When Lucy Foley had the opportunity to contribute a short story to the collection MARPLE, which paid tribute to Agatha Christie’s beloved amateur sleuth, Miss Jane Marple, it must have made quite an impression on her.

This time around, Foley releases MURDER AT THE GRAND ALPINE HOTEL. The first fully authorized novel featuring Miss Marple in 50 years continues the series in much the same way that Sophie Hannah has revived the Hercule Poirot books. It is a great first effort that maintains the feel and spirit of a Miss Marple mystery.

"MURDER AT THE GRAND ALPINE HOTEL is such fun and a treat for fans of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple. I have a sneaking suspicion that this will not be the last time we see Lucy Foley try her hand at a Miss Marple novel."

In the prologue, which takes place in 1950 at the top of the Grand Alpine gondola in the Swiss Alps, we witness a dead body aboard the ice-slicked vehicle. The action then moves to exactly two days before and will lead to this murder --- the first of many --- that will strike fear in the hearts of the small group of guests who are stuck there during a snowstorm.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, some of whom will become victims, while others will be suspects. The first person we meet is Diana Glass, who has been hired to accompany Dolly Bantry and her friend, Miss Jane Marple, to the Grand Alpine Hotel for a short holiday. They will be joined by an eclectic group of fellow travelers, some of whom are there for reasons that extend beyond leisure. We are introduced to British politician Anthony Narracott and his much younger wife, Catherine. The most astute Christie fans will recognize the homage to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (one of the characters in this classic novel was a sailor named Fred Narracott). 

There are many red herrings here. The first is the bottle of rat poison that is somehow placed amongst the liquor bottles in Anthony’s room. Another guest is Bruno Crane, a big brute of a man who is friends with Anthony from his military days. It quickly will become apparent that the two did not meet here by chance and are seeking to unearth a treasure trove of gold they believe is still hidden in the Alps. Also present is Sylvia Sinclair, an aging Hollywood starlet who we soon learn is Anthony’s mistress. When a woman’s earring is found in Anthony’s bed, Catherine loses it and berates him publicly about his affair with Sylvia. 

There is so much going on between these characters that Miss Marple takes a backseat. That is, until the first dead body turns up, and she is called into action. I will not reveal those who die here but will state that, due to the snowstorm keeping the authorities from getting there, the hotel must depend on a French detective who is on holiday to lead the investigation. He rightly chooses Miss Marple to assist him and help with his limited English.

What follows is a murder mystery that features a handful of corpses amidst a stark, frozen landscape where the killer remains locked inside the hotel with the remaining guests --- all of whom are suspects. Miss Marple will get her opportunity to shine and, of course, figure things out when no one else can. 

MURDER AT THE GRAND ALPINE HOTEL is such fun and a treat for fans of Agatha Christie and Miss Marple. I have a sneaking suspicion that this will not be the last time we see Lucy Foley try her hand at a Miss Marple novel.