Inspector Cadaver

Inspector Maigret, Book 24

By: Georges Simenon, William Hobson - translator

Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong

Maigret's old colleague becomes an unexpected rival in book 24 of the new Penguin Maigret series.

In everyone's eyes, even the old ladies hiding behind their quivering curtains, even the kids just now who had turned to stare after they had passed him, he was the intruder, the undesirable. No, worse, he was fundamentally untrustworthy, some stranger who had just turned up from who knew where to do who knew what.

©2015 Georges Simenon (P)2016 Audible, Ltd

Pure Maigret at Siminon's best

Interesting story, great atmosphere and a wide collection of 'interested parties' in a smallish town make for a very good listen as Gareth Armstrong reads Inspector Cadaver.

Apart from being sensually evocative of sounds, smells, textures and visuals, there is the glimpse of some most curious personalities maneuvering to hide or reveal a crime.

What indeed was the crime?
The young man's death was an accident surely. The story is uncovering so much more than what led to his death.

Good, but not great

It's a good book, but it's of an older style and the pace can be slow at times. If you're looking for crime fiction from an earlier European era, this is good. But it's a bit old-fashioned.