Maigret's Dead Man

Maigret's officers are called upon to assist in the case of three vicious murders at farm houses in Picardy but Maigret is intrigued when a man phoning him to say he fears he is about to be killed and calling himself only 'Nina's husband' is indeed found slain. A witness appeal identifies him as café owner Albert Rochain, whose killers seemed to be looking for something and by reopening the café Maigret attracts a suspect, Victor Poliensky, and can identify his accomplices, apparently connecting Albert to the Picardy killers. This is confirmed when a female gang member survives an attack by another of the killers, shot dead by Maigret. Ultimately a news paper advert results in a friend of Albert linking him to a gang of race course fixers, which in turn leads to the identity of the leader of the Picardy murderers, and the closure of the case.