Maigret Sets a Trap dates from 1955, the year I was born. It is vintage Maigret, written when Simenon was at the height of his power. Women are being attacked in Montmarte, their clothing slashed, their throats cut. The police haven't a clue to work with - until Maigret gets chatting with a psychiatrist, Professor Tissot, at dinner one evening.
Simenon's great contribution to crime literature was the pschological angle. Here, Professor Tissot develops an early version of a criminal profile, diagnosing the kind of man who would be most likely to commit such a series. He also hazards an equally ahead-of-its-time geographical profile. The killer must know Montmarte like the back of his hand. If not living locally, he must certainly have spent considerable time there.
Maigret is thus able to track down his suspect. He does this via a single jacket button, snatched from the attacker's suit. But while Maigret is questioning the suspect at the Quai des Orfevres another woman is killed up in Montmarte. Maigret remains convinced that he has the serial killer in custody. So the latest killing must be a copycat.
Having set a trap to catch the suspect, Maigret (or Simenon, typically playing with our expectations) sets another to catch the copycat.
I'd forgotten how great Maigret can be. It must be twenty years since I read one. I'm glad I read this.
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