This standalone novel by Belgian author Georges Simenon was originally published in 1949 as Les Fantômes du chapelier and is now available from Penguin Classics in an English translation by Howard Curtis. Although Simenon is better known for his series of Maigret detective novels, he also wrote many books like this one – short psychological thrillers, some of which he referred to as romans durs, or ‘hard novels’. I have read a few of them and my favourite so far has been The Venice Train; this one has some similar plot elements, but is a much darker story.
The novel is set in La Rochelle during a wet and miserable December. It has been raining for twenty days, ever since an old lady was found murdered near the canal. Since then, more bodies have been discovered, all of them elderly women and all of them strangled with a cello string. The newspapers are full of speculation over who the murderer might be, but the reader knows from the opening pages exactly who is responsible – and so does the tailor Kachoudas, who has seen something that has convinced him of the killer’s identity. As the rest of the story unfolds, we are kept wondering whether Kachoudas will go to the police or whether he’ll be the murderer’s next victim.
Although we know from the beginning who the culprit is, there’s still a sense of mystery because we have no idea why he has set out to kill so many women and how he has chosen his victims. The truth is eventually revealed and we discover exactly what is going on behind closed doors, but as this is just a short novel (as many of Simenon’s seem to be), I can’t really go into the plot in any more detail without spoiling it. Anyway, the mystery is only one aspect of the story; the real interest is in following the thought processes of the murderer as he tries to justify his actions to himself and deal with his conflicted thoughts and emotions. I was reminded very much of In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes, another novel where we know the killer’s identity from the beginning and spend the rest of the book inside his mind, wondering whether he will give himself away.
The Hatter’s Ghosts is an atmospheric, unsettling novel and I loved the descriptions of the dark, rainy streets of La Rochelle. The Howard Curtis translation is clear and accessible and feels quite modern, while also preserving the tone of the 1940s. If you’re new to Simenon, or have only read his Maigret books, I can definitely recommend any or all of the romans durs I’ve read so far – as well as this one and The Venice Train, I have read The Man from London and The Strangers in the House and am looking forward to investigating some of his others.
Thanks to Penguin Classics for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
Book #2 read for R.I.P. XVII
She Reads Novels 
My 2nd Simenon book arrived recently. Now I just need to *read* them!
I hope you like them!
Sounds really good! Simenon’s romans durs are always a bit darker than his Maigrets but just as unforgettable!
I need to get back to reading the Maigret series now that I’ve read some of the romans durs. He was such a prolific author!
Yes, this does sound good. But it’s not in our library. Grrrr.
You should be able to request it through an Inter Library Loan – usually for a nominal fee.
Nice thought, but if it’s not available in our county’s stock, the inter-library loan fee is £10 …
OUCH! That’s not really the ‘nominal’ I was thinking of! 50p or even £1 *maybe*….. But a tenner? That’d be a ‘No’ from me.
😦 Luckily, the county as a whole has a pretty good stock, but even so …
That’s a shame. I’ve enjoyed all of the Simenon books I’ve read, in case you come across any of the others.
I liked one of Christie’s non-crime novels (written as Mary Westmacott) so the non-Maigret Simenon titles have a certain appeal for a curious reader like me. Thanks for this non-spoilery crit!
I’ve enjoyed all four of the non-Maigrets I’ve read, so I would definitely recommend trying one. You’ve reminded me that I want to read more Mary Westmacott as well!
Ooh, I forgot about Readers Imbibing Peril this year! I’m sure I’ve already read several books that apply. I will have to remember at least for October.
I hope you can find something suitable to read, if you haven’t already!
I’m sure I already have some mysteries scheduled, at least. I’ll just have to add the RIP image onto them and tag them.
Atmospheric and unsettling is the perfect combination for October and autumn reading. I’ve never read anything by Simenon, though I’ve been aware of his books for years. I should see which books of his my library has. Great review, Helen!
I hope your library has something by him. His books are great at this time of year!
I’ve only read one Maigret so far, but this sounds more interesting actually!
His standalone thrillers like this one are more appealing to me than the Maigrets too.