Thirteenth Night

Fools' Guild #1

by Alan Gordon

Orsino is dead. Feste, a top operative of the Fools' Guild, returns to Illyria in disguise to investigate in this sequel to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. This Mystery Company edition restores to print the 1999 novel that marked the debut of Alan Gordon and his Fools' Guild series.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Historical Mystery, Medieval, Mystery Thriller

240 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Alan Gordon is the author of the Fools' Guild mysteries. His short fiction and essays have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, The Drood Review of Mystery and the Medieval Academy Newsletter. He lives in New York City with his wife, Judy Downer, and son, Robert. By day, he is a lawyer with the Legal Aid Society.

Series:
* Fools' Guild

Reviews

[Gintautas Ivanickas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Įdomus toks mutantas – Williamo Shakespeare‘o „Dvyliktosios nakties“ tęsinys ir a la istorinis detektyvas vienam flakone. Bet tik „a la“, net nekreipiant dėmesio į tai, kad veiksmas rutuliojasi išgalvotoje Illyrijoje. Bet apie viską iš eilės.
Shakespeare‘o pjesės herojus Feste pasirodo besąs ne šiaip sau koks juokdarys, o tirų tikriausios ir slapčių slapčiausios (nors toks įspūdis, kad visi apie ją žino ar bent nutuokia) organizacijos – juokdarių gildijos – narys. Ir štai jis gauna nežinia kieno atsiųstą žinutę, kad nužudytas hercogas Orsinis. Tad nieko nelaukdamas Feste vyksta Illyrijon išsiaiškinti kas ir kaip, persirengęs vokiečių pirkliu, nors pats, regis nei kiek neabejoja, kad tai kadaise prisiekusio atkeršyti Malvolio darbas.
Tyrimo, kaip tokio, bent iki pusės knygos nėra nė kvapo. Feste tiesiog dairosi, susipažindina (su kuo pirmąsyk, o su kuo ir pakartotinai) su pagrindiniais įtariamaisiais. Kai jau viskas lyg ir pajuda iš mirties taško, autorius elgiasi niekšiškai (ok, čia subjektyvu, bet aš labai jau nemėgstu, kai įkalčiai nuslėpdami nuo skaitytojo, o lemiamu metu seklys juos ima traukti iš rankovės, lyg koks fokusininkas triušus iš cilindro). Finalinėje gi scenoje Feste, it koks Poirot, sukviečia visus veikiančius asmenis ir nupasakoja jiems – kas, kaip, kada ir kodėl.
Sumanymas gal visai žaismingas. Atlikimas ne be trūkumų. Sunkiausiai buvo prasibrauti per pradžią, kol dar pačioje gildijoje Feste bendrauja su savo kolegomis. Juokdariai jie tokie juokdariai. Kiekviena frazė turi būti juokinga, šmaikšti. Autorius gal net bando įtikinti, kad taip ir yra. Bet tas humoras toks... Na, toks. Agitbrigadų festivalis „Žveng berneliai 1983“.
Tai trys iš penkių. Bet jau tokie skysti, kad oi. Kita vertus visai jau kalt du – būtų per žiauru.

[Lisa Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this delicious debut, Alan Gordon imagines a Fools' Guild operating across medieval Europe whose members—acrobats, jugglers, and spies—are inserted into the palaces and retinues of the wealthy and powerful in hopes of influencing world events in favor of peace, averting wars, solving hidden crimes, and dispensing justice.

In Thirteenth Night, we learn that the name "Feste" was merely an alias for the Fools' Guild veteran known privately as Theophilos. 15 years after the events of Shakespeare's play, having foiled the plans of Saladin's agent, Malvolio, Theophilos is sent back to "the Duchy of Orsino" to investigate the murder of the late Duke. A case which happily reunites Theophilos with the Duke's widow, the spirited Viola, who is destined to become apprentice, partner, wife and soulmate to Theophilos throughout the series, in their many adventures on behalf of the Guild.

