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Inspector Maigret #64
Maigret Bides His Time
Maigrets longest-running case involves two decades of jewelry heists, a generation of conspiracy, and the revelation of a long-buried secret from World War II. [Simenon could] turn the simplest of romans policiers into a moving and memorable form of art. The Times (London) [Maigrets investigation] is a bittersweet elegy for the glory days of both thief and cop. Chicago Sun-Times
4 pages, Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1965
About the author
Georges Simenon
1,821 books1,888 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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March 15, 2022
سرقت‌های زیادی در ماه‌های اخیر از جواهر فروشی‌های منطقه شده... اشتراک سرقت‌ها سارقان جوانی هستند که از جنوب کشور می‌آیند... بنظر می‌رسد یک سارق باسابقه پشت این جریان است... اما مگره و دایره جنایی سال‌هاست مردی که به‌نظر پشت این جریان است را زیرنظر دارند... حال این مرد به قتل می‌رسد... آیا او مرد پشت تمام دزدی‌ها بوده؟ چه کسی او را به قتل رسانده؟
عیش مدام است خوانش سیمنون. سیمنون هر نکته‌ی اضافه را حذف می‌کند... حتی در پایان کتاب میان دو مجرم نمی‌دانیم چه کسی شلیک نهایی را انجام داده و مگره آن‌را به قاضی واگذار می‌کند و کتاب به پایان می‌رسد! طنز سیمنون هم مثل همیشه به جذابیت کتاب می‌افزاید:
بیشتر می‌شد گفت یکی از این دانشجویانی است که در دانشگاه درجا می‌زنند و عجله ای برای ترک محیط دانشگاهی و زندگی آسان ندارند. البته آسان، برای آن‌هایی که جایی برای زندگی و یک پدر پولدار دارند!
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در دادگستری می‌گفتند او شش بچه دارد؛ در زندگی زناشویی‌اش فاقد اختیار است
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هتل آسانسور نداشت و بدخلقی پیشخدمت توجیه می‌شد. در این دسته از هتل‌های درجه دو و سه، اغلب پرنسل شب مرکب از نمونه‌های بی‌رنگ و جلایی از نوع بشرند و به‌راحتی می‌شود از میانشان قوم یاجوج و ماجوج را تکمیل کرد.
عیش مدام است خوانش سیمنون. سیمنون هر نکته‌ی اضافه را حذف می‌کند... حتی در پایان کتاب میان دو مجرم نمی‌دانیم چه کسی شلیک نهایی را انجام داده و مگره آن‌را به قاضی واگذار می‌کند و کتاب به پایان می‌رسد! طنز سیمنون هم مثل همیشه به جذابیت کتاب می‌افزاید:
بیشتر می‌شد گفت یکی از این دانشجویانی است که در دانشگاه درجا می‌زنند و عجله ای برای ترک محیط دانشگاهی و زندگی آسان ندارند. البته آسان، برای آن‌هایی که جایی برای زندگی و یک پدر پولدار دارند!
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در دادگستری می‌گفتند او شش بچه دارد؛ در زندگی زناشویی‌اش فاقد اختیار است
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هتل آسانسور نداشت و بدخلقی پیشخدمت توجیه می‌شد. در این دسته از هتل‌های درجه دو و سه، اغلب پرنسل شب مرکب از نمونه‌های بی‌رنگ و جلایی از نوع بشرند و به‌راحتی می‌شود از میانشان قوم یاجوج و ماجوج را تکمیل کرد.
