To Play the Fool

Kate Martinelli #2

by Laurie R. King

When a band of homeless people cremate a beloved dog in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the authorities are willing to overlook a few broken regulations. But three weeks later, when the dog's owner gets the same fiery send-off, the SFPD has a real headache on its hands. The autopsy suggests homicide, but Inspector Kate Martinelli and her partner, Al Hawkin, have little else to go on. They have a homeless victim without a positive ID, a group of witnesses who have little love for the cops, and a possible suspect, known only as Brother Erasmus, who is certainly articulate, but difficult to understand.
Erasmus, Kate learns, is well-acquainted with the park's homeless and with the rarefied atmosphere of Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, yet he is an enigma to all. He has a genius for blending with his surroundings, yet he stands out wherever he goes. He is by no means crazy—but he is a fool.  Kate begins the frustrating task of interrogating a man who communicates only through quotations. Trying to learn something of his history leads her along a twisting road to a disbanded cult, long-buried secrets, the thirst for spirituality, and the hunger for bloody vengeance.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, LGBT, Audiobook, Lesbian

286 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Edgar-winning mystery writer Laurie R. King writes series and standalone novels. Her official forum is
THE LRK VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB here on Goodreads--please join us for book-discussing fun.

King's 2018 novel, Island of the Mad, sees Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes travel from London's Bedlam to the glitter of Venice's Lido,where Young Things and the friends of Cole Porter pass Mussolini's Blackshirts in the streets. The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series follows a brilliant young woman who becomes the student, then partner, of the great detective. [click here for an excerpt of the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice] The Stuyvesant and Grey series (Touchstone; The Bones of Paris) takes place in Europe between the Wars. The Kate Martinelli series follows an SFPD detective's cases on a female Rembrandt, a holy fool, and more. [Click for an excerpt of A Grave Talent]

King lives in northern California, which serves as backdrop for some of her books.

Please note that Laurie checks her Goodreads inbox intermittently, so it may take some time to receive a reply. A quicker response may be possible via email to info@laurierking.com.

Reviews

[Jhosy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again I find a book in this series difficult to rate.
Subtly, this book was better than the previous one. The author shows more of the personal life of Casey and her girlfriend, as well as introduces a mild drama when lets the reader know that Casey's partner eventually became paraplegic after the confrontation of the previous book.
However, almost at the end of the book, the story went boring. No excitement in the investigation, just long and boring conversations about religious academic theories.
Anyway ... 3.5

[fleegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this one, book two, detective inspector Martinelli and her partner Hawkins (San Francisco PD) are to solve a mystery about the death of a homeless man. Their main suspect happens to be a much beloved, and learned, other homeless man who happens to be a Fool. And who also happens to only speak in quotations (from the Bible and Shakespeare).

I thought it was interesting because

1. The book made you think along with the detective. Especially the quotations. What is he quoting? What is he trying to say by using that quotation? Is the quotation itself the answer, or is it’s origin important too? that kind of thing.

2. I liked the fact that the mystery didn’t take place in one week. It was mentioned that she had other cases pending, and she worked on those. Made it seem more realistic, I guess.

3. I LOVED that no one was trying to kill her. Although that looks like that’s what happened in book one, from what I can glean from context clues. But it seems like in most mystery series the main character, detective, medical examiner, forensic investigator, whathaveyou, is always a target of murder. So I really enjoy it when an author sticks with the detective/hero solving a mystery and managing to keep it interesting without making the protagonist(s) a constant target of attack. Do it in every other book if you must, just don’t… i mean… FORMULA is all I’m saying, Iris Johansen.

I’m going to read a couple more and also give her Sherlock Holmes series a shot too.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this one as much as the first. It felt like King was trying too hard. The plot had too much woolgathering about the whys and wherefores of the suspect and too much extraneous 'English trivia' for my taste. Also, the ending did not ring true and was too neat.

