The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By
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The Blue Room
- By: Georges Simenon, Linda Coverdale - Translator
- Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
A new translation of Simenon's gripping novel about lives transformed by deceit and the destructive power of lust. It was all real: himself, the room, Andrée still lying on the ravaged bed. For Tony and Andrée, there are no rules when they meet in the blue room at the Hôtel des Voyageurs. Their adulterous affair is intoxicating, passionate - and dangerous. Soon it turns into a nightmare from which there can be no escape.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Simenon, a genius. The blue room is psychological space.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-06-17
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Maigret and the Nahour Case
- Inspector Maigret, Book 65
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
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Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Maigret is called to the home of professional gambler Felix Nahour, who has been found shot dead by his chambermaid. Maigret is shocked to recognise a photo of the man's wife, who becomes the main suspect. All signs point to her guilt, but Maigret suspects there might be more to this complicated affair.
Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret on the Defensive.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Like the wine, the stories are getting better with time
- By Karel M. Broda on 04-13-20
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Maigret's Anger
- Inspector Maigret, Book 61
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 13
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13
During a quiet spell in June, Maigret, is called to investigate the disappearance of a reputable businessman. When a body is discovered near the famous Père Lachaise cemetery, Maigret struggles to find any clues to the perpetrator and loses his temper when his own reputation is threatened by the case.
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The Mahé Circle
- By: Georges Simenon, Sian Reynolds - Translator
- Narrated by: Philip Bird
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
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Story4 out of 5 stars 7
The first English publication of Georges Simenon's compelling novel about summer escape and elusive obsessions. 'The island itself. Its throbbing heat as if in a bell jar under the sun, the scorpion in his son's bed, the deafening sound of cicadas.' During his first holiday on the island of Porquerolles, Dr Mahé caught a glimpse of something irresistible. As the memory continues to haunt him, he falls prey to a delusion that may offer an escape from his conventional existence - or may destroy him.
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My Friend Maigret
- Inspector Maigret, Book 31
- By: Simenon Georges, Sian Reynolds - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
'Past acquaintances resurface in the sun-drenched south of France in this new translation.' The palm trees around the railway station were motionless, fixed in a Saharan sun.... It really felt as if they were stepping into another world, and they were embarrassed to be entering it in the dark clothes that had been suited to the rainy streets of Paris the evening before.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Englishman observes Maigret
- By Adeliese on 12-29-16
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Maigret and the Saturday Caller
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 9
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Story4 out of 5 stars 9
Inspector Maigret is followed home one evening by a man who reveals his intention to kill his wife and her lover. Maigret intervenes and speaks to the man daily, but when the calls suddenly stop Maigret finds a murder on his hands.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Simenon was phoning it in on this one!
- By Betty Besio on 11-12-19
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The Blue Room
- By: Georges Simenon, Linda Coverdale - Translator
- Narrated by: Jack Hawkins
- Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
A new translation of Simenon's gripping novel about lives transformed by deceit and the destructive power of lust. It was all real: himself, the room, Andrée still lying on the ravaged bed. For Tony and Andrée, there are no rules when they meet in the blue room at the Hôtel des Voyageurs. Their adulterous affair is intoxicating, passionate - and dangerous. Soon it turns into a nightmare from which there can be no escape.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Simenon, a genius. The blue room is psychological space.
- By Amazon Customer on 02-06-17
-
Maigret and the Nahour Case
- Inspector Maigret, Book 65
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Maigret is called to the home of professional gambler Felix Nahour, who has been found shot dead by his chambermaid. Maigret is shocked to recognise a photo of the man's wife, who becomes the main suspect. All signs point to her guilt, but Maigret suspects there might be more to this complicated affair.
Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret on the Defensive.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Like the wine, the stories are getting better with time
- By Karel M. Broda on 04-13-20
-
Maigret's Anger
- Inspector Maigret, Book 61
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13
During a quiet spell in June, Maigret, is called to investigate the disappearance of a reputable businessman. When a body is discovered near the famous Père Lachaise cemetery, Maigret struggles to find any clues to the perpetrator and loses his temper when his own reputation is threatened by the case.
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The Mahé Circle
- By: Georges Simenon, Sian Reynolds - Translator
- Narrated by: Philip Bird
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
The first English publication of Georges Simenon's compelling novel about summer escape and elusive obsessions. 'The island itself. Its throbbing heat as if in a bell jar under the sun, the scorpion in his son's bed, the deafening sound of cicadas.' During his first holiday on the island of Porquerolles, Dr Mahé caught a glimpse of something irresistible. As the memory continues to haunt him, he falls prey to a delusion that may offer an escape from his conventional existence - or may destroy him.
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My Friend Maigret
- Inspector Maigret, Book 31
- By: Simenon Georges, Sian Reynolds - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
'Past acquaintances resurface in the sun-drenched south of France in this new translation.' The palm trees around the railway station were motionless, fixed in a Saharan sun.... It really felt as if they were stepping into another world, and they were embarrassed to be entering it in the dark clothes that had been suited to the rainy streets of Paris the evening before.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Englishman observes Maigret
- By Adeliese on 12-29-16
-
Maigret and the Saturday Caller
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 9
Inspector Maigret is followed home one evening by a man who reveals his intention to kill his wife and her lover. Maigret intervenes and speaks to the man daily, but when the calls suddenly stop Maigret finds a murder on his hands.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Simenon was phoning it in on this one!
