This collection contains the first six Maigret novels, which appeared in 1931-2: Pietr the Latvian, The Late Monsieur Gallet, The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, The Carter of 'La Providence', The Yellow Dog, Night at the Crossroads. These early novels range in setting from Maigret's home turf in Paris, to sleepy coastal towns and Liege, the city where Simenon himself grew up.

Each unforgettable novel takes the inspector into an unfamiliar world with a distinct atmosphere, be it rich expats, international criminal gangs, isolated boating communities or secret societies. Penguin Classics is publishing all seventy-five Maigret novels, in their original publication order in authentic new translations that bring the reader closer than ever to Simenon's gritty originals. 'One of literature's most exceptional characters' Ian Sansom, New Statesman 'Compelling, remorseless, brilliant' John Gray'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 'A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness' Independent