This was my first Maigret book, and it was a quick, fun read. I'm not sure how the French (or maybe just Simenon) pull off being cool and emotional at the same time, but the effect is fun to read. Maigret is no Columbo, but the description of the confusion he feels right before all the clues fall into place was a nice bit of pop existentialism. And the plot made me wish for a way to visit Paris in the 1960s.
