Quite a short read: small but perfectly formed. A typical detective story of the period in its style and form, but rather different in its apparently innocuous and possibly groundless introduction, leading to a far more serious background and crime. I have not read Simenon for many years, and have been unimpressed by recent television interpretations of the marvellously unhurried and thoughtful detective, Maigret, so this was a lovely reminder of the carefully plotted and neatly written books in the series. I enjoyed reading its gently old-fashioned, intriguing detective work over the more hectic Christmas period of today.

A nice style of crime story, with lovely use of languague and good descriptive passages. Nice to read a more old fashioned type of crime story with hardly any violence, no bad languague etc. Perfect for a cozy night in by the fire, rather like a sort of French Agatha Christie

neatly written, though quite short. I hadn't read any Maigret before, but now I might give Simenon a go. Dated style as you would expect, but I like that, it brings up the period very well.

Maigret finds it difficult to spend time at home without anything to occupy his mind so when a potential mystery is brought to his door on Christmas day by a neighbor how can he resist? A young girl claims to have seen Father Christmas lifting floorboards in her bedroom during the night.
Not having their own children is a great sadness for Mme Maigret, especially at Christmas, so she reaches out to the young girl, expressing concern for her well-being as Maigret investigates.
I haven't read many Maigret stories but it seems to me that Mme Maigret is a sad figure. She is a great support to her husband, but the lack of children somehow paints her as an incomplete character. This gives a depressing air to the stories and puts me off reading them more often. However, I will probably try and get a French edition for our 6th form readers.

I love Maigret. Where other detectives use the little grey cells or chew at their cases like a terrier, Maigret just seems to empathise with everybody, victim, criminal or colleague, and feels (rather than thinks) his way to the answer. This is a suitably lightweight case, just right for the season.

I received a NetGalley proof of this book but it only contained the first story 'A Maigret Christmas' so my review is based solely on that.
A thoroughly enjoyable Christmas interlude in the world of Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret. As Maigret and his wife are spending a quiet, bittersweet Christmas alone in their flat, they are interrupted by the arrival of two female neighbours from the opposite block of flats. They report that a man dressed as Father Christmas broke into a little girl’s bedroom in the night looking for a hidden object. Unsure if it is the imaginings of a small child or a real break-in Maigret decides to investigate. What follows is a gentle investigation, conducted mainly from his living room but which leads to surprising discoveries.
This novella is a perfect length for a Christmas tale and has lots of Christmas spirit. It works as a brief respite from often hectic Christmas preparations.

I was unable to properly review this, as the ARC contained only one story, not three. Hence, impossible to properly assess the character of the collection as a whole. I wouldn't expect to write a review of a book if I had only been able to read the first third of it

Peculiar one here - I received a Netgalley proof of this and was saving it for Christmas.  It promised three festive tales featuring famous literary detective Maigret.  However, when I opened it, there was but one, the title tale.  Without having access to the full material, it is difficult to provide an entire review.  This was a shame because the bit that I was given was highly enjoyable.

The premise is that Inspector Maigret is trying to enjoy Christmas with his good lady wife but finds it difficult to enter into the spirit of the occasion.  The apartment is quiet, Madame Maigret is distracted, something is missing.  Then two visitors arrive, neighbours from across the street and they have a mystery that needs to be solved.  Little girl Colette has been visited by a man dressed as Father Christmas and he has given her a doll.  Who is this man?  How did he get in?  And why did he pick up the floorboards in the child's bedroom?

There are many classic elements of Christmas stories at work in this story.  The trope of the Christmas visitor was even made use of in this year's Paddington Bear focussed Marks and Spencer's advert.  The concept of the lost child finding a home is also well-trodden territory for Christmas specials.  Still, the mystery is well-woven among these ideas and the story was a compelling one, neither over-doing the festive backdrop nor appearing to crow-bar anything in.

This was my first encounter with Inspector Maigret although further research has indicated him to have quite the following and I understand Rowan Atkinson has been playing him in a recent Christmas special.  I will be seeking out further installments from the library if possible but it is difficult to give much information for a review based on what Penguin sent over on this occasion.

An enjoyable escape and an ideal way of grabbing some quiet time over the festive period. I felt the gentile pace was perhaps gee’d up a touch to much at the end but none the less a good read.

From the outset, I need to state that I have never read or watched a Maigret before.
How, I’m not sure, as I really do love a mystery.

This book stood out to me as I was looking for something Christmassy to read during the week on the run up to Christmas.

I really enjoyed the short story and felt that the glimpse into a French Christmas in the early 50’s was so evocative. The descriptions were perfect and so detailed. I could picture everything in my minds eye, something that rarely happens when one is reading a short story.

I shall certainly endeavour to read more Maigret’s in the future.

I only received the first Maigret story in this book as part of a netgalley free review copy, but that was what I really wanted to read anyway.

I hadn't previously read any of Simenon's Maigret books, but I enjoy the ITV tv series and mysteries/crime novels in general, so I was eager to give this a try. I really enjoyed the Christmas short story: it was well-written, fully brought Maigret and the usual characters to life, and offered a glimpse into more of Maigret's back story and family life. The central plot, whilst reasonably simple, was also enjoyable as a quick read, and as an interesting take on why a little girl saw Santa Claus!

https://www.librarything.com/work/20585163/summary/149477995

I was sent an eARC but it only contained the first of the three stories which I understand make up this book.

‘A Maigret Christmas’

I enjoyed the fact that this story, indeed the Maigret books, are set in a time when there is still much merit given to the art of detection. Here the story is laid out before you – a child wakes to find Santa Claus in her room ‘making a hole in the floor to travel downstairs…’, he signals her to stay quiet, gives her a doll and exits through the door. Maigret is told this and requested by a neighbour and, more reluctantly, the aunt of the child to look into it. It is Christmas Day – a little bored and now with his interest piqued he decides to do a little, unofficial, sleuthing. Mrs Maigret features as do several colleagues.

