Georges Simenon

'A brilliant portrait of betrayal, hypocrisy, love and loss' Chicago Tribune 'She tried to laugh, but was sobbing at the same time. She attempted to stand up and fell over, but she didn't shatter like the glass'Alone and adrift after losing everything in a divorce, Betty finds her life sliding dangerously out of control. When an older woman, Laure, discovers her drunk in a Paris restaurant and nurses her back to health, she is given another chance. But Betty is damaged, consumed by darkness. As the truth about her past, and her nature, emerges, it threatens to consume Laure too.Originally published in 1961, this gripping psychological thriller caused a sensation and inspired a film adaptation by Claude Chabrol. 'Dark, disturbing ... Simenon discovered something fundamental about the soul' Guardian

90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books‘Maigret moved slowly, edging his bulky frame through the throng in Rue Saint-Antoine, which burst into life every morning, the sunshine streaming down from a clear sky on to the little barrows piled high with fruit and vegetables’In these three tales of deception, set in and around Paris, Simenon's celebrated detective uncovers chilling truths about the depths of the human instinct for self-preservation.

'Irresistible... read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss' The Sunday Times A trio of Simenon’s finest psychological novels from the 1960s, including: The Hand, Betty and The Blue RoomAmidst the fury of a relentless snowstorm, the loyalties of two friends are put to the ultimate test, with fatal consequences.In the shadows of 1960s Paris, a woman on the brink of despair is offered a chance at redemption. But as the haunting truth of her past begins to emerge, it threatens to consume her.In a secluded hotel, an adulterous affair spirals into a terrible nightmare that will transform the couple’s lives forever.This new edition brings together Georges Simenon’s most gripping psychological novels from the 1960s, capturing the raw essence of human frailty and resilience during a time of profound social upheaval, and revealing the chilling brilliance of Simenon’s romans durs.

‘The father of contemporary European detective fiction ’ Ann Cleeves In a sweltering Paris summer Inspector Maigret works against the clock to catch a serial killer in this classic novel featuring Simenon's literary legendInspector Maigret is known for his infallible instinct, for getting at the truth no matter how complex the case, but when someone starts killing women on the streets of Montmartre, he finds himself confounded. In the sweltering Paris summer heat, with the city in a state of siege, Maigret hatches a plan to lure the murderer out.Translated by Siân Reynolds ‘Not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend’ The Times'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century' Guardian

'The new crime and espionage series from Penguin Classics makes for a mouth-watering prospect' Daily TelegraphA baffling case. A mysterious inheritance.It starts when a man's arm is fished out of Paris's Canal Saint-Martin. Then the rest of the body is retrieved - apart from the head. Inspector Maigret is determined to unearth the truth behind this disturbing murder. When he meets the strangely taciturn owner of a shabby local bistro, Madame Calas, who says her husband is away, the pieces start to fall into place. But, as the dogged, laconic detective discovers, nothing in this tangled case is as it seems.