The near fatal shooting of a policeman takes Maigret into the art world-and Madame Maigret helps her husband solve the case. Translated by Margaret Duff. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book.

From four stunning and accomplished French women—a charming bestseller about how to slip into your inner cool and be a Parisienne. In short, frisky sections, these Parisian women give you their very original views on style, beauty, culture, attitude and men. The authors—Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas—unmarried but attached, with children—have been friends for years. Talented bohemian iconoclasts with careers in the worlds of music, film, fashion and publishing, they are untypically frank and outspoken as they debunk the myths about what it means to be a French woman today. Letting you in on their secrets and flaws, they also make fun of their complicated, often contradictory feelings and behavior. They admit to being snobs, a bit self-centered, unpredictable but not unreliable. Bossy and opinionated, they are also tender and romantic. You will be taken on a first date, to a party, to some favorite haunts in Paris, to the countryside, and to one of their dinners at home with recipes even you could do -- but to be out with them is to be in for some mischief and surprises. They will tell you how to be mysterious and sensual, look natural, make your boyfriend jealous, and how they feel about children, weddings and going to the gym. And they will share their address book in Paris for where to go: At the End of the Night, for A Birthday, for a Smart Date, A Hangover, for Vintage Finds and much more.

Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a phenomenally successful author of crime fiction. His 75 Maigret novels and 28 Maigret short stories were published between 1931 and 1972 to great international acclaim (he is the only non-anglophone crime writer to have achieved such renown). His Maigret stories are regarded by many as having established a new direction in crime fiction, emphasizing social and psychological portraiture rather than focussing on a puzzle to be solved or on "action." This book examines the importance of social class and social change in the Maigret stories, giving a particular emphasis to the early formative novels and the development of plot, characterization and setting. The author seeks to establish the extent to which Simenon's portrait of French society is historically accurate and the nature of the influence of the author's own class position and ideology on his fiction.

Robert Philip Hanssen was one of the FBI's most trusted agents, a 25 year veteran, devout Catholic and devoted suburban family man. But as he rose up the ranks, he was leading another life as a devilishly clever spy for the Russian government, selling America's most closely guarded national security secrets. Now, Pulitzer Prize--winning journalist Vise untangles Hanssen's web of deceit to tell the story of how he avoided detection for decades while becoming the most dangerous double agent in FBI history--and how the FBI eventually brought him down.

For nearly a century, the work of Belgian crime writer and psychological novelist Georges Simenon, creator of Chief Inspector Maigret, has captivated readers worldwide. This investigation situates Simenon's work in its historical context and interprets it as a reaction to shifting gender relations in Western society. Simenon's compelling narratives capture the anxieties of men whose patriarchal position was under threat in an era of insurgent feminist movements. These concerns are also evident in Simenon's pervasive preoccupation with sexuality, as well as his political stance that stems from his petit-bourgeois upbringing. This groundbreaking study includes interwoven commentary on all 191 novels Simenon published under his own name, including several that have never been translated into English, as well as a number of short stories and several pseudonymous works.

From an Edgar Award–winning author, sleuth Peter Duluth must drop the curtain on a killer in this “medley of off-stage theatrics with a teaser of a solution” (Kirkus Reviews). Patrick Quentin, best known for the Peter Duluth puzzle mysteries, also penned outstanding detective novels from the 1930s through the 1960s under other pseudonyms, including Q. Patrick and Jonathan Stagge. Anthony Boucher wrote: “Quentin is particularly noted for the enviable polish and grace which make him one of the leading American fabricants of the murderous comedy of manners; but this surface smoothness conceals intricate and meticulous plot construction as faultless as that of Agatha Christie.” Theater producer Peter Duluth is fresh out the sanitarium where he got sober; found his new love, Iris; and also happened to help catch a murderer. Now he’s dead set on staging his big comeback with a new play featuring his lady as the star. Unfortunately, they end up in a broken-down theater where the rats keep company with ghosts, and where there hasn’t been a hit in years. Combined with the usual egos, divas, and personal demons, it will be a miracle if Peter can get the play off the ground. But his seemingly cursed production turns deadly when an actor literally dies onstage, with another murder soon to follow—this is not a dress rehearsal. Now it’s up to Peter to shine a spotlight on a killer.

Discusses the differences between "open" and "closed" texts, or, texts that actively involve the reader and texts that evoke a limited, predetermined response from the reader. -- Back cover.