First published in the early 1930’s, “The Carter of ‘La Providence’” is one of the earlier Inspector Maigret novels from Georges Simenon that takes us back to a simpler time, a slower pace of life, in rural France between the wars.

A body is discovered, purely by accident, under some hay in a stable alongside a lock on France’s intricate system of canals and waterways. The victim, a rich woman soon identified as Mary Lampson, was strangled and hidden, yet there was no noise, no mud (on a very rainy and muddy day), and no place for a car to have brought her. Inspector Maigret is brought in to solve this baffling mystery. He soon links her to a rich man’s sailboat, owned by the victim’s husband Sir Walter, a British “stiff upper lip” Lord who has been travelling with his sidekick Willy Marco and another mysterious woman, a Chilean parliament member’s widow, along with a Russian crewman.

But this murder is also tied to others plying the canals of France, the barges waiting patiently for their turns, the “carters” (who tend to the horses that tow the barges) and innkeepers and sailors who make up this tightknit blue-collar community and resent the rich with their playthings. When another death (and yet another near-death) takes place, Maigret realizes that the killer isn’t done yet, that the secrets of the past are still being protected in the present day.

This is a perfect example of the laid-back style of Maigret, of how he pursues answers to questions based on how he reads situations and people. This younger Maigret isn’t above getting on a bicycle and tearing about the French countryside, but it’s often to ask a simple question or two, or to see some activity or location for himself. The weather, soggy, damp, rainy and grey, adds another layer to the mood and is almost an additional character. A wonderful cerebral break from most of today’s action-packed, gruesome murders. I am glad that these treasures are being republished for a new generation of readers and giving us the opportunity to revisit some of these classic mysteries.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Farrar, Straus and Giroux - Picador via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is my first foray into the world of Inspector Maigret, and I had a lovely time! The mystery was fun and engaging, and I found the translation soothing to read even as the writing itself delved into some complicated territory. I couldn't always keep up with the minute details making up the investigation, but I enjoyed being a part of the ride. I will be seeking out more Simenon to read!

My thanks to FSG and Picador for an eARC of this upcoming (June 2025) reprint of an early Simenon Maigret novel. Penguin is better known for publishing this Belgian author. This is the 2014 translation by David Coward. It was also translated into English by Anthony Abbot as "The Crime at Lock 14" (1934) and in 1963 by Robert Baldick as "Maigret Meets a Milord" (reissued in 2003 as "Lock 14"). It was made into a big screen or TV movie 4 times ("Maigret and the Gold Diggers" - what does that have to do with the book??????)
It is listed as volume 2 or 4 in the series of 75 novels Simenon wrote with Maigret as the main character. Simenon began writing the series in 1928 or 1929, but only in 1930 was the first one published. This is one of about a dozen titles he published with Maigret in 1931! He was known to write 50-80 pages a day.
I have not read a Maigret title in decades, but a few years ago I read a few of the Simenon gritty, Social Realist non-Maigret books that he had written earlier.
This is set on the waterways and canals of France. Simenon in the late 1920's had a houseboat built, and he traveled these for about a half a year. With his wife, and the younger "assistant" who stayed with them for over 30 years, Boule.
The carters and canal boats make this is a very blue-collar kind of novel. It is short, and can almost be read in one sitting. All kinds of "red herrings" are thrown out from the very first page, with a surfeit of details. And it is only by a hint thrown out by one of the disliked rich people of the novel (even Maigret admits he had spent too much time trying to find one them guilty) that he begins to piece the case together. In the end the criminal is more sympathetic than the victims, but even their deaths are more sad than horrifying or tragic.
I hope to read more in this series, and I have one other eARC from Picador. But I do believe that either you like Simenon, or not - he is not cozy, and he is also not "tough", like a Hammett novel.
4 out of 5, looking forward to my next quick read of Simenon. Ii can imagine getting addicted to these.

Inspector Maigret is one of my long-time favorite characters. A few years before the movie starring Rowan Atkinson, which I find very match and interesting, I began reading the books completely out of order. Recently, I've decided to read more each year, and I hope to track the series from the beginning this time.

The Carter of 'La Providence' marked as the second and fourth book. I am pretty sure this does not change the story; however, he is younger and constantly biking up and down the small path in the near lake village this time.

