What do you think?
Rate this book
A Mystery of Shakespeare #1
Time's Fool
The crime's the thing.
William Shakespeare is perhaps the most famous and prolific playwright of all time. Millions have read and seen his works, but few know the man behind the works. For all his fortune and fame, little did he know that the greatest drama of his life would not be performed on stage....
Welcome to Shakespeare's London, a world where the stage captures the hearts of every citizen, where darkness hides dangerous and vengeful creatures. It is in the darkness that Shakespeare finds himself the victim of treachery most foul.
When Shakespeare is contacted by his dark mistress, the former love of his life, he is excited to see her again after so long a separation. Much to his horror, he finds that the years have not been kind; she is now disease-ridden and near death...and she intends to blackmail him, threatening to expose their affair to the world unless he pays her considerable doctor's bills. A sudden fire cuts their meeting short and takes her life.
Torn between grief and anger, Shakespeare learns that the fire was no accident, and that he is being stalked by a person obsessed with bringing his life to ruin. Hope soon comes in the form of a small boy, a would-be actor who happened to witness the arsonist. As quickly as hope appears, it is snuffed out when the boy is violently murdered. Worse yet, Shakespeare is the primary suspect.
Out on bail, Shakespeare finds himself in a desperate race to uncover the truth behind the murder. With his reputation and his life itself on the line, Shakespeare must put down his quill and brace himself for a mystery like none other.
Rich in suspense, period detail, and intrigue, Time's Fool is Leonard Tourney's compelling journey through Shakespeare's world, a world you won't soon forget.
William Shakespeare is perhaps the most famous and prolific playwright of all time. Millions have read and seen his works, but few know the man behind the works. For all his fortune and fame, little did he know that the greatest drama of his life would not be performed on stage....
Welcome to Shakespeare's London, a world where the stage captures the hearts of every citizen, where darkness hides dangerous and vengeful creatures. It is in the darkness that Shakespeare finds himself the victim of treachery most foul.
When Shakespeare is contacted by his dark mistress, the former love of his life, he is excited to see her again after so long a separation. Much to his horror, he finds that the years have not been kind; she is now disease-ridden and near death...and she intends to blackmail him, threatening to expose their affair to the world unless he pays her considerable doctor's bills. A sudden fire cuts their meeting short and takes her life.
Torn between grief and anger, Shakespeare learns that the fire was no accident, and that he is being stalked by a person obsessed with bringing his life to ruin. Hope soon comes in the form of a small boy, a would-be actor who happened to witness the arsonist. As quickly as hope appears, it is snuffed out when the boy is violently murdered. Worse yet, Shakespeare is the primary suspect.
Out on bail, Shakespeare finds himself in a desperate race to uncover the truth behind the murder. With his reputation and his life itself on the line, Shakespeare must put down his quill and brace himself for a mystery like none other.
Rich in suspense, period detail, and intrigue, Time's Fool is Leonard Tourney's compelling journey through Shakespeare's world, a world you won't soon forget.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2004
329 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Leonard Tourney
23 books25 followersLeonard Tourney came to BYU in 2006 after teaching at Western Illinois University, the University of Tulsa, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. A specialist in composition pedagogy and creative writing, Professor Tourney has authored scholarly articles in l7th century British literature, a critical biography of Joseph Hall, short fiction, and nine historical novels, the most recent a fictional memoir of William Shakespeare.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 25, 2008
Sometimes a book isn't done justice by its audio book version. This is usually when the book is read by its author. (The late Madeleine L'Engle is an exception, but she had a theatrical background.) This is the first audio book I've encountered which seems to be salvaged by its reader which, in this case, is the dark-brown-voiced Tony Jay, former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and, according to the blurb, heard in Disney parks worldwide. If I had been reading this book, rather than listening to Mr Jay's sardonic tones, I think I might have hurled it aside at some point. This is a murder mystery with William Shakespeare as our protagonist and narrator. The background of the story does fit in with what more recent scholars tell us about Shakespeare, but the prose is a bit overwrought, and my credulity was strained by Shakespeare's short-sightedness, gullibility, and, in some cases, sheer stupidity. In short, mildly entertaining if you let Tony Jay tell you the story, otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
November 10, 2020
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it, though mainly for the Shakespearean background, descriptions of like in England in the late 1500s, and the use of the Bard’s language to add flavor. The book kid billed as a mystery and I think this is incorrect. A mystery involves clues and red herrings, logic and puzzles. This was more of a thriller until the very end, where an unsuspected and never proved issue turns out to be the motive for Shakespeare‘a problems.
