Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Carter of ‘La Providence’  By  cover art

The Carter of ‘La Providence’

By: Georges Simenon, David Coward - translator
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.06

Buy for $14.06

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Georges Simenon's tragic tale of lost identity, translated by David Coward as part of the new Penguin Maigret series.

What was the woman doing here? In a stable, wearing pearl earrings, her stylish bracelet and white buckskin shoes! She must have been alive when she got there because the crime had been committed after ten in the evening. But how? And why? And no one had heard a thing! She had not screamed. The two carters had not woken up.

Inspector Maigret is standing in the pouring rain by a canal. A well-dressed woman, Mary Lampson, has been found strangled in a stable nearby. Why did her glamorous, hedonistic life come to such a brutal end here? Surely her taciturn husband Sir Walter knows - or maybe the answers lie with the crew of the barge La Providence.

Georges Simenon was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1903. Best known in Britain as the author of the Maigret books, his prolific output of over 400 novels and short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he had lived for the latter part of his life.

David Coward is Emeritus Professor of French at the University of Leeds, England, and an award- winning translator of numerous works from French.

©1931 Georges Simenon. Translation ©2014 David Coward. (P)2014 Audible Ltd

Critic reviews

"Compelling, remorseless, brilliant" (John Gray)
"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)
"A supreme writer... unforgettable vividness." ( Independent)

What listeners say about The Carter of ‘La Providence’

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    103
  • 4 Stars
    56
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    121
  • 4 Stars
    38
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    86
  • 4 Stars
    53
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

narrator

narrator was excellent and very convincing as to each character. Enjoyed the story and characters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A concise, evocative gem.

Inspector Maigret investigates a murder on the locks of the river Marne.
Maigret is my favorite kind of detective--a no-nonsense, pragmatic stoic.
Some of the best writing in the genre.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of Simenon,s best.

Full of suspense, local color, and psychological insight. Both male and female characters resonate and fascinate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Outstanding narration!

I'm a veteran Audible member, having started with audiobooks back in the days of cassettes. Completely blown away by the experience with this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful glimpse into the French coastal life

Very good story with a wonderful glimpse into the French coastal life early in the 20th century.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The canals and horses.

Far from Simenon’s best. A bit hard to follow. Narrator did a fine job, but the storyline was lacking. Only Maigret novel I found disappointing so far.



Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!