My fantasy reading funk is getting weird and out of hand. That's not a bad thing as it made me look at stories I bought or have advance reader copies of (physical and ebook) and, because I wanted something fast and outside my comfort zone, this called to me from my kindle folder "NetGalley TBR" (am trying to get myself organised for once!) and went "Ok, let's try this."

In this bind-up, we have three stories. Two novellas and one short story, set around the time of Christmas. The first is the titled story - following Inspector Maigret one Christmas Day when two neighbours come over and say a little girl saw Father Christmas that night. He gave her a doll but was pulling up some floorboards...

The second is Seven Crosses In A Notebook which follows a policeman at a switchboard, looking into as case that could involve his family. The third and final story is The Little Restaurant In Les Ternes (A Christmas Story for Grown Up), which follows two women after they witness a suicide.

Now, I have problems with my reading experience as my eProof only had A Maigret Christmas. And even though, I'm not 100% certain I got the full version - the story ended quite abruptly, hence my uncertainty on whether to write my thoughts and reactions to this. But, am going to talk about my experience with Maigret Christmas and hope that's alright. But am warning you now, am only talking about this one story so take what I say with caution.

I'm not a huge crime reader. I like reading crime but I don't do it as often as I like. So, trying this out ticked some of my boxes. It's crime, it's a translation and people are become aware of this (with thanks to ITV recent adaption of some of the books in the Maigret series). Hence why I tried it.

This is an odd creature as I liked elements of it, and then there were other elements that didn't work for me. I'm quite fickle when it comes to reading crime. I liked the translation work as it didn't feel false. The characters intrigued me.

But - and this is a big but - I found reading this a struggle. Maybe it's because I'm not used to reading this type of mystery, but it was a slog for me to read. I would always be checking the line at the bottom of my kindle, telling me how much I had read and how much more I had to read. I never felt really connected to the story.

But this is my opinion and I only read one story. Who knows? I might try reading Georges Simenon in the future and it would click for me, but this wasn't for me. But if you don't try new things, who will know if you like them or not? So, am glad I tried something new!

In the first, Maigret tries to figure out who broke into a little girl's bedroom dressed as Santa Claus, and started pulling up the floorboards. A nice little festive tale which Maigret largely solves from his front room.

In the second, a policeman's nephew tries to catch a murderer. Like the previous story, the whole tale takes place in the police control room, as people report in what they've found. Maigret puts in an appearance to hear the police uncle's theory (he's never named, but the inspector is smoking a pipe).

The third and final one is a little story about how good intentions can strike even the hardest person at Christmas.

An enjoyable read for people who like a bit of mystery at Christmas.

My introduction to the Maigret mystery series set in Paris, France. A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon, translated by David Coward adds foreign intrigue to holiday reading. I am now on an inspired book hunt searching out additional titles. . .

Intrepid Inspector Maigret’s Christmas day is interrupted by the arrival of 2 neighbour women telling an unusual story of Father Christmas’ visit the night before. Maigret’s attention is secured, his visit to the scene follows, and readers’ interest is piqued. Interplay between Maigret and his wife adds to both plot and humanity of this couple as allusions are cast regarding something unspoken between them; a mystery in its own right.
First of three engaging short stories, the second offers intense policing drama involving two brothers and a young boy in jeopardy.
The third, accurately titled, A Christmas Story for Adults, presents a Christmas Eve tale of unusual human kindness in an unexpected setting.

All episodes fortify the mystique of Paris life and locales.
Available as paperback, hardcover, ebook - Penguin Classics.
Connect at inspectormaigret.com
#AMaigretChristmas

This was my first Maigret book and I really enjoyed it - 3 festive Christmas mysteries - A lovely good old fashioned set of stories that I really enjoyed perfect to read over the Christmas festivities .

A charming, atmospheric mystery set in Paris in the 1950s. I loved the contrast of this novel with modern fiction, with Maigret solving the puzzle just by brainpower and logic, with no technological aids.

My first Maigret but not my last.

Many thanks to netgalley and Penguin for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This volume brings together three Simenon stories with a Christmas theme, in a new translation by David Coward. The title of the collection might be slightly misleading – of the three tales, only the first features Simenon’s famous creation. On Christmas Day, Maigret is visited at his apartment by two neighbours with a mystery on their hands – a little girl claims to have seen Father Christmas in her room. Given that Santa has also deemed it fit to pull up a couple of floorboards, it seems unlikely that the night visitor is the real McCoy. Maigret solves the enigma without moving much from his home, thanks to nifty brainwork, judicious phone calls and a little help from his friends and colleagues.

