''To Play the Fool'' is the second book in the Kate Martinelli series by

Laurie R. King Laurie R. King (born September 19, 1952) is an American author best known for her detective fiction. Life and career Born in Oakland, California, King earned a degree in comparative religion from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1977 ...

.https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780553574555 Preceded by ''

A Grave Talent ''A Grave Talent'' (1993) is the first book in Laurie R. King's Kate Martinelli series. Concerning the search for the murderer of several young girls, it won the 1994 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. It is followed by '' To Play the Fool''. P ...

'' and followed by the novel '' With Child'', it describes the investigation into the murder of a

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

man.

Plot summary

A homeless man is murdered and Kate must determine the culprit's identity. Everything seems to point to a man whom the homeless community regards as an important religious figure.

Characters in ''To Play the Fool''

*Kate Martinelli is a member of the San Francisco Police Department. *Lee Cooper is Kate's lover. *Al Hawkin is Kate's partner at work.

Allusions/references to other works

The title is taken from

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' (Act 3, scene 1), in which Feste the

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...

is described as "wise enough to play the fool."

References

External links

Laurie R. King official website

''To Play the Fool'' at Laurie King's website
1995 American novels Kate Martinelli (novel series) Fictional portrayals of the San Francisco Police Department {{1990s-crime-novel-stub