▁Over view ▁F um al , ▁an ▁inf am ous ▁bul ly ▁and ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁meat - pack ing ▁industry , ▁orders ▁Ma ig ret ▁to ▁protect ▁him ▁after ▁he ▁comes ▁to ▁believe ▁his ▁life ▁is ▁in ▁danger . ▁However , ▁Ma ig ret , ▁who ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁F um al ' s ▁targets ▁for ▁off ense ▁as ▁a ▁child , ▁does ▁very ▁little ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁man . ▁Later , ▁F um al ▁is ▁v ici ously ▁sla ugh tered , ▁Ma ig ret ▁finds ▁himself ▁being ▁bl amed ▁for ▁the ▁murder , ▁and ▁so ▁must ▁go ▁about ▁the ▁ag on izing ▁task ▁of ▁bringing ▁the ▁murder ed ▁but cher ' s ▁k iller ▁to ▁justice . ▁ ▁Publishing ▁history ▁Origin ally ▁written ▁in ▁French ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁by ▁Press es ▁de ▁la ▁C ité ▁as ▁Un ▁E ch ec ▁de ▁Ma ig ret , ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁translation ▁( trans l ated ▁by ▁D aph ne ▁Wood ward ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Ham ish ▁Hamilton ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁two ▁anth ologies , ▁A ▁Ma ig ret ▁Quart et ▁( 1 9 7 2 ) ▁and ▁A ▁Ma ig ret ▁T rio ▁( 1 9 8 3 ). ▁ ▁Ada pt ations ▁A ▁BBC ▁TV ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁first ▁a ired ▁on ▁November ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁Death ▁of ▁a ▁But cher ▁with ▁Ru pert ▁Dav ies ▁playing ▁Ma ig ret .