That being said, the pacing is slow, and I kept waiting for some intellectual work on Shakespeare’s pet, but there was almost none. A shame because the author clearly knows the period. Just not how to write a good mystery.
That being said, the pacing is slow, and I kept waiting for some intellectual work on Shakespeare’s pet, but there was almost none. A shame because the author clearly knows the period. Just not how to write a good mystery.
April 27, 2011
A Great mystery built around one of history's most famous writers.
in this fast paced and detailed novel William Shakespeare fears for his life as one mysterious "accedent" after another tries to kill him. all of these "Accedents" culminate in murder. Not Shakespeare's murder, he's just the guy that gets arrested for it. Now The Bard of Avon is on a desperate flight not just to clear his name but to save his family from his evil stalker.
in this fast paced and detailed novel William Shakespeare fears for his life as one mysterious "accedent" after another tries to kill him. all of these "Accedents" culminate in murder. Not Shakespeare's murder, he's just the guy that gets arrested for it. Now The Bard of Avon is on a desperate flight not just to clear his name but to save his family from his evil stalker.
March 19, 2021
Odd hero-caught-in-the-middle plot. Narrator is clear and (I agree with other ratings) saves the story. Some scenes go beyond “romantic” ...
October 24, 2023
Shakespeare himself is the protagonist of a real-life tale of intrigue
William Shakespeare finds himself immersed in his own real life drama. He realizes someone is trying to hurt him and derail his successful new life.
After years of trying, he is now in the favor of King James. His plays, troupe and theater area success and they are expected to play for the king hinself.
While he is in London, his wife and family are living as a well respected affluent family and he is well provided for.
Despite his reputation and standing, he is repeatedly hounded and put upon. His superior does little to help except to encourage Shakespeare himself to use his intelligence and wit to solve the mystery himself .
William Shakespeare finds himself immersed in his own real life drama. He realizes someone is trying to hurt him and derail his successful new life.
After years of trying, he is now in the favor of King James. His plays, troupe and theater area success and they are expected to play for the king hinself.
While he is in London, his wife and family are living as a well respected affluent family and he is well provided for.
Despite his reputation and standing, he is repeatedly hounded and put upon. His superior does little to help except to encourage Shakespeare himself to use his intelligence and wit to solve the mystery himself .
August 25, 2016
I listened to the audiobook from the library. This one was okay. William Shakespeare has been accused of murder, and chaos abounds as he escapes in disguise, only to reappear in order to find out who set him up and why. Time's Fool is told in first person, from the Bard's own point of view. Meh.
March 17, 2009
I found this book a little difficult to get into, but once I managed to get through the first 30 pages, I found it to be a rather interesting story of Shakespeare's supposed love for his dark mistress.
May 6, 2012
Another must-read for Shakespeare fans. This one is a clever murder mystery involving the Dark Lady from Shakespeare's sonnets. Very entertaining.
