Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case

Commissioner Maigret travels to the castle of the Countess of Saint-Fiacre, where he spent his childhood. The old lady has received an anonymous threatening letter predicting her death on the following day, Ash Wednesday. Maigret pretends to be an antique dealer, but Monsieur Sabatier, the countess's secretary, has little to offer him. The castle has been almost completely cleared out. Sabatier has sold the old furniture and works of art on behalf of the countess to finance her son's extravagant lifestyle. The next morning, the countess goes to mass and collapses there dead - a heart attack, a natural death? Maigret is firmly convinced that someone helped her along. He energetically pursues the investigation. Initially, there are two suspects. Both Maurice, the countess's easy-going son, and Sabatier shamelessly exploited the countess's generosity. But there are others who have treated the unworldly old lady badly. Inspector Maigret invites them all to dinner at the castle to appeal to their consciences and expose the true culprit.