| Plot Summary of Maigret's Mistake |
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"Louise Filon is found shot in her apartment. She'd been known as Lulu when she'd been on the streets, but was now apparently being kept by someone. The cleaning woman, Désirée Brault, whom Maigret recognized from her many brushes with the law, said as little as possible. So did the concierge. Eventually Maigret learns of Lulu's boyfriend, a musician, Pierre Eyraud. He's gone into hiding, apparently on reading the news. Lulu had had a serious brain illness, but had gotten surgery and recovered, after which she'd moved to the Rue La Fayette, and then to her present apartment on the Avenue Carnot. The tenant above her, Étienne Gouin, is a famous brain surgeon, 62.
Maigret learns that Lulu had been pregnant, and through one of Pierrot's friends, convinces Pierrot to come in to talk. He lets him go, apparently innocent. Maigret interviews Gouin's wife, Germaine Gouin and sister-in-law, Antoinette Ollivier, and finally his assistant, Lucile Decaux. After that Gouin calls Maigret and asks why he doesn't interview him directly, so Maigret goes to his house with Lucas. Gouin says he's received a call from Désirée Brault, who claims to have found the gun and hidden it from the police. Maigret sends Lucas for it, while he remains with Gouin, whose testimony eventually makes it clear that it was his wife who killed Louise, apparently out of jealousy. Her sister, Antoinette, who was with her at the time and hated Gouin, waited outside the door.
"
Dana Samson, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Maigret's Mistake |
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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).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
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?
- Challenging
Time/era of story:
- 1960's-1970's
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- nearly 100%
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- "All in the family" murder
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:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- wealthy
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
Motive of antagonist
- jealousy
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
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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