 The story opens with the murder in Paris of Lord Littleby, all seven of his servants and two children of servants.All were poisoned except for Littleby, who was bludgeoned with an ancient Indian artifact, a golden statuette of Shiva, which belonged to Lord Littleby and was stolen from his room, along with an old Indian shawl.French detective Gustave Gauche, in charge of the investigation, boards the passenger ship "Leviathan".