George Simenon's novel "Signed, Picpus" is great fun to read with the twists and turns, the nooks and crannies, of a "structured" murder mystery. It's one of those "things are not as they seem" stories with a gradual unfolding of facts, motives, and connections. This episode (my DVD set has it titled "To Any Length") remains true to the plot and for that I enjoyed it.
One issue--a frustration, really--I have with the film is the rushed ending. The last third of the film needs to cover a lot and so things are skimmed or facts told that lack a buildup and a discovery by Maigret and his team and by us the viewers. This episode begins well enough. A man says he has information that claims a fortune teller will be killed in the afternoon. Well, there are lots of fortune tellers in Paris, so where might Maigret begin? And, no surprise to the viewer, soon there is a murdered fortune teller. How did the man learn ahead of time what was to happen? And is his story believable? All he has is a story of a blotter that reflects a written note--written apparently at a café--that mentions the planned killing and it's signed "Picpus."
As we move through the story and its characters, we are immersed in yet another fascinating Simenon plot. I do wish the filmmakers had shaved off a bit of dialogue here and there early on so that there was a bit more time at the end to better present the threads and how Maigret finds the connections. Still, it's a fun ride in the Maigret TV series, and one I can recommend. But I'd suggest reading the novel afterwards to really enjoy the ending.