On the strength of the first one of the series, and the fact that this one was OK (not great but not terrible). I will give another of the series a try. But, if it is like this one rather than the first it is unlikely that I will try again.

[Vjera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brother Erasmus is a fascinating character. It must have been great fun coming up with quotes for him. This is worth reading just for the descriptions of his humanness, but I also enjoyed the character building of Kate (read this series in order!), and the complexities of getting to the bottom of the mystery. Theology also played an interesting part.

I’ve encountered Brother Erasmus elsewhere in Ms. King’s cannon, but I’m not sure where. Maybe one of her stand-alones.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy, howdy, is this chick wordy. The story was interesting, but I found myself skimming.

I'll probably pick up the next book in the series, but I need to give it a rest for a while.

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐ Good series to listen to while out walking and doing stuff around the house.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What we have here is a failure to communicate;" especially when one character is "To Play the Fool." Laurie King won the Edgar Award for best first novel, "A Grave Talent," over 20 years ago; I came to it late (and King), as I did with her Mary Russell series. After falling in love with several of King's Mary Russell series, I read "A Grave Talent," and I was not disappointed. I enjoyed it so much that I grabbed "To play a Fool," read it in two days, and am simply delighted with the book and the writer.

"To Play A Fool" continues the story of Kate Martinelli, her partner Al Hawkins, and her friend and life-partner, the psychiatrist Lee. As a character, Kate strays from the stereotypical path of the young policewoman. As much-publicized heroine (from "A Grave Talent") who has experienced a personal tragedy, Kate returns to her job facing a difficult case: a particularly grisly homicide, where a homeless person has been cremated in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Inspector Martinelli and her partner, Al Hawkin, have little to go on. They have a homeless victim without a positive ID, a group of witnesses who have little love for the cops, and a possible suspect, known only as Brother Erasmus. Kate learns that Erasmus is well-acquainted with the park's homeless and with the "Holy Hill," Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union. Now for the puzzle: street person Brother Erasmus only communicates in quotes mostly from Shakespeare and the Bible, as well as other classical forms of literature. So he remains an puzzle to all; it's apparent that he is by no means crazy - but he is a "Fool." So the mystery becomes who Brother Erasmus really is, and what he is hiding? Eventually, Brother Erasmus becomes a suspect in the murder of the homeless man, and as we attempt to solve "his puzzle," the mystery envelopes us.

The story is not only very credible, it is interesting and imaginative as well. King's plot lines are carefully crafted; she leaves subtle and careful clues of things to come - be it plot or characterization. Ms. King writes such rich, complex characters; King instills in her characters a believability which takes them out of the trite or stereotypical detective story world into characters who you care about and simply find interesting. Brother Erasmus is the best of them; what an interesting and compelling character. The kindly Brother Erasmus has a magnetic effect on most people which he encounters in the novel, and that same effect draws us the reader to him as well. There is a somewhat long and involved examination of the "Fool movement" in this novel; however, it is necessary to the plot and our central character of the good Brother. The setting is the city of San Francisco. Having been there on several occasions over the years, it was fascinating to picture many of the places being presented. However they are described with such a delightful stroke of the pen, which allows the reader to "see" the various locations.

The story is interesting; the plot is unique; and the characters are compelling. The end of the story is not trite, as you are almost lead to believe. A worthwhile read for any day of the year! Although not necessary, I do suggest that one reads "A Grave Talent" prior to reading this novel. It allows for greater understanding of the characters.

[Orion · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Play the Fool is the second of a series of mystery novels by Laurie King that feature the San Francisco homicide detective Kate Martinelli. The first book, A Grave Talent, was an Edgar Award winner.

This book picks up about a year after the first, and finds Martinelli and her partner Al Hawken investigating the death of a homeless man in Golden Gate Park. There are no witnesses or evidence, but an enigmatic old man called Brother Erasmus who speaks only in quotations becomes a prime suspect. Quickly the story changes from a homicide investigation to an attempt to find out about the mysterious Erasmus, who is either a saintly fool or mentally ill.

