Good Reads / Community Library Notes
Maigret's Pickpocket
Georges Simenon
Review by Priscilla Comen
Maigret's Pickpocket
Georges Simenon
Review by Priscilla Comen
Maigret’s Pickpocket, by Georges Simenon, is the story of the iconic French detective Maigret and the clever way he solves a case. In the beginning he breathes in his surroundings like “a sponge.” When he boards an early morning bus to work, his wallet goes missing, and he sees a young man jump off the bus. At his office, he tells his associate, Janvier, he has been robbed. His badge is gone too. It’s an important badge. He looks at photos of known professional pickpockets. His man is not there. He must have been an amateur.
The following day, he receives his wallet in the mail. Everything, including the badge, is in it. He gets a phone call. The pickpocket wants to meet him at the bar, Le Metro. A nervous young man enters, orders a drink. He asks Maigret for cigarettes. Maigret smokes a pipe. The man has run out of money, but is well-dressed. He says he is innocent, of what we do not know. The young man takes Maigret to his bachelor flat in the Marais. A woman lies on the carpet, dead. He’s been married to her for three years. He had been out looking for money when she was murdered.
Maigret calls the police chief, tells him to meet him at the apartment. He calls the Police Judiciare and the pathologist to meet him as well. The young man, Ricain, had a gun in his flat but used it only to play gangster games. He had tossed it into the Seine. Maigret has Ricain wait in his office, to sleep if he wants because he had been out all night searching for friends with money to lend him.
The body is removed. The apartment is like a stage set: black floor, red walls. Maigret will question the neighbors. His wife phones to see if he’s eaten lunch. They are an ordinary couple. Ricain’s wife, Sophie, was an extra in films. Ricain owes two thousand francs to M. Carus, a film producer. Sophie had been pregnant and had an abortion. Ricain also owes five hundred francs to Maki, a sculptor. Sophie posed naked for Maki. M. Carus’ mistress is Nora. She looks down on everyone. Other friends are a photographer, an antique shop owner, and a first assistant to Carus. At parties at Ricain’s apartment anyone could have used his pistol.
Maigret does not arrest Ricain but puts him into a small hotel for the night. Then he goes to the restaurant where Ricain and his wife had dined often. The owner is Bob Mandille, a former stunt man. Mandille describes Ricain as nervous, depressed, and owing money to his landlord. Author Simonon gathers all the suspects. We must choose the murderer. The owner of the restaurant knows everyone who comes in and tells Maigret who they are. The news of the murder has shocked all of them. Maigret interviews them while he dines on duck a l’orange as he sits at a corner table.
Maigret asks himself why Sophie was shot in the head. Professional gangsters aim for the belly. It was Ricain’s gun that had been fired. Carus had been Sophie’s lover, and Nora knew it. Was she jealous? M. Carus is the important one, he had the power to make anyone successful. Maigret always waits a long time before deciding what to do with all the information he gathers. He keeps an open mind.
One of them has killed Sophie. Find out which one in this light and intriguing and very French mystery by Simonon at your Mendocino Community Library
The following day, he receives his wallet in the mail. Everything, including the badge, is in it. He gets a phone call. The pickpocket wants to meet him at the bar, Le Metro. A nervous young man enters, orders a drink. He asks Maigret for cigarettes. Maigret smokes a pipe. The man has run out of money, but is well-dressed. He says he is innocent, of what we do not know. The young man takes Maigret to his bachelor flat in the Marais. A woman lies on the carpet, dead. He’s been married to her for three years. He had been out looking for money when she was murdered.
Maigret calls the police chief, tells him to meet him at the apartment. He calls the Police Judiciare and the pathologist to meet him as well. The young man, Ricain, had a gun in his flat but used it only to play gangster games. He had tossed it into the Seine. Maigret has Ricain wait in his office, to sleep if he wants because he had been out all night searching for friends with money to lend him.
The body is removed. The apartment is like a stage set: black floor, red walls. Maigret will question the neighbors. His wife phones to see if he’s eaten lunch. They are an ordinary couple. Ricain’s wife, Sophie, was an extra in films. Ricain owes two thousand francs to M. Carus, a film producer. Sophie had been pregnant and had an abortion. Ricain also owes five hundred francs to Maki, a sculptor. Sophie posed naked for Maki. M. Carus’ mistress is Nora. She looks down on everyone. Other friends are a photographer, an antique shop owner, and a first assistant to Carus. At parties at Ricain’s apartment anyone could have used his pistol.
Maigret does not arrest Ricain but puts him into a small hotel for the night. Then he goes to the restaurant where Ricain and his wife had dined often. The owner is Bob Mandille, a former stunt man. Mandille describes Ricain as nervous, depressed, and owing money to his landlord. Author Simonon gathers all the suspects. We must choose the murderer. The owner of the restaurant knows everyone who comes in and tells Maigret who they are. The news of the murder has shocked all of them. Maigret interviews them while he dines on duck a l’orange as he sits at a corner table.
Maigret asks himself why Sophie was shot in the head. Professional gangsters aim for the belly. It was Ricain’s gun that had been fired. Carus had been Sophie’s lover, and Nora knew it. Was she jealous? M. Carus is the important one, he had the power to make anyone successful. Maigret always waits a long time before deciding what to do with all the information he gathers. He keeps an open mind.
One of them has killed Sophie. Find out which one in this light and intriguing and very French mystery by Simonon at your Mendocino Community Library