Author: Georges Simenon

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret. Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.

Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.

Félicie by Georges Simenon

March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Carol1 Comment

Félicie is only the second Maigret book I've read and I don't think I have a good feel for the character or the writing yet. This time around an old man is found murdered in his cottage in a picturesque village outside of Paris. The actual focus of the book though, is his young housekeeper, Félicie, who was the only other resident of the house and who inherits it, to everyone's surprise. Félicie is infuriating for Maigret, but has his full attention. She's headstrong, impetuous, angry, and trying desperately to control what she allows Maigret to see and know, but there's more going on than she realizes. Maigret's team is methodical, while his instincts tell him to keep arguing, cajoling, and spending time with Félicie. Turns out he's right and the clues she unwillingly gives him lead to the solution. I listened to the audio and thought the narrator did a good job with Maigret's voice and keeping the other characters...

Maigret in Holland by Georges Simenon

June 7, 2022June 27, 2022 by Carol2 Comments

Maigret in Holland was perhaps not my best choice for my first Maigret read, but it was the only one the used bookstore in town had. Maigret is not in France here, he's been called to Holland where a French national is being detained under suspicion of murder. Maigret does not speak any Dutch, which slows his investigation some. He interviews the main characters in the story with varying degrees of success depending on their knowledge of the French language. The small town and characters are described well, wanting to keep their secrets and the status quo. Maigret is intelligent and observant. I'd like to read another when he is on his home turf....