Maigret's First Case by Georges Simenon

In this flashback to the start of Inspector Maigret's career, the eager young police secretary's very first investigation leads him to a wealthy Parisian family's dark secrets.

As a police secretary reading procedural manuals, Maigret is intrigued when a breathless young man enters the station one night, claiming he witnessed a window bursting open with the cries of a woman yelling for help, then disappearing before a shot rang out - a car running outside the darkened private mansion. The butler refused him at the door.

At 17 Rue Chaptal, Maigret insists on entering, but the room in question is found empty. It is the home of one of Paris' most distinguished families, owners of Balthazar Coffee. The father, Felicien, turned the business over to his son Richard and his daughter Lise, who will soon inherit. They are all personal friends of the Police Chief Inspector, so there is nothing to see here. In fact, his Chief offers Maigret time off.

Maigret is newly married to Madame Maigret, and in evidence is his signature style of detection, which will become legend at headquarters. He tracks down Dede the chauffeur and the missing maids to discover who was killed in that room that night.

Soon he will discern each character's inner thoughts. Next week he will sit for exams.

This was the least involving Maigret I have read. The plot was too convoluted with family hatreds, missing maids, hidden mistresses, and disappearing bodies. Maigret does find the mysterious car and at one point escapes certain death, but to me, it felt overly complex with little payoff. My only disappointment with Maigret so far, as Simenon always satisfies.

1948 / Tradeback / 192 pages