Inspector Maigret Books Reading Order
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Pietr the Latvian | 1931 | Buy |
| The Late Monsieur Gallet | 1931 | Buy |
| The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien | 1931 | Buy |
| The Carter of ‘La Providence’ | 1931 | Buy |
| The Yellow Dog | 1931 | Buy |
| Night at the Crossroads | 1931 | Buy |
| A Crime in Holland | 1931 | Buy |
| The Grand Banks Cafe | 1931 | Buy |
| A Man’s Head | 1931 | Buy |
| The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin | 1931 | Buy |
| The Two-Penny Bar | 1931 | Buy |
| Maigret and Monsieur Charles | 1973 | Buy |
Georges Simenon was one of the 20th century’s most remarkable literary figures—a Belgian author who created one of fiction’s most enduring detectives while earning critical acclaim usually reserved for serious literary novelists. Born on February 13, 1903, in Liège, Belgium, he went on to write approximately 400 novels, sell over 500 million books, and fundamentally change how detective fiction was perceived.
In 1930, Simenon created Inspector Jules Maigret for the novel “Pietr the Latvian.” The pipe-smoking Parisian detective who solved crimes through patience and psychological understanding rather than brilliant deduction was revolutionary. Over four decades, he wrote 75 Maigret novels and 28 short stories that remain beloved classics of detective fiction.
What truly distinguished him was his dual career. Alongside the Maigret mysteries, he wrote what he called “romans durs” (hard novels)—psychological literary works that examined human nature and morality. André Gide, one of France’s most respected writers, declared Simenon “perhaps the greatest and most genuine novelist in contemporary French literature.”
Simenon was legendary for writing novels in just 10 to 14 days. Despite this speed, the quality remained remarkably consistent. His spare, precise prose never wasted words, creating vivid scenes and psychological depth with remarkable economy. He proved that commercial success and literary achievement weren’t mutually exclusive.