Pietr The Latvian (Maigret Series) by Georges Simenon

In this first installment in Georges Simenon’s legendary Inspector Maigret series, M. Maigret hunts down an elusive and notorious confidence man, but finds that identifying him is a game of doubles, intrigue, and hidden crimes. 

Georges Simenon (1903-1989) is one of the most widely read novelists of all time. He wrote more than two hundred books under his own name - including seventy-five Jules Maigret novels, for which he is best known. Simenon's Maigret series is now credited with introducing one of the most common formats for books, movies and television: the police procedural.

The first Maigret novel, Pietr the Latvian, was published in 1931 and the last one, Maigret and Monsieur Charles, was published in 1972. The main character Maigret, a gruff-but-empathetic detective who is aware of social issues and moral complexity, is lovable for not only his crime-solving abilities but also his favored habits and creature comforts. In addition to being well-written mystery stories that are major , the short and engaging books provide a wonderful, multi-faceted view of Parisian life over this long timespan.