What a Carve Up!

Gabriel Broughton's relatives are summoned to Blackshaw Towers in Yorkshire to hear the reading of his will. Ernest Broughton brings his flatmate Syd Butler for support as they meet the other relatives. The solicitor Everett Sloane reveals that Gabriel has left them nothing, except Linda inherits his medicines and syringe.

During the reading, the lights go out and Ernest and Syd go outside with Fisk the butler to investigate. They return to discover Dr. Broughton murdered, and the wire to the telephone has been cut. With no means to call for help, everyone realizes they are stranded for the night.

The mansion’s occupants barricade themselves in their rooms as Sloane advises caution until help can come. Ernest gets lost and accidentally enters Linda’s room, where her cool reception hints at danger rather than hospitality. Syd and Ernest decide to share a room to keep watch and preserve some safety in the tense house.

Back in Ernest's room, someone attempts to stab the sleeping Syd, but the attack stops when he speaks. Moments later Malcolm Broughton joins Ernest in playing a Chopsticks duet on the organ, and he is stabbed in the back. The room appears to have been locked from the inside, prompting Sloane to order it sealed and the group to stay alert.

The survivors discover a secret passage that shows how the killer could leave the locked room unseen. The discovery confirms that escape from the locked quarters was possible, deepening the mystery. Sloane resolves to keep the group in place while the implication of a hidden murderer lingers.

Janet Broughton is struck by a poison dart fired from behind a painting on the wall. The group immediately suspects Fisk, who is reportedly absent, but Fisk has an airtight alibi. Sloane volunteers to fetch the village police, hoping to bring order to the chaos.

Emily insists she spoke to Gabriel earlier in the evening. Syd and Guy check the coffin and find Gabriel’s body there, yet Ernest also claims to have seen Gabriel alive. The tension intensifies as the living and dead seem to inhabit the same space.

Ernest discovers another secret passage leading to an empty coffin, and soon Guy disappears, taking a small pistol with him. The remaining relatives grow more afraid as disappearances and hidden corridors keep the mystery unfolding. The mansion tightens its grip on them as the truth stays out of reach.

Police Inspector Arkwright arrives, though skeptical that murders have occurred given the lack of bodies. The discovery of Guy’s body confirms that at least one murder has happened, raising the stakes for everyone. Ernest goes to fetch Syd and the uneasy night gives way to a tense daytime investigation.

Sloane’s body is found in a fountain outside, proving he could not have posed as the policeman. The twist reveals that the inspector is actually Gabriel in disguise, using Guy’s pistol to seize control of the group. The mastermind’s influence over the situation begins to crystallize.

Gabriel explains his motive: his relatives have exploited him for years, leaving him nothing while claiming his help. He locks Syd, Ernest, Emily, and Linda in a room and sets starving dogs on them. He tries to shoot Fisk, but the shot misses and confirms the plan is unraveling.

Gabriel’s plan collapses when his shot misses Fisk and triggers a deadly chandelier trap that kills him. The dogs, it turns out, were fed by Fisk, so they pose no danger. The next day, Linda’s boyfriend arrives to collect her, bringing a quiet ending to the ordeal.