Lock No. 1 (Inspector Maigret)

When a drowned man comes back to life, Georges Simenon’s detective must figure out who might have wanted him dead--before they try again.

Emile Ducrau, the kingpin of a small town on the outskirts of Paris, is stabbed and left for dead in the harbor one night. When he’s pulled from the water and miraculously revived, he enlists the help of Maigret to figure out who was behind the attempted murder. As Maigret sorts through the complex web of deceit, abuse, money, and power that darken Emile’s many dealings in the town, he must also deal with the specter of his own looming retirement. But even as Maigret navigates the domineering Ducrau’s attempts to control his investigation, and contemplates his offer of a job, he’s jolted out of his reverie by two more deaths and must solve the case before the killer can strike again.

Georges Simenon was born in Liège, Belgium. An intrepid traveler with a profound interest in people, Simenon strove on and off the page to understand--and not to judge--the human condition in all its shades. His books include the Inspector Maigret series and a richly varied body of wider work united by its evocative power, its economy of means, and its penetrating psychological insight. He is among the most widely read writers in the global canon.

David Coward is a translator of French literature, including works by authors such as Alexandre Dumas, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, and the Marquis de Sade.