The Hatter's Ghosts

A masterful tale of murder and intrigue in a small French town, from the celebrated author of the Maigret series Not only had the rain in the dark streets, with a halo around each light and reflections on the ground, always given him a certain thrill, it also made it easier for him to move around. It has been raining for twenty days in La Rochelle - ever since the first murder. Since then, five more bodies have been found. In the cafes, over card games, a quiet terror of the killer in their midst spreads through the little town. But unknown to anyone, Kachoudas, a poor, timid tailor, has discovered, quite by accident, who the murderer is. As a twisted cat and mouse game begins, Simenon's chilling novel takes us into the darkness of the criminal mind. 'Dark, disturbing ... Simenon discovered something fundamental about the soul' Guardian Nobody mentioned the victims, or the terror that had gripped the town. For the last twenty days it had rained and between the usual quiet conversations and card games, only the trickle of water and the air of cold fear could be detected. A serial killer stalks La Rochelle's cobbled streets and by the most unfortunate of occurrences, Kachoudas, a poor timid tailor and a newcomer to the town, knows exactly who it is La terreur se répand dans La Rochelle depuis qu'un mystérieux étrangleur s'en prend aux vieilles femmes solitaires. L'assassin pourrait-il être ce tranquille M. Labbé, un chapelier dont l'existence banale comporte cependant de redoutables secrets ? (- jaquette).