After the low standards of the previous episode (Fontenay Murders) this one is refreshingly interesting.
The good episodes are the ones in which the drama hangs on the momentum of the investigation; things fall apart when we have to rely on atmosphere or ( heaven preserve us) in-depth character portrayal by principal suspects in the hands of those whose creative talents are not up to it.
In this one, Maigret's shadowing of the inferior local district inspector lets us see clearly the workings of the superior detective's approach. This device has been used in many a detective drama and can often lead to a clumsy mess but it is well-handled here and Maigret's famed ability to understand character being nicely integrated into his methodical process adds to the dramatic impetus whereas in some other episodes it becomes a replacement for the latter, with dire consequences for the drama. Because of all this, Maigret's final clinching explanation of the case based on his understanding of the victim rather than detailed hard evidence, feels quite acceptable and reasonable.
An intriguing feature of the series as a whole is the extraordinary amount of alcohol consumed by the police and associated officials during working hours. Such consumption was of course endemic in 60s TV drama, for various reasons, and was often ludicrous in the extreme since if anyone in real life drank the way that TV characters put it away they would be unable to walk, let alone work. But in Maigret it does take on more of an air of authenticity, partly because the consumption, though frequent, is usually in small glasses (rather than near half-pints of whisky as in, for example, The Power Game) but also because such behaviour is believable in a French context (I have myself seen the wine flowing in a French police station). Hence in this episode, serving cognac at the mortuary first thing in the morning does not seem so implausible as would Dr Laura Hobson cracking open an 8am bottle of Talisker at the John Radcliffe.