To Play the Fool [Hardcover]

Laurie R. King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1995

The Edgar-award winning author of A Grave Talent returns with Kate Martinelli in a story of the San Francisco homeless and Brother Erasmus, a leader who brings joy into desolate lives--and could also be a murderer.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like the holy fools whose purposes frame her latest modern mystery, King practices her own magic here, conjuring up, after a slowish start, an indelibly affecting narrative from unexpected material. The murder and botched cremation of a homeless man in Golden Gate Park draws police detective Kate Martinelli, introduced in the 1993 Edgar-winning A Grave Talent, into the world of San Francisco's homeless, whose views of reality differ radically from those of the police. Foremost in this cast is Brother Erasmus, a widely respected monk-like figure, part minister and part mime, who speaks only in quotations. Frustrated in trying to interview Erasmus, Kate gradually connects him to the "cultivated lunacy" of a modern Fools' movement which, begun in late-1960s England, disintegrated 15 years later in violence and death. As Erasmus becomes the focus of Kate's official suspicion and personal interest, she enlists, among others, the dean of the Graduate Theological Union at UC-Berkeley and her own invalid female lover, a psychotherapist, to help uncover Erasmus's identity and tragic past. The murder of a homeless woman, whose fitful, articulate intelligence is deftly captured here, brings fresh urgency to the case. The solution makes sure, inevitable sense in both the mundane and spiritual realms that King so thoroughly charts in this moving tale.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

San Francisco detective Kate Martinelli strays from the stereotypical path of policewoman. As an openly lesbian and much-publicized heroine, Kate returns to her job facing a difficult case: street person Brother Erasmus, suspect in the murder of a homeless man, communicates entirely by way of literary quotations. The author presents her homeless characters with honesty and compassion, much in the way she describes the relationship between Kate and her lover or her police partner, Al. A fitting and well-done sequel to the award-winning A Grave Talent (LJ 1/93).
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (February 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312119070
• ISBN-13: 978-0312119072
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #925,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times bestselling crime writer Laurie R. King writes both series and standalone novels.

In the Mary Russell series (first entry: The Beekeeper's Apprentice), fifteen-year-old Russell meets Sherlock Holmes on the Sussex Downs in 1915, becoming his apprentice, then his partner. The series follows their amiably contentious partnership into the 1920s as they challenge each other to ever greater feats of detection.

The Kate Martinelli series, starting with A Grave Talent, concerns a San Francisco homicide inspector, her SFPD partner, and her life partner. In the course of the series, Kate encounters a female Rembrandt, a modern-day Holy Fool, two difficult teenagers, a manifestation of the goddess Kali and an eighty-year-old manuscript concerning'Sherlock Holmes.

King also has written stand-alone novels--the historical thriller Touchstone, A Darker Place, two loosely linked novels'Folly and Keeping Watch--and a science fiction novel, Califia's Daughters, under the pseudonym Leigh Richards.

King grew up reading her way through libraries like a termite through balsa before going on to become a mother, builder, world traveler, and theologian.

She has now settled into a genteel life of crime, back in her native northern California. She has a secondary residence in cyberspace, where she enjoys meeting readers in her Virtual Book Club and on her blog.

King has won the Edgar and Creasey awards (for A Grave Talent), the Nero (for A Monstrous Regiment of Women) and the MacCavity (for Folly); her nominations include the Agatha, the Orange, the Barry, and two more Edgars. She was also given an honorary doctorate from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

Check out King's website, http://laurierking.com/, and follow the links to her blog and Virtual Book Club, featuring monthly discussions of her work, with regular visits from the author herself. And for regular LRK updates, follow the link to sign up for her email newsletter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, more of a novel than a mystery, October 2, 2000

By 

"julies_27" - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Play the Fool (Paperback)

For those of you who have read all of the Mary Russell books by King, you might be pleasantly surprised that she writes other, more modern books. For those of you who live in the SF Bay area, you will also be excited by the locations that are described in this book. I had read many of Laurie King's other books before reading this one and I will say that it was one of the most interesting and best written. The novel is based on the mystery surrounding the murder of a homeless man, but the story actually told is of Brother Erasmus, a Fool, who only speaks in quotes from Shakespeare and the Bible. The real mystery is who Brother Erasmus really is, what he is hiding, and why he speaks only in quotes. There are some other homeless characters in the book who are also well characterized. This book has a lot of metaphysical discussion on those who live outside society in this way. And there is a lot of suspense and mystery involved in finding Brother Erasmus's secrets. Eventually the detective Kate Martinelli founds out who the murderer was, but she is more interested in the life of the characters she meets. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes your mysteries to be a bit more literary. King has been compared a lot to PD James, and I think that comparison holds true.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Engaging story, January 28, 2001

By 

Helen - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Play the Fool (Paperback)

I am increasingly becoming a fan of this author. However, I am not sure what the point was in the long and involved examination of the Fool movement in this installment of the Kate Martinelli series. It was not particularly interesting and, as a sub-theme, actually took over the story rather than assist the reader in any way to deal with the main plot. Also, there is unnecessary repetition in the description and exchanges in the Kate/Lee relationship. We seem to be told several times, and in a variety of different ways, that Lee is disabled and Kate blames herself for it. Nevertheless, this book was worth three stars as the talent of the author to spin an engaging story is well evident.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of Martinelli, April 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: To Play the Fool (Paperback)

This book has made me a huge fan of Laurie King. I really liked her other Martinelli books and love the Russel series, but this book is far and above her best. It was very hard to put down and when I finished, she kept me wanting more. Readers who love interesting characters will love this book. Brother Erasmus is the best of the supporting cast. I just wish we could have more of him! The plot is exciting and unique as well. A great read!