Moord in het Grand Alpine Hotel

by Lucy Foley, Annemarie de Vries ( (Translator)

Tijdens een uitzonderlijke vakantie in het buitenland geniet Miss Marple van de verfijnde luxe van het Grand Alpine Hotel: een adembenemend winterparadijs hoog in de Zwitserse Alpen. Het hotel trekt gasten van heinde en verre, maar wanneer er een lichaam wordt gevonden en een sneeuwstorm alle toegangsroutes afsnijdt, is Miss Marple de enige die de waarheid kan achterhalen. Lukt het haar om het mysterie te ontrafelen voordat de moordenaar opnieuw toeslaat?

Met Moord in het Grand Alpine Hotel brengt Lucy Foley het wereldberoemde personage van Agatha Christie, Miss Marple, opnieuw tot leven.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Crime

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2026

About the author

Hello and welcome to my Goodreads page! I’m the author of the new Miss Marple novel, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. My previous books have included my murder mysteries: The Midnight Feast, The Paris Apartment, The Guest List and The Hunting Party — as well as the historical novels The Book of Lost and Found, The Invitation and Last Letter from Istanbul.

I came to writing through a love of reading — I previously worked with books as a fiction editor, a literary agent’s assistant, a bookseller and a literary scout!

Inspired by trips to the West Country and local folklore I began plotting my latest novel, The Midnight Feast. A midsummer heatwave, a setting with a past, a reunion that takes a dark turn. And so The Midnight Feast came to life.

Thanks to brilliant readers around the world, my novels have sold over five million copies, and been translated into multiple languages. I’m also a No 1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. A life-long Agatha Christie fan, I also contributed to Marple, a collection of short stories featuring the legendary detective.

Follow me on social media at:

Instagram @lucyfoleyauthor
Facebook @LucyFoleyAuthor
Twitter/X @lucyfoleytweets

Reviews

[Josh]

5/5 ★

Happy Publication Day!

I really enjoyed this one! I have a feeling it’s going to be a hit for most fans of twisty mystery/thrillers.

In Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, a group of guests arrives at a luxurious hotel high in the Swiss Alps, each carrying secrets and old grudges. When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, Miss Marple must uncover the killer before they strike again.

I’m SO happy that this one worked for me as much as I hoped it would, especially after finding Foley’s last book, The Midnight Feast, just okay.

Lucy Foley is one of my favorite authors and is actually the person who introduced me to the genre with The Guest List. In addition to that one, I also loved The Paris Apartment. So, I went into this one with high hopes, and it didn’t take long for me to get completely invested in the story.

This story follows some very interesting characters who are all clearly hiding secrets from the start. The 1950s setting added so much to each of them, especially given the war they lived through, the way they speak, and how their backgrounds impact them as characters. I thought they were especially well done and enjoyed reading from each of their perspectives.

As someone who loves locked-room thrillers set in hotels, the Grand Alpine Hotel was the perfect setting for this book, described in amazing detail. I genuinely think this is some of Foley’s best writing.

The tone of this book is definitely more on the mystery side, though there are certainly some thrilling moments. I found this refreshing after reading so many true thrillers in a row. You really have to pay attention to the clues and try to piece everything together.

As for the twists and turns, there are multiple, and the major twist fully got me. I thought I had things figured out early on, but the story went in a direction I wasn’t expecting.

Overall, I had a great time with this one and don’t have any real complaints. The setting, characters, mystery, and twists all worked for me, and I strongly recommend checking it out!

Thank you to William Morrow for sending me an early finished copy in exchange for my honest review.

—

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[Helga Martiros]

I have read all of Christie’s books - some of my favorite ones, thrice. You may call me her number 1 fan. Imagine my enthusiasm and happiness when I saw this book.
Oh, but that eagerness ended abruptly after the first chapter in which a body is found.
After that we have the…wait for it… 🥁🥁🥁… the irritating first-person narrative by not only one, but four characters, who have their first person drivel to fill up space, and when I say drivel, I mean it!!! It goes on and on and on, but all with the same voice.
My question: Why?