Laurie King is in her element as the scholarly street person quotes from the Bible and Shakespeare to answer all questions, leaving the two worldly detectives to puzzle over his meaning. Either he killed the man, or he knows who did. They must find a way to make him talk in a way that will make sense to the legal system to solve the crime.

As with A Grave Talent, King creates wonderfully complex characters that draw the reader into the story. Also her plot is sufficiently complex to keep you guessing. I fell in love with the kindly Brother Erasmus and the people who were drawn to him. A delightful story that is well told.

[Lyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Martinelli is back at work despite the reservations of her lover. She and Al Hawkin catch a case that began with the cremation of a beloved dog by the homeless community. Three weeks later the pair are investigating the murder of a homeless man.

Erasmus, a respected monk in the homeless community, is sought as a witness. Even when they find him, interviewing him becomes almost impossible because he speaks only in quotes. Most often the quotes are from the bible or Shakespeare, but even when their origination is known, their meaning must be interpreted.

The Holy Fool's Movement is an interesting concept to involve in a murder mystery. King does the job very well, but long explanations often bog down the story. Still, King is a good writer so I wasn't tempted to set the book aside.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first found this author after a friend recommended her Mary Russell Mysteries. I don't remember how the first 2 books ended up in TBR bag, but I am glad they did.

In this book, Detective Kate Martinelli is working pretty much on her own as her partner's time is taken up with court appearances, other bureaucratic demands. and his girlfriend. The author spotlights the homeless community in San Francisco and goes into the history of the Fool, though I take exception of her labeling Israel's prophets as equivalent. First a dog is murdered, then his owner and the main suspect is the mysteries Erasmus, who Kate really doesn't want to believe is guilty. The characters, especially Erasmus are meticulously developed. Good read.

[Teri Pre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too mystical and religious for my taste. I'm hoping the third one is better because I really loved the first.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your murder mysteries erudite & full of theology, then you will love all the explanations and backstory in this second novel. Kate is confronted with the problems of the homeless, plus a mysterious man who does good deeds and only speaks in quotations. So it's very difficult for her and her partner, Hawkin, to get any useful information out of him when he is charged with the murder of a homeless man. So many interesting twists and turns. Also, fascinating. But not a fast-moving thriller, it takes its time and builds up to solution.

[Bibliovoracious]

Laurie King is a goddess.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good read featuring Kate Martinelli and her partner Al Hawkin where they try to solve the murder of a homeless man.

[Po Over · Rating 1 out of 5]

The body of a homeless man is discovered one morning in Golden Gate Park, his skull caved in by generous application of blunt force. In short order, Inspector Kate Martinelli and partner Al Hawkins identify a suspect, an enigmatic transient named Brother Erasmus. But this is no ordinary suspect. Brother Erasmus is a Fool; he communicates using only quotations from scripture and other keystones of theological discourse. Could this kindly man who preaches Christ's better lessons to the wayward masses really be capable of committing murder? As Kate and Al circle their suspect, Brother Erasmus discovers that playing dumb doesn't pay.

To Play the Fool is the second installment in Laurie R. King's Kate Martinelli series. Unfortunately, after the rich psychological murder-thriller of A Grave Talent, Fool is a grave disappointment. To King's credit, Brother Erasmus is a character unlike any I've experienced in literature before; we must credit the author for studiously bringing him to life. But in so doing it appears that all other aspects of the narrative were starved to anemic inconsequence. Most of the novel is spent on the tail -- figuratively and psychologically -- of Erasmus. Once he is cracked, the mystery is both revealed and solved in just a few short pages of diatribe. Indeed, the entire Kate Martinelli setting seems only a flimsy backdrop for the Brother Erasmus character, who after two hundred pages, lost my attention and my interest.

