| Commissar Maigret receives a phone call from Mrs. Lognon, that her husband, the Inspector, has disappeared and that gangsters have broken into her house. Maigret finds Mr. Lognon and learns from him that, while on a stake-out, he saw a body dumped from a car and when he went to call the police, the body disappeared. Beginning the investigation, the commissar finds out that the car was rented by Bill Larner, a well known con man from the US and that two other American gangsters Cicero and Cinaglia are also in France. Lognon is left to watch Pozzo's restaurant, where they probably have been, but he is captured by them, taken to the countryside and beaten, and left in the woods.
Miagret is advised to give up this investigation as he knows nothing about the American gangsters and it seems that everyone who knew something about them vanishes. Above all, his contact person in FBI, Jimmy Mac Donald tells him that another American, Joe Mascarelli, a star witness in an important trial is also hiding in France and Cicero and Cinaglia were sent to kill him. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 80% Murder of certain profession? Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book descript. of violence and chases - 30 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % 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: - an organization Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge The antagonists are: - foreign organized crime Setting Europe Yes European country: - France Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - perforation--bullets Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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