Literally nothing happens until 50% of the book. I checked. I’m not exaggerating. Ok, it was 49.5 %. 🙄
Then, we go back to the body which was found at the beginning.
Most of this first 50% is filled with descriptions of the view with Marple occupying less than 1% of the 50%. Although we get reminded of her presence with a few characteristic Marple-esque comments, her sharp blue eyes or her knitting for…. yes, you guessed it right…for her nephew Reymond.
The other half of the book is also filled with descriptions and a couple more bodies, until the very end that Marple tries to explain what happened and who is the culprit.
By then I was like, please God, please, don’t let Christie know about this book, wherever she is!
What else? The story is in 1950 but the characters speak like they are from 2026.
Also, no way Christie would have used words like sex, whore, etc.
Also, why was this a Miss Marple, beats me!
I guess now I have an excuse to re-re-re-read all of my Christie books. 😁

[Nilufer Ozmekik]

When I heard that Lucy Foley was writing a brand-new adventure for the legendary Miss Marple, my inner mystery nerd immediately started doing happy cartwheels across the living room. A modern thriller author tackling one of the most beloved detectives created by Agatha Christie?

Oh yes. I was absolutely ready for this literary experiment.

And I have to say it right away: Lucy Foley absolutely nailed it.

This book feels like stepping into a time machine and landing straight inside a classic Christie mystery—but with a fresh spark that makes it irresistible for modern readers. It reads like a loving tribute to Christie’s legacy, capturing the tone, the structure, and that delightful “everyone in the room is suspicious” energy that makes a proper whodunit so addictive.

The story takes us to the glamorous Grand Alpine Hotel, perched high in the Swiss Alps like the perfect postcard destination. Snow-covered mountains, elegant guests in furs and evening wear, champagne flowing, gossip drifting through the hallways… and of course the tiny little problem that someone in this luxurious paradise might be a murderer.

A blizzard isolates the hotel. Escape becomes impossible. Secrets start leaking out faster than champagne corks. And somewhere among the guests lurks a killer.

Basically, the setup is locked-room mystery heaven.

The guest list itself is deliciously suspicious. We have Catherine Narracott, the polished society wife who seems to glide through the hotel with perfect elegance. Her husband Anthony is an ambitious politician twice her age whose polished image hides more than a few cracks. Then there’s Bruno Crane—Anthony’s former wartime companion—who seems a little too startled to run into Catherine here, which immediately made my suspicious-reader radar start blinking like a Christmas tree.

And let’s not forget Sylvia Sinclair, the dazzling film star who just happens to share a rather complicated past with Anthony. Yes, that kind of past.

In other words, everyone arrives at this glamorous alpine retreat with luggage… and also emotional baggage the size of a glacier.

But the real joy of the novel is watching Miss Marple quietly observe everything while appearing to do absolutely nothing. She’s accompanied by her dear friend Mrs. Bantry and the wonderfully overwhelmed Diana Glass, who quickly realizes that being anywhere near Miss Marple means every small detail might suddenly become extremely important.

Miss Marple doesn’t storm into the investigation. She doesn’t wave clues around dramatically. Instead she does what she always does best: she watches people.

And if you’ve read enough classic mysteries, you already know that the sweet little lady with the knitting needles is probably the most dangerous mind in the building.

What I loved most about this book is how perfectly it captures the spirit of Christie’s storytelling. The pacing, the character dynamics, the slow unveiling of secrets, the carefully placed clues—it all feels wonderfully familiar in the best possible way.

At times I genuinely felt like I was reading a newly discovered Christie novel that had been tucked away in some dusty literary vault for decades.

And the setting? Absolutely perfect. The Swiss Alps add a cinematic atmosphere to the story. Snowstorms, isolated hotels, glamorous guests with hidden motives—it’s the exact kind of setting that makes a mystery reader grab snacks, settle into a cozy chair, and prepare for an evening of suspicious glances and dramatic revelations.

So yes, I happily poured myself a drink, grabbed my reading snacks, and settled in to enjoy the ride while trying (and failing) to outsmart Miss Marple.

Because let’s be honest: nobody outsmarts Miss Marple.

Overall, this was an absolute delight—a clever, atmospheric mystery that honors the traditions of classic detective fiction while introducing this iconic sleuth to a new generation of readers.

If you love traditional whodunits, glamorous settings, scandalous secrets, and brilliant elderly detectives who quietly solve crimes while everyone else is busy panicking… this one will make you ridiculously happy.

I’m giving this one five delightfully snowy mystery stars and hoping this is only the beginning of more adventures.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this delicious mystery from one of my auto-approved thriller authors who captured the perfect Christie-an vibe in exchange for my honest review. I truly appreciated the opportunity to read it. 📚❄️🔎

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[The Belladonna]

“There are gasps and exclamations from the nearby tables, and I hear the word repeated over and over in several different languages, the whispers dancing strangely about the room: dead... mort ... morto... tot ... miert.”