Who doesn't want the Fool to get the girl? This is by far the most delicious wrinkle in Gordon's audacious design. This is a wonderful launch to what is now an 8-volume series. Despite its fictional inspiration, the series is deeply rooted in the history of its age (the dawn of the 13th Century).

[Pinkerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, non ho letto la dodicesima notte di Shakespeare, ma dubito che sarebbe servito molto a migliorare la mia esperienza con questo libro. Piaciuto? Un po’ ma perché mi piacciono i gialli medievali in generale, tutta l’originalità che doveva scaturire da questi giullari-agenti segreti non c’è stata… dato che il protagonista ha fatto praticamente l’intero racconto fingendosi un mercante ^^’ Pure prendendo come elementi a sé stanti le indagini quanto le intuizioni, la storia arranca davvero parecchio. O meglio, diciamo che sembra muoversi senza alcuna fatica, però solo perché non c’è stato alcun impegno nel collegare le varie trame e sottotrame (tutte piuttosto abbozzate e prive di sviluppi). Sono rimasto di stucco più di una volta di fronte alla superficialità con cui venivano sbrogliate certe situazioni, e va ringraziato il bel colpo di scena finale (il primo, non il secondo) se il mio giudizio ha raggiunto la sufficienza - arrivata per il rotto della cuffia, e l’epilogo m’ha pure quasi spinto a ripensarci :P

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, a mystery novel from the late 20th century.

Fifteen years after the play, Feste hears of the death of the Duke of Orsino, and goes, in disguise, to see if he can find out who killed the Duke. However, Malvolvo, Feste's chief suspect, has been planning revenge on Feste for a decade and a half, so he has to move carefully. If you enjoy mysteries set in the thirteenth century, this will be a book you are likely to enjoy.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this novel on Goodreads, and was only interested in it because I absolutely love medieval mysteries. I also love Shakespeare and Twelfth Night is my favorite Shakespeare play, so it seemed a perfect match.

NOT!

I don't know...the book got better as it went along, but here's the problem--the novel starts out with an intriguing premise: someone, presumably Malvolio, has murdered Count Orsino, and Feste is sent by the Fools Guild (a group of clowns, jesters and jokers who presumably are part of a secret society tasked with maintaining peace in Europe) to investigate. Awesome, right? After all, Malvolio's final words in Twelfth Night are "I'll be revenged on the lot of you!" Well, his time has finally come. Feste sets out for Illyria under the guise of a merchant, to investigate and dispose of the culprit, by any means necessary. I was expecting a story that moved a little quicker and had a bit more action that what was delivered. This novel took me some time to read, simply because I kept falling asleep while reading it. Nearly every location Feste visits is an ordeal in minute description of the places and people. After awhile I considered just pitching this snooze-fest as I kept screaming into my iPad "would something happen already?" Well, it did. Finally, but good grief in heaven, did it have to take 350 pages?

Ultimately this was a "meh" read. I realize it's the first in a series of mysteries that feature the intelligent and observant Feste. I like him as a character, but I can't go on any future journeys with him. I'm going to be revenged on the lot of the rest of the books in this series and cut my losses.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this due to a recommendation by author Laurie R. King at https://www.goodreads.com/interviews/...
This is the first in a series and many of the characters whom she mentions do not appear in this book, but I found it very enjoyable. I have read other medieval-based mysteries and this holds up very well. The tone reminds me of the Sister Frevisse and Joliffe serieses (seria?) by Margaret Frazer although those are set a bit later.

The plot of this book is based on Twelfth Night - 15 years later. It begins with notification that Duke Orsino has died and explores the marriages that took place at the end of Shakespeare's play. Since I didn't remember the entire plot of the play, some of the plot points were lost on me (I remembered the shipwreck and the cross-dressing, but not that Toby Belch was in it or what Malvolio's role was) but that didn't make it hard to follow this.

I'm looking forward to reading more in the series. Unfortunately the Baltimore County library doesn't have them so I need to reserve through Marina and hope they come in order.

