Maigret's Dead Man cover art

Maigret's Dead Man

Inspector Maigret, Book 29

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Maigret's Dead Man

By: Georges Simenon
Narrated by: Gareth Armstrong
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

That shoeless foot looked incongruous lying on the pavement next to another foot encased in a shoe made of black kid leather. It was naked, private.... It was Maigret who retrieved the other shoe, which lay by the kerb six or seven metres away.

A series of strange phone calls leads Inspector Maigret through the Paris streets towards a man out of his depth amid a network of merciless criminals.

©2016 Georges Simenon (P)2016 Audible, Ltd Classics Crime Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime

Critic reviews

"Compelling, remorseless, brilliant." (John Gray)
"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century.... Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories." ( Guardian)
"A supreme writer...unforgettable vividness." ( Independent)
All stars
Most relevant
Always a good story from Georges Simenon.so well read too. If you like this author it won't disappoint.

Very enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
If there is a less than lovely Maigret story, I have yet to hear it. Simenon clearly had the technique of complex stories told within a relatively brief number of words off to a fine art. Gareth Armstrong manages to tell them in a manner that conveys these tales very well, too. There are no silly French accents (of the ‘Allo ‘Allo variety), as some readers do, just good narration.
I’m trying to pick out the stories that weren’t adapted for the Rupert Davies tv series, which are relatively fresh in my mind, of which this is one. As I get through them I’m hoping the tv stories will fade in my memory and I can enjoy them again when I do listen.

Another non-tv adaptation, hooray!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Simenon in his stride. Good plotting. Gareth Armstrong's reading as strong as ever. A relaxing listen.

One of the best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great story, but the English accents are out of place, especially as the story is very much about ‘place’.

Not French enough

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
From the opening chapter, so reminiscent of the very best of French Crime Cinema of the forties and fifties, a thrilling sequence of a chase without Maigret moving from his seat, through the hilarity of chapter three which is so alive with the very best of Jacques Tati's comedy genius, to the touching conclusion of this great novel's ending: Simenon's genius is on display throughout. This is a truly magnificent crime novel, displaying a master of the genre at the very peak of his powers. Simenon has fast become one of my favourite authors ever. His use of language, so coldly precise yet humanely incisive, and oddly heart-warming, is truly the mark of an individual and novel talent. I've read nothing like him before. There's no need of meandering exposition when Simenon's writing so cleverly exposes human psychology in a seemingly simplistic manner. There's nothing simplistic about Simenon's genius. What a remarkable writer in a magnificent story, so beautifully read by Gareth Armstrong. An absolute classic.

Stunningly Brilliant!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews