The haunting hand

About the book

Margot Anstruther has exchanged laboratory work for the film studio, finding both promise and enjoyment in acting. Her New York lodging and circle of movie colleagues suggest a life becoming more expansive, until a strange hand appearing near her bed turns that familiar room into a place of fear. Her friend Gene Valery offers support, while the behavior of director Frederick Stoner introduces another source of uneasiness. Roberts places the mystery among studio ambitions, personal attachments, and questions about how much appearances can be trusted. Margot's scientific training remains part of her character even after her professional change, giving her curiosity a practical foundation. The story combines the intimate terror of an apparent haunting with a broader puzzle about hidden motives.

• Appearance and explanation
• Ambition and vulnerability
• Trust and hidden motives

Why read it

Margot's combined scientific and theatrical interests make her a distinctive observer of a mystery built around deceptive appearances.

English Macaulay text with the 1926 copyright