April 7, 2021
Ogni episodio del commissario Maigret ( uso termini televisivi ma mi pare di vederlo mentre leggo) ha delle particolarità che te lo faranno rimanere in mente a lungo. Questo episodio, in cui il commissario indaga sulla morte di un criminale di lungo corso, Manuel Palmari, famigerato ladro di gioielli, mi resterà in mente per due scene emozionanti, in cui passioni e sentimenti lontanissimi si stagliano nelle pagine come colossi. Da un lato c’è una bambina di pochi anni che si aggira in una piccola stazione belga appena colpita dai bombardamenti tedeschi, tra feriti e morti, si avvicina a un anziano signore che gli ricorda suo nonno, gli prende la mano e gliela stringe forte. Dall’altro c’è la scena finale, un duello tra due belve, due criminali che sono stati complici e amanti, ma ora sono soltanto due bestie che vogliono annientarsi con la forza dell’odio più profondo.
Simenon è un grande, sempre.
Simenon è un grande, sempre.
November 28, 2021
Maigret non giudica mai moralisticamente i colpevoli che e' chiamato ad arrestare, non infierisce sulle persone in suo potere. Non pontifica mai sui comportamenti, consapevole che molto spesso, se non sempre, ogni persona, in determinate occasioni, potrebbe compiere azioni riprovevoli. Questo salvo eccezioni! Salvo i casi nei quali si ritrova ad avere a che fare con criminali che lo fanno letteralmente uscire dai gangheri, e non per la particolare efferatezza del crimine, quanto per la loro meschinita', per il tradimento gratuito di alcune regole basilari presenti anche nella prassi malavitosa. In questo caso il commissario e' chiamato ad indagare sull'omicidio di un suo vecchio "caro nemico", un ladro di gioielli ormai invalido e in la' con gli anni che non e' mai riuscito ad incastrare.
June 28, 2019
Whenever I am looking for a great crime read, my first choice is usually the late Georges Simenon, the creator of Inspector (later Superintendent) Jules Maigret. Like the author, Maigret always had a pipe in his mouth. I cannot help but think that Simenon thought of himself as his hero, but whenever I visualize the French detective, I have a different image in my mind, that of the film comedian Jacques Tati (1907-1982), Simenon’s near contemporary.
I have just finished reading The Patience of Maigret [La Patience de Maigret] (1965), the 92nd Maigret in a series extending to 103 titles. Although the ones he wrote in the 1930s were brilliant, there was no noticeable falling-off with the later novels.
Maigret is in many ways the anti-Sherlock-Holmes. His cases are not solved as much through ratiocination as by a fanatical thoroughgoing diligence and its hero’s trust in the picture of the crime that emerges as a result. Near the beginning, Simenon describes Maigret going through his paces: “And yet that was how the Superintendent had succeeded with most of his investigations: climbing stairs, sniffing in the corners, having a chat here and there, and asking apparently futile questions, often spending hours in rather shady bistros.”
At another point, he writes: “People had a mania about asking him about his methods. Some of them even thought they could analyse them and he would look at them with bantering curiosity because they knew more about it than he, who usually improvised at the whim of his instinct.”
In The Patience of Maigret, everyone is stumped. In fact, the jewel crimes at the heart of them have been going on for over twenty years, but no one could figure out who was cutting the gemstones out of their settings in order to fence the loot. The answer comes at blinding speed in response to a comment made during a phone call to the former mayor of Douai. When that happens, Maigret corrals the guilty parties and ties everything together with giftwrap for the examining magistrates who will do the heavy lifting for the prosecution.
I have just finished reading The Patience of Maigret [La Patience de Maigret] (1965), the 92nd Maigret in a series extending to 103 titles. Although the ones he wrote in the 1930s were brilliant, there was no noticeable falling-off with the later novels.
Maigret is in many ways the anti-Sherlock-Holmes. His cases are not solved as much through ratiocination as by a fanatical thoroughgoing diligence and its hero’s trust in the picture of the crime that emerges as a result. Near the beginning, Simenon describes Maigret going through his paces: “And yet that was how the Superintendent had succeeded with most of his investigations: climbing stairs, sniffing in the corners, having a chat here and there, and asking apparently futile questions, often spending hours in rather shady bistros.”
At another point, he writes: “People had a mania about asking him about his methods. Some of them even thought they could analyse them and he would look at them with bantering curiosity because they knew more about it than he, who usually improvised at the whim of his instinct.”