June 19, 2018
Book #: 26
Title: Time's Fool
Author: Leonard Tourney
Category: Popsugar Basic: A novel based on a real person (William Shakespeare)
Possible Category: Dagonell's Suggestion: A book with a Shakespeare quote as the title
Rating **** four out of five stars
William Shakespeare received a note from his former mistress asking to see him privately. When he meets her, she asks for money as she is dying and wants to hire a physician. While they are meeting, someone sets the inn on fire. William escapes. His paramour does not. A young boy tells Shakespeare that he saw who set the fire and he wants to join William's company, The King's Men. William agrees. Shortly afterward, the boy is found dead and William is being blamed for the crime! Will 'Measure for Measure' ever be finished?
I admit to being a Shakespeare buff. The author has done his homework and cites real contemporaries of Bill's and the writing style has a strong emphasis on words Shakespeare is credited with coining. It fairly well reads like William narrating. My one fault is that Christopher Marlowe's recent death was mentioned in the first chapter and I was half expecting him to make an appearance. Marlowe was a fellow playwright (and James Bond was just a textile broker!) and the appearance of someone believed to be an actual Elizabethan spy would not have been unreasonable given the premise of the book.
Title: Time's Fool
Author: Leonard Tourney
Category: Popsugar Basic: A novel based on a real person (William Shakespeare)
Possible Category: Dagonell's Suggestion: A book with a Shakespeare quote as the title
Rating **** four out of five stars
William Shakespeare received a note from his former mistress asking to see him privately. When he meets her, she asks for money as she is dying and wants to hire a physician. While they are meeting, someone sets the inn on fire. William escapes. His paramour does not. A young boy tells Shakespeare that he saw who set the fire and he wants to join William's company, The King's Men. William agrees. Shortly afterward, the boy is found dead and William is being blamed for the crime! Will 'Measure for Measure' ever be finished?
I admit to being a Shakespeare buff. The author has done his homework and cites real contemporaries of Bill's and the writing style has a strong emphasis on words Shakespeare is credited with coining. It fairly well reads like William narrating. My one fault is that Christopher Marlowe's recent death was mentioned in the first chapter and I was half expecting him to make an appearance. Marlowe was a fellow playwright (and James Bond was just a textile broker!) and the appearance of someone believed to be an actual Elizabethan spy would not have been unreasonable given the premise of the book.
October 14, 2020
I often read novels in which Shakespeare is a character. I have written some myself, the YA novels Merlin's Shakespeare and The Mercutio Problem.
I find Shakespeare as a character endlessly fascinating. This novel is well-written, with a good description of Shakespeare's world. It is a murder mystery in which Shakespeare is the intended victim. It's fast-paced.
The Dark Lady is a major character in the book. I disliked how the author focuses on her darkness as an indicator of her warped character. That's my main problem with the book.
I noted one implausible point in an otherwise plausible plot. Shakespeare pretends that he is going to Italy. He returns to London about tw0 weeks later and friends asked how he liked his trip to Italy. Unless they were being sarcastic, which I didn't think they were, that's quite a slip. The novel isn't steampunk or fantasy, so he couldn't have flown there.
I find Shakespeare as a character endlessly fascinating. This novel is well-written, with a good description of Shakespeare's world. It is a murder mystery in which Shakespeare is the intended victim. It's fast-paced.
The Dark Lady is a major character in the book. I disliked how the author focuses on her darkness as an indicator of her warped character. That's my main problem with the book.
I noted one implausible point in an otherwise plausible plot. Shakespeare pretends that he is going to Italy. He returns to London about tw0 weeks later and friends asked how he liked his trip to Italy. Unless they were being sarcastic, which I didn't think they were, that's quite a slip. The novel isn't steampunk or fantasy, so he couldn't have flown there.
December 14, 2020
I am glad I listened to this book instead of reading. I was transported to the days of Shakespeare, even down to the vocabulary. I have read other books that Shakespeare was telling the story, but it was in modern language. The telling of this story brought me right there... as if Shakespeare was talking to me.
The story is about someone who is stalking Shakespeare, eventually framing him for murder. I found it a little hard to believe, with all the characters that he created, he didn't have any idea how to even begin to find who is behind this. The author made him sound like someone with book smarts but not street smarts.
