29 JULY 1960, Page 24

Madame Maigret's Friend. By Simenon. (Hamish Hamilton, 12s. 6d.) . More

of a puzzle and less of an atmospheric piece than usual, though it is hard by the Place des Vosges, in the picturesquely dingy Marais, recently done so proud by Mr. John Russell in his book on Paris, that human teeth are found in a bookbinder's furnace. For the first time, Mme Maigret too does a little investigating, but all is as plausible as ever, with the dogged old policeman up against a lawyer on the make, the plot trim and the writing economically efficient. Remains to be Seen by Marten Cumberland (Hutchinson, 13s. 6d.) is also set in a well-observed Paris, also pretty plausible (a kidnapping) solved by Corn- missaire Saturnin Dax, who is a sort of prosier Maigret, and not to be despised.