In The Patience of Maigret, everyone is stumped. In fact, the jewel crimes at the heart of them have been going on for over twenty years, but no one could figure out who was cutting the gemstones out of their settings in order to fence the loot. The answer comes at blinding speed in response to a comment made during a phone call to the former mayor of Douai. When that happens, Maigret corrals the guilty parties and ties everything together with giftwrap for the examining magistrates who will do the heavy lifting for the prosecution.
March 11, 2024
“Eppure era proprio così che il commissario aveva risolto la maggior parte delle sue inchieste: salendo scale, fiutando in ogni angolo, chiacchierando a destra e a manca, facendo domande in apparenza oziose, passando ore in bistrot a volte poco raccomandabili.”
Eh, già: perché essendo un funzionario di alto grado Maigret dovrebbe starsene in ufficio a tirare le fila delle indagini sguinzagliando i suoi ispettori a destra e a manca e non fare, come invece fa, il cane segugio intento a fiutare le giuste piste lungo la strada.
Ed ecco che l’omicidio di Manuel, gangster in sedia a rotelle -una vecchia conoscenza del commissario e pure nostra- impegnerà la sua attenzione a scandagliare tutti i risvolti oscuri della vicenda. Vedremo allora il massiccio commissario aggirarsi lungo i corridoi del palazzo dove il pregiudicato abitava e concentrarsi in molti puntuti interrogatori dei vari condòmini, nel solito accerchiamento sempre più stringato intorno alla verità.
E nel conoscere i diversi personaggi che si muovono in questo nuovo teatro di miserie umane, accompagnando Maigret nella sua paziente esplorazione, scopriremo con crescente inquietudine sia la ferocia sia la tenerezza che abitano il cuore umano.
Eh, già: perché essendo un funzionario di alto grado Maigret dovrebbe starsene in ufficio a tirare le fila delle indagini sguinzagliando i suoi ispettori a destra e a manca e non fare, come invece fa, il cane segugio intento a fiutare le giuste piste lungo la strada.
Ed ecco che l’omicidio di Manuel, gangster in sedia a rotelle -una vecchia conoscenza del commissario e pure nostra- impegnerà la sua attenzione a scandagliare tutti i risvolti oscuri della vicenda. Vedremo allora il massiccio commissario aggirarsi lungo i corridoi del palazzo dove il pregiudicato abitava e concentrarsi in molti puntuti interrogatori dei vari condòmini, nel solito accerchiamento sempre più stringato intorno alla verità.
E nel conoscere i diversi personaggi che si muovono in questo nuovo teatro di miserie umane, accompagnando Maigret nella sua paziente esplorazione, scopriremo con crescente inquietudine sia la ferocia sia la tenerezza che abitano il cuore umano.
November 16, 2023
Published for the first time in 1939, this is one of the earliest Maigret novels.
The plot isn't the most intriguing one, some burglars being the unknown authors of a series of jewel robberies, but the atmosphere and some bright ideas make this one quite valuable.
The plot isn't the most intriguing one, some burglars being the unknown authors of a series of jewel robberies, but the atmosphere and some bright ideas make this one quite valuable.
February 12, 2019
Somewhat usually in the Maigret series we have two books linked and almost a continuation of the characters introduced in the previous novel.
Perhaps as at no other time the order of these two books is fundamental in understanding the wider plot. Although as in all novels each has a stand-alone quality of plot and conclusion.
It is the fact that the author makes reference to the chronology that perhaps points to the reflective nature of his detective in this episode.
Despite less than a fortnight earlier being on trial for his reputation and to keep his job. Maigret here is ultra professional, still focused on the recent spate of jewellery robberies and still preoccupied with the crook he has had in the frame for some 20 years.
The patience shown by the inspector is in complete contrast to the headstrong motives of the background players wanting to take over the thefts and take the profits now rather than some years down the line.
