A masterful story of murder and intrigue in a small French town, by the distinguished author of the Maigret series. The rain on the dark streets, with a halo around each light and reflections on the ground, always stirred a certain emotion in him and facilitated his movement. It had been raining for twenty days in La Rochelle - since the first murder was committed. Since then, five more bodies have been found. In the cafes, during card games, a quiet terror about the killer among them spreads through the small town. But unknown to anyone, Kahoudas, a poor, shy tailor, has accidentally discovered who the murderer is. As a twisted game of cat and mouse begins, Simenon's chilling novel takes us into the darkness of the criminal mind. 'Dark, disturbing... Simenon has discovered something fundamental about the soul' - Guardian