Maigret and the Gangsters aka Inspector Maigret and the Killers by Georges Simenon
Review by Matt B. (BuffaloSavage) 
Georges Simenon wrote about 70 police procedural mysteries starring Inspector Maigret and set in France. Written in 1952, this installment features the excellent description of atmosphere, especially Paris and its shops, bars, restaurants, apartments, street scenes, and weather.
Inspector Lognon doesn’t work at the Quai des Orfèvres so he’s not in Maigret’s inner circle of Janvier, Lapointe, and Lucas. Although self-pitying Lognon earns his nickname of Old Grouch, Maigret sympathizes with his situation because of Lognon’s wife, pathetic invalid and annoying complainer and decidedly unchic in “a dressing gown a hideous shade of mauve.” Lognon is also an obstinate bulldog of a cop.
On a routine stake-out, Lognon witnesses a body being dumped. Maigret bends the rules (the incident took place outside his turf) and gets on the trail of two American gangsters. The pace of this one seems quicker than in other Maigret novels, since M. and his team go from place to place, without much of a break for beer and sandwiches.
In various bars, Maigret is told that the French police are no match for American gangsters. This imputation gets Maigret’s dander up though sometimes Maigret seems unsure how to deal with American thugs, who act “like they’re at home” with impunity.
Maigret fans may recall that poor Lognon – who takes a round in this one – also got shot in Maigret and the Ghost aka Maigret and the Apparition (1964). Students of French may be interested to know that l’inspecteur Malgracieux has been translated as The Grouser, Inspector Grouch, Old Ungracious, and Inspector Grumpy.
