Review by Booklist Review
Simenon died in 1989, but his novels seem to be published posthumously with every bit as much regularity as they were when the author was alive. This latest Maigret adventure, written strictly to formula, is precisely what the unflappable inspector's fans have come to expect. Although Maigret speaks no Dutch, he is called to Holland to assist a compatriot, Jean Duclos. Unfortunately, Duclos was present when Conrad Popinga, a former captain in the merchant marine, was murdered, and the Dutch police think Duclos, along with Popinga's wife and sister-in-law, a young sailor, and a local farm girl, is a prime suspect. Once the capable but long-suffering Maigret arrives, he methodically reviews the evidence and questions suspects, but only when he stages a reenactment of the crime is the real murderer revealed. Readers will marvel at the inspector's brilliant logic and his uncanny ability to sift through the bits and pieces, unerringly fitting the right ones together to solve the crime while invariably maintaining his Gallic sangfroid. Maigret's world-weary manner and his old-world demeanor are light-years away from today's rough-and-tough detectives, but his popularity endures. ~--Emily Melton
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