You would also have to know more about Shakespeare's sonnets to make the connection to his old lover. Also, I thought it went on for just a little too long... the story could have been way shorter and still got the point across. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book
The story is about someone who is stalking Shakespeare, eventually framing him for murder. I found it a little hard to believe, with all the characters that he created, he didn't have any idea how to even begin to find who is behind this. The author made him sound like someone with book smarts but not street smarts.
You would also have to know more about Shakespeare's sonnets to make the connection to his old lover. Also, I thought it went on for just a little too long... the story could have been way shorter and still got the point across. Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book
March 11, 2021
The mystery was secondary to the portrait drawn by the author of a version of Shakespeare at the height of his fame. It showed an imperfect man, warts and all -- dissolute, a little narcissistic, and coming to grips with his flaws and frailties in the second half of life. To his credit, he took ownership of his infidelities and weak character, but still aimed to be a better man despite his acknowledged moral shortcomings.
I also enjoyed the language, the rhythm and cadence of the words, the outrageous insults. The mystery felt at times like the author decided at the last minute how to resolve the story and cast blame. There were strange references to Kit Marlowe that felt like a seed planted by the author to create him as a suspect, and these did not have the feeling of a red herring, more like an attempt at a direction that did not bear fruit.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and may read more in this series.
I also enjoyed the language, the rhythm and cadence of the words, the outrageous insults. The mystery felt at times like the author decided at the last minute how to resolve the story and cast blame. There were strange references to Kit Marlowe that felt like a seed planted by the author to create him as a suspect, and these did not have the feeling of a red herring, more like an attempt at a direction that did not bear fruit.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and may read more in this series.
May 23, 2022
A plot full of twists and turns...
... written believably in a quasi early 16th century style. The earl of Pembroke, Sir William Cecil, who continues his role as the head of intelligence gatherer (read spymaster) for King James I after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, being overly busy with affairs of state, advises a much threatened stalking victim, William Shakespeare, to employ someone with the greatest insight into human nature for aid in his case -- namely, himself!
... written believably in a quasi early 16th century style. The earl of Pembroke, Sir William Cecil, who continues his role as the head of intelligence gatherer (read spymaster) for King James I after the death of Queen Elizabeth I, being overly busy with affairs of state, advises a much threatened stalking victim, William Shakespeare, to employ someone with the greatest insight into human nature for aid in his case -- namely, himself!
November 29, 2022
Reason Read: Shakespeare's World
This is a story and mystery about William Shakespeare. It was ok, the globe theater, the Strand, and his home. The mistress of Shakespeare asks him to meet and then there is an attempt to kill him. The mystery is to discover who wants to harm Shakespeare. Shakespeare sees himself in his Sonnet.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks. Within his bending sickle's compass come;. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, (Sonnet 116)
This is a story and mystery about William Shakespeare. It was ok, the globe theater, the Strand, and his home. The mistress of Shakespeare asks him to meet and then there is an attempt to kill him. The mystery is to discover who wants to harm Shakespeare. Shakespeare sees himself in his Sonnet.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks. Within his bending sickle's compass come;. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, (Sonnet 116)
October 12, 2020
You must enjoy Shakespeare, and if you do, you’ll enjoy this novel. Without getting stuffy, Tourney has captured the essence of the great playwright in a readable fashion. Oh, and the mystery’s interesting, too. This is the first 5 star rating I’ve given, but characters, plot, style - all warrant it. Looking forward for more.
November 11, 2020
Enjoyed this very much. Found it to be more sophisticated than the author's Joan & Matthew Stock series, which I also enjoy. (Their cameo appearance in this book made me smile.) I look forward to reading more in both series. (Or re-reading, in the case of the Stocks--I read the series years ago in pre-Kindle days and was delighted to discover they were available in digital format.)
