The trouble from which great events were to come began when Everard Dominey, who had been fighting his way through the scrub for the last three quarters of an hour towards those thin, spiral wisps of smoke, urged his pony to a last despairing effort and came crashing through the great oleander shrub to pitch forward on his head in the little clearing. It developed the next morning, when he found himself for the first time for many months on the truckle bed, between linen sheets, with a cool, bamboo-twisted roof between him and the relentless sun. He raised himself a little in the bed. "Where the mischief am I?" he demanded. A black boy, seated cross-legged in the entrance of the banda, rose to his feet, mumbled something and disappeared. In a few moments the tall, slim figure of a European, in spotless white riding clothes, stooped down and came over to Dominey's side.

The contrast in personal appearance between the two men, having regard to their relative positions, was a significant thing. The caller, who had just been summoned from the waiting-room, and was standing before the other's table, hat in hand, a little shabby, with ill-brushed hair and doubtful collar, bore in his countenance many traces of the wild and irregular life which had reduced him at this moment to the position of suppliant. His complexion was pale almost to ghastliness, and in his deep-set, sunken eyes there was more than a suggestion of recklessness. He was so nervous that his face twitched as he stood there waiting, and the fingers which held his hat trembled. His lips were a little parted, his breathing was scarcely healthy. There was something about his whole appearance indicative of failure. The writing upon his forehead was the writing of despair.

This novel revolves around Mr. Ernest Bliss, a rich young man of twenty-five. His life revolves around parties and making merry. When his digestion becomes irritated by this way of life, he visits a doctor, Sir James Aldroyd because he feels out of sorts. The physician asked him a series of questions. Bliss informs Sir James he does nothing because he is wealthy and inherited from both his father and uncle. The doctor tells him that if wishes to enjoy good health, he must completely change his manner of living. The doctor asks him to get a real job. When the doctor refuses to shake his hand, Bliss screams angrily that he could leave that day in an old suit with five pounds in his pocket and make an honest living for a year. If he fails, he promises to pay for the construction of a new hospital. With that, the spoiled young man embarks on an adventure that will never take him outside of London but will expose him to the struggles of ordinary people to survive.

In the midst of World War I, the son of a British aristocrat and daughter of an English colonel are roped into a treasonous plot. They must navigate secret agents and spies who are convinced of their guilt. A chance meeting between Catherine Abbeway and Julian Orden leads to an intricate tale of suspicion and government corruption. Catherine is the daughter of an English colonel and is targeted due to secret files in her possession. Julian obtains the documents for fear that they may incriminate Catherine and confirm her as a traitor. Julian and Catherine becomes part of a growing conspiracy fueled by both English and German powers. The Devil’s Paw is a gripping tale of romance and political intrigue. E. Phillips Oppenheim offers a compelling commentary on Europe during one of its most vulnerable times. He delivers a complex narrative driven by bold characters informed by historical events. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Devil’s Paw is both modern and readable.

Reproduction of the original: The Moving Finger by E. Philipps Oppenheim