Maigret's Revolver cover art

Maigret's Revolver

Inspector Maigret, Book 40

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Maigret's Revolver

By: Georges Simenon
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
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About this listen

When Maigret's .45 revolver is stolen from his home, he becomes embroiled in a murder in which the gun may have played a deadly role.

Maigret is the victim of a burglary in which the .45 revolver he had received as a gift from the FBI is stolen. That evening Maigret attends a dinner where François Lagrange, an acquaintance of Maigret's friend, is expected but fails to appear due to ill health.

Following his instincts, Maigret decides to investigate Lagrange's absence and uncovers a body stowed in a trunk as well as Lagrange, who refuses to talk and seems to have lost his mind. Only Maigret can uncover the truth - and the fateful role his revolver may have played.

©1952 Georges Simenon (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Classics Crime Fiction Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Crime

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All stars
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Beautifully read and full of atmosphere. No gratuitous violence or offensive language. A nice change until I get back to my more pacy thrillers.

typical Maigret.

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Last year I read my first Maigret novel - his final case, rather incongruously, which I realised at the time might not be the best approach. I enjoyed the book, but wasn't wowed. However, having listened to "Maigret's Revolver", I am now officially a fan and am wondering why it took me so long to discover this detective, who is so human and credible. Despite his reputation, he shows humility where appropriate; his anxiety at the need to speak English, when his case takes him to London, is both realistic and endearing. The plot is clever and the denouement in particular requires you to pay careful attention. (My concentration must have lapsed since I reached the end and realised I hadn't grasped the role of one character, an error - wholly my own, not Simenon's - I was easy able to rectify.) I defy anyone to have worked out the solution to the case before Maigret reveals it with humanity and benevolence.

Brilliant plot, great characterisation

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Simenon excellent as usual. Plot good. Everything realistic and so French but oh for a hint of sensitivity and compassion from a Maigret sounding so pained and inhuman - still, the rest works!

So grouchy sounding

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Madame Maigret is upset when a young man who had called to see Inspector Maigret steals the revolver Maigret had been given as a keepsake by the American police. Mme Maigret had taken a liking to the youth and is fearful that he may intend to take his own life. Maigret fears the gun may be used for different, more criminal purposes. Either way, he feels it necessary to try to track the young man down. But first he’ll have to find out who the boy is...

This is an enjoyable entry in the long-running Maigret series. The plot is rather light, though it does eventually involve a corpse in a trunk, but the characterisation is particularly strong, I felt. We see Maigret interacting with his wife more than in some of the others I’ve read, getting a good impression of how strong their marriage is, even if Maigret isn’t the most demonstrative of husbands. We also see them in the company of friends and this gives a more rounded picture of him as someone who has a life outside work. There is a femme fatale-ish female character, with the associated sexism of the day in the descriptions of her (and any other female character who happens along). There’s a rather pathetic character, who might be bad or might be mad or might just be terrified – I’m saying no more for fear of spoilers – but I thought he was very well depicted, and also gave an opportunity for Maigret to show his humanity.

What really made this one stand out for me, though, is that the story takes Maigret to London. Though he stays mostly in one location in the city, I thought Simenon did a good job of contrasting London and Londoners with Paris and Parisians, all with a touch of humour that lightened the tone and let us see Maigret feeling suddenly less secure in an environment of which he wasn’t as much the master as usual. He’s horrified by the strict licensing laws which prevent him from getting a drink in the mornings or afternoons, but happily this doesn’t stop him from putting away enough to sink a ship in the course of the day or so that he spends there.

When he finally does find the youth and the reason behind the theft of the gun, we again see the mix in his character of equal drives towards justice and sympathy – he is not prepared to overlook crimes but he is willing to listen to and understand the reasons, and to do what he can to help those he considers worth helping. But for those whom he considers truly wicked, then he has the patience to spin a spider-like web and wait for them to trap themselves.

Good fun. I’ve been reading these randomly – they work perfectly as standalones – and have only read a few to date. Although this isn’t the most exciting plot, I think it’s the one I’ve enjoyed most so far because I got a real feel for Maigret’s character, more than in my other choices, and as a result found I liked him more as a person.

I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Gareth Armstrong, who again does a fine job. He’s very good at giving different voices to each character, each with an accent suited to their class and position, and avoids the temptation to go overboard, especially with the female characters. Overall, an enjoyable book enjoyably narrated. 4½ stars for me, so rounded up.

Drinking like a fish out of water...

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A nice little story which my husband enjoyed - he is the Simenon fan - it kept his attention and the narrator was good.

Maigrets Revolver

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perfect easy listening to accompany housework and gardening. enjoy the writers style and character. narrator matched the mental characters in my head. very easy to listen to and engage with. completed book in a day. next purchase PD James inspector Dalglesh as fancied English equavalent.

engaging and gentle listen

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I've listened to most of Maigret now and Gareth Armstrong is always excellent. He's the voice of Simenon, Paris and Maigret for me and I'll miss him and Maigret once the series is finished.

Gareth Armstrong is the voice of Maigret

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Not a bad story. My first taste of Maigret in the written form so was not sure what to expect. The character seemed a little robotic and emotionless so didn't find any connection with him. But OK as a start. Not sure I will bother with any more though

OK in parts

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This is one of my favourites, first 2 chapters a bit slow but stick with it as the story is excellent. I'm beginning to appreciate listening to the books in the order Simenon wrote them. This book isn't about action and suspense, it's about Maigret and his many layers of personality and beliefs as a man.
Not something he would ever say!

I've listened to 8 Maigrets and enjoyed them all.

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Not gripping, rather dated but ok to cover a few hours in between books.

I didn't think there was much of a plot, nor any reasoning about the way the investigation drifted.

OK to fill a few hours.

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