I love the gentle pace here. The loyalty his men continue to show him the respect paid to Maigret by the assigned magistrate and the spirit of recollection and memories, good and bad.
There is also a vibrancy of colour invading Paris that perhaps shows a twist in Maigret’s mood and signals that he has overcome his recent disappointment.
Perhaps as at no other time the order of these two books is fundamental in understanding the wider plot. Although as in all novels each has a stand-alone quality of plot and conclusion.
It is the fact that the author makes reference to the chronology that perhaps points to the reflective nature of his detective in this episode.
Despite less than a fortnight earlier being on trial for his reputation and to keep his job. Maigret here is ultra professional, still focused on the recent spate of jewellery robberies and still preoccupied with the crook he has had in the frame for some 20 years.
The patience shown by the inspector is in complete contrast to the headstrong motives of the background players wanting to take over the thefts and take the profits now rather than some years down the line.
I love the gentle pace here. The loyalty his men continue to show him the respect paid to Maigret by the assigned magistrate and the spirit of recollection and memories, good and bad.
There is also a vibrancy of colour invading Paris that perhaps shows a twist in Maigret’s mood and signals that he has overcome his recent disappointment.
September 30, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2011
Another winner is Simenon's Maigret series.........his stories are a joy to read because there are no frills or excess. Just straight to the point narrative which is still descriptive enough for you to smell the spring air in Paris and enjoy a wine with Maigret at the local brasserie. In this tale, Maigret takes on the murder of an old adversary who he had been investigating for years but with whom he had a grudgingly friendly relationship.
In Simenon's books, there usually is no mystery as to who committed the crime....it is the process of hunting down evidence on which he concentrates. I enjoyed this book immensely and it is up to the high standards that typifies the quality of Simenon's writing.
In Simenon's books, there usually is no mystery as to who committed the crime....it is the process of hunting down evidence on which he concentrates. I enjoyed this book immensely and it is up to the high standards that typifies the quality of Simenon's writing.
May 4, 2021
The edition Mom had was the older English translation, and titled The Patience of Maigret. A better title, I think. I wish those old versions would appear as ebooks.
November 30, 2013
Even late in his career, Georges Simenon could write great Maigret novels -- in his sleep, if necessary! Maigret Bides His Time (in French: Patience de Maigret) is about a series of grab-and-run jewelry robberies that has bedeviled the French police for some twenty years. The curious thing is that Superintendent Maigret knew who planned the robberies all along: A wheelchair-bound Corsican cripple named Manuel Palmari. It's just that he didn't know the entire cast of characters and how they interacted, most especially the diamond-cutter who took the stolen goods and reset them for sale to a fence.
In 1965, thirty years after he published his first Maigret -- Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett -- was just as exciting and well crafted in Maigret Bides His Time. Maigret is still the same massive detective superintendent who can suck the air out of the room just by entering it. Inspector Janvier here observes his boss at work:
It is not that Maigret deduces. Rather, he creates an environment where the solution comes to him. Very gallic, very different.
In 1965, thirty years after he published his first Maigret -- Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett -- was just as exciting and well crafted in Maigret Bides His Time. Maigret is still the same massive detective superintendent who can suck the air out of the room just by entering it. Inspector Janvier here observes his boss at work:
The day before, Maigret had plunged into the case with a light-hearted frenzy, producing characters out of the dark, turning them this way and that in his large paws like a cat with a mouse, and then putting them back in their corners. He sent inspectors left and right, as though he had no definite plan, telling himself something would always emerge. [Italics mine]What Maigret does is not the classical Anglo-American method of ratiocination first postulated by Edgar Allan Poe, but the French method of débrouillage -- cutting through the fog.
Suddenly he was no longer playing. Janvier was sitting next to another person, a human bulk that nothing could affect, an almost terrifying monolith.
It is not that Maigret deduces. Rather, he creates an environment where the solution comes to him. Very gallic, very different.
