''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray

When he got to his door, he was surprised not to hear any noise in the kitchen and not to smell any food. He went in, crossed the dining room, where the table had not been laid, and at last saw Madame Maigret, in her slip, busy taking off her stockings. This was so unlike her that he could find nothing to say, and when she saw him standing there wide-eyed, she burst out laughing.

Inspector Maigret's wife turns sleuth after a strange encounter in a Paris square leads her on the trail of a woman in a white hat, and towards a grisly tale of deception and greed.

Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations.

''His artistry is supreme'' John Banville

''A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness'' Independent