Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collections
Publication
Crimeline (1996), Paperback, 320 pages
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 San Francisco Police Department 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 forthe 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'sTo 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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member clong
This is my first Laurie King novel. I found lots of things to like about it: the eccentric minor characters, a very moving conclusion and effective denouement, descriptions of San Francisco and Berkeley which brought back my two years living in the Bay area quite vividly, and an engaging
Having said all that, I wasn't particularly riveted by the plot as a whole, and I couldn't help but thinking that, if I were ever murdered, I would certainly hoped that the detectives looking for the bad guy would be a bit more comprehensive and a bit less hunch-driven than this investigation. I'm not a big fan of mysteries that in the end are only solved with the benefit of coincidences (especially wildly implausible ones).
Show More
protagonist surrounded by a group of colorful and likable people.Having said all that, I wasn't particularly riveted by the plot as a whole, and I couldn't help but thinking that, if I were ever murdered, I would certainly hoped that the detectives looking for the bad guy would be a bit more comprehensive and a bit less hunch-driven than this investigation. I'm not a big fan of mysteries that in the end are only solved with the benefit of coincidences (especially wildly implausible ones).
Show Less
LibraryThing member melwil_2006
The second in the Kate Martinelli and probably my least favourite, although I still couldn't manage to put it down. It deals with the aftermath of the first book, while investigating the death of a homeless man, and the connection of another who refers to himself as a Holy Fool. Kate is much more
Show More
wounded here, but seemingly less anxious in her investigations. The real stars in this book are the secondary characters who are interesting and distinctive. Show Less
LibraryThing member siubhank
Kate Martinelli is investigating the murder of a homeless man. A person of interest is the other-worldly man who speaks only in quotations and leads the mass of homeless people who seek spirituality. Kate travels through the seamy side of San Francisco, seeking information. She is making some
Show More
headway with the homeless, as she demonstrates she’s not interested in moving them or just charging one of them with a crime. She develops a sort of admiration for several of the people she talks to. These are talented, artistic people who somehow got lost along the way. When another homeless person’s body is found, some distance from San Francisco, Kate switches gears and begins looking higher up the financial chain for a suspect. Another winner from Laurie King. Kate Martinelli’s internal life is a soothing place, both for her and the reader. Kate’s partner figures somewhat less prominently in this outing than in others, but she inadvertently provides the surprise twist at the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Kate Martinelli is back with a puzzle that is less a murder mystery (which is hardly there at all) and more with a psychological mystery. Erasmus is a truly original character and the dialogue that Ms. King puts in his mouth is delightful in the way it makes the brain think - dragging up memories
Show More
of Bible and Shakespeare reading. There's less of Kate's emotional life in this novel - just a bit of commentary on how she and Lee are coping with the aftermath of the events of the first novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member krsball
De-lish. Fave author and great book
LibraryThing member Krumbs
Should have started with the first book! I think it was totally spoiled by reading the second book first. I now know all about the relationships, the health problems, etc., etc., that came about from the events in book #1. But, that aside, the fool was certainly a different character. How events
I'm disappointed in the ending; it would have been a stronger finish if the fool could have remained so.
Show More
developed had a logical progression, and San Francisco seems to be a separate character all on its own! Spoiler now:I'm disappointed in the ending; it would have been a stronger finish if the fool could have remained so.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jlapac
This book was interesting, but I didn’t find it to have as smooth a transition from the first book to this one. The book centers on funeral pyres in Golden Gate Park and the death of homeless people. It is an interesting look at the way homeless people survive and the communities they make among
Show More
themselves, though I have no idea how accurate King’s descriptions are. The central character, Kate, is getting back into the swing after the near death of her lover and an apparent disastrous case between the one where we met her and the one that makes up the plot of this novel. The descriptions are not as complete as in the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books and this particular volume came across as choppy. Show Less
LibraryThing member bibleblaster
I enjoyed the theology that was woven through a genuinely mysterious story with truly interesting characters. I think Laurie King does a great job of making that all work...This was my first in her Martinelli series, but I look forward to reading more.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
This second Kate Martinelli mystery begins with the cremation of a dog in the park by a group of homeless people. But when the same group attempts the cremation of the dog's owner three weeks later the police are called in. When it is determined that the death was murder, Martinelli and Hawkin are
They have an unidentified victim known only as John, a bunch of homeless witnesses with varying mental illnesses, and a mysterious character known as Brother Erasmus. Brother Erasmus is a beloved character among the homeless and also well-known across the bay at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, and among the entertainers at Fisherman's Wharf. He is a man of mystery who only speaks in quotations.
Interviewing him is an exercise in frustration for Kate and Al. But as they try to uncover his past, they discover information about the defunct Fools' Movement and a tragic past. There was a lot about the religious implications of being a Fool which was intriguing.
Kate and Lee are still dealing with the aftereffects of Lee's shooting which ended the previous book as Lee is in therapy to overcome her paralysis. Kate had been on leave to help her; this is only her second case since she's been back as an active homicide detective.
The characters were all intriguing. I loved the setting of the story. It was also an engaging mystery.
Show More
assigned the case. They have an unidentified victim known only as John, a bunch of homeless witnesses with varying mental illnesses, and a mysterious character known as Brother Erasmus. Brother Erasmus is a beloved character among the homeless and also well-known across the bay at Berkeley's Graduate Theological Union, and among the entertainers at Fisherman's Wharf. He is a man of mystery who only speaks in quotations.
Interviewing him is an exercise in frustration for Kate and Al. But as they try to uncover his past, they discover information about the defunct Fools' Movement and a tragic past. There was a lot about the religious implications of being a Fool which was intriguing.
Kate and Lee are still dealing with the aftereffects of Lee's shooting which ended the previous book as Lee is in therapy to overcome her paralysis. Kate had been on leave to help her; this is only her second case since she's been back as an active homicide detective.
The characters were all intriguing. I loved the setting of the story. It was also an engaging mystery.
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1995
Physical description
320 p.; 6.87 inches
ISBN
0553574558 / 9780553574555
Local notes
OCLC = 885