Georges Simenon Reading Order
6 series · 195 books · Born February 13, 1903
Georges Simenon was a Belgian novelist renowned for his mastery of crime fiction and psychological depth. With an impressive portfolio of 195 books spanning six series, including the beloved Inspector Maigret, he captivated readers from 1931 until his death in 2016. His notable works not only feature gripping detective stories but also showcase his versatility through standalone novels and various short story collections.
Anthologies Series
Complete8 books (1957–2004)
Start with Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews, the first of 8 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Nine Detective Stories 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  City Sleuths and Tough Guys 1989Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Murder Intercontinental 1996Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  The Oxford Book of Detective Stories 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Murder Most Merry 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Murder On The Railways 2003Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  The Longman Anthology of Detective Fiction 2004Buy 🇺🇸 |
Inspector Maigret Series
Complete75 books (1931–1973)
Start with A Battle of Nerves/ A Man's Head / Maigret's War of Nerves, the first of 75 books in the Inspector Maigret series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  A Battle of Nerves/ A Man's Head / Maigret's War of Nerves 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Maigret Meets a Milord / The Carter of 'La Providence' 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett / Pietr the Latvian 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine / The Two-Penny Bar 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Maigret at the Crossroads / The Night at the Crossroads 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Maigret in Holland/ A Crime in Holland 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin / Maigret at the Gai-Moulin 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  The Death of Monsieur Gallet / The Late Monsieur Gallet / Maigret Stonewalled 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien / The Crime of Inspector Maigret / Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  The Sailors' Rendezvous / Maigret Answers a Plea / The Grand Banks Cafe 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  The Yellow Dog / Maigret and the Concarneau Murders 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Liberty Bar / Maigret on the Riviera 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  Maigret Goes Home / The Saint-Fiacre Affair / Maigret on Home Ground / Maigret and the Countess 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Maigret and the Death of a Harbor-Master / Misty Harbour / Maigret and Monsieur Labbe 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  Maigret and the Flemish Shop / The Flemish House 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  The Madman of Bergerac 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  The Shadow Puppet / Maigret Mystified 1932Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Lock No. 1 / The Lock at Charenton 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Maigret / Maigret Returns 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Maigret and the Spinster / Cécile is Dead 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 | The Cellars of the Majestic / Maigret and the Hotel Majestic 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  The Judge's House / Maigret in Exile 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 | Félicie / Maigret and the Toy Village 1944Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  Inspector Cadaver / Maigret's Rival 1944Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 |  Maigret and the Fortuneteller / To Any Lengths / Signed, Picpus 1944Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  Maigret Gets Angry / Maigret in Retirement 1947Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 |  Maigret in New York / Maigret in New York's Underworld 1947Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 |  Maigret's Dead Man / Maigret's Special Murder 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 |  Maigret's Holiday / A Summer Holiday / No Vacation for Maigret 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 |  Maigret at the Coroner's / Maigret and the Coroner 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  Maigret's First Case 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 |  My Friend Maigret / The Methods of Maigret 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 |  Madame Maigret's Own Case / The Friend of Madame Maigret / Madame Maigret's Friend 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 |  Maigret and the Old Lady 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 |  Maigret Takes a Room / Maigret Rents a Room 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 |  Maigret and the Burglar's Wife / Maigret and the Tall Woman 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 37 |  Maigret in Montmartre / Maigret and the Strangled Stripper / Maigret at Picratt's 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 38 |  Maigret's Memoirs 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 39 |  Maigret and the Gangsters / Inspector Maigret and the Killers / Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 40 |  Maigret's Revolver 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 41 | Maigret Afraid / Maigret Is Afraid 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 42 |  Maigret and the Man on the Bench / Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 43 |  Maigret's Mistake 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 44 | Maigret Goes to School 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 45 |  Maigret and the Calame Report / Maigret and the Minister 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 46 |  Maigret and the Dead Girl / Maigret and the Young Girl 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 47 |  Maigret Sets a Trap 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 48 |  Maigret and the Headless Corpse 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 49 |  Maigret's Failure 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 50 |  Maigret Enjoys Himself / Maigret's Little Joke / None of Maigret's Business 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 51 |  Maigret Has Scruples / Maigret's Doubts 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 52 |  Maigret Travels / Maigret and the Millionaires 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 53 |  Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 54 |  Maigret's Secret / Maigret Has Doubts 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 55 | Maigret and the Old People / Maigret in Society 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 56 |  Maigret in Court 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 57 |  Maigret and the Idle Burglar / Maigret and the Lazy Burglar 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 58 |  Maigret and the Black Sheep / Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 59 |  Maigret and the Saturday Caller 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 60 | Maigret and the Tramp / Maigret and the Dosser / Maigret and the Bum 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 61 |  Maigret's Fury / Maigret Loses His Temper / Maigret's Anger 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 62 | Maigret and the Ghost / Maigret and the Apparition 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 63 |  Maigret on the Defensive / Maigret Holds His Own / Maigret Defends Himself 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 64 | Maigret Bides His Time / The Patience of Maigret / Maigret's Patience 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 65 |  Maigret and the Nahour Case 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 66 |  Maigret and the Pickpocket / Maigret's Pickpocket 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 67 |  Maigret Hesitates 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 68 |  Maigret in Vichy / Maigret Takes the Waters 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 69 |  Maigret's Boyhood Friend / Maigret's Childhood Friend 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 70 |  Maigret and the Killer 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 71 |  Maigret and the Madwoman / Maigret\'s Madwoman 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 72 |  Maigret and the Wine Merchant 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 73 | Maigret and the Loner 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 74 |  Maigret and the Informer / Maigret and the Flea 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 75 |  Maigret and Monsieur Charles 1973Buy 🇺🇸 |
Inspector Maigret Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete1 book (1938–1938)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  L'Étoile du Nord 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
Inspector Maigret Short Story Collections Series
Complete3 books (1945–1976)
