Maigret and the minister - Georges Simenon

'His artistry is supreme' John Banville

'Once alone in his office, he went over and opened the window as if
being in charge of this case made him gasp for a breath of fresh air... It
made him feel almost fond of the petty thieves, maniacs, swindlers and
offenders of all kinds that he usually had to deal with.'

Maigret has no taste for politics, or politicians, but when he is summoned to a clandestine meeting by a desperate government minister one evening, he finds himself drawn into an unsavoury world of corruption, scandal and cover ups.

'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories' Guardian

'A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness' Independent