[Mystery of Shakespeare 01] • Time's Fool

“Vividly evocative of the era and readable.” – People

William Shakespeare is perhaps the most famous and prolific playwright of all time but for all his fortune and fame, little did he know that the greatest drama of his life would not be performed on stage ...

When William Shakespeare is contacted by his dark mistress, the former love of his life, the playwright is excited to see her again after so long a separation.

But much to his horror, he finds that the years have not been kind to her; 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 arson.

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 an adventure like no other.

Shakespeare’s London is 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.

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.

Praise for Time’s Fool:

“Will Shakespeare must find a killer or be charged for the crime himself. Time’s Fool contains wonderful details about England in Shakespeare’s time and the London. Well written, fun, and with a surprising ending.” — Barbara D’Amato, Mary Higgens Clark Award-winning author

Praise for Tourney’s Matthew and Joan Stock Mysteries :

“Mr. Tourney seems to have a good understanding of his scenery, and his dialogue has a nice unmannered period feel. He gives us just enough of a sixteenth-century culture to establish the appropriate tone.” – *The New Yorker *

“Adroitly blends British history with a wonderful cast of actual and fictional characters. And the Stocks are, as always, enterprising detectives and superb guides to sixteenth-century London.” – *St. Louis Post-Dispatch *

“Tourney is a superb writer, skilled in the richness of the Elizabethan use of language.” *Tulsa World *

“Tourneys tales of Elizabethan detection [are] far superior to the usual intrigue-behind-court-walls saga ... The Stocks make wonderful guides to a world quite different from our own, yet sometimes shockingly familiar.” - *Publisher’s Weekly *

Leonard Tourney was born and raised in Southern California, Leonard Tourney has spent his professional life as a teacher of writing and literature, especiall