Maigret u baru "Picratt"

The action takes place in Montmartre at night, in the seedy nightclub Picratt's. Young stripper Arlette (real name unknown, falsified documents) arrives at the police station in the early hours of the morning, drunk, and reports that she heard two men discussing the murder of the "countess". Since there is no crime, the case is not taken seriously, but Maigret takes her in anyway. Soon Arlette is found strangled in her apartment.

The next day, the body of Countess von Farnheim, a drug addict, was discovered strangled in her apartment near the club. The investigation reveals that Arlette's "boyfriend" is actually the young inspector Lapointe (under the false name Albert), who was with her. The countess had a butler in Nice named Oscar Bonvoisin, and Arlette mentioned "Oscar". Maigret plunges into the world of drugs, prostitution, false identities and exploitation in Montmartre.

Maigret settles in Picratt's, drinks, watches the dancers and visitors, while his associates (Lapointe, Janvier, etc.) conduct the investigation. Key clues lead to Philippe Mortemart, another addict and friend of the Countess. Maigret uses intuition and compassion for human weakness to uncover the motive: blackmail, drugs, and revenge. The climax is a chase through Montmartre, with Maigret coordinating from the club by phone, to the final showdown where Oscar is captured (and shot by Lapointe).

The novel is typical Simenon: an atmospheric depiction of the Parisian underworld in the 1950s, without major action, but a focus on human destinies, addiction, ruin, and Maigret's empathetic method. Without pathos, it subtly criticizes social hypocrisy. One of Maigret's classic novels, adapted for the screen and praised for its vivid depiction of nightlife.