[Claire (Clairby11xxx) · Rating 1 out of 5]

(2/10) This wasn't badly written and it was moving along at an alright pace, it just didn't grab me, what's the point in making myself read something when my to read list has lots of books on it I know I would rather be spending my time on. Personal taste not a reflection on the book at all.

[Lupurk]

Un libro appassionante e divertente, un bel giallo che vede protagonisti i personaggi della Dodicesima notte di Shakespeare, tra giullari, intrighi di corte e travesimenti.

[Katarzyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

[Riq Hoelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

13th century Italy and Illyria.
It must have been noticed that in some ways the fool, Feste, of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night (my favorite of his plays) tends to act at the author's behest to move the plot along, or perhaps stands in for the author, so wise and wide is his perspective. This must have inspired the idea that Feste may have been more than he seemed; thus, the conceit of this one is that there existed a highly organized international fools guild, and not only that, that they are secretly spies, detectives and all around do-gooders. OK, put that together with beloved characters from the play and one would seem to have a great idea for a book, full of fun, jokes and that special brand of wry profundity which Feste is so truly wonderful at. Sadly, this is not that book. One of the most important characters is killed off practically on page one. Then the rest of them are hardly recognizeable, mostly being rendered as degenerate, two-dimensional ciphers. Maybe the author hates the play? But then why choose this setting, which after all does depend on the readers knowing the play (an important reference to yellow cross-gartered stockings, for example). The jokes aren't really there either, though there is a lot of tiresome, endless detail which never goes anywhere, such as all the business about the horse. And it all ends up with that oh-so-clichéd drawing room resolution where the detective (Feste) reveals whodunit all and how and why. A solution which is quite preposterous by the way and shows little to no understanding of the personalities of Shakespeare's characters. As to historicity, the boring, researchy kind is there, recounting this or that historical fact, but in terms of the medieval point of view, when they start worrying about things like obesity and alcoholism (another thread that goes nowhere), they sound just like 20th-century yuppies. There's forensic work which is totally anachronistic and no bothering to make an excuse for it. The ending seems more interested in setting things up for a sequel than in bringing the reader to a satisfying cadence. It does deserve credit for moving right along and not getting overly murky, but overall this was a great idea sadly squandered.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Thirteenth Night” is a surprisingly good book, and much better written than I expected it to be. I have no reason why I thought it would disappoint, but I did. And I was wrong.
First off, if you are not familiar with Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” I think parts of this novel will fall flat for you. The author, Alan Gordon, assumes a lot of familiarity with Shakespeare’s play on the reader’s part. The protagonist is a member of the Fool’s Guild named Theophilos, better known as the fool Feste from “Twelfth Night.” This story takes place fifteen years after the events of that play. Most of the cast of characters are lifted from that work.
I really loved the premise that Mr. Gordon uses in this text of the idea of a medieval “Fool’s Guild” that is actually a secret religious organization righting the wrongs of society. The text also contains enough historical references to please the medievalist in all of us.
One quibble I have is that the denouement is disjointed and felt a little rushed to me, like the author was trying to get to the final action. I thought it would have aided the book for that section to have been a little more developed.
The ending is fast paced and abrupt, and it actually works for the text. When you finish reading don’t think about it. Just close the book with a smile and move on with your day. “Thirteenth Night” is a mystery novel, and it is a good one. I read it quickly, it kept my attention, and I enjoyed it. It is the first novel in a series and I will check the second book out soon.

[Christopher Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Fool's Guild series, although its not the first of the series Gordon wrote. And as it refers to events and people that came before, it may end up not being the first ultimately which is a foolish way to write a book series. Which, if you've read these books, you know is not a complaint.

The Fool's Guild is a fictitious organization presented as real by Gordon (including historical notes!) which works behind the scenes to manipulate and manage events with jesters ("fools") acting to advise and assist those in power. Each of the books in this series is a historical mystery involving the Fool's Guild member Theophilos.