Lucy Foley was commissioned by Agatha Christie Limited to write Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel, marking the first authorized full-length Miss Marple continuation novel in 50 years.

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is due for release on September 22, 2026.

Foley’s ability to write the beloved detective stems from previously penning a short story for the 2022 Marple anthology, Marple: Twelve New Mysteries. This gave her a foundation to channel Christie’s iconic sleuth, though she admitted that taking on a full-length continuation was both terrifying and thrilling.

Set in the 1950s at the isolated Grand Alpine Hotel in the Swiss Alps, a glamorous winter getaway turns deadly. Cut off by a blizzard, the wealthy guests find themselves trapped with a killer. Amid the simmering grudges and champagne, only the polite and unassuming Miss Marple can unmask the murderer before they strike again.

A classic whodunnit mystery with tons of twists and turns! A super fun read sparkling with a fresh, modern edge. The setting leaps off the page, painting a vivid backdrop for the action. Written with quick, energetic momentum, the novel brings short chapters with multiple changing POVs. I think Foley channeled her skills well with this, doing absolute justice to the Queen of Crime.

A big Thank You to Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie Limited, NetGalley, and William Morrow for gifting me this advance copy. It was an absolute pleasure to read and review this book.

[Ceecee]

4.5 stars rounded up

It’s 1950 and Miss Jane Marple, her friend Mrs. Dolly Bantry and her ladies companion Diana Glass are aboard the Grand Alpine Express which is wending its way up the mountain to the esteemed hotel at the top. Is just as well that eagle eyed Jane Marple is a resident as the lift attendant of the gondola finds a body in it two days later… Who is the unlucky victim? As the weather worsens and the residents are stuck, Miss Marple has one tricky case to decipher.

In terms of capturing the Queen of Crime’s novels, Lucy Foley has 100% nailed it, I almost forget I’m not reading an original Christie, so huge kudos to the author for that. There’s every ingredient here for instance, it’s as if the characters have stepped straight from the 1950’s and from Agatha’s pen. There’s our eagle eyed knitter in Jane Marple who rarely misses a trick, there’s a Hollywood star, a war hero and his young wife as well as some mysterious nuns! It’s quite surreal in places which I love and there are dashes of humour.

It’s told from several perspectives just like the originals and that serves to deepen the mystery and has me casting my eye over all in order to spot any errors that they may make. Naturally, we have a “ locked room” in this case a rather grand hotel perched on a mountain with all exits closed by one means or another. The language that is used, the manners, the attitudes of society, the social mores, even down to the drinks consumed and so on, all amounts to a good bit of nostalgia from a very different age.

The plot line is classic Christie, it’s told at a brisk pace although it does slow towards the end as things start to slot into place and some good twists. The atmosphere of the snowy conditions, the smart hotel and its chilly surrounds are captured to perfection and make a great backdrop for the rising body count.

Overall, what a treat. I absolutely credit Agatha Christie with giving me a lifelong love of the mystery thriller genre and Lucy Foley has reinforced where that passion comes from. Thank you.

There’s a terrific cover too!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Dee (on hiatus)]

3.5 stars - mostly for Dame Aggie as I struggled a lot with this one for at least the first 50% or so, it was just slow and hard to get into for me. I felt as trapped as the folks up on the mountain, lol. Then when the murder(s) started up so did my interest, though by then I had pretty much figured out "who did it". I do commend Foley for her efforts & you can tell she loves Jane Marple, but for me this was a miss.

[Karen]

I am first and foremost an Agatha Christie fan, with Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple among my favorite characters. So, when I learned that Foley, a contemporary mystery author, was recreating Christie’s beloved sleuth, I was intrigued by the possibility of another opportunity to step into Miss Marple’s world – especially since this is the first authorized Miss Marple continuation novel in 50 years.

The biggest question of course, was this: would Foley do Madame Christie and Miss Marple justice?

“She is the very picture of a slightly dithery village spinster, prone to rambling and finding herself in confusing conversational cul-de-sacs.”

Was that a description of our very own Miss Jane Marple?

It is 1950. The Swiss Alps. A luxury resort. This is definitely not St. Mary Mead.

A murder has taken place, but readers won’t immediately know who has been killed. The story introduces readers to its characters through their own narrative voices and first-person perspectives.

Miss Marple is clearly out of her element as she takes in the scenery and settles into the winter holiday her friend and hired companion have encouraged her to join. Along with them are several other notable characters, each of whom seems to be hiding a secret of their own.

With a cast of largely unlikable characters who all seem to have something to hide – this slow-burn mystery traps its players in a treacherous, isolated environment with no way out as the danger deepens.

