Now Feste is called upon to find the cause of the Duke's suspicious death. Feste suspects the villain Malvolio, who vowed revenge after his humiliation at the fool's hands. Disguised as a merchant, Feste returns to Orsino to find that recognizing his enemy is no simple matter.

The Fool's Guild, and all that is implied by a quasi-secret organization that keeps tabs on powerful leaders and covertly manages important events, is a fascinating invention. Allied with the church, and with members literally everywhere in the known world, the idea of such a guild leads to much interesting speculation. There are also some great "throwaway" remarks or background scenes, such as mention of a previous failed mission involving an old man who turned dotard before giving away his power, or a chance meeting with a young man called Monsieur Francesco from Assisi who has a way with animals.

With this interesting setup, Thirteenth Night is an amusing tale and Feste's witty narration is enjoyable. Many of the small details about the time and place were interesting. The mystery, however, is fairly obvious, and none of the characters become more than outlines. With humor but no characters I really cared about, I found this entertaining, but not particularly compelling.

--Jeri Wright