Rather like many of his heroes, Shakespeare is a flawed man who appreciates the attention of an attractive woman more than a married man should. That said, after a door-rattling fight with his wife, Anne Hathaway, he ended a long-term affair and hoped to restore his wife’s trust. As is to be expected, that plan quickly goes awry when Shakespeare’s former mistress contacts him, pleading for money to ease her last days as she wastes away from illness.

Torn between his promise to never see his mistress again and his guilt over his mistress’ condition, Shakespeare agrees to meet her one last time. Soon after he arrives at her home, a fire breaks out. Shakespeare is able to escape, but his mistress perishes in the blaze. Further complicating matters, it quickly becomes apparent the fire was no accident – someone is out to bring Shakespeare to ruin.

Shakespeare’s friends and associates brush off his suspicions as paranoia, but he soon learns that his instincts are spot on when a witness to the arson comes forward. Shakespeare takes the young boy into his home, but tragedy strikes again as the witness is murdered by persons unknown.

Using all his wits and acting skill, Shakespeare dives deep into an investigation to solve the murders and bring the villain tormenting him to justice.

Author Leonard Tourney, author of the Joan and Matthew Stock series, puts forth a modestly successful Shakespearean mystery in Time’s Fool. Tourney clearly is highly knowledgeable about the subject matter and does an excellent job of making the language of Shakespeare’s day come alive. The combination leads to a rich atmosphere that should please history and Shakespeare buffs.

Tourney also scores another success with his characters, and the secondary characters in particular. From Shakespeare’s emotionally wounded wife Anne to his garrulous French landlords, Tourney gives a wonderful sense of life and personality even to those characters that play a relatively minor role in the action. The interaction between characters is also enjoyable – Shakespeare’s struggle to rebuild his fractured relationship with his wife stands out as a deeply moving depiction of marital strife.

Unfortunately, the action in the novel is where the author begins to stumble. Many of the protagonist-in-peril sequences depend far too much on coincidence and circumstances that seem more convenient than plausible. Shakespeare’s enemies thwart his numerous disguises and convoluted travel itineraries time and again, and their endless ability to be one step ahead soon becomes more aggravating than suspenseful. When the villain is at least revealed, the reader is far more likely to laugh out loud or groan in frustration than to feel satisfied by the conclusion.

Overall, Time’s Fool is a worthwhile read for fans of Shakespeare and his era in England’s history, but will likely prove unsatisfying for readers who value a strong mystery that is both clever and plausible.

--Jessica Plonka