Maigret #24. Maigret is infuriated by the wily and yet childish Félicie, who has vital information about the murder of her employer but will say nothing. Like the earlier Cécile, she is something of a joke figure to others, which probably explains Maigret’s more fatherly approach on this occasion.

Batman episode 3. Could this business possibly be a front for a fiendish criminal? Hmmm…

Unquestionably the best Irish nitro stout. (But I’m fed up with 440ml cans. What’s wrong with 500ml?)

Maigret #23. Like the St. Fiacre case the story is built on the prediction of a murder. Maigret struggles to make sense of the disparate elements: dead clairvoyant / crazy old man / dodgy financier / neurotic office clerk. He maintains his equilibrium via prodigious quantities of beer. Top notch.

Immediately reminds me of this penguin edition. Same artist perhaps.

Then you read the piece and see that, between them, they own less than 4% of the shares. Top journalism.

Maigret #22. Cécile is a figure of fun at police HQ, regularly arriving to report improbable events. Her murder reveals a dark conspiracy of vice and greed as Maigret struggles with his own guilt. A more traditional, noir-ish detective story and unsurprisingly it was adapted for the screen in ‘44.

Maigret #21. Maigret is in disgrace and banished to the Vendée. A woman from a nearby coastal town reports a body lying in the house of a local judge. The judge pleads innocence, even as he is caught disposing of the body. A somewhat depressing story of infidelities, disputed parentage and madness.

I had somehow never seen this, an absolute joy. Lovely Loretta Young hits the big city to work as a maid for Congressman Joe Cotten - steals the show and wins her Oscar. Cotten at his reliable best, while Ethel Barrymore and Charles Bickford contribute eye-catching supporting turns. Really enjoyed.

Charming romantic drama, with Lancaster’s Secret Service agent on the trail of a counterfeiter of one-dollar bills. Lancaster falls for Dorothy McGuire, a translator at the U.N. Of course, the forger turns out to be doddery old Edmund Gwenn, McGuire’s friend and neighbour, and hiding in plain sight.

I’m particularly fond of this Antarctic explorer and his cat.

Maigret #20. 8 years after #19, Simenon gives us a complete reboot: Maigret has not retired and never left his Paris apartment. Here he finds himself ‘downstairs’ in the bowels of the Majestic, where a guest with a chequered past has been killed and stuffed into one of the staff lockers. Excellent.

Maigret #19. Maigret’s nephew, a junior inspector, fouls up an investigation and becomes a suspect in an underworld murder. His now retired uncle reluctantly returns to Paris to help him out. Maigret quickly identifies the rogues gallery responsible for the crime, but how can he prove it?

Maigret #18. The attempted murder of a river shipping magnate at the confluence of the Seine and Marne becomes the catalyst for two deaths, somehow connected to events long passed. This strange tale of familial angst and sundered friendship is somewhat muddled, perhaps due to its serialised origins.

That poster makes it look like a spy movie. This perhaps captures the mood better.

Stunning 1962 war movie recounting the final days of the German occupation of Naples in 1943 after the allied-Italian truce. This doesn’t look out of place alongside any of the post-war Rubble Films or Italian neo-realist classics and I can’t think of any higher praise.

Maigret #17. Behind the glittering wealth of the Côte d’Azur, the denizens of the dingy Liberty Bar are embroiled in the murder of a formerly wealthy expatriate Australian. Maigret’s distaste for the region is evident from the start and once again his final instinct is to leave well enough alone.

It’s been far too long since I last watched this - epic, gorgeous filmmaking from the true golden age of Hollywood. Cinematography, editing, and performances for the ages. The tension, the vistas, all those tight close-ups. Amazing.

Maigret #16. Confined to bed in Bergerac after taking a bullet to the shoulder, Maigret holds court in his room, trying to solve the case of the titular ‘Madman’, who has already killed twice. The claustrophobic setting lends a different feel, Maigret reduced to playing mind games with the suspects.

First time watch. The theme of right-wing authoritarianism obviously resonates strongly today and Volontè is stupendous in the lead role but I was never quite as engaged as I expected to be and ended up somewhat disappointed. Maybe just my mood on the day.

I was quite enjoying this up to the point where it goes completely insane. Online commentary suggests there is an alternative version that cuts most of the last twenty minutes - an excellent call. Anyway, it’s all very French. (A good thing)

Maigret #15. Normandy, where a buttoned-up harbourmaster has been murdered - poisoned, having previously survived a shooting. Though apparently poor, he has left money. Murky dealings and unreadable suspects play havoc with Maigret’s mood, as he struggles to find his way through the maze of deceit.

This guy.

Maigret #14. Mistrust, racism and suspicion surround the disappearance of a young woman from a town on the French/Belgian border. There’s a wonderful psychological richness and sense of place in this, though I was ultimately puzzled by Maigret’s approach to the perpetrator. Excellent nonetheless.

Maigret #13. Maigret returns to the rural estate of his childhood years. The lady of the chateau has died in unusual circumstances but it’s not clear that an offence has been committed. This one is big on atmosphere but the plot really makes no sense, and the frenetic second half disappoints.

I’ve started watching this (in the awful tv recording that seems to be the only available print) and Jeremy Irons is having a pint with Patricia Hodge. His pint is getting fuller as the chat goes on. Really, continuity people, do your job.

Or this stuff!

Maigret #12. A millionaire is murdered at his office and Fr360,000 is missing from his safe. Maigret suspects that the murder and robbery are not necessarily connected. The setup involves one too many coincidences but otherwise this one has great psychological energy and a satisfying resolution.

Maigret #11. A condemned man tells Maigret that a murderer regularly drinks at the Two-Penny Bar. But where is it? And who killed whom? A simpler story than some of the earlier convoluted plots and it’s all the better for it. Nor does Maigret allow his sympathies to get the better of his judgement.

Maigret #10. Two naive teenagers become embroiled in a murder following their night out at the titular, seedy Liège nightclub. Maigret lurks in the background, insinuating himself into proceedings once the Belgian police effort begins to stumble. An unsatisfying, silly plot wastes a promising start.