This novel takes place years after the events of the 12th Night play by Shakespeare, and it revolves around the murder of Duke Orsinio and the wicked plotting of Malvolio. In a departure from the other books, Theophilos spends almost the entire series out of motley and not as a fool, which for the first book is an odd choice.

It is also not quite as amusing and lacks a lot of the amazing wit and banter that the other books are filled with, but the story is well told, interesting, filled with historical bits, and presented in an easy to read manner which I recommend. Just know: it gets even better in the later books.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this series is that the fools have a secret guild which serves as a sort of superspy agency to maintain equilibrium in medieval Europe. Feste (that's how we know him here anyway), the jester from Twelfth Night is a dozen years older, and he's fallen into his cups a bit. When a message comes that Duke Orsino has died from a suspicious fall, Feste disguises himself as a merchant and returns to investigate, suspecting that Malvolio is back and after revenge on Orsino, Olivia, Viola, Sebastian, and the others.

The premise is a bit silly, but this book was quick reading and grew on me as I read it. Feste is highly sympathetic and there plenty of clever wordplay and hijinks, with just enough gravity, particularly as the book progressed, to give the story some pathos. There are interesting details about the celebration of holidays, the skills of a fool, alchemy, and theatrics that made the book historically interesting.

From my understanding, later books in the series quit trying to re-use the characters of others, which I think might actually be beneficial: Gordon does just fine creating his own version of Europe and its inhabitants.

[Sabrina Flynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteenth Night takes Shakespeare's Twelfth Night a step further and weaves a really cool secret organization out of the Fool's Guild. I was not familiar with Twelfth Night at all, and while you don't have to be familiar with the play, I think at least reading a summary of Twelfth Night adds depth to the book.

Feste, the main character, remained a vague figure for me and I didn't really get into the story until over half way through. The writing is quick and witty and low on description, and I think that's why the main character never really took shape in my mind. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and was a nice spin on the classic mystery style.

[Princessjay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A medieval mystery in modern vernacular, and an imaginative sequel to Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT, with the Fool's Guild full of multi-talented jester-spys/assassins, maneuvering power behind the thrones.

I find it difficult to imagine Malvolio to be such an evil character, since in the play his energy were spent in such unprofitable direction, and all ending in failure. Nevertheless, I guessed the culprit about 2/3 way through the novel.

An excellent, generally lighthearted tale -- despite deaths and depiction of what happens AFTER the happily-ever-afters. Highly recommended.

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

My sister was sending this off to the library donation pile years and years and years ago and I swiped it to read. Never got around to it. . . and when I finally did I realized she had it right. No reason to finish this, at least for me. There’s a lot of casual misogyny and gay-bashing here and I found myself intrigued not at all by the mystery plotline by about halfway into the book.

There’s a also a lot of telling. We hear how awesome the MC is at playing the fool. What we get is a drunkard flirt who misses juggling balls because he’s out of practice... and then he disguises himself as a merchant in short order. No Foolery there. That’s what I call a spy.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Years after the events of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night a man once known as Feste is told that he must return to Orsino, because although his work behind the scenes on behalf of the manipulative Fools Guild led to a happy ending for some... happy endings don't always last forever.

The Duke has been murdered, and it is up to an old fool to find out who did it. It's a light, well-written mystery with interesting characters and some interesting world-building.

[Michal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this but I didn't like the ending. It was very interesting from the history side. He writes well. It held my attention because of the red herrings and I didn't know until the end who was up to what. that's the bottom line in a mystery: not knowing who dunnit until the very end and having it make sense. so I gave it 4 stars.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on Shakespeare's characters from Twelfth Night with Feste as a kind of detective and various other well-known faces making an appearance. Quite a few neat twists and turns and an excellently vivid climax - followed by a Poirot-style explanation of whodunnit.

[Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this book alot; I feel betrayed as a mystery reader and a medievalist. I am still mad at it; if you would like to know, ask me why.

[Stelleri]

I'm very happy to re-read this first Fools' Guild mystery. I enjoyed it even more the second time around; a clever and witty start to the series.

