A Maigret Christmas,a collection of three short stories,well worth a read.

This was fairly short, but at the same time, a very fascinating writing style. It was a book I found very hard to put down and the characters and storyline very unusual.

As an intro I'm just going to say that I've never read Maigret before or watched any of the TV drama adaptations.  I was drawn to this book by its cover and because I was looking for a Christmassy crime mystery novel so this seemed to fit the bill.

Unfortunately I only received one story as part of the advanced reader copy which was the title story 'A Maigret Christmas' so I have little to comment on.  I enjoyed the 1950s Parisian setting and the glimpse into a French Christmas Day...the bakeries being open to buy fresh croissants etc  (wonder if this is still the same).  Given the era and lack of technology all you have is basic good old-fashioned police work; questioning and intuition.  However, there were no deductions or explanations as to where Maigret's suspicions lay or how he had worked out what had happened (its no Columbo!).  Given that there were  only had a handful of characters to choose from it was all a little too cut and dried.  Having said that I didn't quite work out all that was going on....nothing new there!

Overall I enjoyed what I read and would have liked to have been able to read the other two stories in the collection to see if they were of a similar style and to be able to give a more rounded view.  Just this one didn't massively inspire me to read more of the series.

This was a very enjoyable festive tale which I thoroughly enjoyed reading in the run up to Christmas.

It's set in Maigret's home environment in Paris so gives a good feel of the interaction between Maigret and his wife and the neighbours in the apartment block opposite where the mystery happens. A young girl confined to bed after an accident sees Santa Claus in her room. He leaves her a gift but she also is curious as to why he was lifting a floorboard in her room. Mademoiselle Doncoeur, a curious neighbour of the young girl and her guardian, thinks this is highly suspicious and needs reporting to the great Maigret despite it being Christmas Day and his day off. It's a fun tale and well written. I haven't read any of the Maigret books before but will  certainly seek more out.

With thanks to NetGalley and PenguinUKBooks for a free copy of the first story of the three in this book in exchange

Yes, like the majority of reviewers here I received my copy from NetGalley too… But I have to point out that the two ‘missing’ stories commented on by other reviewers were missing due to an error with the publisher that has now been rectified. These other two stories relate to Christmas in Paris at Christmas, but do not include Maigret as a character. Although Janvier does make an appearance in the second story. My ‘advance’ copy (eventually) came with all three stories! And I’m very pleased that it did, particularly as the second story is the most thrilling and innovative of the three.

I have come late to Simenon (86 years late by one way of reckoning) mainly because I assumed that as so many novels had been published that these were simply translations of French pulp fiction. Although that is in the broadest sense true, what is implied by this comment is almost entirely incorrect. This is now the seventh Maigret title that I have read in the last nine months, every one of which has been superb and both profound and revealing, occasionally with glimpses of humour and always rich in humanity. And A Maigret Christmas is no exception to this except that it may be a little more cosy and warm-hearted than usual. But maybe that is just me; the time of year and all that entails means I may be predisposed to feel a warmth toward my fellow man.

The series does not really require a sequential reading, and indeed the slightly shorter nature of these stories means that A Maigret Christmas may be the perfect jumping in point for someone new to Maigret. However the general understanding of the characters and their worldviews and my affection toward them is added to with each story read. Although Maigret is considered brusque and abrupt, this two-dimensional shorthand view of him is far from the mark. Maigret may be gruff but he is certainly no misanthrope, he is essentially continually disappointed in the way humans behave and is moved by the waste of lives and potential. This is the major strength of the character, what makes him real and what has drawn me back to the character over and over again in just a single year. Indeed it is this that makes A Maigret Christmas a particularly appropriate read for this time of year. 
In addition to this, how pleasing it is to be able to consider stories, set in the relatively recent past, not written by a modern author either cynically viewing the past or writing a pastiche of a certain type of novel. The fact that Simenon’s voice is contemporary with the age about which he is writing is another wonderful aspect of the book. There is no requirement to imagine how people should have thought, interacted, and reacted to events; he was there, this was his reality.

Happy Christmas Inspector. Indeed, Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!

My review is based upon the one story I received - A Maigret Christmas - there was no sign of the other two stories mentioned in the description.

