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"One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories." -The Guardian

When Inspector 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 Fran‡ois 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.

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Praise for Georges Simenon:

"One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories." -The Guardian

"These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself." -The Washington Post

"Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals." -People

"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

"A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness." -The Independent (London)

"Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales." -The Observer (London)

"Compelling, remorseless, brilliant." -John Gray

"A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable-lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates." -Muriel Spark

"A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it."lle -Peter Ackroyd

"Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century." -John Banville

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Simenon, Georges
Georges Simenon was born in Liège, Belgium, in 1903. He is best know in Britain as the author of the Maigret novels and his prolific output of over 400 novels and short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he had lived for the latter part of his life.

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