Comprehensive view of Wm. de Morgan for the interested person. It covers a huge period in English ceramic art. This book has hundreds of his pieces or designs and tells his chronology as an artist. I will not lend it out; this is the ultimate compliment.

Published in conjunction with an exhibition of de Morgan's work at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1989, this book contains the complete collection of William de Morgan's original pottery and tile designs and drawings that was given to the museum after his death in 1917. With just about 20 pages of text of the total 256 pages, it is nearly all photographs with over 50 pages in color. De Morgan began working with William Morris in 1862, but after ten years he set up his own studio making tiles, vases, bowls and other domestic ceramics. His designs, inspired by brightly colored Middle-Eastern, Hispanic and Italian Renaissance pottery are beautiful. The forms of his vessels seem, for the most part, somewhat stilted but ocasionally they become organic enough to be satisfying to the modern eye. However his use of decoration is without equal except, perhaps, in some Hopi work. This book will be of interest to ceramic artists in particular, but any artist, art historian, or collector will enjoy it.

Out of expedience, two women on the fringes of society in Restoration England become embroiled in a mystery far more complicated than what it first appears. Lady Anastasia Ashby de la Zouche and her trusted servant Alpiew exist from day to day in that part of London where the demimonde earn their living by taking advantage of opportunity. Just released from debtor's prison, the two women have contracted to uncover shocking stories for a scandal sheet, even if they have to fabricate the details. In the context of researching a story, they are hired by a respectable woman to follow her husband, who the wife suspects of infidelity. Not exactly inconspicuous, the two bumbling sleuths eventually witness the husband's brutal murder, although they cannot get a good look at the perpetrator. When the wife herself is accused of murder for hire, Lady Ashby and Alpiew delve into the dark passages of nighttime London, replete with murderers, thieves and cutpurses, on a mission for truth.

The result is a comedy of errors as the aging Countess Ashby exploits her memorable dalliance with the former King Charles II, now deceased. With the buxom and youthful Alpiew as a partner, the two unlikely detectives uncover more fodder for gossip and accusation than anticipated, from secret experiments to an alchemist's laboratory and suspects in high places. The two women are as engaging as they are foolish and impetuous and render the story with a broad wink at the vagaries of human nature. And, of course, in the nick of time, all is made right and fortunes restored. Snappy dialog and quirky characters make this back alley romp a pleasant experience.

A historical mystery that is a delightful rowdy romp through London in 1699. Not at all the usual 'researched and narrated to the nth degree' slow moving dull historical mystery one finds so often. Countess de la Zouche, bawdy ex-mistress of Charles II, keeps out of debtor's prison by selling naughty gossip tidbits with the aid of her former maid, Alpiew. Their adventures include murder, scandal/mystery involving alchemy, numerous backstreet characters and nobility. Witty and satirical, this book is definitely a fun read.

Countess Ashby and Alpiew are an unlikely team. Alpiew is a former employee of the Countess'. Ashby thinks she ran away with her husband, but in reality, Alpiew was just another of the items he stole when he took off for the New World. They meet again in debtor's prison, each vying for a job with a scandal sheet. They end up combining talents and sharing the salary. In the course of their business, they are asked by a Mrs. Wilson to follow her husband. She suspects that he is cheating on her. They lose track of him the first night and witness his murder on the second. The come to discover that he is also an alchemist who will do anything to get the money to continue his research. But how far did he go, and what has he done?

At times the language of another era is somewhat difficult to follow, but usually all is explained soon after. The characters of the aged former royal favourites and their servants are very entertaining, as are the characters themselves. The mystery can be difficult to solve, but all the clues are there if you only look. I am definitely going to read more of this series.