In 'A Maigret Christmas', the Inspector receives two unexpected visitors on Christmas Day, who lead him on the trail of a mysterious intruder dressed in red and white.

This is a short story/novella that I enjoyed but wished was longer than it actually was. I love Maigret on TV and the book had that same traditional and authentic feeling about it akin to the TV show. George Simenon is a classic author and it was relatively easy to get into the story. 

I was drawn to the beautiful cover art which is perfect for the festive season, clever repackaging! I feel it is Maigret's character and determination that make the series different to other similar crime titles. I hope to read the rest of the novels Simenon has written in the near future.

I would like to thank George Simenon/Penguin (UK) and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Like others who have reviewed this book, I was only given the first story, which was a bit disappointing. However I then decided to buy the book so I could read the other two.
In the first story, ‘A Maigret Christmas’ Inspector Maigret is paid a visit by two neighbours who tell him a strange tale of an intruder dressed as Santa. 
In ‘Seven Small Crosses in a Notebook’ we witness a crime in action from the desk of a Parisian switchboard operator on Christmas Day. 
And in ‘The Little Restaurant in Les Ternes (A Christmas Story for Grown-Ups)' we follow a woman who carries out an unexpected and strange rescue of a younger woman who is being preyed upon by 2 older men. 
~~~~.~~~~.~~~~
A bit of clever packaging just in time for the holidays, I don’t really think this very short collection brings anything to the (Christmas) party. (See what I did there?)
I know that Georges Simenon wrote hundreds of novels and many shorter works, and Penguin have been busy translating and publishing these over the past few years. Unfortunately the 3 stories in this collection didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It just seems that they found 3 stories that have links to Christmas and popped them together. And at only 224 pages, there is surely room for a few more?
I love Christmas, but unfortunately this didn’t make me feel anymore festive.

This book was very very hard going right from the start. I was really hoping that it would have been more like the tv show which  I love. 

This book was not for me sorry.

Looking on Amazon this is made up of three stories.  I just received one of them.  Maigret is at home with his wife on Christmas day.  They live in an apartment.  A neighbour brings another reluctant neighbour a young woman.  She and her husband are taking care of the husband's brother's young daughter.  She is confind to her bed with a damaged leg.  She woke in the early hours to be greeted by Father Christmas, who gave her a doll and then proceeded to remove the floorboards to get to a young boy he told the girl.    This is a good puzzle for the great detective.  Madame Maigret features in it more than usual.  A good teaser, recommended.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.  I am afraid I could not get into this book at all,  for me there was no story.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK), Penguin Classics and Georges Simenon for the chance tor had this in return for my honest review.

I have read many Simenon novels both in English and French when I was studying 'A' Level French.  They never disappoint.  Written in his inimitable style this is a traditional crime story for Christmas and has the undertones of humour.  Maigret is bored with Christmas and is delighted mohave a puzzle to solve.  

Cleverly plotted with carefully paced twists and turns.  Highly recommended.

Brilliantly written, short stories of good old fashioned detective fiction. The perfect read over the Christmas holidays, the stories all include a Christmas theme. Comprised of three short stories, all set in the Paris of the early 1950s, these tales of murder and detection will keep you enthralled. I particularly enjoyed the small descriptions of Paris and the Parisians of the 50s. Similar to Poirot, Maigret uses his little grey brain cells to solve a mystery in his own neighbourhood, when Father Christmas makes an unexpected appearance.  These stories are a fab read, particularly recommended for anyone who enjoys vintage detective stories and would make a brilliant Christmas gift.

This is a good little collection of three Maigret stories set around Christmas.  

For me, the short stories aren't quite as satisfying as a full length novel; brief as they are, the novels allow Simenon to build more of a rounded story and to develop his characters more deeply, which is the real pleasure of the Maigret books.  Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable Christmas read.

David Coward's translation is very good, conveying Simenon's quiet power and Maigret's thoughtful approach, so the stories are an easy and involving read.  I can recommend this to anyone who enjoys Maigret.

(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)

Stepping back in time, in Paris, facilitated by George Simeon's Maigret, could not have been better accomplished. The narrative provides a great feel about the culture in the 30's and how investigative and police work was carried out (boy did those guys drink a lot :)).

