Edgar Award winner Laurie R. King has attracted an enthusiastic following with her finely crafted mysteries. The Kate Martinelli series follows the challenging career of a young San Francisco police detective who struggles to maintain her personal privacy, even as her complex cases bring her into the glaring eye of the public. The first cremation the homeless people held in Golden Gate Park was for a dog; their second pyre held a much larger body. To find the one responsible for these deaths, Martinelli sets out on a quest for Brother Erasmus. An enigmatic creature who has befriended the homeless, he speaks only in quotations. When public fear of the peculiar band of park-dwellers threatens to grow out of control, Martinelli must unravel the guilt that lies at the bottom of Erasmus' refusal to give direct answers to her questions. King weaves the stories of the homeless and their eccentric spokesman into one of the feisty detective's most tantalizing murder mysteries. Filled with vivid characters and provocative issues, To Play the Fool showcases King's superb talents.