Not his best work, but then - maybe it's me. Story of a very successful, but very cold married man who has an affair with a local waif. She drives him up the wall- finds out he's rich, so she buys a fur coat (in May!) and then goes for a ride with a man in a sports car. She taunts him with it and he strangles her. Her lover (younger lover) takes care of the body and "the problem" (unasked by the rich old fellow). He continues on as before, but shaken now- not really guilty, not really troubled about being caught - just caught on the "reckoning" with his life. He is pensive, he wanders to the bad part of town and finds a run down bar / brothel that reminds him of home (the smell, the woman and so forth). The nice old lady offers him "a young girl" ... he is fairly disgusted by the suggestion but eventually takes up the idea to prove himself i guess. After that things go way downhill... he collapses / almost dies. People feel sorry for him, though he has given no one a thought or a care his whole life. But they pretend to - to be polite - he knows this and kind of allows it, but moves on past all that ... just drifting / existing. Almost a buddhist like "past all that (life)" state.... that's why i am a little unconvinced. A bit too romantic for Simenon? but making a point. What point? hmmm... just that he is past the fake-ness of the way people live and is satisfied just taking up space- not hating (as before) .. not loving.... just .. wandering and waiting to die - it is all the same to him (as he says often). Still- the ennui ... the muddled guilt (?) .. .the self awareness. Pretty great in spite of my reservations. ( )

A self made successful business man recently retired has a new wife in middle age who is a class above and loves to remind him of her affluence. He also has a tawdry mistress who is becoming demanding. A sudden loss of control from a man who has kept rigid reins on his surroundings his entire life has consequences in this richly textured story. ( )