I read this book as a visitor not just from another country but from another era. Set in France in the 1930s, this definitely felt like a book in translation, with many cultural and technological references that I didn't find intuitive or was actively irritated by (e.g. the biases around female sexuality, or the assumptions about mental illness, among others).
In spite of that, the book felt light, quick, and vivid. I can see why this is a classic of the genre. The mystery was mystifying, the characters human, the pace of events engaging and believable. As a peek into another world, Maigret in Exile succeeds wonderfully. The prose isn't bad, either. I'm not sure I'd recommend this as a light read--I did feel like I had to pay attention at all times in order to figure out what Simenon was talking about--but I would recommend it as a delightful historical work.