January 27, 2022
I love Maigret
And this book contributes to that feeling. He know his officers and he knows his criminals. He is a man born to keep Paris safe. Here, he has a puzzle to solve and he knows how to get the information that he needs. I love the way Simenon creates his characters. Maigret has been working 20 years to solve a series of jewelry store robberies. With the death of a primary suspect, he solves the murder and the thefts in a matter of days.
And this book contributes to that feeling. He know his officers and he knows his criminals. He is a man born to keep Paris safe. Here, he has a puzzle to solve and he knows how to get the information that he needs. I love the way Simenon creates his characters. Maigret has been working 20 years to solve a series of jewelry store robberies. With the death of a primary suspect, he solves the murder and the thefts in a matter of days.
November 2, 2018
So very delightful to be able to revisit Maigret.
In my youth, after I had read all the Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers books, I found Georges Simenon. I wore myself out reading all that I could find, and now, I wish I had kept notes 50 years ago.
He does not disappoint. If you like... then you'll like...
In my youth, after I had read all the Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers books, I found Georges Simenon. I wore myself out reading all that I could find, and now, I wish I had kept notes 50 years ago.
He does not disappoint. If you like... then you'll like...
July 28, 2019
A very solid Maigret. The best part is when Maigret is investigating the occupants of an apartment building and Simenon offers capsule descriptions of each individual or family. It's a fascinating slice of life in Paris in the 1960s.
April 3, 2022
Another masterful novel by Georges Simenon...it never ceases to amaze me how Simenon can pack so much narrative, and keep the reader on edge, telling a complete story in only 125-150 pages.
Maybe some contemporary novelists with their 400-500 pages of text can learn from him!
Maybe some contemporary novelists with their 400-500 pages of text can learn from him!
September 4, 2023
An ageing, disabled mobster who may be connected to a series of jewellery heists is killed in his apartment building—a building that no one was seen entering or leaving. Whodunnit? This is a bit of classic detective fiction, and Georges Simenon knows exactly what his readership is looking for. Brisk and light, for me Maigret Bides His Time was enlivened by the fact that for a time I lived in the Parisian neighbourhood in which it's set.
January 5, 2020
Maigret has a grudging respect for Manuel Palmari. He's used the Corsican gangster as an informant over the years and though Palmari is wheelchair-bound, he still has contacts to the outside world through his girl friend Aline. Maigret goes floor to floor interviewing the residents of the boarding house where the couple lived while he has Janvier and Lucas stake out all the prinicipals to track their actions.
This case, his longest, will take a lot of pipe-fulls of tobbacco to solve in Maigret's characteristic patient and meticulous manner. For 20 years, the police have been stymied by a series of smash-and-grab jewelry story window robberies. Stolen jewelry requires a diamond-cutter to re-sell the jewels and Maigrait finally tracks him down among the boardinghouse denizens where he has a relationship - both personal and professional - with Aline. As is usual with Maigret, he sets the scene and lets the criminals solve the case! In this instance, a literal fist fight between Aline and the diamond cutter. Also as usual, the case can be traced back to a World War It's always fun to follow Maigret through Paris from his home on Richard Lenoir, a street I know well, to his favorite bistros.
This case, his longest, will take a lot of pipe-fulls of tobbacco to solve in Maigret's characteristic patient and meticulous manner. For 20 years, the police have been stymied by a series of smash-and-grab jewelry story window robberies. Stolen jewelry requires a diamond-cutter to re-sell the jewels and Maigrait finally tracks him down among the boardinghouse denizens where he has a relationship - both personal and professional - with Aline. As is usual with Maigret, he sets the scene and lets the criminals solve the case! In this instance, a literal fist fight between Aline and the diamond cutter. Also as usual, the case can be traced back to a World War It's always fun to follow Maigret through Paris from his home on Richard Lenoir, a street I know well, to his favorite bistros.
