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Maigret Defends Himself

Maigret Capsule Collection
By Georges Simenon
Penguin Classics
Series: Inspector Maigret
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Brief Description
A handpicked selection of novels featuring Simenon's legendary literary detective, Inspector Maigret, with striking new covers. For the first time in his career, Inspector Maigret receives a written summons to the Prefect's office, where he is shocked to discover himself accused of a crime. With his... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A handpicked selection of novels featuring Simenon's legendary literary detective, Inspector Maigret, with striking new covers.

For the first time in his career, Inspector Maigret receives a written summons to the Prefect's office, where he is shocked to discover himself accused of a crime. With his career and reputation on the line, Maigret must fight to prove his innocence. Has he, for once, come up against a malicious evil he cannot defeat?

Maigret Defends Himself

Translated by Howard Curtis.

Series: Inspector Maigret

View all
  • Maigret and Monsieur Charles
    The last novel in Simenon's celebrated series When an elegant but nervous woman appears in Inspector Maigret's office and reports her rich and successful husband missing, Maigret and Lapointe find themselves on the trail of a man leading a double life— a prominent Parisian solicitor by day, a playboy known as Monsieur Charles by night.
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse
    When a man is found dead at home, Maigret must look past the seemingly good intentions of the victim's family to figure out just who the culprit is. A retired manufacturer has been shot dead by his own pistol, last seen alive by his son-in-law. In this seemingly motiveless murder, Inspector Maigret must rely on his famous intuition to discover...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Informer
    In the penultimate novel in the series, Maigret investigates a crime in Paris's seedy red light district. The body of a well-known Parisian restaurateur turns up on Avenue Junot in Montmartre, seemingly having been killed elsewhere. Inspector Maigret is on the case and soon discovers that the murder may be gang-related after a colleague working in the red-light district receives...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Old People
    Maigret and the Old People explores the intriguing investigation of a murder involving an esteemed official. Maigret is called to the home of Armand de Saint-Hilaire, a highly respected official who has been found shot dead in his study by his housekeeper. After interviewing everyone concerned, Maigret is at a loss regarding the identity of the perpetrator until he comes...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Saturday Caller
    Maigret and the Saturday Caller introduces us to a tense encounter where Inspector Maigret finds himself face-to-face with a visitor who openly admits his intentions to commit murder. However, when this visitor goes missing, Maigret is left to worry that he himself may have become the victim. The story unfolds one evening when Maigret is followed home by a man...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret Goes to School
    Maigret Goes to School follows the renowned detective as he heads to a small seaside town where the residents are closing ranks to hide the truth. When a school teacher from near La Rochelle seeks Maigret's help to defend his innocence, Maigret accompanies him back to a small coastal town. There, he confronts the insular community in order to uncover...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret in Vichy
    While on holiday Maigret gets involved in a local murder case. Maigret and his wife take a much-needed holiday to Vichy, where they quickly become accustomed to the slower pace of life. When a woman, whom they regularly pass by on their daily strolls, is murdered, Maigret can't help but offer his assistance to the local Inspector, a former colleague...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret's Secret
    Maigret's Secret explores Maigret's internal struggle with an old case whose conclusion continues to haunt him. At a dinner party, Maigret recounts the case of Adrien Josset, who was found guilty and executed for the murder of his wife, Christine. Despite all clues pointing to Josset's guilt under the controlling influence of the magistrate, Maigret remains unconvinced following his one...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret Travels
    Maigret Travels delves into the intriguing circumstances surrounding the attempted suicide of a countess and the mysterious death of a multi-millionaire. Both incidents involve seemingly unrelated individuals, yet they occur in the same hotel. When multi-millionaire David Ward is found dead just hours after the countess's suicide attempt, Maigret suspects a connection between the two cases. The investigation intensifies when...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Tramp
    Maigret and the Tramp by Georges Simenon follows Inspector Maigret as he investigates an attack on a Parisian tramp. When a tramp is recovered from the Seine after being badly beaten, Maigret must delve into the man's personal circumstances to figure out just who wanted to kill him.
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters
    Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters sees Maigret getting tangled up with some notorious American gangsters in this new translation. Maigret was less angry, in fact, than he seemed. Pozzo was a tough customer, but he didn't mind that. Nor did he mind dealing with characters who had sent the American police packing—genuine hard men who played for keeps. Maigret hadn't...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
    Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses follows Maigret as he struggles to break through a victim's uncooperative family to uncover the truth behind a murder in book fifty-three of the series. Maigret is called to the home of the Lachaume family, where the eldest brother has been found shot dead. Upon his arrival, the family close ranks and claim to have...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241788196

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 July 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Translated by Howard Curtis

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 123g

Pages: 160

Collections

Classic Crime & Mystery Fiction Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Georges Simenon Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: Crime & Thriller Police Procedural Series: Inspector Maigret

About the Author

Georges Simenon was born in Li ge, Belgium in 1903. An intrepid traveller with a profound interest in people, Simenon strove on and off the page to understand, rather than to judge, the human condition in all its shades. His novels include the Inspector Maigret series and a richly varied body of wider work united by its evocative power, its economy of means, and its penetrating psychological insight. He is among the most widely read writers in the global canon. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he had lived for the latter part of his life.

