21 DECEMBER 1956, Page 24

It's a Crime

MY FRIEND MAIGRET. By Simenon. (Hamish Hamilton, 10s. 6d.) The sun-drenched mistral-swept island of Porquerolles is almost as exotically outlandish a place to mackintoshed Monsieur Maigret of the Surete as to taciturn Mr. Pyke of Scotland Yard, but the Frenchman has to affect to feel at home, and show off his paces to the visiting Englishman. Maigret solves the mystery

of why a dingy beachcomber was bumped off for calling him friend, in what is a shortish novel for the money, but a good at dinner slice of Simenon.

his er-