Maigret och mannen som måste döda

This is my second Maigret book. Simenon seems always to be a good read. This is a man who knows his metier. In this book the social indignation of Simenon seems to surface quite explicit, since Maigret feels quite much compassion towards the murderer, seemingly more than with the victim. It's quite

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amazing to me how undeveloped and backwards the France of Simenon is, the man obviously felt a need for improvement of the country. One bad thing about this novel is that Maigret seems to be too familar, friendly and understanding with the murderer, it's not quite credible.

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Maigret is close to retirement, though the authorities have just raised retirement age for police inspectors by five years, so he's got some way to go yet. Simenon deftly paints an impression of a man ready to lay down the burden of long responsibility, and who will likely be lost without that

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lifetime purpose.

Following what the papers report as a frenzied knife attack by a lunatic, Maigret is pressured by the Examining Magistrate to bring in the "psychopath" as soon as possible. Maigret eschews these gross oversimplifications of character, taking chances on his intuition to understand the character of the man he needs to bring before what passes for justice. While Maigret is never conflicted in his duty, his compassion for victim and perpetrator set him apart from those around him as much as the killer's crime sets him apart from society.

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He drank Vouvray and cognac (not together), and he regretted missing the lunch of snails that his wife ate. Think there was some more food in there, but don't remember. I enjoyed this, but not top drawer Maigret for me.