October 5, 2020
One of the best of all the Maigret novels. Plot, character, sense of place, dénouement are all first rate. The GR blurb:
‘ Maigret finds himself back on the Rue des Acacias just ten days after cracking another case there. This time it is the murder of a criminal Maigret has known for over twenty years and one he always suspected was behind a string of jewellery robberies in the city. Maigret's patience is tested as he eliminates neighbour by neighbour in his hunt for the murderer.
This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret Bides His Time.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville
'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories' Guardian.’
‘ Maigret finds himself back on the Rue des Acacias just ten days after cracking another case there. This time it is the murder of a criminal Maigret has known for over twenty years and one he always suspected was behind a string of jewellery robberies in the city. Maigret's patience is tested as he eliminates neighbour by neighbour in his hunt for the murderer.
This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret Bides His Time.
'His artistry is supreme' John Banville
'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories' Guardian.’
March 12, 2021
Still pleasantly surprised by these books. Quick, easy reads, but also good characters that aren’t cardboard with decent plots. And no super surprise endings; they’re whodunnits, of course, but it’s not usually the guy from page 6 who we never see again until he’s revealed as the murder.
March 28, 2020
Another good book from Simenon.
July 8, 2018
- Je n'ai rien entendu.
- Vous n'avez pas entendu non plus la voix de votre patronne parlant au téléphone?
- La porte était fermée.
- À quelle heure avez-vous vu Mlle Bauche ce matin?
- Je ne sais pas au juste. Dix minutes ou un quart d'heure après mon arrivée.
- Comment était-elle
- Elle avait pleuré.
- Elle ne pleurait plus?
- Non. Elle m'a dit:
"- Ne me laisse pas seule. J'ai peur de m'evanouir. On a tué papa.
- Ensuite?
- Elle s'est dirigée vers la chambre où je l'ai suivie. Ce n'est qu'après s'être jetée sur le lit qu'elle s'est mise à pleurer de nouveau.
Puis elle m'a dit:
" - Quand on sonnera à la porte, tu iras ouvrir. J'ai appelé la police.
- Vous n'avez pas eu la curiosité de demander des détails?...
- Vous n'avez pas entendu non plus la voix de votre patronne parlant au téléphone?
- La porte était fermée.
- À quelle heure avez-vous vu Mlle Bauche ce matin?
- Je ne sais pas au juste. Dix minutes ou un quart d'heure après mon arrivée.
- Comment était-elle
- Elle avait pleuré.
- Elle ne pleurait plus?
- Non. Elle m'a dit:
"- Ne me laisse pas seule. J'ai peur de m'evanouir. On a tué papa.
- Ensuite?
- Elle s'est dirigée vers la chambre où je l'ai suivie. Ce n'est qu'après s'être jetée sur le lit qu'elle s'est mise à pleurer de nouveau.
Puis elle m'a dit:
" - Quand on sonnera à la porte, tu iras ouvrir. J'ai appelé la police.
- Vous n'avez pas eu la curiosité de demander des détails?...
September 11, 2021
Inspector Maigret cracks a case about a string of jewelry heists spanning 20 years while he investigates the murder of an elderly and disabled former criminal and sometimes informant.
The two cases in this novel are fairly straight forward, and Maigret’s intuitive jumps are easy to follow unlike other cases that feature seemingly clairvoyant leaps of logic to solve the crime.
The story showcases Inspector Maigret’s modus operandi: ”This is how Maigret had succeeded in the majority of his investigations: by climbing stairs, sniffing round in dark corners, chatting to all and sundry and asking what at first seemed like pointless questions, spending hours in bars, not all of them entirely salubrious.” (page 71)
The two cases in this novel are fairly straight forward, and Maigret’s intuitive jumps are easy to follow unlike other cases that feature seemingly clairvoyant leaps of logic to solve the crime.
