My first read of a Simenon book and it was an eye opener.
The story on the surface deals with a furtive man on a railway platform and ends with his self inflicted death. The detective Inspector Maigret brings another depth to the story. One of conscience, and whether inadvertently through the inspectors actions he caused the man to actually take his own life. Because the man was suspicious, the Inspector followed him, exchanged one shabby suitcase for another, and when this was discovered, the man shot himself in despair. Did the Inspector by substituting the suitcases do an illegal act? The other man was just furtive. Being furtive isn’t a crime?
The dead man shabby as he is has a history. He is also actively being followed by eminent people and Maigret is keen to know how and why. To the extent that Maigret becomes the pursued over what happened a decade ago.
Interesting take on detection, on guilt and how to solve a puzzle.
Sent by Farrah, Straus and Giroux for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.
I've never read any of these books. I should try one sometime.
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