The protagonist of the second story – Seven Crosses in a Notebook – is a humble policeman who has spent his career away from the limelight, manning a police station’s switchboard and keeping a list of the crimes carried out in the French capital. One Christmas, he finds himself thrust into the midst of an investigation, one which concerns his closest family. A boy is chasing a murderer across the streets of Paris – or perhaps it’s the other way round – and by the time the Police find them, someone might be dead. This story is actually better than the Maigret title piece – it is, in effect, a finely-crafted and well-paced mini-thriller. It also has almost Dickensian undertones as it brings us face-to-face with the “other” Christmas: that of the lonely and the downtrodden, that of the workers who need to spend Christmas night awake and away from their families, that of the poor who can barely afford to buy presents for their children.

This “social” subtext is also an important element in 'The Little Restaurant in Les Ternes (A Christmas Story for Grown-Ups)'. On Christmas night, two women witness a suicide in a little bar. One is Long Tall Jeanne, a prostitute and cynical woman of the world. The other is Martine, a young girl who happens to come from a town close to Jeanne’s birthplace and who is alone in Paris for reasons we do not learn. The women, shaken by the evening’s events, go out into the night. Jeanne, almost on an impulse, follows Martine, determined to save her from the clutches of dubious men who might take advantage of her. Nothing much happens in this story, but it’s an interesting psychological study. We are never sure what fuels Jeanne’s actions – is it a sense of sisterly affection, is it nostalgia for an innocence which she has lost, or a sense of jealousy towards a girl who is younger, fresher, more attractive?

I greatly enjoyed this anthology even though I read it two months after Christmas. Part of the pleasure is derived from the atmosphere of a retro Paris, where people still write letters, and even telephones are a luxury. A word of warning though – some of the attitudes portrayed are out of date as well. For instance, in the age of #MeToo, the image of Maigret lounging about in a dressing gown whilst his wife frets about serving him Christmas breakfast in bed, might raise a few eyebrows. But this is part of the package – a package which is, on the whole, très jolie

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were well rounded and I read it very quickly.

I love the character of Margret, and these stories were atmospheric and engaging.

Gripping classic crime story. Very gentle and much less violent and threatening than mosre recent offerings in this genre. Great little read for Christmastime - who was the mystery Father Christmas?

A cosy Christmas Maigret mystery is part of this selection of three seasonal short stories and it is ideal Christmas reading. Something to pick up over the holiday season without becoming too immersed in a long novel. A good introduction to the Maigret series because we see the inspector at home at Christmas and learn about his home life.

For Inspector Maigret, Christmas morning arrives with all the glitter and sparkle of decorations, but there are also dark secrets to be discovered... The Inspector receives two visitors on Christmas morning, who he is curious about and what they hid behind closed doors. These two lead him on the trail of a mysterious intruder dressed in red and white. Santa mysteriously visiting a young girl who is bed bound, a missing husband and a very suspicious wife. Neighbours don't like her, but she looks after her orphaned niece whilst her husband is away.. What secrets is Mrs Martin hiding.
Not a bad story, but one that I wouldn't read again.

Excellent old fashioned and easy to read Christmas story. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Another classic Maigret story, he demonstrates again that understanding people and thinking carefully will get to the truth.

I downloaded the book expecting to read several stories however like many others was only able to access one of them. Even so I really enjoyed the mystery. I have watched several television adaptations of Maigret and find the book version better although I did enjoy watching it on television as well.

An excellent read for the Christmas season. Easy to read and an enjoyable theme. Put your feet up, settle down and enjoy!

What a terrific read for the festive period! A classic Maigret tale presented neatly and just in time for Christmas.

My thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley for an opportunity to offer my free unbiased review.
I think if you are a Maigret fan you are unlikely not to read this collection of whimsical and well crafted festive period short stories. The variation and twists are Simenon at his best. I will not dwell on the tales but you need to know what they predominantly involve children and here Simenon shows Maigret's great humanity and willingness to see beyond the conventional french attitude to children of the period. Five stars but it would be unusual not to give the author of one of the most popular detectives anything less.

When Maigret receives unexpected visitors on Christmas Day it means trouble,. In pursuit of a red and white mystery man, Maigret misses his dinner to spend his day in the role of Inspector. A short, yet festive story.

Perfect for mystery fanatics! More from a well-loved character,

Inspector Maigret woke to the sounds of his wife leaving their bed, trying not to wake him. She would pop out for croissants for his breakfast as was the norm. It was Christmas morning and although she had told him to sleep in, he didn’t feel the need.

The unexpected arrival of two women from nearby apartments set the scene for a different and rather busy Christmas day for Inspector Maigret. The mysterious visitor one of the women had received in the middle of the night, in the small child, Colette’s room, and dressed as Santa was a mystery which made Inspector Maigret uneasy – he knew there was something more to the story than there seemed. Would he locate the mysterious Santa? Or was it a storm in a teacup?

A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon is a fast paced, entertaining novella which I raced through and thoroughly enjoyed. I was expecting three short stories – as the blurb says – but there was only the one, which I was disappointed about. I haven’t read this author before and will look into more of his work. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.