Will Miss Marple figure out the who and why before someone else is killed?

Foley does a reasonable job of capturing the vintage setting, post-war behaviors and classic whodunnit tension. But this is clearly not the Miss Marple readers know and love, nor does it follow the investigative storytelling style that Ms. Christie so masterfully embraced.

Readers may enjoy this as a somewhat entertaining cozy mystery filled with twists and red herrings, but for this Christie traditionalist, it simply didn’t capture the distinctive style and spirit of the original Miss Marple novels.

[Darla]

What better setting for a closed door mystery than the Grand Alpine Hotel?

Lucy Foley's new release undertakes an ambitious task -- present us modern readers with a mystery that captures the spirit of the iconic Agatha Christie.

The key players:

🧑‍💼DIANA GLASS- The Help - She is accompanying her employer and Miss Marple to the Alps. Is is just me or is she underemployed?

🧑 CATHARINE NARRACOTT - The Wife - On holiday with her politician husband. Why does it seem like he has more going on than vacay mode?

👱 SYLVIA SINCLAIR - The Star - Is she taking a break from the limelight or stirring up trouble? I was more of a fan for her Irish Wolfhound Herbert.

🥷BRUNO CRANE - The Friend - A surprise addition to the guests at the hotel. He sticks out like a sore thumb and claims to be the politicians BFF. Why didn't The Wife know he was coming?

Lucy Foley does well in this retelling. I was riveted as the body count went up and the red herrings were in abundance. The whodunit was a bit half-baked and a letdown for me. The character who did not disappoint was Miss Jane Marple. At one point Diana Glass makes this observation:

An unnerving change has come over Miss Marple's countenance. The softness of her elderly features seems to dissolve and the planes of her face become harder, unforgiving. Those faded blue eyes are suddenly as cool as steel. I would not have believed it possible if I had not seen it myself, but an elderly lady who at times dithers and twinkles and is prone to rambling and flights of fancy, suddenly looks like the personification of some dread winged creature from an ancient myth. She even seems to grow in stature. It sends a thrill through me.

Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Available as of September 22, 2026.

[suspenseisthrillingme]

A modern reimagining of an Agatha Christie whodunnit with Lucy Foley’s trademark edge-of-your-seat thriller flair, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel managed to captured the spirit and tone of a Miss Marple mystery while also breathing new life into it as well. You see, she not only wove together a cleverly layered web of secrets and lies, but she gave this Golden Age crime fiction novel a very The Hunting Party-like feel. With a remote snowed-in luxury setting, a locked-room mystery, and a cast of characters who started dropping like flies, the tension was high as the suspicion bounced around the side-eye-worthy suspects. Adding to the charm was a very true-to-character Miss Marple, even if she wasn’t around as much as I would’ve liked. Then again, this was somewhat inevitable given the fact that there was a round-robin volley of multiple first-person POVs in the style that Ms. Foley does so well.

I do have to say, though, that two of the best pieces to this reverent homage had to be the colorful characters and the Christie-esque 1950s atmosphere. Bringing to life the lavish and yet also claustrophobic feel of the Grand Alpine Hotel, nods to an accurate history of the time and place were included with care—along with a few Easter eggs to the OG Miss Marple stories. Rounding this off with a cast of suspicious individuals, who kept my guesses flowing, their old grudges and questionable motives added a depth to the plot that I wasn’t expecting. Miss Marple, however, was the star of the show with her perceptive shrewdness on display from the get-go. So while parts of this book didn’t quite match a classic Christie murder mystery, that was actually preferable to Foley trying her hand at what the Queen of Crime perfected years ago. Bravo, Ms. Foley, I think you knocked it out of the park. Rating of 4.5 stars.

Read if you’re a fan of:
- Agatha Christie novels
- Lucy Foley’s thrillers
- Golden Age crime fiction
- A cinematic feel
- Amateur sleuthing
- Multiple POVs
- A remote, snowed-in setting
- 1950s nostalgia
- Locked-room mysteries
- Short chapters
- Claustrophobic vibes
- Shocking twists
- Unguessable endings

SYNOPSIS:

High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday.

Beneath the champagne and furs, dark histories simmer; old grudges emerge like cracks in the ice.

And someone is watching from the shadows. A polite, unassuming woman with an extraordinary mind: Miss Marple.

