Maigret is called to the home of Armand de Saint-Hilaire, a highly respected official who has been found shot dead in his study by his housekeeper. After interviewing everyone concerned Maigret is at a loss to the identity of the perpetrator until he comes across a series of letters from the past fifty years between the victim and a recently widowed woman. As Maigret uncovers the details behind the twos relationship he gets closer to discovering the tragic truth behind the officials demise. n n Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret in Society. n n His artistry is supreme John Banville n n One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories Guardian n