Golden Age of Detective Fiction

Hercule Poirot decides to stay in Switzerland after his last case. After traveling around Switzerland, he goes on funicular ride where he is passed a note to find Marasco, a wild boar of a man who has killed many people as a part of a racing gang. Poirot is surprised that Marasco’s gang is supposed to stay at the same hotel Poirot was visiting. Initially, Poirot was not excited to take on the task because he was looking forward to a rest. 

On the funicular were a small-town American, three card-playing men, an elegant-handed European, and a tall, dark woman with a beautiful face. 

At the hotel, the staff needed clarification on the many visitors during the off-season and were ill at ease. All the guests are too hearty or quiet, and everything seems out of place; Hercule Poirot notices everyone is nervous and unsettled. The American Schwartz keeps trying to get everyone to get along genially but is coldly rebuffed by his European compatriots.

The following day, over breakfast, Poirot is greeted by the local police inspector, who states there was an accident with the funicular being swept away. The accident could be caused by an avalanche or by human intervention. Either way, everyone is trapped on the mountain, and Marasco is already in the hotel,

Poirot suspects Dr. Lutz, the psychoanalyst, is Marasco in disguise, but the police inspector says that Dr. Lutz is genuine. A more up-to-date photograph was supposed to be delivered that morning, but since all communication was cut off, the picture still needs to arrive. 

They discuss the possibility that the American Schwartz is Marasco, but they dismiss him as a typical over-friendly, boring American.

Next, they contemplate a gaggle of three men, who appear to spend their time gambling and drinking, which the inspector believes to be a part of Marasco’s gang. Maybe one of them is even Marasco, they ponder, but they don’t know. Neither one of them can understand why they were at this out-of-the-way hotel and why they traveled together. Poirot dismisses the idea that any of them are Marasco and says they are here to meet Marasco.

Poirot also suspects the hotel proprietor, who is nervous and furtive. However, he doesn’t want to spoke him by questioning him.

Poirot is transfixed on why the gang would bother to meet, but the police inspector reveals that Marasco needs to give everyone a share of their latest robbery. But Poirot is convinced this is the worst place to make a monetary exchange.

Poirot believes Marasco is here to meet the beautiful woman in the funicular, who comes every year to mourn the death of her husband, at this spot.

Poirot attempts to interview Lutz but is rebuffed. He talks with the limited staff about a waiter they had for a few days before he was let go. If anyone saw the waiter go down in the funicular, they admit not. Poirot believes that Marasco is hiding in one of the many closed rooms, with the hotel only partially open.

Poirot’s room is broken into in the middle of the night by the three card-playing men, and they threaten to cut Poirot’s face open when Schwartz stops them with a gun. Schwartz forces them into a closet. Schwartz says that the three men had already carved up the local inspector’s face before setting on Poirot. 

Poirot finds a trail of blood, which leads them to a half-opened doorway where there lays the body of a man whose face had been savagely cut. Poirot believes that he is the dismissed waiter. Pinned to the dead man is a note saying that he is Marasco, who will kill no more.

Poirot believes Marasco had given the proprietor a big bribe to stay concealed in the hotel.

Poirot gets a hold of the manager and tells Schwartz to move the men somewhere they can be guarded at gunpoint. He tells Dr. Lutz to tend to the wounded police inspector. 

Three days later, help arrives by helicopter. Schwartz, Lutz, and the police inspector are all brought together, and Marasco is unmasked, and his reason for coming to the remote mountain is revealed.

The Review

What a fun shell game of a story. Hercule Poirot’s mountain rest being interrupted by a hoard of criminals is very on-brand for him. I managed to keep pace with Poirot and figure out who Marasco was, but I think people who have not read many Christie stories will be surprised.

I never did figure out why he was hiding in that remote mountain hotel, having fallen for one of Christie’s red herrings, of which there were many.

This compact little story has plenty of action, suspense, and mystery. Christie could have fleshed out the interviews and setting more- but she often eschews these elements in her short stories. Also, there are three whole days that she glosses over, filled presumably with Poirot keeping guard on a gang of ruffians while eating canned food, which I desperately wanted to read about.

Overall, a rollicking good yarn.

The Labors of Hercules (1947)

Story #1: The Nemean Lion

Story #2: The Lernaean Hydra

Story #3: The Arcadian Deer