When a body is found and a blizzard cuts off all escape, only Miss Marple can connect the clues before the killer strikes again. Because it isn’t a question of who has a motive, but who’s next…

Thank you Lucy Foley and William Morrow for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: September 22, 2026

Content warning: violence, infidelity, death, murder, toxic relationship, gun violence, drug use/abuse, gambling addiction, mention of: war, dementia

[L A]

"High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday."

Bravo!! What a fun salute to Agatha Christie! The characters filled the room with motives, questionable decisions and even though it was a facade of glamour, it soon began to crumble. I love mysteries to this extent when I can connect each character to the scene and subtract them one by one. When the body count went up, the suspect list went down!
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for this exciting ARC in exchange for my review.

[James]

Classic murder mystery with Foley's twist on Miss Marple's adventures. Loved the setting. Enjoyed the characters. Found the hotel drama interesting. Kept my focus, read it in a day. Really hope she'll draft more. I miss Miss Marple!

[Manon (mysterymanon)]

When this project was announced last spring, I was cautiously optimistic—I wanted to think that Lucy Foley could do Miss Marple justice. I am very happy that was the case!

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel was, I felt, a respectful homage to Miss Marple. Foley was not trying to imitate; she wrote her usual thriller (multi-POV, first person, present tense) with a Christie-ish edge (characters, time period, dialogue).

It was the right choice. Grand Alpine is thrilling but also quietly inquisitive. There are little clues and important details alongside huge reveals. It works really, really well. If anything, I felt like there could have been *more* Marple, but what we got was expertly written. Again, very respectful. A satisfying wintry read.

[Kirsten]

Underwhelmed. Not sure what to think.

[Lexi]

4⭐️

Entertaining enough. Though being in Miss Marple’s head and listening to her explanations did get quite confusing. 😬😬😬.
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:*** My first Lucy Foley novel and she has the audacity to write a book featuring one of my favorite tropes (locked-room mystery). Yup. Phone officially on DO NOT DISTURB!!! I have no time for anyone’s shenanigans. 🤭🤭🤭.

[inciminci]

I loved this! Lucy Foley has my full approval to write new Miss Marple books 👍

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra)]

4.5 stars rounded up
"High in the Swiss Alps, accessible only by a single, winding railway, stands the luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel. With glorious mountain views and exclusive access to powdery slopes, it draws guests from far and wide.

The notorious actress.
The high-flying politician.
The society wife.
The reckless friend.
The shrewd doctor.

But not everyone is here for a winter holiday."

There are some who appear to have nefarious motives. When a body unexpectedly shows up, the only way out is blocked, trapping everyone with an unidentified killer. Fortunately, Miss Marple is in the shadows observing everything going on until the Swiss police can arrive. But how high will the body count get before the killer can be stopped?

Let me just say that writing the first in a new Miss Marple series is a huge task - and Lucy Foley understood the assignment. She channeled Agatha Christie perfectly! The book takes place in the 1950s and the language is reminiscent of Christie. She created the perfect locked room/closed circuit mystery. I have read most of Foley's novels and this book does not have her signature voice. It feels like an Agatha Christie novel that I found so entertaining and fun to read. Beautifully done in a way Agatha Christie would have been proud of. It is propulsive and I am thoroughly impressed and highly recommend for Agatha Christie fans.

Many thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow and Lucy Foley for the gifted advance reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

[Christy fictional_traits]

‘I find the actions of human beings are usually far more portentous of coming danger than any natural phenomenon.’

Set in a luxury hotel high in the snow-covered Swiss Alps, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel sees Lucy Foley pay homage to Agatha Christie's beloved Miss Marple - and she does so with remarkable success.

It's been a long time since I've read a Miss Marple mystery (I'm usually pro-Poirot), but Foley captures not only Miss Marple's quiet powers of observation, but also the elegance, manners and unmistakable atmosphere of the post-war era.

Miss Marple arrives at the Grand Alpine with her friend, only to find herself surrounded by a colourful cast of guests, each harbouring secrets of their own. Told through alternating viewpoints, the isolated Alpine setting provides the perfect backdrop for a locked-room mystery filled with twists, suspicion and wonderfully executed red herrings. I was convinced I'd identified the culprit more than once - only to discover I'd fallen for exactly the distractions Foley intended.

Beyond the mystery itself, Foley evokes the glamour and cosiness of a winter escape in the Swiss Alps. Crackling fires, snow-covered peaks, and steaming mugs of glühwein make the Grand Alpine Hotel almost as memorable as the murder itself.

Clever, atmospheric, and entertaining, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is a worthy tribute to Agatha Christie. Christie fans, as well as lovers of classic locked-room mysteries, are sure to enjoy this one.

