The Late Monsieur Gallet

Inspector Maigret, Book 3

By: Georges Simenon, Anthea Bell - translator

Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong

Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

George Simenon's devastating tale of misfortune, betrayal and the weakness of family ties, translated by Anthea Bell.

Instead of the detail filling itself in and becoming clearer, it seemed to escape him. The face of the man in the ill-fitting coat just misted up so that it hardly looked human. In theory this mental portrait was good enough, but now it was replaced by fleeting images which should have added up to one and the same man but which refused to get themselves into focus.

The circumstances of Monsieur Gallet's death all seem fake: the name the deceased was travelling under and his presumed profession, and more worryingly, his family's grief. Their haughtiness seems to hide ambiguous feelings about the hapless man. In this haunting story, Maigret discovers the appalling truth and the real crime hidden behind the surface of lies.

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.Anthea Bell is the award-winning translator of numerous French and German works: from the Asterix comics to W. G. Sebald's literary masterpiece Austerlitz.Audible will be producing all 75 Maigret titles. The next audiobook in the series is: The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien on 2nd January 2014.

©2013 Georges Simenon (P)2013 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 More Can I Say?

The headlines of other reviews say it all: “Five star fiction” (Adeliese Baumann), “lingers in the mind” (Anniebligh), “a murder that doesn’t make sense” (Adam Shields) “complicated plot” (Gary Messick), and “Simenon is a master” (Angus Davis). And, of course, this from Amazon Customer: “enjoyed it”.

Anniebligh hits closest to the nub. I prefer “classic” mysteries over modern productions, and while I enjoy most of them, few linger in the mind as this one does. Gareth Armstrong’s terrific performance probably has something to do with that, too.

Five star fiction, highly recommended

On June 27, 1930 Maigret is called to inform Aurore Gallet that her husband, Emile, a commercial traveler, has been found murdered. The lady is grand, puts on airs, and doesn't make things any easier for Maigret, who is in no mood for what he suspects is another tedious case. But the mystery takes on darker possibilities when it becomes known that Emile Gallet has been living a second, secret life.

That story is nothing new and could be quite predictable. But in the hands of Simenon, it becomes a creative, vital story that kept me interested right to the end. I am continually stunned at the way he can conjure up an entire character or atmosphere with the perfect, brief description. His style is deft, his storytelling original, and his characters utterly realistic. This is fiction worth reading if you enjoy crime and detection, old school style.

Anthea Bell's translation is outstanding, as is Gareth Armstrong's narration.

This one lingers in the mind

I expect I will up this to a 5 rating after a second listen

From the local Inspector's dismissal of this 'most uninteresting murder' and Maigret's expectation of a routine investigation to Maigret's report on the murder we are truly led through a shifting mirage.

Set in 1930 France, there is both careful investigating and world weariness as counterpoints. As listener you may well guess this and that but for me the story is in the story. It is in the homes, the hotel rooms, the bars and restaurants, the streets. trains, bridges and the people who are moved through the investigation.

So there is no great car race. shooting spree or jumping out of tall buildings but an unfolding of the why and how. The truth does come out of the shadows and the story lingers.

A highly creative mystery

Inspector Maigret deals with a strange murder in The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon, translated from the French by Anthea Bell. Getting sent to the countryside to deal with a murder, Maigret has a hard time picturing the victim, as the body looks nothing like the old photograph. But then, Madame Gallet explains her husband had been dieting. People say he was right-handed, but evidence suggests the victim is left-handed. And the victim uses different names. Further, he hasn't worked for the company he supposedly has been employed by for 18 years, yet he has a sizable life insurance policy.

No one heard the shot because a fun fair was taking place right outside the victim's hotel. But curiously, someone shot him from at least six feet away while he was in a room five feet wide and long. But then he was stabbed soon after that. Maigret is determined that something fishy is going on in this case, especially since ther victim's family doesn't seem to mourn him much.

The Late Monsieur Gallet has a really curious and creative plot. The Maigret books run half the length of most golden era mysteries, with this one's lasting 4 hours and 3 minutes actually longer than the other Maigret books I possess. One would imagine that such a short book would be incapable of providing any complexity, but this book has a unique ending with plenty of creativity.

Gareth Armstrong performs the audio edition of this book and sounds much as I might imagine Maigret sounds. He steps back from his personal identity in order to play the role of the famous French detective, giving good expression without over emotion.

The Maigret books have a different feel to them than our typical mystery novels, being both French and first published in 1929. But they show distinct genius, as many critics have identified. The Late Monsieur Gallet has much creativity, deserving its five stars.

Simenon is a master

No words are wasted in the taut polished account of the great Maigret’s pursuit of the truth. A murder without a murderer?

Enjoyed it

Maigret Takes on an unusual case with a different ending. I would recommend this book.

After two tries, I understand

A bit confusing but a pretty good mystery. I had to listen to it twice to figure out what happened.

Maigret has a murder that doesn’t make sense

I keep hearing about the brilliance of Georges Simenon and his Inspector Maigret series. The first couple (realize that there are over 100 of these) were fine but nothing special. And even this one, which I think has been the best so far, isn’t really good enough to be top level. But I can see the glimpses of where Simenon can really shine.

Inspector Maigret does not really want to investigate this seemingly standard murder himself. It is the summer and other inspectors are on vacation and really no one else can do it except himself. But something seems off. Maigret’s image of the man does not really match the descriptions that others give of him. And then the facade starts to crumble. But was it murder or revenge, was the victim a crook, was the victim even who he said he was?

I have not read any of the original translations. I have picked up a couple of the new Penguin translations as they have been on sale. (Late Monsieur Gallet has been $2.99 for a long time now.) So I don’t know how they compare to the older translations. But this seems like good period piece mystery. Maigret is intelligent and intuitive, but not unbeatable or greater than everyone. He is determined to get to the bottom of the crime, but the crime is not everything, justice can be greater than the legal system.

That being said. If you are going to go through the expense of retranslating over 100 books because you think they are worth having a new modern transition, why not spend a few buck to make them look good. The cover here screams self published clip art. The audiobook is good (I alternated between audio and kindle). So they didn’t skimp there, but they did skimp on the cover. There are things I don’t ever really understand about business decisions.

Complicated Plot

The. plot was too complicated and difficult to follow. This took away from the general enjoyment of this book.