret, che si trova a muoversi in un ambiente a lui estraneo e che lo mette a disagio.
3 stelle per la storia in sé, ma 4 stelle se si conosce un po’ Maigret attraverso altri romanzi.
3 étoiles pour l’histoire seule, mais 4 étoiles si l’on connaît un peu Maigret à travers d’autres romans.
🇮🇹 I personaggi sono eccellenti, come spesso accade nei romanzi di Simenon, in particolare una sorta di segretario del defunto. Peccato per il finale un po’ inconcludente. Ma questo riflette il disagio di Maigret, che si trova a muoversi in un ambiente a lui estraneo e che lo mette a disagio.
3 stelle per la storia in sé, ma 4 stelle se si conosce un po’ Maigret attraverso altri romanzi.
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