The story showcases Inspector Maigret’s modus operandi: ”This is how Maigret had succeeded in the majority of his investigations: by climbing stairs, sniffing round in dark corners, chatting to all and sundry and asking what at first seemed like pointless questions, spending hours in bars, not all of them entirely salubrious.” (page 71)
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November 15, 2018Harcourt Brace Jovanovich paperback (1986)
August 3, 2020
🍷🍷🍷
Having found a “discarded” library copy in the 15¢ bin, I’ve skipped ahead to the 64th of the 75 Maigret outings. Here we find an introspective Inspector contemplating his mandatory retirement at 55, two years hence. It’s fitting then, that the case in hand becomes enmeshed with jewelry store robberies over the last twenty years that the Crime Squad of the Police Judiciare have never solved. Manuel Palmari has been found in his apartment, shot in the head. Palmari had arrived in Paris a penniless immigrant from Corsica many years ago, and had amassed a great deal of money and influence with no obvious source of income. Police have always believed him to be a mobster, but have never been able to nail him.
As Maigret questions Palmari’s live-in girlfriend and many neighbors, he develops a sense that the most recent jewelry robbery, and likely many of the others, are directly connected to Palmari’s murder. But how?
Simenon at his best has a sort of “stream of consciousness” element to his narratives, here very prominently and satisfyingly so. Maigret’s penchant for just talking to folks and asking questions that catch folks off guard put one in mind of Peter Falk in the great Colombo series, and who knows, perhaps the writers of that show were influenced by Maigret’s style. In any event, it so well fits the veteran detective’s methodology, and here again he cracks the case largely because people tell him what he wants to know and seemingly solve the mystery themselves.
Vintage Simenon, a really enjoyable read.
Having found a “discarded” library copy in the 15¢ bin, I’ve skipped ahead to the 64th of the 75 Maigret outings. Here we find an introspective Inspector contemplating his mandatory retirement at 55, two years hence. It’s fitting then, that the case in hand becomes enmeshed with jewelry store robberies over the last twenty years that the Crime Squad of the Police Judiciare have never solved. Manuel Palmari has been found in his apartment, shot in the head. Palmari had arrived in Paris a penniless immigrant from Corsica many years ago, and had amassed a great deal of money and influence with no obvious source of income. Police have always believed him to be a mobster, but have never been able to nail him.
As Maigret questions Palmari’s live-in girlfriend and many neighbors, he develops a sense that the most recent jewelry robbery, and likely many of the others, are directly connected to Palmari’s murder. But how?
Simenon at his best has a sort of “stream of consciousness” element to his narratives, here very prominently and satisfyingly so. Maigret’s penchant for just talking to folks and asking questions that catch folks off guard put one in mind of Peter Falk in the great Colombo series, and who knows, perhaps the writers of that show were influenced by Maigret’s style. In any event, it so well fits the veteran detective’s methodology, and here again he cracks the case largely because people tell him what he wants to know and seemingly solve the mystery themselves.
Vintage Simenon, a really enjoyable read.
May 5, 2020
This was unusual in that it followed on from the last book, "Maigret Defends Himself" directly - in fact only ten days have passed since Maigret successfully had the accusation of his improper behaviour against a teenager dropped, and secured the conviction of the murdering dentist in Rue de Acacias after a confession. Maigret is still on the trail of the jewel thieves and the ex-gangland boss who lived opposite the dentist. Unfortunately the ex-gangster is found shot, and Maigret skillfully investigates his murder. In solving that crime he gets to the bottom of who has been responsible for twenty years of jewelry shop raids in Paris - his team know it as "Maigret's longest case"! Brilliantly written, Simenon was very much on form. The description of a hot and sweaty Paris in the summer are delicious, and the social life of Paris - bars, bistros, restaurants - comes alive. I was especially touched when at the end, taking the ex-prostitute and Paris night owl criminal to the police station, he insisted the driver take a long route around Paris, down the Champs-Élysées, to let her drink in and remember the scene, as he thought "she may never see it again, or not until she was an old lady".
