How much can he believe of what others say?

How far can he even trust himself?

Lhomond, the judge, asks himself these questions during a dramatic murder trial. The witnesses give evidence - the body on the railway line, the accused's drunken state, the lover's alibi.

Lhomond has the power of life and death over others. It is assumed that his own life is beyond reproach.

But even a judge is human, and if he has a querulous, bed-ridden wife he must be tempted to quiet her forever...

In this taut, brilliant story of a man set over others who himself harbours a desire to murder, Simenon once again proves himself a master of character study and suspenseful writing.