Start with Maigret's Pipe: Seventeen Stories and read in order.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Maigret's Pipe: Seventeen Stories 1945Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Maigret et les petit cochons sans queue 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Maigret's Christmas 1976Buy 🇺🇸 |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete4 books (1970–1981)
Start with Simenon's Paris, the first of 4 books in the Non-Fiction series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Simenon's Paris 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  When I Was Old 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | Letter to My Mother 1976Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Intimate Memoirs: Including Marie-Jo's Book 1981Buy 🇺🇸 |
Standalone Novels Series
Complete104 books (1931–2016)
Start with The Girl with a Squint, the first of 104 books in the Standalone Novels series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Girl with a Squint 1931Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  The Engagement 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  The Window Over the Way 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Tropic Moon 1933Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  The Lodger 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | The Man from London 1934Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  The Long Exile 1935Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Donadieu's Will 1936Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | Girl In Waiting 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  The Man Who Watched Trains Go By 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Three Crimes 1938Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  The Strangers in the House 1940Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  Across the Street 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  The Truth About Bebe Donge 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  The Widow 1942Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  The Suspect 1944Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Monsieur Monde Vanishes 1945Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Act of Passion 1946Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  The Mahé Circle 1946Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 | Three Bedrooms in Manhattan 1946Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 | Death of a Nobody 1947Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 | Magnet of Doom 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  Pedigree 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  The Snow Was Dirty 1948Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 | Four Days in a Lifetime 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  The Bottom Of The Bottle 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 |  The Pitards 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 | Strange Inheritance 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 | The Heart of a Man 1950Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 |  A New Lease On Life 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  Belle 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 | Escape in Vain 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 | Havoc by Accident 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 | In Two Latitudes 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 | On the danger line 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 | The Burgomaster of Furnes 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 37 | The Trial of Bebe Donge 1952Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 38 |  Dirty Snow 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 39 |  Red Lights 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 40 |  The Iron Staircase 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 41 |  Big Bob 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 42 |  The Clockmaker 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 43 |  The Watchmaker of Everton 1954Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 44 | A Sense of Guilt 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 45 |  The Accomplices 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 46 | The Burial of Monsieur Bouvet 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 47 | The Fugitive 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 48 |  The Rules of the Game 1955Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 49 |  The Little Man From Archangel 1956Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 50 | The Stowaway 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 51 |  Sunday 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 52 | The President 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 53 | The Son 1958Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 54 |  The Grandmother 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 55 | The Negro 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 56 |  The Widower 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 57 | Young Cardinaud 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 58 |  Betty 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 59 |  Justice 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 60 |  The Blue Room 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 61 |  The Family Lie 1960Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 62 | Poisoned Relations 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 63 |  Striptease 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 64 |  The Train 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 65 | The hatter's ghosts 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 66 |  The Door 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 67 |  The House on Quai Notre Dame 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 68 |  The Others 1962Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 69 | Inquest on Bouvet 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 70 |  The Bells of Bicetre 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 71 |  The Magician 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 72 |  The Man With the Little Dog 1964Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 73 | Black Rain 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 74 |  The Survivors 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 75 |  The Venice Train 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 76 |  Ticket of Leave 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 77 |  Fate of the Malous 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 78 |  The Cat 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 79 | The Mouse 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 80 |  The Old Man Dies 1966Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 81 | The Brothers Rico 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 82 | The Little Saint 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 83 |  The Reckoning 1967Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 84 |  The Patient 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 85 | The Premier 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 86 |  The Prison 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 87 | The Witnesses 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 88 | The confessional. 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 89 |  The neighbours 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 90 |  Uncle Charles 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 91 |  Uncle Charles Has Locked Himself in 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 92 | Enigmas 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 93 | November 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 94 | The Rich Man 1970Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 95 |  The Glass Cage 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 96 |  The Disappearance Of Odile 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 97 |  The Innocents 1972Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 98 | The Girl in His Past / Le temps d'Anaïs 1976Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 99 |  The Nightclub 1977Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 100 |  The White Horse Inn 1979Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 101 |  The Little Doctor 1981Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 102 |  The Outlaw 1987Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 103 |  The Murderer 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 104 |  The Hand 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Georges Simenon written?
- Georges Simenon has written 195 books across 6 series. Their published works span from 1931 to 2016.
- What is the first book in each Georges Simenon series?
- Here are the first books in Georges Simenon's series: Anthologies: Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews; Inspector Maigret: A Battle of Nerves/ A Man's Head / Maigret's War of Nerves; Inspector Maigret Short Story Collections: Maigret's Pipe: Seventeen Stories; Non-Fiction: Simenon's Paris.
- What order should I read Georges Simenon's books?
- We recommend reading Georges Simenon's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are Georges Simenon's series complete?
- Georges Simenon has 6 completed series.