Maigret's First Case (Inspector Maigret) - Georges Simenon

nThe story of how it all began: an investigation into a dynastic family pulls a young Maigret away from his desk and into a web of fame, money, and corruption. n nAt age twenty-six, Maigret is a secretary at the Saint-Georges district police station: a lowly, mostly deskbound job. Late one night, a young musician comes in. He had been walking home, he says, when he saw a woman at the window of a mansion, shouting for help. Then a gunshot rang out. n nThe mansion belongs to the Gendreau-Balthazar family, Maigret realizes, whose coffee brand is a household name. Such a high-profile case could be his big break--except this family has powerful friends, among them Maigret's boss. Can the ambitious young officer conduct an honest investigation? Or must he choose between his idealism and his hopes of promotion? A taut and unpredictable thriller, Maigret's First Case is also a finely shaded psychological portrait of the fledgling genius who will--one day--become France's most famous detective.n