The Crystal Claw

In the glittering winter resort of Mürren, young solicitor Rex Yelverton expects only skiing, music, and easy holiday companionship. Instead, he is drawn into the orbit of the remarkable Dr. Feng, a cultured Chinese physician whose calm wisdom, musical talent, and Yogi philosophy awaken in Rex a new sense of discipline even as the resort's bright gaiety begins to feel charged with hidden danger. That danger takes form in Stanley Audley and his beautiful young wife, Thelma, whose apparently carefree honeymoon quickly reveals cracks of secrecy, strain, and fear. When Audley is abruptly summoned away, Rex helps manage the awkward aftermath and finds himself increasingly involved with the lonely Thelma, whose distress and vulnerability stir feelings he cannot control. Back in London, rumors of missing husband, financial trouble, and the unsettling visits of Harold Ruthen deepen the mystery. Torn between duty and desire, Rex confesses his love, only to receive a chilling anonymous warning to stop searching for Audley. As suspicion turns toward Feng, and Rex's work begins to suffer, the story tightens into a romantic and psychological thriller of alpine glamour, concealed identities, and the perilous cost of passion. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.