pickWell, it's hardly the Hound of the Baskervilles, but the eponymous yellow dog of the story is considered a harbinger of ill fortune by the Breton townsfolk of Concarneau: a relative of the folkloric hellhounds of Britanno-Celtic legend.
Maigret is on one of his many secondments to Brittany, and also in one of his most quixotic moods, presenting himself as bumbling, unconcerned and obtuse, all the while unerringly closing in on his suspects 4⭐
pickThis detective story featuring Maigret,has a slow & steady rhythm. His writing style is spare but effective. The murdered victim tracks the “sounds”of life on a cassette recorder he wears visibly around his neck.What evidence might be in those tapes? Red herrings take Maigret on one path involving house break-ins-might thse men be connected to the murder?But when Maigret strategically uses the newspapers to draw the perpetrator out 🔽
Enjoying a lazy afternoon of reading with my cats. #libraryfinds #InspectorMaigret
pickFrench detective, French cake, French apéritif. Literary flavour 🙂
Maigret had quite a few clues to follow and deduce from in this story, though it was, as usual, his psychological insight into victim and perpetrator that led him to the solution.
Unusually, I figured out the key elements of the MO early on, but probably only because it has similarities to one of Doyle's Holmes stories: 🔎⚡🔨⚡🌉
Inspired by Scott's @vivastory post last week about Maigret, I'm continuing my own journey through Simenon's extensive novel series about the gruff but empathic French Chief Inspector.
These three #LibraryHaul are all coincidentally early in the series, 3, 4 and 6 from left to right. Simenon's dating of the tagged story within the narrative is a giveaway, as the later novels contain only vague hints to date, which gives them a fuzzy, ⬇️
I have read, & loved, a few of Simenon's romans durs but this is my first experience with Maigret outside of a couple stories. It opens with Maigret shadowing a suspicious traveler who ends up committing suicide after having their suitcase switched, by Maigret himself no less. I really liked this propulsive suspense story that went to some really dark places. I will not be reading all of the Maigret books, but I will def be returning to them!
pickThe Widow is an interesting, bleak, tension-building story that follows two characters trapped by fate and despair in the French countryside. Simenon‘s writing is forthright and sparse; the story kept my interest throughout, giving an air of edginess. Of the two main characters, the widow Couderc (Tati) - unattractive yet tough- is more interesting and has my sympathies. The 1971 French movie adaptation starring..⬇️
pickIm trying to get a bit of Christmas spirit this year as last year was a total failure in that respect! This little book was a good start (if you like the quieter type of detective stories like i do) Three short tales of deaths on Christmas Day and the detective or police drawn in to solve them. Simenon is a French author who wrote a series of detective novels and this was a good introduction (thanks @merelybookish for putting this on my radar!)
Some of what I hope to read this month! October was so busy with less reading. Ugh! How was your reads for #BookedIntime Canada/Colonialism? Learn anything new?
I empathized with the character in A Place called Winter, as he tried to make a new life for himself in Canada. I was a little nervous for the first few pages, but it was really good.
November‘s prompt French Rev/Napoleon I‘m reading the Glass Blowers, what did you pick?
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