Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel

It is two days before the discovery of the body. Diana Glass, a paid companion, travels up the mountain on the Grand Alpine Express with her employer, Mrs. Bantry, a wealthy widow, and Mrs. Bantry’s friend, Miss Jane Marple. Mrs. Bantry tells Miss Marple she hired Diana after Mr. Bantry died to help organize her affairs, and praises Diana’s efficiency. As the train climbs, Diana observes her fellow passengers, a mix of wealthy Europeans and Americans. Miss Marple watches Diana with keen interest, and Diana reflects on their shared status as unmarried, “left-behind” women. Miss Marple compliments the necklace Diana wears—a chain bearing a silver ring set with two hearts and seven garnets—and comments that Diana’s bird-watching hobby is a good pretext for observing people. On their arrival, the group is taken by sleigh to the Grand Alpine Hotel, where they are greeted with hot chocolate. Mrs. Bantry notes that, with the train gone, she feels “marooned” on the mountain.

In their hotel room, Catherine Narracott endures the anger of her husband, Anthony Narracott, a prominent politician, following an unsuccessful attempt at sex. While preparing a drink for him, Catherine discovers a jar labeled “RAT POISON” with a spoon in it on the cocktail tray. Though Anthony dismisses it as a macabre prank, he is visibly disturbed. Catherine is frightened by the thought that someone may have a key to their room and they go to the reception desk to change rooms. Anthony insists on upgrading to a more expensive suite, despite their financial troubles, claiming a recent investment will soon pay off.

In the hotel lobby, Diana, Mrs. Bantry, and Miss Marple listen as the hotel manager details the resort’s amenities, including the dangerous Verglas toboggan run. Diana observes the elegant Catherine and the handsome Anthony Narracott at the next desk. Mrs. Bantry recognizes Anthony and Diana—who has seen him at the War Office—confirms he is a rising star in the Conservative party. When Anthony introduces himself to the women, Diana notices a “large and ungainly” man enter the lobby and stare intently at Anthony (23).

Anthony returns to Catherine and dismisses the three women as “old dears” but useful Tory voters. The ungainly man approaches, and Anthony introduces him as Bruno Crane, an “old friend” from the war. Catherine is surprised, as Anthony has never mentioned him. Bruno also seems startled to find Catherine at the hotel and Catherine observes a tense, warning look pass between the two men. Anthony suggests an ice-climbing trip to Bruno for that afternoon. Bruno appears uneasy with the suggestion but agrees.

In a private, rustic-style Stübli bar, Hollywood actress Sylvia Sinclair talks to her dog, Herb, while drinking a rum-spiked hot chocolate. She reflects on her recent behavior, which she considers “foolish” now that she is in love. Back in her suite, she prepares to go out, putting on her signature dark glasses. She admits to herself that she is shy and uses the persona of “Sylvia Sinclair” as a protective disguise.

High on a rock ledge after a difficult climb, Bruno Crane and Anthony Narracott talk privately. Anthony mocks Bruno for being out of shape and sneers at his black market dealings. Through binoculars, Bruno looks at a small shadow in the rock on the other side of the glacier. The men discuss an undisclosed plan, intended to act the following night during the full moon. Bruno is anxious, questioning why they have waited five years and expressing concern about being seen, especially by Catherine. Anthony argues that Catherine’s presence makes them seem less suspicious and says she takes sleeping pills that will keep her out of the way. Bruno reveals that actress Sylvia Sinclair is also a guest at the hotel. The news panics Anthony, who feels his plans are now in jeopardy.

Diana joins Miss Marple and Mrs. Bantry on the hotel terrace for an alphorn concert. They marvel at the opulence, particularly the waiters who serve drinks on ice skates. They spot Sylvia Sinclair, who uses binoculars to watch a nearby cliff face. Another guest explains that people often watch climbers on the dangerous rock face, sometimes hoping for a fall. Intrigued, the binoculars are passed from Miss Marple to Mrs. Bantry and then to Diana, who sees two men on a high ledge. Diana is horrified to see one man stand directly behind the other and raise his hands as if to push him off. She glances at Miss Marple, who, without the aid of binoculars, has also caught the menacing gesture. Diana looks back to see the man has stepped away, the moment of danger having passed.

While Anthony is on the phone, Catherine is confronted on a terrace by an unkempt young man who warns her that her husband has a dark past. Frightened, she locks him outside. Later, in the dining room, she is embarrassed by an old schoolmate who brings up a youthful “scandal with the gardener” (44). Sylvia Sinclair makes a dramatic entrance. Catherine asserts that Sylvia winks at their table, implying jealousy, and Anthony denies knowing her. When a waiter brings a Nusstorte, triggering Anthony’s severe nut allergy, Catherine suspects this is a deliberate attempt on his life. The young man from the terrace approaches their table, trying to speak to Anthony, who curtly dismisses him and leads Catherine away. Anthony’s agitation causes him to forget his characteristic limp, caused by a “war wound.”

Anthony confronts Bruno in his room, criticizing his shabby appearance and cheap meal of tinned fish. Bruno, goaded, mentions the awkwardness of Anthony having both his wife and his mistress, Sylvia, at the hotel. He expresses guilt over their secret plan, suggesting the object of their search is “cursed.” They argue about the past: During the war, Anthony shot Bruno in the ear and shot himself in the toe in order to avoid active service. Bruno moves to the balcony and begins shouting. He reveals that he still has the suicide pill issued to them during the war and has often considered using it. Anthony drags him back inside, warning him to be quiet and to stop being a “liability.”

Meanwhile Diana, Mrs. Bantry, and Miss Marple play bridge in the library. When a guest opens a window, they and the other guests clearly overhear the heated argument from the balcony above. They listen as a man’s voice shouts about having a suicide “S pill” and contemplating throwing himself from the balcony. Diana says she thinks an S pill means a suicide pill of the kind used in the war, likely cyanide. Miss Marple observes that when someone speaks so loudly about such a private matter, it is possible they want to be overheard.

Sylvia Sinclair luxuriates in her bathtub, reflecting on her fading career and her belief that her new love affair will save her. Anthony Narracott lets himself into her suite and angrily demands to know why she is at the hotel, insisting he told her not to come. Sylvia teases him about his wife and suggests that they can finally be together. Anthony cruelly dismisses her, calling her a “courtesan” whose only role is to be “fun.” Enraged, Sylvia hurls a heavy glass ashtray at him, which smashes against the wall. In response, Anthony grabs her and holds her head under the bathwater, attempting to drown her.

At the casino in town, Bruno Crane wins £5,000. Elated, he believes the money will free him from his dangerous arrangement with Anthony. He buys champagne for his table, feeling triumphant. As he walks to cash in his chips, however, doubt creeps in: He worries the sum is not enough to truly secure his future and decides to risk everything to double his winnings at the roulette table. Placing his entire fortune on a single spin, the croupier’s impassive expression fills him with a sudden sense of dread.

The next morning, Diana explores the hotel and its grounds before heading to the train platform to go to town for Mrs. Bantry. She encounters Anthony and Catherine Narracott, who are heading to the gondola for the first ski run of the day. Anthony grows strangely still when Diana mentions she has read about wolves in the area in a guidebook. After they leave, Diana sees the unkempt young man from the previous night stalking them in the trees. At the station, Diana opens a carriage door, and a man tumbles out, knocking her to the ground.