One beautiful, sunny day in Paris a schoolteacher from a small village on the city’s outskirts approached Maigret, asking for help in proving his innocence.

An elderly woman—a former postal worker—had been murdered. She was disliked by nearly everyone in the village, but the residents couldn’t think of a better idea than to blame the outsider—the new schoolteacher whose family hadn’t managed to fit in. And this wasn't just among the children—the adults felt the same way.

It soon becomes clear that most of the villagers know exactly who the murderer is, but they stubbornly refuse to speak, hiding important facts and staying silent. The villagers have divided everyone into “friends and enemies,” and although they gather regularly at the local inn, at the slightest hint of a threat, they immediately go on the defensive.

Maigret finds himself having to deal with some of the most dangerous suspects—minors. Having grown up in a similar kind of village himself, he begins to notice familiar patterns in people's behavior and worldview. And step by step, without rushing, he begins to uncover the truth behind the murder.

The Belgian author Georges Simenon, a world-renowned master of the psychological detective genre, is one of the most widely read authors of the 20th century. Over the course of 43 years, he published 425 books—200 under 16 pseudonyms, and 220 under his own name. Simenon wrote 75 novels and 28 short stories about Inspector Maigret. By number of translations, he ranks 19th worldwide: his works have been published in 55 languages across 39 countries.