The Maigret Collection

Fans of Georges Simenon's many novels about his famous sleuth, Inspector Jules Maigret, will enjoy the four-volume The Maigret Collection, a series of adaptations from England's Granada Television starring Sir Michael Gambon (Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) as the detective from the Paris Surete. Included in this anthology are the first 12 episodes from the series, including "Maigret and the Burglar's Wife," which closely follows Simenon's compassionate tale about a retiring thief whose accidental encounter with a corpse sets in motion one of Maigret's most intense psychological duels. "Maigret's Boyhood Friend" finds the inspector investigating an old school chum, while "Maigret Sets a Trap" is an excellent puzzler about a killer whose patterns must be deciphered before he can be caught. Gambon follows other legendary actors, including Jean Gabin and Richard Harris, in the role of Maigret, and he captures the character's gruffness and occasional whimsical flourishes with inspiration to spare. Presented with decent transfers, DVD extras include episode synopses and an essay on Simenon. Highly recommended. (T. Keogh)