How did Georges Simenon bring psychological depth to detective stories?

Georges Simenon revolutionized detective fiction by shifting the focus away from the traditional reliance on deductive reasoning or complex police procedures. Instead, he brought psychological depth to the genre through his protagonist, Inspector Maigret, who solves crimes primarily through psychological intuition and a compassionate, patient effort to understand the perpetrator's emotional composition and motives.1

Simenon’s approach is rooted in his central theme: the essential humanity of even the most isolated or abnormal individuals and the inherent sorrow found within the human condition. By employing a style of rigorous simplicity, he effectively evokes an atmosphere of neurotic tension with sharp economy. Rather than treating the crime as a mere puzzle to be solved through logic, Simenon uses the detective format as a framework to explore deeper questions of identity and the complexities of human behavior.12