‘...one cannot extinguish wickedness with more of the same. It is like a stain, an infection. It only grows…’

[Genevieve (GenLikesToRead)]

I’m not sure how to feel about this. Very curious how it’ll turn out!

[Monica Hills]

4.5 Stars- This was a really great mystery that blended a character from classic mystery novels with the writing of one of my favorite thriller authors.

The story is set in 1950 at a mountain resort in Switzerland. There are four characters that tell their story. Each one has a different reason for being at the hotel. Diana Glass is a companion to Mrs. Bantry and Miss Marple. She is much younger than the other two women and there is an air of mystery around her. Catherine Narracott is on a ski holiday with her politician husband. Catherine is trying very hard to be the perfect wife but her husband is horribly self-centered. They also money problems although her husband thinks that after this trip their problems will be solved. Then we have Sylvia Sinclair. She is a Hollywood movie star who just wants to get away and be with her lover. Her career in Hollywood is not what it once was. She went from leading lady to now being offered roles as the mother. Finally Bruno Crane is looking to solve his money problems. He has a gambling addiction and hopes this weekend will provide him with a big day. However no one's plans seem to go the right way when a body is discovered. Everyone seems to have a motive and then more mayhem occurs.

This novel had great suspense and a lot of connecting parts. I loved trying to work out the mystery and who could have been responsible. Each character was so unique and I was invested in each of their stories. I am a huge fan of Lucy Foley and I loved how she brought her style to a classic mystery sleuth. Even if you have never read an Agatha Christie novel this is a must read for all mystery fans. Highly enjoyable and great action. I definitely recommend!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[SusanTalksBooks]

** 8/4/26 ** Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Lucy Foley is in the lovely position of being the sole author granted permission by the estate of Agatha Christie to write the first new Miss Marple novel since Sleeping Murder in 1976. As an avid fan of Ms. Christie's work as a young person in the 1970's, I was eager to dive into this "continuation novel."

First, the cover design is perfection, and the Swiss Alps setting highly atmospheric. We have iconic characters like a young rich newlywed, a Hollywood starlet, the heavily mustached hotel manager, Ms. Bantry, and of course, Miss Marple knitting away while observing everything.

While the underlying plotline was compelling, it was buried in tedious 1950s relationship dynamics between men and women, and a relatively slow pace with lots of unimportant escapades until the very end, and features Ms. Marple's detection skills quite minimally throughout. I found myself yearning for the reveal (which was a surprise!). My perspective may simply be a reflection of narrative styles from the 1970s vs today, but it felt a little ploddy and reliant on certain character-based cues that were often repeated in the book: Ms. Marple's "fluffy white hair" for one, and the use of the word "dark" in many many descriptions.

I suppose every reader has eras to their habit and I feel I may be in an era where thrillers must have the observation and skillful deductions spread throughout the novel much more, and also represent a more modern world view. 3-stars.

[Kate O'Shea]

A holiday in the Swiss Alps is no reason for Miss Marple to abandon her razor sharp detecting skills and she will need that and some help to find a murderer.

A body is found in a blizzard and the Grand Alpine is cut off from the outside world. But as the guests come to grips with their predicament it becomes obvious that there is more evil at work amongst the mountains.

This is the first "new" Christie novel that I have really enjoyed. Lucy Foley has got the tone exactly right in this murder mystery. I could clearly see Joan Hickson, as the brilliant Miss Marple, in my mind as I read this.

Just twisty enough without being too complicated. No cheats at all. Not too gory but with plenty of action. Excellent. I hope there are more to come if they are going to be this enjoyable.

Definitely recommended.

Thankyou to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the digital review copy.

[Doug Reyes]

Definitely NOT Agatha Christie.

[Aya]

Брей, как ме изненада тази Луси Фоли. И как ме подведе в тази книга... Не познах убиеца 😂😂

[Jennifer]

Thank you to William Morrow for an ARC of this book.

I was so excited to hear that there was a new Miss Marple book being published and that Lucy Foley was the author. I will say that if you are looking for an imitation of Christie's writing style, you won't get that here. Foley has written this mystery in her personal style - short chapters, multiple POVs, modern sensibilities. I actually think this works in the book's favor rather than against it. No one can quite touch Christie's unique genius so leaning into what you are good at as an author is a plus.

