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Inspector Maigret Directs
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Plot Summary of Inspector Maigret Directs
"Maigret has to meet again with one of his formers “clients”, Frederic Michaux, known in Paris as Fred the Boxer, whom he arrested ten years earlier, along with his wife, Julia. Now he investigates a crime at the inn Le Pont du Grau, owned by Frederic. There, two men had come from out of the town for the auction of the farm of Groux. One of them had been playing cards all night long, together with Frederic, Pere Nicolas and Gentil. The other one, Borchain had been murdered in his bed while the four men were playing cards and the two women at the inn, Julia, the owner's wife and Therese, the maid, were in or out of the kitchen. It seems that except for Canut, the other buyer, everyone had had the chance to bludgeon Borchain and steel his wallet because the robbery was clearly the reason of the murder as the deceased had had a lot of money with him and his wallet was missing.

After two days of useless trying to reconstruct the events, Maigret realizes that he missed an important point that completely changes the situation: Frederic was planing to runaway with Therese in Panama. This was to happen when he would turn 50 and collect his insurance policy. Did he want to fulfill his plans earlier and needed the money or his jealous wife had someway found out and wanted to stop him?"

Dana Samson, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Inspector Maigret Directs
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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 - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20%




Tone of story - Dry-cynical
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
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
Any non-mystery subplot? - theft/fraud investigation
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: - Female
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
Motive of antagonist - money/treasure
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - France
Misc setting - fancy mansion

Style
Part of a series? Yes
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Unusual forms of death - crushed
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Inspector Maigret Directs
The Death of Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon
Maigret and the Lazy Burglar by Georges Simenon
Maigret and the Minister by Georges Simenon
Maigret and the Hotel Majestic by Georges Simenon
Maigret and the Spinster by Georges Simenon


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Georges Simenon Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Dana Samson  

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