The dark earth in the piedmont of North Carolina's Randolph Country is heavy with bright clay. And it is of the same rich soil that attracts many of the South's most skilled potters. Also drawn to this region is the visiting judge Deborah Knott. She faces the most exasperating case a judge can handle: overseeing the equitable distribution of marital property after a bitter divorce. The Nordans - James Lucas and Sandra Kay - both potters, are divorcing after almost twenty-five years of marriage. As creative as it was stormy, the Nordans' history together produced great artistic achievements. Much of the credit for this stellar legacy goes to Amos Nordan, James Lucas's father and the proud clan patriarch. But Amos is not untouched by tragedy. Two years earlier an even more talented son Donny, apparently committed suicide in a manner so scandalous that Amos still cannot bear to speak of it. Suddenly, amid the petty bickering, an even more gruesome death strikes the Nordans, and the violence stalking the family homestead threatens to shut down the kilns for good. Judge Knott must use all of her insight into the darkest entanglements of the human heart if she is to trap a determined murderer.
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About the Author
Born and raised in central North Carolina, Margaret Maron lived in Italy before returning to the USA where she and her husband now live. On addition to a collection of short stories she's also the author of 16 mystery novels featuring Lt. Sirgid Harald, NYPD, and District Court Judge Deborah Knott. Her works have been translated into seven languages and are on the reading lists of various courses in contemporary Southern Literature. In 1993 her North Carolina-based Bootlegger's Daughter won the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Anthony Award for Best Mystery Novel of the Year, the Agatha Award for Best Traditional Novel and the Macavity for Best Novel - an unprecedented sweep for a single novel. She is a past president of Sisters in Crime and of the American Crime writers' league, and a director on the national board for mystery Writers of America.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Telling us about things we didn't know and reminding us of facts of life that we might have forgotten are important parts of a writer's job, and nobody performs those chores better than Margaret Maron. In the early pages of her eighth book about North Carolina judge Deborah Knott, we learn about the art and craft of making clay pottery and the collecting of these lovely objects; about the equally delicate but much more painful art of dividing community property after a divorce; and above all how if you come from a large family (as does Knott as well as most of the story's feuding characters) you don't have to go far to witness the damage love and hate can do. Called down to Randolph County - where pottery is a cottage industry - to preside over the breakup of a couple whose objects are highly prized, Deborah manages to become involved in a couple of murder investigations. She also tries to forget her faithless game warden lover with a handome judicial colleague - leading to a hilarious sight gag that reminds us of how funny Maron can be on top of everything else.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Margaret Maron's books are always worth a read and a lot better than some of the other stuff sold in the genre these days but this is a disappointing entry in the collection of Deborah Knott mysteries. The background appears meticulously researched but we just don't care enough about the characters in the murder plots and the solution is far fetched to say the least. Interesting but disappointing
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.1 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
I found this book to be "uncommonly" good!
30 July 2001
By L. Quido
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Continuing my love affair with the works of Margaret Maron, I returned to her Deborah Knott series and really enjoyed "Uncommon Clay", which is a quick read with an ending that surprised me.
Deb is again on the road, visiting Asheboro this time, and the reader gets the treat of learning more about NC folk crafts...(prior novels have featured furniture), this time with the work of Carolina's folk pottery industry. Some interesting and colorful new characters and friends are added to the story line. The book also continues the saga of Deb's romances, and how badly they go sometimes. In this tale, Deb has two embarrassing scrapes with the down side of relationships. Maron also takes the time to insert a small tidbit about Oscar Nauman, a character from her Sigrid Harald series, in a way that makes the reference seem real and natural.
With its interesting plots, spunky heroine, delightful descriptions of large southern families and friends, and its ability to educate the reader on the life and times of beautiful NC, the Knott series is a fast, entertaining, and well written group of books. Uncommon Clay still leaves me hungry for more!
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Uncommon Clay
12 May 2001
By Karen Potts
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Judge Deborah Knott is called to a town where she is to mediate the splitting of property during the divorce settlement of two well-known potters. Soon after she arrives, one of the disputants is found dead. Deborah does some investigating and finds out that there is a history of problems among the members of this artistic family. The patriarch, Amos, rules over his clan with an iron fist and causes jealousy and infighting when he keeps changing his will as to who will inherit the business. Several people seem to have a motive for murder, and soon other murders occur. As usual, author Moran evokes a vivid picture of the North Carolina countryside and the folk artists who inhabit this particular area of the state. This is a good read!
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another great book by Margaret Maron.
10 July 2001
By Moe811
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
In this novel Deborah Knott visits the pottery making area of Asheboro, NC. She is sent to the area by the Chief Judge to help clear out a backlogged court calendar. She hopes to buy a platter for her new home. One of the cases involves the divorce of two people from famous potting families. Just before their valuable collection is divided, the husband is brutally murdered. In addition to untangling the marital woes of the area, she now has to solve a murder.
This is another excellent novel by Maron. She takes us to yet another area of North Carolina, and her descriptions are very vivid. She gives you many clues to solve the mystery, yet I still didn't figure it out until nearly the end. Great book!!
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4.1 out of 5 stars
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