In this mystery, set in the 1950's, we are going on holiday with Miss Marple, Mrs. Bantry (fun to have an additional Christie character in the story), and Mrs. Bantry's companion, Diana. They are heading to the Swiss Alps to a grand hotel that is being reopened after WWII and there is quite quite the group staying at the hotel - a British politician and his wife, a Hollywood starlet, some nuns, and a few nefarious characters thrown in for good measure. And, of course, there is a murder and due to bad weather conditions, the guests are trapped at the hotel until the Swiss police can make their way up the mountain. It's up to Miss Marple to figure out who the culprit is and will they strike again...

As in many of Christie's own Miss Marple stories, I would have liked more of her in this book. She only pops in periodically and we get the most of her at the denouement as she tells us how she solved the thing. I also found that, though the chapters were all quite short, the middle of the book felt slow and plodding. I was wishing that our companion, Diana, had been the narrator of the entire book and then we could have had more of Miss Marple and perhaps allowed the reader to connect more fully with the heroes of the story.

I did think the ending was clever and I did not guess whodunnit until it was being revealed.

If you are a true Miss Marple fan, please go into this with measured expectations. You are not getting a new Agatha Christie novel but a solid attempt by a modern author to put her own twist on a beloved spinster sleuth.

[Roman Clodia]

This is a fun read and Foley clearly has an affection for Miss Marple which shows beautifully - her comparisons with people from St Mary's Mead, her fluffy knitting and her steely moral character are all present and correct. It's also lovely to be back in the company of Dolly Bantry again. All the same, this doesn't really have the vibe of a Christie mystery: the plot is pretty see-through (whereas Christie always managed to distract our eyes and pull off brilliant dénouements) and the various 1st person narratives (none from either Mrs Bantry or Jane Marple) are all a bit stereotypical as well as feminist-leaning in a way that Christie's stories were not.

It's also the case that there isn't really an investigation for Jane Marple to interfere with: there are murders but no real investigative process, not least because - of course! - the alpine hotel is cut off from the world for days. And a sense of jeopardy is barely sketched in with a reminder occasionally by guests that a killer is on the loose, but it doesn't stop anyone from skiing, going to the spa and even participating in a traditional sled race. I liked in-joke of the hotel manager with his extravagant moustache, and there are some nods to other classic Christies, even close to a quotation at one stage which proves a red herring.

Perfect as a switch-off read for Christie fans but we'd need a far more complicated and clever plot to file this alongside the grande dame herself.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC via NetGalley

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle]

These people have hauled themselves up a mountain in 1950 wearing furs, drinking champagne, carrying enough secrets to require a separate luggage car, and pretending they're all just here for the skiing. Meanwhile Miss Marple has arrived with Dolly Bantry and Dolly's companion, Diana Glass, and is quietly clocking everybody like the world's least threatening surveillance system. The hotel is accessible by one little railway, snow is coming, and absolutely nobody in this building has the emotional stability required for isolation.

And the guest list. My God. We've got politician Anthony Narracott, his society wife Catherine, Anthony's rough-around-every-edge wartime friend Bruno Crane, fading Hollywood star Sylvia Sinclair, mysterious nuns, assorted hotel people, and Diana, who very quickly became the person I wanted to pull aside near the coat check and ask, “What exactly is going on with you?” The story keeps bouncing among Diana, Catherine, Sylvia, and Bruno, while Miss Marple mostly floats through everybody else's business looking like someone's harmless auntie who definitely hasn't already noticed the thing you desperately hoped nobody noticed.

Anthony, specifically, is the kind of man who can make you understand why a murder mystery needed to happen before anyone has technically murdered him. He's a rising politician, a war hero, and Catherine's husband, and the way he talks down to his wife had me mentally filing motive paperwork on behalf of every woman within a five-mile radius. Catherine is young and sheltered and trying to navigate a marriage where her husband keeps making sure she understands who's in charge, while Bruno turns up carrying history with Anthony that has clearly not been resolved through healthy communication. Nobody here has heard of therapy. They have heard of brandy.

The funny thing is that Miss Marple is barely the person we're hanging out with for a huge chunk of Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. I kept looking around for her like we'd gotten separated at Costco. Jane? JANE? A murderer is apparently warming up and I would feel much better if I could see your knitting. But she's there, watching from the edges while everyone else lies, flirts, remembers the war, hides things, behaves terribly in their marriages, and generally provides her with enough human nonsense to solve six crimes before breakfast. She stays largely in the background until much later and that definitely shaped how this one felt to me.