Also upsetting is that, while in Grave we were treated to a deftly woven sub-narrative of Kate's personal life and her relationship with Al, in Fool this narrative is left undeveloped. Though Kate's partner Lee does participate in the interrogation of Erasmus, the relationship between the two, and between Al and Kate, remain on page 250 as they do on page one. Another unforeseen disappointment is that the mystery of Erasmus would have been solved in ten pages through diligent use of Google to decipher the Fool's quotes. On top of which there were innumerable quotes to begin each chapter, and these struck me as unrelated to the content of the chapters themselves; I began to suspect they were simply promising quotes culled by the author that simply never made it into the dialog.

In summary, I can not commend To Play the Fool. Readers would do much better reading A Grave Talent and Kate Martinelli fans should be fine without it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of Laurie R. King's Kate Martinelli books, To Play the Fool, is a tightly written, thoughtful work, and was a nice re-introduction for me to the series. I'd previously read the third and then the first ones; going back to read the second filled in the blanks nicely on things that I'd missed. It'd been long enough since I'd read the previous books though that I'd forgotten much of the nuances of the series, but I recalled enough to find this perhaps the most enjoyable of the ones I'd read so far.

Much of the pleasure of this book lies with the individual Kate must investigate: a homeless wanderer known only as Brother Erasmus, a charismatic preacher revered by the street people of San Francisco and who is the primary suspect in her current murder case. She quickly learns that the man communicates only in literary quotations and by presenting himself as a Fool, which makes questioning him frustratingly difficult. Yet as she investigates him further, she finds that he has a tragic and moving past, which all comes together to make the man a vivid figure indeed.

Against this, Kate's domestic situation is a wistful counterpoint. Her partner Lee is recovering from traumatic injuries suffered in the first novel, and she and Kate's home life has undergone major upheavals as a result. Kate's efforts to find ways to help Lee regain her confidence while dealing with her disability are quietly touching.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable read. Four stars.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second of King's Kate Martinelli novels, and I did not like it nearly as much as the first. A huge chunk of the novel--maybe 80%--is spent following around a character who clearly is going to turn out not to have done it, so the murder mystery is actually ancillary to the whole thing. The interest here for the author is clearly the conceit of the religious Fool, about which I knew nothing, and which I did not actually find to be all that compelling. Worst of all, the novel in the end actually violates its own logic, which is rather disappointing. We are told that the main character will be destroyed if he is forced to drop his role as a religious Fool, and then he drops it and is not destroyed. No explanation is really given for this. I still like the characters of Kate and Al Hawkin, and I will give the next one in the series a go, but if it is not any better than this, I think I'll stick to the Mary Russell books which are, by and large, significantly better. I would give this a 2.5 if such a rating were possible; the fact that the characters are sound made me choose to bump it up rather than down.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this better at the end than while reading it. I don't know, Kate Martinelli's personality somehow doesn't catch my interest...I have read others in the series and can't remember them at all.

However, Brother Erasmus was an interesting character and his back story certainly made his choice to be "foolish" comprehensible - he was a moving character in many ways, and the use of quotations from St. Francis of Assisi at the beginning of each chapter set up a parallelism. I had mixed feelings about this. I felt that it was a rather cavalier use of St. Francis that equated his God-inspired change of life with a change inspired by personal trauma - much more understandable to the modern mind. On the other hand, Christianity is certainly a "foolish" way to live, according to the wisdom of the world, so perhaps my feelings can be traced to defensive quibbling.
Three stars for most of the book, four stars for the end.

[Laura Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in King’s Kate Martinelli series. Same good writing and characters but I didn’t like this one as much. The historical context for this one is the whole concept of “the Fool” as in the King’s Fool — the one person who could be honest with the King and who adopted a jester’s style of witlessness while speaking deep truths. It’s a concept that I find very interesting, but (IMHO) too much of the book was devoted to academic discussions about the Fool in history and whether or not a man of interest in a strange homicide was truly a Fool or just playing one.

