I loved this book, especially after reading ‘Find Her,’ because Simenon’s books are stellar examples of tight narratives that are diverting, but also *mean* something. After a dinner conversation with a psychiatrist, Maigret has gone out on a limb to set a trap for a serial killer who has already murdered five women on the streets of Paris; Dr. Tissot has revealed a basic weakness in the mind of the sociopath that Maigret may be able to use to his advantage. Published in 1955, ‘Maigret Sets a Trap’ anticipates many of the police procedural tricks with which we are familiar today, but with a humanity and sadness that detective novels don’t often call upon. In this, the detective is a bulwark against the fear and chaos that would make urban life unbearable, and his knowledge of that responsibility makes him a better cop and a better man.