Description

Three seasonal stories set in Paris at Christmas, from the celebrated creator of Inspector Maigret.

It is Christmas in Paris, but beneath the sparkling lights and glittering decorations lie sinister deeds and dark secrets…

This collection brings together three of Simenon’s most enjoyable Christmas tales, newly translated, featuring Inspector Maigret and other characters from the Maigret novels. In ‘A Maigret Christmas’, the Inspector receives two unexpected visitors on Christmas Day, who lead him on the trail of a mysterious intruder dressed in red and white. In ‘Seven Small Crosses in a Notebook’, the sound of alarms over Paris send the police on a cat and mouse chase across the city. And ‘The Little Restaurant in Les Ternes (A Christmas Story for Grown-Ups)’ tells of a cynical woman who is moved to an unexpected act of festive charity in a nightclub – one that surprises even her…

Publisher Review

The most addictive of writers . . . a unique teller of tales * Observer * A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness * Independent * One of the greatest writers of the twentieth 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 * Powerfully evocative of impoverished, pre-modern Paris * Evening Standard * Heart-tugging stories [...] his understanding of human frailties and sympathy for the underdog shine through on every page * Daily Mail *