July 16, 2021
An engaging, interesting crime fiction novel set in Paris. Detective Maigret investigates the murder of old Manuel Palamari, a jewellery thief gangster who Maigret has known for a number of years, but has been unable to find evidence to convict Palamari. Three years ago Palamari was shot and has been in a wheelchair since then, living on the fourth floor of the apartment building Palamari owns. Palamari has a very young girlfriend who he has financially provided for. Palamari is shot dead with his own gun. Maigret interviews all the residents of Palamari’s apartment building.
Another entertaining Maigret series reading experience. This book was first published in France in 1965 and is the 64th novel in the Maigret series.
Another entertaining Maigret series reading experience. This book was first published in France in 1965 and is the 64th novel in the Maigret series.
March 6, 2023
Chose rare dans les Maigret, celui-ci est une suite, continuation de "Maigret se défend". Certes, il peut tout à fait se lire indépendamment, pourtant de nombreux passage font référence au tome précédent.
L’histoire d’un vieux commissaire enquêtant sur le meurtre d’un vieux brigand – Manuel Palmari – avec lequel des liens (à la Titi et Grosminet) s’étaient tissés au fil des années.
L’occasion pour Maigret de se repencher sur une affaire jamais résolue et qui traîne depuis vingt ans.
Et comme à son habitude, Maigret ne pense pas, il s’imprègne et laisse apparaître la vérité d’elle même, au risque de se retrouver avec un cadavre supplémentaire
https://www.noid.ch/la-patience-de-ma...
L’histoire d’un vieux commissaire enquêtant sur le meurtre d’un vieux brigand – Manuel Palmari – avec lequel des liens (à la Titi et Grosminet) s’étaient tissés au fil des années.
L’occasion pour Maigret de se repencher sur une affaire jamais résolue et qui traîne depuis vingt ans.
Et comme à son habitude, Maigret ne pense pas, il s’imprègne et laisse apparaître la vérité d’elle même, au risque de se retrouver avec un cadavre supplémentaire
https://www.noid.ch/la-patience-de-ma...
April 20, 2019
The overwhelming majority of 'Maigret' novels are complete standalones. Even those that make some allusion to events in other novels (very few of them do this) can be read in isolation from the others with no loss of enjoyment. Maigret's Patience is perhaps unique in that it is a direct sequel to the novel that preceded it, Maigret Defends Himself. This doesn't mean that it can't be read without having first read the other novel, but it will certainly help to read it. This is a rather brutal novel in the sequence. It makes reference to WWII and the villains involved are really quite nasty. Another magnificent 'Maigret' novel...
September 8, 2019
This is Maigret at his finest. Personally invested with an interesting foe. I'd always wished that Maigret had a 'Moriarty'. Instead the reader has to settle for intriguing villains. In 'Maigret's Patience', Simenon chooses to kill off what could have been his 'Moriarty'. A cunning villain in a wheelchair with a younger ruthless, glamorous partner. What more could we ask for?
This is classic detective fiction. A murder in an apartment with no suspects seen entering or leaving the building. A tremendously enjoyable whodunit, whydunit and howdunit. It could be read on its own but the novel is definitely more enjoyable if you read 'Maigret Defends Himself' first.
This is classic detective fiction. A murder in an apartment with no suspects seen entering or leaving the building. A tremendously enjoyable whodunit, whydunit and howdunit. It could be read on its own but the novel is definitely more enjoyable if you read 'Maigret Defends Himself' first.
August 6, 2017
che si fa dopo un paio di libri pallosi? si legge Simenon. Meglio ancora, si legge Maigret. Si gira con lui per Parigi, si mangiano ossibuchi con le lenticchie, si ingolla una bella birra fresca, si passa una serata al Clou Doré... E pazienza se questa volta i personaggi sono un po' stereotipati, se la cattiva è fetente e un po' puttana, la buona dolce ingenua e disarmata, e il cattivo avido stronzo e traditore. E se la storia nella storia un po' tirata per i capelli. Arrotondo a 4 stelle per gratitudine
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