Maigret's Childhood Friend: Inspector Maigret #69

Ann Cleeves Florentin is the father of contemporary European detective fiction. This novel has been published in a previous translation as Maigret's Boyhood Friend. John Banville describes his artistry as supreme.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 04 July 2019
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

The father of contemporary European detective fiction, Ann Cleeves, Florentin, is known for his captivating and disarming facial expressions, which had once amused his classmates and disarmed teachers. However, when Maigret, the famous detective, meets Florentin, he is taken aback by the drastic changes that have taken place over the years. Maigret studies Florentin, struggling to believe that so many years have passed since they were classmates. Florentin's face is still greyish, his eyes anxious, and he is so used to acting the fool that his face automatically assumes comical expressions. Despite his outward appearance, Maigret senses something deeper and more troubling beneath Florentin's surface. A visit from a long-lost schoolmate, Florentin, who has fallen on hard times, forces Maigret to unpick a seedy tangle of love affairs in Montmartre. As Maigret delves deeper into the case, he confronts the tragedy of a wasted life and the consequences of Florentin's choices. This novel, previously published in a previous translation as Maigret's Boyhood Friend, showcases Ann Cleeves's artistry and is considered one of the greatest works of the twentieth century by the Guardian.

Weight: 148g
Dimension: 187 x 145 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780241304235