This is a well written gem of a story. I have not read any Maigret books so this was a good introduction and one that made me want to read more. I enjoyed the recent Maigret series on TV and do recall the original TV version (my parents liked to watch it). Having now read this short story I am sure I would enjoy the books.

It also gave a fascinating insight into Christmas Day in France, well Paris, at that time with shops opening for such items as croissants, taxis available and the train station open.

Rating: 4* (based on the one story)

I only got one story out of the three in this book, not sure where the other two went! The book went up to 100% but it was only the first story that was there. I enjoyed the story that I read but I have not been able to put a review on Goodreads because of this.

This was fairly short, but at the same time, a very fascinating writing style. It was a book I found very hard to put down and the characters and storyline very unusual.

This was a very enjoyable festive tale which I thoroughly enjoyed reading in the run up to Christmas.

It's set in Maigret's home environment in Paris so gives a good feel of the interaction between Maigret and his wife and the neighbours in the apartment block opposite where the mystery happens. A young girl confined to bed after an accident sees Santa Claus in her room. He leaves her a gift but she also is curious as to why he was lifting a floorboard in her room. Mademoiselle Doncoeur, a curious neighbour of the young girl and her guardian, thinks this is highly suspicious and needs reporting to the great Maigret despite it being Christmas Day and his day off. It's a fun tale and well written. I haven't read any of the Maigret books before but will certainly seek more out.

With thanks to NetGalley and PenguinUKBooks for a free copy of the first story of the three in this book in exchange

Yes, like the majority of reviewers here I received my copy from NetGalley too… But I have to point out that the two ‘missing’ stories commented on by other reviewers were missing due to an error with the publisher that has now been rectified. These other two stories relate to Christmas in Paris at Christmas, but do not include Maigret as a character. Although Janvier does make an appearance in the second story. My ‘advance’ copy (eventually) came with all three stories! And I’m very pleased that it did, particularly as the second story is the most thrilling and innovative of the three.

I have come late to Simenon (86 years late by one way of reckoning) mainly because I assumed that as so many novels had been published that these were simply translations of French pulp fiction. Although that is in the broadest sense true, what is implied by this comment is almost entirely incorrect. This is now the seventh Maigret title that I have read in the last nine months, every one of which has been superb and both profound and revealing, occasionally with glimpses of humour and always rich in humanity. And A Maigret Christmas is no exception to this except that it may be a little more cosy and warm-hearted than usual. But maybe that is just me; the time of year and all that entails means I may be predisposed to feel a warmth toward my fellow man.

The series does not really require a sequential reading, and indeed the slightly shorter nature of these stories means that A Maigret Christmas may be the perfect jumping in point for someone new to Maigret. However the general understanding of the characters and their worldviews and my affection toward them is added to with each story read. Although Maigret is considered brusque and abrupt, this two-dimensional shorthand view of him is far from the mark. Maigret may be gruff but he is certainly no misanthrope, he is essentially continually disappointed in the way humans behave and is moved by the waste of lives and potential. This is the major strength of the character, what makes him real and what has drawn me back to the character over and over again in just a single year. Indeed it is this that makes A Maigret Christmas a particularly appropriate read for this time of year.
In addition to this, how pleasing it is to be able to consider stories, set in the relatively recent past, not written by a modern author either cynically viewing the past or writing a pastiche of a certain type of novel. The fact that Simenon’s voice is contemporary with the age about which he is writing is another wonderful aspect of the book. There is no requirement to imagine how people should have thought, interacted, and reacted to events; he was there, this was his reality.

Happy Christmas Inspector. Indeed, Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!

My review is based upon the one story I received - A Maigret Christmas - there was no sign of the other two stories mentioned in the description.

In 'A Maigret Christmas', the Inspector receives two unexpected visitors on Christmas Day, who lead him on the trail of a mysterious intruder dressed in red and white.

This is a short story/novella that I enjoyed but wished was longer than it actually was. I love Maigret on TV and the book had that same traditional and authentic feeling about it akin to the TV show. George Simenon is a classic author and it was relatively easy to get into the story.

I was drawn to the beautiful cover art which is perfect for the festive season, clever repackaging! I feel it is Maigret's character and determination that make the series different to other similar crime titles. I hope to read the rest of the novels Simenon has written in the near future.

I would like to thank George Simenon/Penguin (UK) and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

Like others who have reviewed this book, I was only given the first story, which was a bit disappointing. However I then decided to buy the book so I could read the other two.
In the first story, ‘A Maigret Christmas’ Inspector Maigret is paid a visit by two neighbours who tell him a strange tale of an intruder dressed as Santa.
In ‘Seven Small Crosses in a Notebook’ we witness a crime in action from the desk of a Parisian switchboard operator on Christmas Day.
And in ‘The Little Restaurant in Les Ternes (A Christmas Story for Grown-Ups)' we follow a woman who carries out an unexpected and strange rescue of a younger woman who is being preyed upon by 2 older men.
~~~~.~~~~.~~~~
A bit of clever packaging just in time for the holidays, I don’t really think this very short collection brings anything to the (Christmas) party. (See what I did there?)
I know that Georges Simenon wrote hundreds of novels and many shorter works, and Penguin have been busy translating and publishing these over the past few years. Unfortunately the 3 stories in this collection didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It just seems that they found 3 stories that have links to Christmas and popped them together. And at only 224 pages, there is surely room for a few more?
I love Christmas, but unfortunately this didn’t make me feel anymore festive.

This book was very very hard going right from the start. I was really hoping that it would have been more like the tv show which I love.

This book was not for me sorry.