, who has hair and eyes, has to save the hotel he inherited from his grandfather from ruin and compete with his rival, , and the latter’s hotel - '' - at the same time. He is supported in this endeavour by his chef , also known as , by the kitchen assistant and by his chambermaids and . In order to save the hotel, has organised a New Year’s Eve party for his guests, complete with a murder game. The jeweller, from , who is with the model, , also from , the pleasant elderly woman, , the cleptomaniac, , the mechanic from and the married couple and from , whose initial '' is significant during the course of the story, have all booked the hotel for the event. However, the planned game quickly becomes deadly serious when ’s friend, , who is the pianist and who is responsible for the entertainment, is killed. Two further murders take place as well. is busy inventing stories as to the murders so that the guests do not become aware of what is going on while he fights alone through snow and ice on New Year’s Eve and apprehends the murderer in a dramatic duel.