And it takes a while before somebody actually dies. Long enough that I started wondering whether the Grand Alpine had accidentally booked us for interpersonal drama instead of homicide. Then the body turns up in the gondola, the weather goes completely feral, the railway situation goes sideways, and suddenly this gorgeous luxury hotel becomes the worst group vacation imaginable. People aren't who they said they were. Old wartime history starts crawling out from under the expensive rugs. More bodies appear. At one point the general situation is basically, well, perhaps THAT person did it...never mind, they're dead too.

What kept getting me, though, was how much ugliness is sitting underneath all that polished 1950s glamour. There are men here who have spent years being treated as important, respectable people while women around them have learned how much they're expected to swallow quietly. There are old debts that didn't disappear just because everyone put on nice clothes and agreed to stop talking about the war. Revenge and justice start standing awfully close together. There came a point when I realized I wasn't entirely sure I wanted Miss Marple to catch everyone, and that is an interesting moral situation to discover yourself in while an elderly woman is knitting nearby.

Then Miss Marple finally steps forward and essentially says, thank you all for your elaborate nonsense, I've understood everything. This woman has been hovering around the edges for most of the book and suddenly starts producing connections down to tiny details while everybody else is presumably reconsidering every conversation they've ever had in her presence. Some of it I had sniffed out. Some of it absolutely got past me. Some of it made me want to go backward and check what I'd missed. And some of it had me thinking, Jane, I desperately needed you to share more of your homework with the class before the final exam.

That's really where my 3.5 stars landed. I had a good time being trapped on this mountain with these deeply suspicious weirdos, and once everyone started dying, I was IN. But I wanted more Miss Marple in my Miss Marple book, and I spent part of the first half waiting for the actual murder mystery to come collect me. Still, give me a snowed-in hotel, one escape route, four unreliable-ish people telling me their business, a pile of grudges, and Jane Marple silently judging everyone from an armchair, and apparently I will miss appointments.

Whodunity Award: For Best Use of a Gondola as Both Public Transportation and an Extremely Inconvenient Hearse

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. Nothing says hospitality quite like sending me to a luxury Swiss resort where the railway breaks, the guests keep dying, and the safest person to sit beside is an elderly woman with knitting needles and an alarming understanding of human depravity.

[Geevee]

It's not Agatha.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread)]

Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie.. yes please!

I do enjoy an Agatha Christie mystery, they always remind me of my grandmother who was a huge fan and had so many of her books that I used to read when I was too young to be doing so. Lucy Foley has captured her voice brilliantly and it is so lovely to have a new Jane Marple story. For me this was comfort reading and it was wonderful.

I loved the setting of a glamorous hotel in the Swiss Alps in the post war era. The hotel guests were all so different, some more likeable than others. The snow was falling all around them making it a true winter wonderland… until a body is found in the gondola. With the heavy snow storms inhibiting police from getting to the hotel, Miss Marple and her friends set out to investigate the incident. Are they trapped with a killer? Who would want them dead and why?

In true Agatha Christie style, there are suspects galore and red herrings everywhere. As usual I did not crack the case. It was a very clever conclusion, all the clues were there when you look back.

I hope that we will see more from Lucy Foley and Miss Marple in the years to come. Such a delight.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK for my early copy of this book to read. Publishes on September 8th.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf)]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Set in the Swiss Alps with no access in or out except by one railway line, the isolated and luxurious Grand Alpine Hotel with its outstanding views and ski slopes makes for a thrilling and elegant setting for an Agatha Christie murder mystery.

Can you believe somehow I have never ever read an Agatha Christie book before!

This is a new Miss Marple novel set in 1950 post war era, the legendary Miss Marple is joined by her friend Dolly Bantry and her paid companion Diana Glass.

A body is found in a gondola and as the weather takes a turn everyone is stuck on the mountain during the blizzard. There’s a colourful cast of characters and plenty of suspects.

I loved Miss Marples observant and sharp detective mind as she helps to find the murderer. Lots of action and the perfect setting for a locked-room mystery. Clever, well executed and atmospheric, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel is a wonderful tribute to author Agatha Christie and her fans by Lucy Foley.

Publication Date 15 September 2026
Publisher Harper Collins GB

Thank you so much Harper Collins Australia for an early copy of the book.

[Romulo Perez-Segnini]

Lucy Foley masterfully replicates Agatha Christie’s narrative in this new Miss Marple murder mystery set in the 1950s Swiss Alps.

The narrative is vibrant. The many characters are described in intimate details. There’s a British prominent politician & his wife, the glamorous Hollywood movie star and many others. A person is found dead in the Gondola on an early morning and the fun begins. Many subplots that kept me guessing.

Very entertaining as were all of Agatha Christie’s books.