Maigret Defends Himself

Book excerpt: 'His artistry is supreme' John Banville For the first time in his career Inspector Maigret receives written summons to the Chief Commissioner's office where he learns that he has been accused of assaulting a young woman. With his career and reputation on the line, Maigret must fight to prove his innocence. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret on the Defensive. '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