The city of Simenon's youth comes to life in this new translation of this disturbing novel set in Liège, in the new Penguin Maigret series.
'I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.' — William Faulkner
'The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature' — André Gide
In the darkness, the main room is as vast as a cathedral. A great empty space. Some warmth is still seeps from the radiators. Delfosse strikes a match. They stop a moment to catch their breath, and work out how far they have still to go. And suddenly the match falls to the ground, as Delfosse gives a sharp cry and rushes back towards the washroom door. In the dark, he loses his way, returns and bumps into Chabot.
Maigret observes from a distance as two boys are accused of killing a rich foreigner in Liège. Their loyalty, which binds them together through their adventures, is put to the test, and seemingly irrelevant social differences threaten their friendship and their freedom.
Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret at the "Gai-Moulin".
'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.' —John Gray
'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.' —The Guardian
'A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness.' —The Independent
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GEORGES SIMENON (1903–1989) was born in Liège, Belgium. Best known in Britain as the author of the Maigret books, he is a household name in continental Europe with a prolific output of more than four hundred novels and short stories.
