| Riding to work on an open bus, Maigret has his pocket picked, his wallet, including his badge, stolen. He'd seen the young man, but he couldn't give chase. The next day he receives his wallet and all the contents in the mail, and a few minutes later a phone call from the thief, François Ricain, who arranges to meet Maigret near his home. Ricain, terribly agitated, takes Maigret to his apartment on the Rue Saint-Charles, and shows Maigret the body of his wife, Sophie Ricain, dead of a gunshot to the head. Ricain claims it happened while he was out trying to get money for the rent, and that he's been in a panic since, and thought Maigret might believe him. Maigret questions him, and goes to the Old Wine Press, a restaurant where Ricain and his friends related to the movie business gather.
Maigret questions Walter Carus, the producer, richest of the set, as well as his strange mistress Nora. Eventually, returning to Ricain's apartment, Maigret notices Jacques Huguet, the photographer of the group, in his window overlooking the courtyard, and on questioning him, learns that he had seen Ricain leave his apartment that night, and that shortly after Huguet and gone to call on Sophie but there had been no answer. The murder had been by Ricain, who had thought up the pickpocket ploy to throw Maigret off the track. Maigret and Huguet rush to Ricain's apartment, where they find him with his wrists cut, in the bath, but they arrive in time for him to be saved for arrest. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical How difficult to spot villain? - Moderately Challenging Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - nearly 100% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 40's-50's Ethnicity/Race Unusual characteristics: Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - money/treasure How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting Europe Yes European country: - France Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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