Maigret and the Killer — Georges Simenon

When a dinner between Inspector Maigret and friends ends abruptly at the discovery of a body, the detective must plumb the darker side of human nature to discover what motivates a killer

Maigret and wife have always enjoyed their occasional dinners with Mr. and Mrs. Pardon on the Boulevard Voltaire. But one of the congenial meals is interrupted by a neighbor who has stumbled across the body of a young man in the nearby Rue Popincourt. Maigret answers the call with his friend Dr. Pardon, and their pleasant evening is quickly brought to an end by the commencement of a complicated murder case. And when a tape recorder is discovered on the victim's body, it only complicates matters.

Maigret's investigation leads to the discovery of another crime altogether and the fascinating story of the murdered man's life. Maigret and the Killer is a taut, engrossing mystery that shows off Georges Simenon's flair for creating complex characters with deeply human problems and his ability to make a senseless crime understandable.