| Plot Summary of Maigret and the Fortuneteller |
|---|
"Joseph Mascouvin reports to the police that he has found a note on a blotter in a café saying that a fortuneteller will be murdered at 5:00, and in fact, Miss Jeanne is found murdered shortly after. Locked in her kitchen is an old man, Picard, actually her father, who has been masquerading for ten years as Octave Le Cloaguen, so that Mrs. Antoinette Le Cloaguen can continue to receive the yearly income payable to her husband as long as he lives. Picard had been a tramp in Cannes at the time of Le Cloaguen's death, and Mrs. Le Cloaguen had spotted him as closely resembling her husband. Jeanne's body was found by Mrs. Roy, who kept an inn, the Pretty Pigeon, where Maigret stayed and met Émile Blaise, in fact a most cunning and pitiless blackmailer, using the gangster Justin of Toulons to collect money and get tough with those who didn't pay, and Mascouvin and others to supply him with information others would pay to have kept quiet. Mascouvin read his firm's letters, and copied out anything of value. Miss Jeanne had access to people's secrets, and was another informer. Justin had spotted Picard at Jeanne's, followed him home, and set up the blackmail of Mrs. Le Cloaguen. Jeanne (Marie Picard) had no doubt found out, worried for her father, and perhaps threatened to give the game away. It was decided to ask Mrs. Le Cloaguen for an entire year's annuity, and for Justin to kill Miss Jeanne at 5:00. Mascouvin had known, perhaps been told to frighten him, but feeling guilty, had stumbled on a way to notify the police. "
Dana Samson, Resident Scholar
|
|
|
| Review Analysis of Maigret and the Fortuneteller |
|---|
|
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
|
|
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
How difficult to spot villain?
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- nearly 100%
Kind of investigator
- police procedural, Foreign
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
Ethnicity/Race
- French
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Genius (really!)
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- criminal
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
Motive of antagonist
- money/treasure
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- France
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
|
|