Also by Georges Simenon

View all
  • Maigret and Monsieur Charles
    The last novel in Simenon's celebrated series When an elegant but nervous woman appears in Inspector Maigret's office and reports her rich and successful husband missing, Maigret and Lapointe find themselves on the trail of a man leading a double life— a prominent Parisian solicitor by day, a playboy known as Monsieur Charles by night.
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse
    When a man is found dead at home, Maigret must look past the seemingly good intentions of the victim's family to figure out just who the culprit is. A retired manufacturer has been shot dead by his own pistol, last seen alive by his son-in-law. In this seemingly motiveless murder, Inspector Maigret must rely on his famous intuition to discover...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Informer
    In the penultimate novel in the series, Maigret investigates a crime in Paris's seedy red light district. The body of a well-known Parisian restaurateur turns up on Avenue Junot in Montmartre, seemingly having been killed elsewhere. Inspector Maigret is on the case and soon discovers that the murder may be gang-related after a colleague working in the red-light district receives...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Old People
    Maigret and the Old People explores the intriguing investigation of a murder involving an esteemed official. Maigret is called to the home of Armand de Saint-Hilaire, a highly respected official who has been found shot dead in his study by his housekeeper. After interviewing everyone concerned, Maigret is at a loss regarding the identity of the perpetrator until he comes...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret and the Saturday Caller
    Maigret and the Saturday Caller introduces us to a tense encounter where Inspector Maigret finds himself face-to-face with a visitor who openly admits his intentions to commit murder. However, when this visitor goes missing, Maigret is left to worry that he himself may have become the victim. The story unfolds one evening when Maigret is followed home by a man...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret Goes to School
    Maigret Goes to School follows the renowned detective as he heads to a small seaside town where the residents are closing ranks to hide the truth. When a school teacher from near La Rochelle seeks Maigret's help to defend his innocence, Maigret accompanies him back to a small coastal town. There, he confronts the insular community in order to uncover...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret in Vichy
    While on holiday Maigret gets involved in a local murder case. Maigret and his wife take a much-needed holiday to Vichy, where they quickly become accustomed to the slower pace of life. When a woman, whom they regularly pass by on their daily strolls, is murdered, Maigret can't help but offer his assistance to the local Inspector, a former colleague...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret's Secret
    Maigret's Secret explores Maigret's internal struggle with an old case whose conclusion continues to haunt him. At a dinner party, Maigret recounts the case of Adrien Josset, who was found guilty and executed for the murder of his wife, Christine. Despite all clues pointing to Josset's guilt under the controlling influence of the magistrate, Maigret remains unconvinced following his one...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Maigret Travels
    Maigret Travels delves into the intriguing circumstances surrounding the attempted suicide of a countess and the mysterious death of a multi-millionaire. Both incidents involve seemingly unrelated individuals, yet they occur in the same hotel. When multi-millionaire David Ward is found dead just hours after the countess's suicide attempt, Maigret suspects a connection between the two cases. The investigation intensifies when...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Little Man from Archangel
    The poignant story of an outsider falsely accused of murder from the celebrated author of the Maigret series. She was beautiful, full of vitality, and he was sixteen years older, a dusty, lonely bookseller whose only passion in life was collecting stamps. Jonas is used to his young wife disappearing. Everyone in the town knows that she goes off with...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Night at the Crossroads
    Inspector Maigret investigates a case of deception in an isolated community. Maigret has been interrogating Carl Andersen for seventeen hours without a confession. He's either innocent or a very good liar. So why was the body of a diamond merchant found at his isolated mansion? Why is his sister always shut away in her room? And why does everyone at...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Maigret and the Headless Corpse
    One of Inspector Maigret's strangest and most compelling cases. The discovery of a dismembered body in the Canal Saint Martin leads Maigret into a tangled, baffling case involving a taciturn bistro-owner and a mysterious inheritance. This is a matchless description of a harsh, grim part of Paris a long way from the tourist trail, and a perfect example of Maigret's...
    By Georges Simenon
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

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