Maigret og den gamle grevinde

by Georges Simenon

Paperback, 1969

Status

Available

Call number

843.912

Library's review

Frankrig, Saint-Fiacre, 1933
Indeholder kapitlerne "1. Pigen der skelede", "2. Messebogen", "3. Kordrengen", "4. Marie Vassilief", "5. Den næste dag", "6. De to lejre", "7. Mødet i Moulins", "8. Middagsindbydelsen", "9. I Walter Scotts ånd", "10. Den uhyggelige nattevågen", "11. Fløjten med de
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to toner".

Politikommisær Jules Maigret får et tip om at der vil ske et mord under fromessen i kirken i hans fødeby. Saint-Fiacre. Han er 42 og har ikke været der i mange år. Han tager afsted og bor på kroen hos Marie Tatin. Hans far ligger på kirkegården.
Han tager hen til fromessen og er lettet over at der ikke sker noget. Men da de få fremmødte går ud, opdages det at den gamle grevinde på godt tres år, sidder død i stolen. Lægen Bouchardon bliver tilkaldt, men han kan kun fortælle at døden skyldes et hjerteanfald og at hendes helbred længe har været skrøbeligt. Greven er død for flere år tilbage og af hans formue er der meget lidt tilbage. Grevinden har en elsker Jean Métayer på ca 30 år boende og han har været et dyrt bekendtskab. Sønnen Maurice, også på ca 30 er en døgenigt og har en elskerinde Marie Vassilief. Sønnen bor i Moulins, men er dukket op for at låne penge til en check på 40000 franc som ellers mangler dækning. Maigret finder et avisudklip gemt i grevindens bønnebog.
Præsten låner Maurice 40000 franc. Forvalteren Gautier betror Maigret at han har lagt mange penge ud for grevinden, måske 70000 franc? Han har betalt markarbejderne, når grevinden ikke havde råd. Det er i alt fald hans historie, men sønnen Emile har en motorcykel og er mere smart i tøjet end så mange andre i landsbyen.
Maurice arrangerer et lille selskab for præsten, Gautier og sønnen Emile, ham selv og hushovmesteren Albert, Jean Métayer og dennes sagfører, samt doktoren. Han drikker dem på pelsen og fortæller dels at morderen er iblandt dem, at denne ikke kan straffes af retssystemet, men at den skyldige skal dø inden midnat og han anbringer en revolver på bordet, hvor alle har lige langt til den. Stearinlysene brænder stille ud og til sidst griber Emile revolveren og skyder Maurice, hvorefter han forklarer hvordan det var Maurice der var den skyldige.
Det kikser lidt for der var kun løst krudt i skyderen og faktisk har han afslører sig selv. Maurice giver ham bank og tvinger ham til at bede om forladelse ved den døde grevindes båre. Det samme med faderen, der har forvaltet slottet på en måde, så han faktisk selv har skummet fløden. Jean Métayer og sagføreren bliver også smidt på porten og faktisk ser Maurice ud til at have rettet sig og måske er han slottets kommende frelser og ikke en døgenigt på vej mod bunden?

Glimrende krimi.
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Publication

[Kbh.] Carit Andersens Forlag [1969]

Description

Maigret's past comes to life in this vivid new translation of this evocative novel, set in the Inspector's home town. The last time Maigret went home to the village of his birth was for his father's funeral. Now an anonymous note predicting a crime during All Souls' Day mass draws him back there, where troubling memories resurface and hidden vices are revealed.

User reviews

LibraryThing member TomDonaghey
MAIGRET GOES HOME (1959) by Georges Simenon is one of the essential works from this master writer. Here Maigret has gotten a note saying there will be a murder committed during the first mass at a church in a small town. Nothing else. But the town is where he grew up and Maigret decides to return
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and sit through the All Soul’s Day mass. Nothing happens during the ceremony but when mass is over, the old Countess de Saint-Fiacre sits dead in her seat.
There is no evidence of an actual murder but the predicted death has occured. Margret, out of his jurisdiction and with nothing to provide as evidence beyond the note, has to stand by while events work themselves out about him. The major suspect is the son of the Countess, a near-do-well, always short of money and currently deep in debt. There is the young male secretary who provided more than just the ability to take dictation to the older woman. There are the priest and the steward of the estate (a position that had been filled in the past by Maigret’s own father) and several other suspects, but how to solve the crime?
This is yet another instance of Simenon’s vast abilities to draw quick, telling sketches of people, places and events, provide a puzzling mystery, and layer on scads of atmosphere. The story may be almost 60 years old, but it is as fresh today as ever.
If you are not familiar with Maigret, either grab up any of the novels or watch one of the several television series starring this French character. You will be amused and amazed.
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LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
A note stating that a crime will be committed on All Souls' Day in the churche at Saint-Fiacre during first mass. The police departments laugh and ignore it. Maigret cannot; it is his birthplace. He knows many of the people there.

Returning to the town, Maigret witnesses the murder, but there is
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nothing to see, so how did it happen? His journey to solve the murder uncovers many back stories and changes his image of some of the people of his home town.

A bit of a cerebreal read, as Maigret tends to anaylze people and happenings. Not a quick read, but a good read.
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LibraryThing member Coach_of_Alva
Maigret returns to his childhood home and is, as a reader of crime fiction would expect, disillusioned by what has happened to his village and the local estate, while investigating a crime that cannot be prosecuted. The story has superb atmosphere and the pleasurable sadness called melancholy.
LibraryThing member thorold
Unusual early Maigret story in which the Commisaire returns to the village of St Fiacre where his father had been estate manager to the Count. There is a suspicious death, but with the disregard for official procedures that seems to crop up a lot at this stage in Maigret's career, he decides that
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there is no need for a proper investigation, instead hanging about in the village to see what happens.
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LibraryThing member bookczuk
Wow! A Maigret I didn't like?! It might have been the translation, but I found it difficult to keep characters straight, especially in thoughts and conversations. Also, except for the dead woman and the innkeeper, all were male, so pronouns gave no clues. But I did like the return of Maigert to his
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home village and the glimpses of his boyhood. Funny thing is, I saw a French TV adaption of this story years ago, really liked it, and was looking forward to reading the original. C'est la vie.
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LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Another excellent Maigret. The dinner scene at the end of the novel, while certainly unrealistic, was gripping, just very well written.
LibraryThing member ritaer
Maigret investigates in his home village
LibraryThing member Overgaard
One of his best

Language

Original language

French

Original publication date

1932 (original French)
1942 (in English)

Physical description

165 p.; 18.2 cm

Local notes

Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser to mænd, der snakker sammen med en katolsk præst i baggrunden
Oversat fra fransk "L'Affair Saint-Fiacre" af Karen Hess
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi

Tidligere udgivet under titlen "Døden i kirken"
Maigret, bind 33
Side 17: Slottet kendte han bedre end alle andre, fremfor alt udbygningerne. Han behøvede blot at gå nogle få skridt for at se forvalterboligen hvor han var født.
Side 21: Den unge mand var spinkel, og hans stribede, ikke helt rene pyjamas forøgede ikke hans prestige.
Side 21: Han havde den mani at trække i sine fingre, som om han ville gøre dem længere.
Side 31: Mon han bare var idiot eller bare lod, som om han var det?
Side 98: For resten skal jeg hilse dig fra præsten og give dig tre hundrede dages syndsforladelse! Nu gælder det bare om at fordele dine synder!

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Pages

165

Library's rating

Rating

(123 ratings; 3.4)

DDC/MDS

843.912
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