Aside from that, the story was interesting — an impromptu cremation of a body in Golden Gate Park by a group of homeless people, sparks (pun intended) a Homicide investigation and all fingers point to a monkish “Brother Erasmus” as a person of interest. But Erasmus can’t or won’t speak in coherent sentences and instead speaks only in quotations (mostly biblical and Shakespearean). Makes for interesting interrogation.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I was looking for another mystery from Ms. King after reading A Grave Talent and this one kinda was but not really. You don't really know who the killer is until the end but this book is more about the process of a tragic human being. But I was fascinated with the characters. Ms. King writes such rich, complex characters. Throughout this series she has been letting you see more and more into the characters. I agree with others that I had hoped that Al was in this book more but I do realize that Kate is the main lead character of the series. This book I really got into the secondary characaters. Ms. King explores their mind sets and why they do what they do. There are some twists in the book that you don't see coming which are reasonable and logical in the book. I would highly recommend this book.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently discovered Kate Martinelli in A GRAVE TALENT and continued reading about her police work and her private life in TO PLAY THE FOOL. And I may add that I have read the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books. Capsule-sized assessment: I really enjoy King's work. She tells what is, for me, a full, well developed story, complete with the personal bits that give life to an interesting character, without undue or distracting side issues. She knows what makes "enough" and included just that. Every page is full of relevant and colorful detail; every paragraph works to advance the plot deepen my interest in what is going on. King's books are light, but she brings to them some serious writerly skills, doing her stories and her readers justice by giving them her best work.

[Carra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clever, well written, more than "just" a mystery story. Brother Erasmus a k a David Sawyer, professor turned homeless Fool is an intriguing, endearing character, and his story broke my heart. In a way, I would have wanted the murder mystery to be left out, and the story of Brother Erasmus to be the main focus of the book. Very rarely we get to read about homeless people, and when we do, they are usually there to serve as freakish details and/or as victims. Thankfully, Brother Erasmus is neither; still, here his story *is* only second to the plot. Also, I really would have liked to learn more about Beatrice the artist; how did she end up on the street?

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to read Lauri's Kate Martinelli mysteries because I not only think she is an excellent writer who spins a gripping yarn, she takes me to a world I would never visit without her. Two beautiful, successful career women in a committed relationship. It is just that Kate is a cop and subject to violence. Her partner Lee was shot in anothr book and is on the mend. The relationship is lovely.

I also liked the part about Fools and the work of fools. I think that maybe what the world needs now is more fools.

[Neilie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. What I like most about the Kate Martinelli stories is how matter-of-fact they are about the protagonist being a lesbian. It's not an "issue", it's just part of who she is. The way her relationship with her partner Lee is depicted is natural, often sweet and romantic - it feels truthful. Beyond that, the mystery here is interesting, particularly if you live in the Bay and know all the places mentioned in it. A book made of well-constructed, interesting storytelling.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am giving this three stars only because it is billed as a mystery and that part of the plot is really secondary. But Brother Erasmus is a wonderful character as is the interesting details that lead him from who he was to who he is. It is also a striking commentary on homelessness and makes me think that I need to look a bit closer at the people around me and their realities.

[NATUI · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was kind of a disappointment for me. I loved the first one so much--this one was just a bit too convoluted for me to enjoy. I am both a history and literary buff; however, her use of quotes just did not gel for me the way her use of art did in the first novel. I am hoping her next installment will be more on par with her first book in this series.

[Nancy]

San Francisco detectives Martinelli and Hawkin are looking into a murder of a homeless man in Golden Gate park. The suspect is a man that speaks only in quotations. As Matinelli investigates and tries to get to know her suspect some interesting things come to light. Good story.

[Barth Siemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the idea of The Fool was incorporated into the story, not only for character that was so identified but also in reference by other characters.

[Trine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Elaine Burnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was a slog. So much copying and pasting from the detective's research instead of storytelling. I want these to be better than they are.