User Reviews

Saw this on the Talking Pictures channel (UK -- old films and TV). A terrific episode, a once prosperous, respectable family, but one of the brothers at its head has been murdered, by a burglar in the night, the rest of them say. But nobody heard the shot?

An obstructive lawyer is already at the house, before Maigret and Lucas arrive - what's he trying to hide? And apparently a daughter left the house years ago? Where is she, and why did she go?

Maigret despatches his team to find any witnesses, and the missing members of family. The business cannot be making any money, so who pays the bills? And why does the victim's bedroom not contain a dressing gown?

A strong cast in this one, with a number of actors who were later seen in many TV favourites. Peter Sallis (Last of the Summer Wine, and the Wallace & Gromit films) makes an early appearance here.

This is one of the better episodes with some meat to the investigation for Maigret to get into though it is sometimes hard to follow which of the several related suspects he is considering.

Leonard Lachaume who ran a once respectable family biscuit firm is found shot dead. It is thought to be a burglary gone wrong.

The Lachaume are an established family whose business has fallen to disrepute. They have no money and live in an old shabby house.

Maigret doubts the burglary story. The Lachaume family are hiding something, their story is not straight. Such as no one having heard the gunshot.

Maybe that is why the family lawyer is on hand already when Maigret interrogates them.

The story is an examination of the decline of once great business and a family name. Leonard's brother married for a dowry, the only way to get an injection of cash.

Peter Sallis plays Armand Lachaume the distressed brother of the deceased. Maigret needs to be persistent to crack this case.