Acclaimed author, Georges Simenon, once again weaves a capturing tale of mystery and suspense, with the astute Inspector Maigret at the wheel. A series numbering over 100 books, the Inspector Maigret series – after a long stint of unavailability – has, thankfully, been reintroduced by Penguin Books to readers hankering for good mysteries. With an intriguing plot and a cast of believable characters, Lock 14, set early on in the Maigret series), is a swift but gratifying read.Brusquer and less loquacious than Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, Inspector Maigret is all business as he takes on a new case that is sure to perplex even the most skilled of sleuths.Set in France, in the region of a lock located on a busy section of canal, Lock 14, recounts the underhanded goings-on along these extensive waterways. With commercial barge interchange in the lock, coupled with high-class yachts and tourist boats, which were often gathered in close proximity, the result was an aquatic melding pot of working class and “upper crust” societies.The varying degrees of society in the vicinity of Lock 14 have apparently collided, on a rainy April day, when two dockmen stumble upon the cadaver of elegantly-clad Mary Lampson while rummaging under the hay in a stable; 5 hours dead from apparent strangulation. Inspector Maigret is called to piece things together. First to be interviewed is the dead woman’s husband, Sir Walter Lampson, an Englishman and retired colonel of the Indian Army, whose pleasure craft is docked near Lock 14. The Inspectors sharp instincts are alerted when Lampson, along with fellow passengers of his yacht - who seem only bent on a life devoted to decadence - appear oddly aloof and indifferent to the murder. Ultimately shedding light on a heartrending occurrence of lost identity and lost love, Maigret gradually pieces together the stories of those involved, and how Mary Lampson and a second victim met their untimely end.Regardless of the descriptive language outlining the characters, conspicuous is the lack of background on Inspector Maigret himself. Simenon leaves the reader guessing about the Inspectors persona, and the depths that lie beneath his somewhat gruff and abrupt exterior.Despite their small size, Simenon’s Inspector Maigret series of mystery books are highly satisfying and concentrated with page flipping “who-dunnit” suspense, keeping readers captured until the final pages. Lock 14, itself, saw publication in 1931 and yet remains accessible and a pleasure to read. These are excellent books that are small and easy to pack for a weekend getaway or outing, and can be easily enjoyed in a few brief sittings.
Simenon, Georges. LOCK 14. (1931). ****. As you may have guessed by now, I came across a real treasure trove of Simenon novels in a used bookstore. There are quite a few left on my pile, so bear with me. In this novel, one of his earlier ones, Simenon has his protagonist, Chief Inspector Maigret, investigate a murder that happened along one of the canal locks. The woman who was killed (strangled by a set of strong hands) was the wife of a British Count who had been sailing on his yacht through the canals, heading towards his usual vacation site. When the husband learns of the murder, he seems fairly aloof and unconcerned about the whole thing. This was put to Maigret as the typical reaction of a Brit. The Count explained that his wife to come and go as she pleased, so that even though she disappeared from the boat two days earlier, he hadn’t thought it necessary to report it to the police. The Count maintained a retinue on his boat of a Russian, who manned the boat and took care of it, a servant, Willy, who waited on the Count and his every needs, and a young lady who was his mistress. He was used to having parties on his yacht at most stops and inviting local women up for drinks and dancing. All of this raised Maigret’s suspicions. Soon after, the Count’s servant was found in the canal – also strangled. Now the plot thickens. Maigret realizes that he must broaden the search for the killer to include a number of barge people as well, as soon as he could come up with a reasonable motive. This is new territory for Maigret; he’s away from the streets of Paris, among a class of people very different from those he knows. He discovers, however, that people are pretty much the same everywhere, and that the usual motives apply to all of them. Recommended.
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This is a primer on how to set a mystery. First arrange the action in an incomprehensible setting like an old fashioned set of locks on a river in France. There are keepers, bargees, carters, horses barns and tons of boats going up and down the river. Next have the entire investigation take place in a murky unrelenting rain so that the characters are all miserable and cold, exhausted from tramping through mud and mire.Finally arrange it so our detective inspector has to ride FORTY miles in the rain more than once to find a very few clues.The reader will be content that he is in an armchair, dry and warm. The who did it doesn't really seem to matter at the end.
—Elizabeth
This is the second Maigret novel Simenon wrote and one of his most atmospheric setting it in the gloomy surroundings of the canal locks in winter. It's a good story, though as with all Maigret the plot hardly matters. Maigret's character is forming and the sparseness of the prose adds to the depressing feel. He was a brilliant writer. This is as sharp a viewing of the landscape and community as any film or photograph. This is no nice detective puzzle set in a country house, it's grimy, gritty and full of great characters.
—Tim Diggles
If you're truly obsessed with geography, you will like this, since you can follow the canals south from Épernay - the first murder takes place near this town. Simenon traveled all these canals since, like Sir Walter Lampson, he had a home on Porquerolles. The true identity of the victim is not revealed until nearly the end, and the discovery of her identity leads to the murderer. Another unforgettable portrait of a man much changed, from his more fashionable youth to a near-animal existence on a canal boat taking care of horses.This is the atmosphere:"The whole scene gave off an animal warmth, a sensation of full-blooded life that took one by the throat like the harsh wine of certain hillsides."Whitman might have appreciated this but it beats him by a mile!
—Sara
