The cases of the armed robberies and the Swiss burglar are both solved but they do not interlink in a way that might have been imagined.
Where there are similarities it is in the way that women are often the loyal protectors of their men but end up being victims of their crime. It also shows how the legal system will, sometimes protect those that are guilty because of the risk of making a scene and upsetting the influential and wealthy.
In the end the scenario that Maigret expected might have happened with the Swiss burglar being caught red-handed seems to have transpired. The kicks that the Swiss got out of stealing when the people were actually at home seems to have been his undoing.
But both cases are used not only to show the skill Maigret has in solving crimes but the dangers of a cumbersome legal system that is more worried about following the rules than punishing the guilty.
As an introduction to the character of Maigret this might not have been the best choice because he is clearly defined at this point and on the brink of retirement so it makes sense to dip into the Simenon canon and pick one of the earlier books so that is what I plan to read in lunch breaks next.
A review will follow soon…