[Bethany T · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of The Canterbury Tales mystery series by Paul C. Doherty, this medieval mystery set in the 13th century was the perfect fit for me.

I’ll admit, I have not read any Shakespeare besides an abridged version of “Romeo and Juliet” in an AP British Lit class. So I had very little knowledge of the “Twelfth Night” characters that make appearances in this murder mystery. But, still, it was easy enough to follow along in this story set 15 years after that romantic comedy. There were some references to the Shakespearean play that weren’t explained (such as Theo finding yellow cross-gartered stockings on his bed), but it’s made clear enough that it’s a reference to the play, which is really all you need to know. (Also, a quick look at the summary of “Twelfth Night” helps.)

Essentially, Theo is a professional fool in the Fools’ Guild, which secretly helps shape and keep a pulse on political events amid the time of the Crusades. He hears of the death of Duke Orsino, a man he helped in past (as fool Feste during “Twelfth Night”). Theo suspects murder and returns under the guise of merchant Octavius to discover the truth.

The mystery was intriguing, and I kept coming up with new theories on who the murderer could be. I was surprised and delighted that my final theory turned out to be correct. And I enjoyed the critical look at religion, specifically Christianity, during the time of the Crusades.

Verdict
I enjoyed this book! As someone with a keen interest in history, this was just my cup of tea. It’s a slow start, but once it gets going, it’s a fun ride.

So, who would enjoy this book?
While I was delighted by this book, I might only recommend it to those who specifically enjoy historical fiction murder mysteries or perhaps those who like Shakespeare. I think you’d really need to enjoy the setting/references to enjoy the book.

[Hruotland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alan Gordon: Ever wondered what would happen if Malvolio really took his revenge?
Alan Gordon’s agent No. Who?
AG: Yu know, the villain of Twelfth Night!
AGa: No, he wasn’t the villain.
I mean, OK, so Malvolio kills Maria and maybe Feste and Sir Toby.
Still, isn’t that a little thin gruel? »I’ll be reveng’d on the whole pack of you« wasn’t the most important line in the play.
AG: Right, so how about Feste thinks Malvolio murdered the Duke?
AGa: The Duke? But why should Malvolio murder the Duke? The Duke said »entreat him to a peace«, and he didn’t have anything to do with that letter! That makes no sense!
AG: Right. So I’ll do it. Also, Feste is part of a secret society as powerful as those vile Protocols of the Elders of Zion want us to believe the Jews are, but nobody notices the fools’ meddling.
AGa: ???

Read All Men of Genius instead, that is a re-telling of Twelfth Night rather than a sequel, but that book is great fun.

Anyway, on another level, this utterly fails the supposed medieval setting, on every level, from small details like »yellowed paper« being plentiful in 1201 to large scale politics, talk about the 3rd crusade without mentioning Richard the Lionhearted or Barbarossa. Or the King of Germany, or the King of Germany. But mostly it’s the skeptical, egalitarian, blasphemous mindset of basically everyone.

Oh, and the »mystery«? I didn’t give a wet slap who murderd some random prince. Re-using a Shakespeare character is cheating, but didn’t help. Half way thru, without knowing the ending, i would be surprised if it really was Malvolio, with Feste looking so hard for him, thinking everybody could be him in disguise. Oh, some twenty pages further and think it is Malvolio after all and, NN was him. Which means that the author couldn’t even come up with a standard convoluted-like-a-pretzle resolution.

Also, whichever way yu read it, after page 135 either Feste doesn’t keep kayfabe, or he doesn’t respect Claudius’ name and pronouns. I mean, how long did Claudius run around town like that? He seemed quite happy in his skin. And in the end Feste makes sure that Claudius can’t show his bearded face in town again.