- By Betty Besio on 11-12-19
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Maigret Travels
- Inspector Maigret, Book 51
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
The attempted suicide of a countess and the death of a billionaire in the same luxury Paris hotel send Maigret to the Riviera and then to Switzerland, as he searches for the truth amid the glittering world of the super rich. Eyes half closed, head tilted against the back of his seat, he seemed not to be thinking, as the plane flew over a thick carpet of bright clouds. In reality, he was making an effort to bring names and shadowy figures to life, names and figures that even this morning had been as unknown to him as the inhabitants of another planet.
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Maigret and the Ghost
- Inspector Maigret, Book 62
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
During an undercover case Inspector Lognon is shot in a room he was sharing with a beautiful woman who has since disappeared. Inspector Maigret retraces Lognon's secretive last few days and is drawn into the darker side of the art world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent story will read
- By John Galt on 02-16-20
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The Snow Was Dirty
- By: Georges Simenon, Howard Curtis - Translator
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 16
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Story4 out of 5 stars 15
'A brilliant new translation of Simenon's critically acclaimed masterpiece.' And always the dirty snow, the heaps of snow that look rotten, with black patches and embedded garbage...unable to cover the filth. Nineteen-year-old Frank - thug, thief, son of a brothel owner - gets by surprisingly well despite living in a city under military occupation, but a warm house and a full stomach are not enough to make him feel truly alive in such a climate of deceit and betrayal.
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1 out of 5 stars
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An unnecessary story poorly narrated.
- By J-me on 12-30-19
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Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse
- Inspector Maigret, 58
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
A retired manufacturer has been shot dead by his own pistol, last seen alive by his son-in-law. In this seemingly motiveless murder, Inspector Maigret must rely on his famous intuition to discover the truth. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret and the Black Sheep.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Simeon?? Come on Audible!
- By J.E.Joyce on 10-27-19
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Maigret and the Lazy Burglar
- Inspector Maigret, Book 57
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 20
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 18
Set against a high-profile hunt for the latest criminal gang to hit Paris, Maigret is determined to track down the murderer of a quiet crook for whom he cannot help feeling affection and respect. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret and the Idle Burglar.
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Maigret and the Tramp
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 13
When a tramp is recovered from the Seine after being badly beaten, Maigret must delve into the man's personal circumstances to figure out just who wanted to kill him. This novel has been published in previous translations as Maigret and the Dosser and Maigret and the Bum.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great story
- By J-me on 12-19-19
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Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
- Inspector Maigret, Book 53
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
A once-wealthy family closes ranks when one of their own is shot, leaving Maigret - along with a troublesome new magistrate - to pick his way through their secrets.
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Maigret and the Old People
- Inspector Maigret, 56
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 17
Maigret is called to the home of Armand de Saint-Hilaire, a highly respected official who has been found shot dead in his study by his housekeeper. After interviewing everyone concerned, Maigret is at a loss to the identity of the perpetrator until he comes across a series of letters from the past 50 years between the victim and a recently widowed woman. As Maigret uncovers the details behind the two's relationship, he gets closer to discovering the tragic truth behind the official's demise. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret in Society.
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Maigret Sets a Trap
- Inspector Maigret, Book 48
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
Paris comes under siege when someone starts killing women on the streets one summer - and Maigret must hatch a plan to lure the murderer out. It was 4 August. The windows were wide open but brought no relief, since they allowed in even more warm air, which seemed to be rising from the melting tarmac, the burning hot stonework and even the Seine itself: one could imagine the river steaming like a pan of water on a stove.
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Maigret Defends Himself
- Inspector Maigret, Book 63
- By: Georges Simenon
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8
For the first time in his career Inspector Maigret receives written summons to the Prefect's office where he learns that he has been accused of assaulting a young woman. With his career and reputation on the line, Maigret must fight to prove his innocence. Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret on the Defensive.
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Félicie
- Inspector Maigret, Book 25
- By: Georges Simenon, David Coward - translator
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
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Story4 out of 5 stars 30
Imperious, clever, mysterious: Maigret meets his match in the alluring form of Félicie in book 25 of the new Penguin Maigret series. In his mind's eye he would see that slim figure in the striking clothes, those wide eyes the colour of forget-me-not, the pert nose and especially the hat, that giddy crimson bonnet perched on the top of her head with a bronze-green feather shaped like a blade stuck in it.... Félicie had given him more trouble than all the 'hard' men who had been put behind bars.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Favorite
- By BDHumbert on 11-29-17
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Signed, Picpus
- Inspector Maigret, Book 23
- By: Georges Simenon, David Coward (translator)
- Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Maigret dismantles an intricate network of lies stretching from Paris to Nice. Mechanically, he had put his pince-nez down on the blotter and looked at it there with his large, short-sighted eyes. It is at that moment that the strange thing happens. One of the lenses, acting as a mirror, reflected the criss-cross, hatched ink marks which had dried on the blotter, and he could just make out a couple of words.
Publisher's Summary
A brilliant new translation of one of Simenon's best loved masterpieces.
'A certain furtive, almost shameful emotion...disturbed him whenever he saw a train go by, a night train especially, its blinds drawn down on the mystery of its passengers.'
Kees Popinga is a respectable Dutch citizen and family man. Then he discovers that his boss has bankrupted the shipping firm he works for - and something snaps.
Kees used to watch the trains go by to exciting destinations. Now, on some dark impulse, he boards one at random and begins a new life of recklessness and violence. This chilling portrayal of a man who breaks from society and goes on the run asks who we are and what we are capable of.
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