• To Play the Fool

  • A Kate Martinelli Mystery, Book 2
  • By: Laurie R. King
  • Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
  • Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (283 ratings)

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To Play the Fool  By  cover art

To Play the Fool

By: Laurie R. King
Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
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Publisher's summary

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.

©1995 Laurie R. King (P)2013 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“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

What listeners say about To Play the Fool

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

If St. Francis was in your city park,,,,

This is a lovely book about religious simplicity, an attempt to find holy things in lowly things, and an understanding of redemption. I'd read it years ago and still found it fabulous. One of my favorites.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great read

I've enjoyed many Laurie R King books including the Mary Russell stories , and the Folly stories. I'm very happy to be introduced to Kate Martinelli a San Francisco homicide detective. Although this is the second book in the series , it is the first one I have read, and I think it was a great one to start with. I love the quirky characters, and I'm impressed with the depth of knowledge of various sources including Shakespeare and the Christian Bible. All in all, another excellent read.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Yawn

Very slow moving and boring book.
The only good thing I can say about the book is the person reading the book was ok.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Is this perhaps an Unabridged version...?

I agree that this book wasn't as engaging a 'read,' and therefore a slightly disappointing follow-up to the first book in the Kate Martinelli series. That said, I found that there were parts, especially near the end of the book, that made me wonder if it was a poorly abridged version of an original, longer story. To add to that impression, I have read a few synopses of the book which refer to aspects of the plot-line that simply were not present ...

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

The least interesting of King’s novels

Although well researched and written, I did not find the novel note worthy. King’s considerable talents are best realized in the Sherlock Holmes and young wife Russell series. In the later she excels in creating mystery from both male and female perspectives.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Compelling characters

Like all Laurie R. King’s books, the characters are as compelling as the story. I read and re-read them all!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

Laurie R. King is an outstanding author. Her stories are not only entertaining but educational. She writes about people and places that most readers would never encounter. Great read!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Would’ve liked a different reader.

Reader read a little too slowly for my liking. Other than that interesting story line.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

An interesting tale. The deciphering of the religious symbolism was cool. Not very suspenseful or life and death. The production value was poor and the narrator did not have a lot of feeling in hee voice.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Turn to other side

The editors didn't remove one statement to flip the tape... offputting, but only one occurrence.

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