An old-fashioned hotel in London is not as reputable as it appears to visitors. When Miss Marple comes from the countryside to spend a holiday in London, she finds what she is looking for in the Bertram Hotel. It is characterized by a traditional style and perfect service, and it evokes a feeling of danger lurking beneath this very ornate appearance. Yet Miss Marple could not have foreseen the series of violent events that began with one of the eccentric guests going to the airport on the wrong day.