September 20, 2020
William Shakespeare's ex-mistress attempts to blackmail him, but then they must escape a fire. An arson attack. She unfortunately is killed. But events up to then have convinced Shakespeare that someone is trying to kill him. Now he must discover who and why
An enjoyable historical mystery
An enjoyable historical mystery
October 12, 2020
Fascinating
We know little of the Bard’s life, Tourney tells us. Yet he has woven a masterful mystery for it. Someone is after Shakespeare, and he knows neither who nor why. You’ll become intrigued as you follow his efforts to solve the puzzle and remain alive as well.
We know little of the Bard’s life, Tourney tells us. Yet he has woven a masterful mystery for it. Someone is after Shakespeare, and he knows neither who nor why. You’ll become intrigued as you follow his efforts to solve the puzzle and remain alive as well.
October 15, 2020
A five-star immersion into mystery and Shakespeare's England
While masterfully plotted, this book impressed most through the author's knowledge of early 1600s England and his grasp of the vernacular of the period. It was a true treat for Shakespeare fans and mystery buffs, alike.
While masterfully plotted, this book impressed most through the author's knowledge of early 1600s England and his grasp of the vernacular of the period. It was a true treat for Shakespeare fans and mystery buffs, alike.
October 15, 2020
This was a fun romp through England during Shakespeare's time. He is on the lam after having his life threatened. When he goes to the nearest "high-up" for help; he is told to help himself. This novel does not spare Shakespeare and he is shown in the rough. Smart!
December 31, 2020
Edit Review
The writer has an excellent knowledge of Shakespeare's background. The novel is well plotted, very absorbing, and a delightful read. The use of the vernacular of Shakespeare's time is impressive. Surely anyone with some appreciation for Shakespeare will appreciate this novel as well
The writer has an excellent knowledge of Shakespeare's background. The novel is well plotted, very absorbing, and a delightful read. The use of the vernacular of Shakespeare's time is impressive. Surely anyone with some appreciation for Shakespeare will appreciate this novel as well
June 21, 2021
This was an excellent book. I think the author captured the essence of what Shakespeare could have been like and he did a wonderful job of placing him in and describing the era. His use of prose and vocabulary are admirable. I look forward to reading other works by Leonard Tourney.
August 1, 2021
Edge of my seat reading this one.
This mystery was hard to put down as I would read till my eyes were too tired to focus. Without spoiling anything this author penned a wonderful tale that keeps you guessing all the way to the end.
This mystery was hard to put down as I would read till my eyes were too tired to focus. Without spoiling anything this author penned a wonderful tale that keeps you guessing all the way to the end.
March 2, 2022
As you Like It
Different. Written in the style of (school) Shakespeare so many of the words now have a different meaning: "for the nonce" was slightly confusing for example. After a couple of chapters, becomes a readable mystery.
Different. Written in the style of (school) Shakespeare so many of the words now have a different meaning: "for the nonce" was slightly confusing for example. After a couple of chapters, becomes a readable mystery.
March 26, 2024
Time's Fool
Initially I found the Elizabethan language a strain and I've used the dictionary more than ever before, but it is a mystery well told and I look forward to reading more of the series.
Initially I found the Elizabethan language a strain and I've used the dictionary more than ever before, but it is a mystery well told and I look forward to reading more of the series.
March 14, 2026
Great audiobook narration, awful plot that makes Shakespeare look like an idiot. I figured out who was behind everything and saw all the twists coming. It's entertaining, just not for mystery readers.
May 28, 2018
A very good book. I really enjoyed the Shakespeare angle.
October 12, 2020
Great Read
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mr. Tourney's creativity as well as his diligence in making this story believable made this a great read. Thank you.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mr. Tourney's creativity as well as his diligence in making this story believable made this a great read. Thank you.
December 12, 2020
Loved the book although the page numbering was off
December 12, 2020
I'm giving it two stars even though I didn't finish it. The author knows his Shakespeare, but it was too contrived. His attempt at clever failed
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews