Maigret And The Dosser

{Other English Title : "Maigret And The Bum"}
This is a lesser Maigret, which depends on an incredible coincidence for its plot structure. The "dosser" of the title is the chief character, a witness to a crime of which he won't speak and now the victim of an attempted murder. Simenon is mainly interested in this character, but is unable to develop his story except in a perfunctory way. Yet it still takes the focus of the book away from Maigret's investigation and leaves the book without a centre. The crime is extremely unlikely, even for a routine detective story, which this book is.