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    To Play the Fool
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    To Play the Fool
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    To Play the Fool
    Audiobook9 hours

    To Play the Fool

    Written by Laurie R. King

    Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

    4/5

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    Unavailable in your country

    Unavailable in your country

    About this audiobook

    Homicide detectives Kate Martinelli and Al Hawkin are investigating the death of a man whose cremated remains are found in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Implicated in the death is Erasmus, a wandering soul and latter-day Shakespearean Fool who Kate doubts is guilty. He will say nothing to point the investigation away from himself, and Kate must not only prove his innocence, she must also nail the real killer.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherW. F. Howes Ltd
    Release dateMay 2, 2013
    ISBN9781471231780
    Unavailable
    To Play the Fool
    Author

    Laurie R. King

    Laurie R. King is the Edgar Award–winning author of the Kate Martinelli novels and the acclaimed Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes mysteries, as well as a few stand-alone novels. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, the first in her Mary Russell series, was nominated for an Agatha Award and was named one of the Century’s Best 100 Mysteries by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. A Monstrous Regiment of Women won the Nero Wolfe Award. She has degrees in theology, and besides writing she has also managed a coffee store and raised children, vegetables, and the occasional building. She lives in northern California.

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    Reviews for To Play the Fool

    4/5

    244 ratings10 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the theology that was woven through a genuinely mysterious story with truly interesting characters. I think Laurie King does a great job of making that all work...This was my first in her Martinelli series, but I look forward to reading more.
    • 3/5
      For my taste, the case was too intellectual; much about obscure philosophy. Also, it seems that half of the book is devoted to the detective's lover's "recovery" from a gun shot that leaves her paralyzed, detracting from the main purpose of the book.
    • 5/5
      This second Kate Martinelli mystery begins with the cremation of a dog in the park by a group of homeless people. But when the same group attempts the cremation of the dog's owner three weeks later the police are called in. When it is determined that the death was murder, Martinelli and Hawkin are assigned the case. They have an unidentified victim known only as John, a bunch of homeless witnesses with varying mental illnesses, and a mysterious character known as Brother Erasmus. Brother Erasmus is a beloved character among the homeless and also well-known across the bay at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, and among the entertainers at Fisherman's Wharf. He is a man of mystery who only speaks in quotations.Interviewing him is an exercise in frustration for Kate and Al. But as they try to uncover his past, they discover information about the defunct Fools' Movement and a tragic past. There was a lot about the religious implications of being a Fool which was intriguing. Kate and Lee are still dealing with the aftereffects of Lee's shooting which ended the previous book as Lee is in therapy to overcome her paralysis. Kate had been on leave to help her; this is only her second case since she's been back as an active homicide detective. The characters were all intriguing. I loved the setting of the story. It was also an engaging mystery.
    • 2/5
      Should have started with the first book! I think it was totally spoiled by reading the second book first. I now know all about the relationships, the health problems, etc., etc., that came about from the events in book #1. But, that aside, the fool was certainly a different character. How events developed had a logical progression, and San Francisco seems to be a separate character all on its own! Spoiler now:

      I'm disappointed in the ending; it would have been a stronger finish if the fool could have remained so.
    • 4/5
      Kate Martinelli is back with a puzzle that is less a murder mystery (which is hardly there at all) and more with a psychological mystery. Erasmus is a truly original character and the dialogue that Ms. King puts in his mouth is delightful in the way it makes the brain think - dragging up memories of Bible and Shakespeare reading. There's less of Kate's emotional life in this novel - just a bit of commentary on how she and Lee are coping with the aftermath of the events of the first novel.
    • 3/5
      This is my first Laurie King novel. I found lots of things to like about it: the eccentric minor characters, a very moving conclusion and effective denouement, descriptions of San Francisco and Berkeley which brought back my two years living in the Bay area quite vividly, and an engaging protagonist surrounded by a group of colorful and likable people.Having said all that, I wasn't particularly riveted by the plot as a whole, and I couldn't help but thinking that, if I were ever murdered, I would certainly hoped that the detectives looking for the bad guy would be a bit more comprehensive and a bit less hunch-driven than this investigation. I'm not a big fan of mysteries that in the end are only solved with the benefit of coincidences (especially wildly implausible ones).
    • 5/5
      Kate Martinelli is investigating the murder of a homeless man. A person of interest is the other-worldly man who speaks only in quotations and leads the mass of homeless people who seek spirituality. Kate travels through the seamy side of San Francisco, seeking information. She is making some headway with the homeless, as she demonstrates she’s not interested in moving them or just charging one of them with a crime. She develops a sort of admiration for several of the people she talks to. These are talented, artistic people who somehow got lost along the way. When another homeless person’s body is found, some distance from San Francisco, Kate switches gears and begins looking higher up the financial chain for a suspect. Another winner from Laurie King. Kate Martinelli’s internal life is a soothing place, both for her and the reader. Kate’s partner figures somewhat less prominently in this outing than in others, but she inadvertently provides the surprise twist at the end.
    • 5/5
      De-lish. Fave author and great book
    • 3/5
      #2 in the Martinelli series. Interesting concept of a Medieval fool. So-so plot.
    • 4/5
      The second in the Kate Martinelli and probably my least favourite, although I still couldn't manage to put it down. It deals with the aftermath of the first book, while investigating the death of a homeless man, and the connection of another who refers to himself as a Holy Fool. Kate is much more wounded here, but seemingly less anxious in her investigations. The real stars in this book are the secondary characters who are interesting and distinctive.