Maigret's Rival

New York, NY: Harcourt Brace & Company: Harvest Books. Near Fine. 1984. First Edition Thus; Second Printing. Paperback. Near Fine in Wraps: shows a crease near the 'hinge' of the rear panel; the binding leans ever so slightly; else flawless; the binding is secure; the text is clean. Free of creases to the backstrip. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of any ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, plates, or labels. A handsome copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing minor, unobtrusive imperfections only. Bright and clean. Close to "As New". NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 12mo. (7 x 4.25 x 0.45 inches) . Translated by Helen Thomson. Language: English. Weight: 3.6 ounces. Mass Market Paperback. Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Commissaire Jules Maigret, who appears in 75 novels and 28 short stories. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, was serialized in 1930 and appeared in book form in 1931; the last one, Maigret and Monsieur Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Three films were made in the late 1950s and early 1960s, starring Jean Gabin: Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case; Maigret Sets A Trap; and Margret Sees Red. "Maigret's Rival" is one of the very best of the police procedurals by Georges Simenon that feature Commissaire Jules Maigret of the Paris Criminal Police solving a murder outside the capital, working without the benefit of his investigative assistants, forensic labs, and official credentials. The action takes place in the Atlantic Coast-based Vendee, in a small town peopled by self-preoccupied members of the haute bourgeosie and a peasantry suspicious of outsiders. Originally published in 1944 as "L'inspecteur Cadavre" and later translated into English as "Maigret and Inspector Cadavre," it features a Maigret whose investigative talents and ability to read the nuances of French social hierarchy are already well developed. In this instance, the Commissaire must solve the question of whether a young man run over by a train died as the result of an accident or murder. Despite efforts to stymie his inquiries, Maigret uncovers within a few days the secrets, motivations, and complex relationships--including several love affairs--that reveal the truth of the grisly death. ; 12mo 7" - 7½" tall; 176 pages .