Book excerpt: A disfigured corpse. The young man who found it. And the lawman resolved to clear up the matter at all costs. Mordred Kenhelm's survivalist existence has acquired a measure of stability—even peace. He is ready to put down roots . . . until warnings from the past start rearing ugly heads, that is. He sets out to extinguish old ghosts, but a simple trip downriver threatens to unearth far more than it conceals. Alone with his secrets, he faces a trial of conflict, honor, and humiliation. Inspector Wilhelm Dickson has never given up on a mission. A zealous search for truth and reparation leads him into a net of affairs much bigger than himself, and one he might not escape with both life and reputation intact. After all, it helps to at least know what you're chasing. Worst of all, the arrogant young man who happens to be the key to everything is more closemouthed than a clam at low tide. The Claw, third in The Ceristen series, weaves a tense narrative with the flavor of old detective novels and a touch of English Gothic. Under it all, the quiet question prevails: is there a lasting good at all? And if so, is it meant for us?