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To Play the Fool: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,942 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
THE SECOND BOOK IN THE KATE MARTINELLI MYSTERY SERIES
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: a homeless victim with no positive ID, a group of witnesses with little love for the cops, and a possible suspect, known only as Brother Erasmus, who proves both articulate and impossible to understand.
Erasmus, 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. In Laurie R. King's To Play the Fool, trying to learn something of his history leads Kate along a twisting road to a disbanded cult, long-buried secrets, the thirst for spirituality, and the hunger for bloody vengeance.
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"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."
— Samantha (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Beautifully written, with clearly defined and engaging characters.
— The Boston Globe -
Its characters, and its language, linger in the mind long after more conventional entries in the genre are gone.
— San Jose Mercury News
To Play the Fool Listener Reviews
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" A little unsatisfying as a mystery, due to a too-quick resolution that kind of comes out of nowhere, but I really loved this book. The Kate Martinelli novels are quickly turning into my favorite mystery series. "
— Elizabeth, 2/11/2014 -
" Wicked fun mystery "
— Katya, 2/9/2014 -
" Such a tender story of loss and coping. Excellent. "
— Ann, 1/27/2014 -
" This is the first one of Laurie King's I've read with the San Francisco police detective, Kate Martinelli, now in a lesbian relationship. "
— Ellen, 1/24/2014 -
" I thought it was alright. Perhaps not spectacular, but I might read the rest of the series. I probably wouldn't read this book again, and so I'm glad it was a library book. "
— Carmen, 1/21/2014 -
" Lost copy. Need new one. "
— Gwendolyn, 1/15/2014 -
" Liked this trip to India and meeting Kipling's "Kim." "
— Morgan, 1/13/2014 -
" Placed in an interesting setting looking at the forgotten homeless of San Francisco. A dark and haunting character confronts Kate and keeps us riveted to the end. "
— Eric, 1/9/2014 -
" My first in this series. I like the main character, but she is an opposite of what I had read in the Mary Russell series. It is intense. "
— Julie, 12/27/2013 -
" I thought Erasmus was a great character. King is an extremely clever author. "
— Kiersten, 11/18/2013 -
" Confusing plot with a very abrupt conclusion. Plus, I didn't care for the relationships involved. I won't be trying any more of this series. "
— Janell, 11/17/2013 -
" An interesting detective novel, where the emphasis is on a particular character rather than solving the mystery. It mostly works. I certainly wanted to keep reading, and I will probably go on and read the next book in this series. But definitely not as gripping as the first book in the series. "
— Ben, 12/5/2012 -
" Not as engaging for me as the first of King's books, Grave Talent. A light mystery read. "
— Linda, 11/24/2012 -
" My favorite of her Kate Martinelli series, this one deals with a murder involving a Holy Fool - there's lots of rich stuff in here about identity, the power of words, and various other related things. (The mystery is also solid.) "
— Jenett, 8/29/2012 -
" I've really enjoyed both the books I've read in the Kate Martinellis series. In this one, the key suspect is a wonderful, original character and beautifully written. I'd recommend them to anyone who likes modern day crime fiction. "
— Trish, 8/28/2012 -
" Not as good as the first. But still worth the read. I enjoyed it. "
— Josephine, 1/31/2012 -
" wonderful look at homeless people and attitudes toward them Also her usual excellent writing "
— Anne, 12/5/2011 -
" This was another Kate Martinelli mystery, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. It revolved around a homeless man who played the part of a fool and spoke only in quotations usually taken from the Bible or Shakespeare. I still like the character of Kate, but found this one a little too weird. "
— Tory, 11/23/2011
About Laurie R. King
Laurie R. King is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes stories. She has been nominated for a multitude of prizes, and her fiction has won the Edgar, Creasy, Nero, and Macavity awards. She has been guest of honor at several crime conventions, and she was inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars in 2010.
About Alyssa Bresnahan
Alyssa Bresnahan is a dynamic dancer, actor, and audiobook narrator. She has narrated over two hundred audiobooks, has earned twenty Earphones Awards, and was named one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices. In 2009 she was a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best fiction narration.