WhenCliveTrevelyan-MemberofParliament,warheroandheirapparenttoPrimeMinisterWinstonChurchill-iskilled,MissMarplesetsabouttosolvethecase.TrevelyanhasmadehisfortunemanyyearsbeforeinEgypthavingsecretlyuncoveredalosttomb.Heiskilledduringamajorsnowstormwhentherearenopoliceavailable.ThereareseveralpossiblesuspectsincludingTrevelyan'sward,JamesPearsonandhisfiancéeEmilyTrefusis;hispoliticalagent,JohnEnderby;ajournalistCharlesBurnaby;avisitingAmericanMartinZimmerman;andseveralotherapparentlydisinterestedparties.AconvicthasalsoescapedfromDartmoorprison.MissMarpleconcludesthatTrevalyan'smurderisrelatedtohisdaysinEgyptandsetsabouttoidentifythemurdererbbb