[Eugene · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly beguiling read. It’s not often I’m drawn to medievil themed books, but this is exceptional, and I truly hope I can find copies of the other seven in the series.
Winter, 1200 AD, and we begin somewhere in northern Italy, at the headquarters of the Fool’s Guild, well hidden from passerby and intentionally so. For the Fool’s Guild seeks to check the power and excess of the Catholic Church as well as the various royal houses of Europe, but knows they must not draw too much attention to their activities.
Feste the fool receives a visitor, come to find him and advise him that in Orsino, on the Dalmation coast of the Adriatic, the Duke has died, and not of natural circumstances. This is momentous, as this enclave on the Slavic coast is a lynchpin of the whole region and powers from Hungary, Venice, even Milan and further afield seek to control it and thus extend their hegemonies. The perils if such should occur are manifest. In consultation with Father Gerald, it is decided to send Feste to Orsino in disguise (having toiled there long ago he may be recognized) and so he departs by horseback and ferry to that endangered peninsula.
The action flows, the depictions of life in that long ago era, the multiplicity of engaging characters and the wonderful arc of the story carry us on, and we come to page last sorry to see the book end. Definitely a winner!

[Eve Lyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ambientata in Italia, XIII secolo, ispirato alla commedia di Shakespeare "La dodicesima notte", mantenendo gli stessi personaggi, rendendo così un seguito alla commedia stessa con un po' di mystery sullo sfondo, rendendo così Feste, il giullare, un detective che fa parte di una gilda internazionale, segreta, dove si insegna l'arte del buffone ma anche coperture varie per le varie missioni in modalità spy.
Il romanzo si dovrebbe presentare subito come una comicità unica e spassosa quali è il personaggio Feste ma da quanto ho letto, non mi è parso così anzi, serio, pensieroso e meccanico. Mi ha solo annoiata con dettagli e pensieri che ho trovato non molto idonee alla trama stessa, come se si cercasse di dare spiegazioni inutili quali il suo rapporto con il cavallo fatti storici medievali, il problema dell'alcool ecc. Argomenti che posso sembrare interessanti dal punto di vista psicologico ma non porta nulla di che come narrazione, sembrano state scritte tanto per riempire qualche pagina in più.
Poteva essere un bel seguito della commedia stessa, con quel tocco di mistero in più che non guasta mai, peccato che sia sfruttato male, accelerando e supponendo vari eventi d'indagine senza un vero perché dietro a quelle supposizioni.

[Tanner Plauché · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the premise of the fools guild hilarious. It took me too long to connect this book to the shakespearien play, and I wish I would have know earlier. I enjoyed the characters and pace. I thought the dialogue was witty and well done. The end was a bit too difficult. There was crucial information that wasn’t revealed until the mystery is solved. As a reader I wasn’t given enough information to figure it out on my own, and I didn’t like that. Otherwise it was a fun read. I will certainly read one or two more in the series, if only for the funny wit and to learn more about the fools guild.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Liked this first outing of Theo Having read most of the others first it was good to meet him before
Claudia and his family and I was not disappointed (Plus now I have to see Twelfth Night again)
The Authors description of Foolery is always a delight as is his repartee between his wife or his enemies and to see it from the second start was perfect. As Medieval Mysteries go This is a perfect starting point and Delving into the past can only get better and at time bloodier.

[Sheila Soprovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a bag of used books from the Mammoth Sale (FOPLA) and this is the first one from the bag that I read. It is a fun read although in a style with language that is unusual. And if I remembered more of my Shakespeare, I might have caught more references to Twelfth Night. I did figure out part of the plot, but not all of it ahead of the reveal. When I have more time, I will read the next book in the series.

[Mira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh love love love this clever imagining of Feste returning as an investigating agent from the Fools Guild. Brilliantly written and imagined I can only think of Cadefel to compare it to really but with added wit and whimsy. Looking forward to getting my hands on the next book in the series.

(I got a beautiful stained glass window design edition in hard back, it's a very pretty book cover too)

[Timothy Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic medieval mystery! I was cautious going into this book because I was worried it would either be all comedy and no mystery or vice versa. More fool I for waiting. If you're reading this review and haven't read the book yet then stop waiting and start reading it right now!