I enjoyed the window into the past. Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK) for a review copy.

Madame Maigret is hoping for a quiet Christmas Day, spent peacefully at home with her husband, with no interruptions from his police work. She's out of luck! Inspector Maigret is barely up, and certainly not properly dressed, before two women from the opposite apartment block arrive with a tale of a man, dressed up as Father Christmas, having visited the daughter of one of them in the night. Whether or not he believes in Santa, Maigret immediately suspects something fishy is afoot, and sets out to investigate the matter, while barely moving from the comfort of his armchair.

This story featuring Georges Simenon's most famous character, Inspector Maigret, is one of a collection of three, all set in Paris at Christmas - the perfect read for a quiet moment (if there is such a thing) after Christmas Day dinner. For long-term fans of Maigret, it's a little festive gem. For those less familiar, it works as an introduction to the Inspector, his police team, and personal life; I was particularly impressed with how much of the Maigrets' family life was explored in such a short story without stealing the show from the investigation. A few words here and there from the author, and I felt like I knew this couple intimately.
The mystery itself is probably not all that complex, but after all this is a short story, not a full-length novel which has time for more false trails and diversions, and it makes an enjoyable festive crime read.

What a treat! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to sample this Christmas offering from the late George’s Simenon. For anyone of a certain age it will immediately stir happy memories of Rupert Davies as the great detective and Ewen Solon as his much put-upon sidekick, Lucas. For fans of modern crime drama this is an intriguingly different approach to crime storytelling which relies more on the depth of knowledge, intuition and observation of a skilled Parisian detective. What it may lack in profiling, forensics and gritty realism is more than compensated for by the beautifully written story and the evocation of a Paris from a much earlier age. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Classics for a review copy of A Maigret Christmas (the other stories are not included). 

Maigret is at home on Christmas Day when two neighbours come to visit with a strange story. Mme Martin's niece, Collette, swears Santa Claus was in her room during the night, prising up the floorboards and giving her a doll. Maigret is intrigued and starts investigating.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I like the way Maigret can intuit a broader and more nefarious truth than the original premise suggests and I love the way he seems to snap his fingers and the information he needs appears. The case is tricky and the resolution surprising in that I would never have guessed at the start where it would end. I like the way Maigret thinks and his cold, hard logic and clear sightedness propel the novel forward. I was hooked from page one.

This is a short novella by an author whose mainstream novels tend to be short by modern standards. No worse for that, Simenon does not waste the reader's time by unnecessary padding; the point with Maigret is that all the background information, his wife, his apartment, his job, his colleagues, his modus operandi, are picked up by constant reading of his various cases.

A young child wakes in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve to find Santa Claus in her bedroom, on the floor lifting floorboards, apparently to make his way into the apartment below. He leaves her a large soft toy and departs with a finger raised to his lips. What is going on? Has a crime been committed? Why is the child's step-mother hesitant about telling the police?

For Maigret, already bored on Christmas morning, the puzzle comes as a godsend. What Christmas present could be better for him than to solve this conundrum. Which is what he proceeds to do - thank goodness - because the tale brings as much pleasure to the reader, as its solution brings to Maigret.

Inspector Maigret wakes up on Christmas morning with his wife Madame Maigret they are visited early by two women, Madame Martin and Mademoiselle Doncoeur, who report an intruder in Madame Martin's apartment. He is dressed as Father Christmas and he wakes her little girl. 
The inspector spends the day finding out who Father Christmas is and why he is so eager to be in the little girls room on Christmas morning.

With thanks to Penguin Classics for the opportunity to dip into Georges Simenon's Maigret series - my first foray and unlikely to be my last.  I can well see why Penguin is republishing them, along with new translations and gorgeous cover artwork.  

Since this is a short story, the plot is insubstantial.  That didn’t matter to me, though, as I was overwhelmingly struck with the depiction of Maigret’s domestic life, his daily rituals and his interaction with his wife.  I hope to find much more of this when I lay my hands on some of the other books in the series.  I liked the dialogue very much, too, great deadpan humour there.