Uncommon Clay [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Margaret Maron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

In the red clay country of Seagrove, North Carolina, Judge Deborah Knott oversees the distribution of property in the bitter divorce between two members of the Nordan clan, a dynasty of skilled potters long cursed by suicide and scandal. After a gruesome act of violence suddenly strikes the homestead, Judge Knott must stop a killer who will stop at nothing to continue a dark history of family secrets, old sins, and new blood. (July)

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this eighth book in the Judge Deborah Knott series (after 2000's Storm Track), Maron employs spare, straightforward prose and the languid language of the Carolina Piedmont to spin an exceptionally gripping tale of hate, jealousy and murder. Still smarting from the betrayal of her lover, Kidd Chapin, the redoubtable jurist travels to Randolph County, N.C., in order to settle the equitable distribution of the marital property of a pair of freshly divorced potters, Sandra Kay Nordan and James Lucas Nordan. Before she can finish her legal duties, however, somebody bakes James Lucas in a kiln. Deborah's own sense of loss in the wake of Kidd's rejection helps her empathize with patriarch Amos Nordan's multiple tragedies (another son died two years earlier) as well as a hired woman's grief over her retarded son. Amidst a beautifully evoked flowering spring countryside, Deborah pursues the murderer with her usual keen eye and common sense. If the book fairly swells with passion, a healthy dose of Southern humor keeps things from getting too maudlin. By the time the story reaches its dramatic conclusion, readers will be in mourning, wishing the end hadn't come so soon. Maron's mastery of jurisprudence, her well-researched depiction of the potting world but especially her sensitive portrayal of human relationships raise this novel far above the ordinary run of mysteries. (May 22)all four top mystery awards the Edgar, the Anthony, the Agatha and the Macavity. Maron, who's also the author of the Sigrid Harald series, will be the guest of honor at this year's Malice Domestic Convention.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

The famous Nordan family, who live in an area of North Carolina known for its pottery, is being torn apart by a traumatic and bitter divorce. Judge Deborah Knotts (Storm Track) oversees distribution of the marital property, but her work is interrupted by a tragic death in the family reminiscent of a terrible suicide two years earlier. Heady stuff from a talented author.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 381 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786233702
• ISBN-13: 978-0786233700
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,933,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I found this book to be "uncommonly" good!, July 30, 2001

By 

L. Quido "quidrock" (Tampa, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Uncommon Clay (Hardcover)

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, May 11, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Uncommon Clay (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., July 10, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Uncommon Clay (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!!