A Man's Head - Georges Simenon

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780143037286-0 : Recommended to me by Aunty Marji, A Man's Head is authored by France's (via Belgium) most successful crime writer. In his lifetime (1903-1989), Simenon wrote over 200 novels, 75 of them featuring Inspector Maigret, the star of this book. A Man's Head begins with a convicted murderer in prison the night before his execution. Maigret, the inspector who put him there, believes that the man might be innocent, and orchestrates his escape - hoping that eventually the convict will lead him to the true murderer. I started reading this book standing up at my dining room table - 20 minutes later I was still standing. I was entranced right away, and read the book in an hour long sitting. This is the best of the mysteries/crime novels I have read this month, and I'm eager to read more of Inspector Maigret.