This book, which I am very afraid to admit, is my least favorite so far. WHY afraid: because of a single sentence in the last chapter: "No one noticed, except Maigret." I have a feeling there were misdirections and unanswered questions that I didn't understand but Maigret did.

In any case, still was a good mystery on a rainy, tragic day in France, when Inspector Maigret got into the new case of the discovery of the body of an expensively dressed woman found in a nearby stable, with no road nearby, no witness, and no mud in her... He started solving and I kept guessing with no luck till the end.

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux via NetGalley for the DRC, I have given my honest review and love the new covers!

When a woman's body is found in the stable alongside Lock 14, which marks the junction of the river Marne and the canal, it is up to Detective Chief Inspector Maigret of the Flying Squad to figure out who killed her. No easy task when he does not even know who she is, or how she - in her clean, dry clothes - got to the stable, given that the towpath is too narrow for a car and on the night in question anyone on foot would have had to wade knee deep through puddles and mud...

The Carter of "La Providence" is the fourth book to feature Maigret but can definitely be read as a standalone, and I really liked the way it focuses solely on the case at hand rather than bringing in character or story arcs from previous books. We're dropped into the middle of the mystery from the opening line, and the story ends as soon as the case is solved. No words are wasted in this slim book, which can easily be read in one sitting, and I loved the pared-back style of writing which kept the pages turning and the facts clear but which I also wanted to savour. I particularly wanted to spend as long as possible in the company of Maigret, a strikingly original character in a genre crowded with detectives. I loved the way he is described from the start as baffled by the facts of the case, and I noticed that Georges Simenon repeatedly allows other characters to make key discoveries instead of his protagonist, and yet somehow Maigret always felt like such a reassuring presence, with his calm demeanour, restless mind, and quick wit. I also liked the way Maigret goes about solving this mystery, which feels different from other crime fiction books partly because of his unique character and partly because of the baffling details of this case.

The mystery itself keeps the reader guessing without resorting to implausible or overly-complicated storylines, thanks to a cast of colourful characters and the intricacies of the canal system. The setting was one of my favourite aspects of The Carter of "La Providence", both because of the limited number of suspects it provides us with and because of the way the muddy towpaths and constant rain are so wonderfully evoked by the writing. This one wasn't quite a five-star read for me, partly because I didn't always love the way this book presented its female characters, but I enjoyed it very much and will definitely be reading more in the series.

Georges Simenon’s *The Carter of La Providence* is a masterclass in atmosphere, a quality I’d forgotten until revisiting his work after years away. Introduced to Inspector Maigret through a college course on detective fiction, I hadn’t picked up a Simenon novel since, though I’d devoured every film and TV adaptation—Bruno Cremer’s portrayal always standing out as the definitive Maigret, his image lingering in my mind throughout this read. That mental picture only enhanced Simenon’s vivid prose, reminding me why he remains unmatched in crafting mood. Reading this book, I felt perpetually damp, as if the misty French canals had seeped into my bones.

The story unfolds on a slow, rainy day along a canal, a tranquil setting shattered by the discovery of a woman’s body. Mary Lampson—elegantly dressed, adorned with pearls—is found strangled in a stable, far from any road suitable for a car. The scene is perplexing: no noise, no witnesses, no mud to hint at her arrival. It’s a puzzle that baffles even the unflappable Inspector Maigret, who must unravel how this glamorous figure met such a grim fate. The clues seem to lie with the eclectic crew aboard the barge “La Providence:” Mary’s haughty husband, Sir Walter; the enigmatic Willy Marco; and a Chilean parliament member’s widow. Together, they form a web of secrets and quiet dramas that Simenon unravels with surgical precision.

What makes The Carter of La Providence so compelling is Simenon’s ability to peel back the veneer of the everyday, exposing its dark underbelly. The plot is taut and harrowing, but it’s the atmosphere—sodden, heavy, and alive—that lingers. Simenon doesn’t just tell a mystery; he immerses you in it. For fans of detective fiction or anyone who appreciates a story that seeps into your senses, this is a reminder of why he’s a titan of the genre. I won’t let another decade pass before picking up his next work.


Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this book.