There's no rabbi more famous in fiction that David Small! In this tres kosher series of the rabbi-as-detective, author Harry Kemelman has created one of the most interesting characters of this genre. In "Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out," Small becomes involved in another murder story--this time the victim is a notorious anti-Semite, and a number of his congregation are now suspects (they seem to be for good reason!). It is up to Small to match wits--and skill--with the actual murderer. (Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Certainly any of the "day" novels of Kemelman are a treat (the first was "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late") and on this particular "day" (Thursday) readers will not be disappointed. Kemelman's style is fast-paced and his detective revelations are logical, solid, and do not insult the reader. Clearly, he takes the time and patience to weave his tales--and they are worth the wait!

If you like the Rabbi Small stories you will enjoy this one as well. It is not so good as the "Classic" Friday the rabbi slept late" but it is brilliant as well. Rabbi Small finds himself in troulbe (as usual): in a middle of a murder case and his job is in danger too. naturally he solves the problems with his clear logic, so you can count on the next stories.

If you like Rabbis Small misteries do not miss this one. The story is as usual: Rabbi Small's job in danger (he is going to be fired), and he is involved to a murder case. All good if ends good.

A book you cannot stop reading. Rabbi Small is in trouble (as always). He finds himself in the middle of a murder case, and on the other hand his job is in danger too. Fortunately his brilliant brain is still working, the murderer is found just in time. He can keep his job, so the readers can wait to the new misteries.

"Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home," by Harry Kemelman, is a fascinating crime story featuring a ... rabbi as its hero. David Small is the rabbi of the synagogue in the "Yankee town" of Barnard's Crossing. As the book opens the rabbi is caught up in a political power struggle within his own congregation. But the situation gets even stickier when a crime is committed and the rabbi is drawn into the investigation. Illegal [substance] trade and racial prejudice complicate the matter.

This is a really fun read. Kemelman has a very engaging writing style, and the smart, stubborn Rabbi Small is a marvelous character. There is occasional dated language ...but overall the book really holds up.

The story offers a really intriguing look at a Jewish community and specifically at life within the synagogue. A number of interesting issues are raised--the role of the synagogue in society, the role of the rabbi, etc. A good book not only for lovers of crime fiction but also for those interested in Jewish-American studies.

I remember when Harry Kemelman's 'rabbi' series were best sellers in the 1960s/1970s. Thirty years on, after the books are all but forgotten, I decided to try out 'Friday the Rabbi Slept Late' - the first in the series. Was it worth the wait?

The story is about a rabbi in New England who is dealing with bureaucratic hassles with his congregation. Yes, apparently even amongst the Jewish orthodox politics is a fact of life. Just when the rabbi (Rabbi Small) seems to unable to cope a murder is committed outside his temple. And Rabbi Small is both a (reluctant) sleuth and murder suspect. (..you can guess the rest)

While Harry Kemelman is a capable writer and the book makes for fun (albeit light) reading, the story has telemovie or TV crime drama feel to it. It left me neither shaken nor stirred.

Bottom line: a light read, perhaps better suited to young teens. But this book cannot hold a candle to the works of Agatha Christie or Patricia Highsmith.

Rabbi Small is a young, "rookie" rabbi at a synogogue in an upstart, suburban Boston community which only recently has had many Jews in the town. The congregation would prefer a "star" that they can show off to their Gentile neighbors--a man who presents himself well at community events--more than they want a spiritual leader and teacher. Unfortunately, Rabbi Small doesn't quite fit their bill: he is often unkempt, he gets lost in his books, he refuses to participate by blessing the boats in the town's annual regatta. He even publicly chides the Sisterhood for serving non-Kosher food at one of their luncheons. At the same time that the Rabbi's contract comes up for renewal, there is a new problem--he is implicated in the murder of a young woman, whose body is found in the synogogue parking lot and whose purse is found in his car. Forming an alliance with the local Irish-Catholic police chief, the Rabbi proceeds to solve the crime, while simultaneousl! y working to win over the confidence of the synagogue Board of Directors to keep his job.

The book is a short, one-or-two nights read, easy to get into. As a mystery, it rates well but not among the great mystery classics. Kemelman's strength as a writer lies not in his build-up of the mystery tension, but rather in his ability to portray characters, including their admitted foibles, within their social context. The portrayal of suburban synagogue politics is uncannily accurate, as well as the struggle within the Yankee town to deal with the specter of prejudice and anti-Semitism when the Rabbi becomes a murder suspect.

For a light mystery, a sort of "Murder, She Wrote" with sociological insight and a Jewish twist, try this first of the "Rabbi" mystery series.

There's no need for me to recap the story- others have done it already. I do believe that some reviewers of this book, and other books in the series , have missed the point. Rabbi David Small is not a detective who enters a crime scene, recreates the events in his head and presents the police with the killer. He is a student, and a teacher. He is a man who has trained himself to think "outside the box" as the term is now. That is how he manages to lead the police to the criminal.

Another fantastic element of these books is the insight into the Jewish religion. As a gentile (and Protestant Christian) I may not agree with all of the rabbi's beliefs, but I can, and should, respect them. In a foreward to the new editions The late author explained why he began writing about a rabbi who was often in conflict with his congregation. It was because many people of his faith were not aware of the rich heritage or the historical purpose of the rabbi. His agent liked the book but thought he should add a mystery element to it. Thus was born the crime solving rabbi.

Do these stories move with the speed of an Agatha Christie yarn? No. They don't even try. Kemmelman tells stories about people- the crime is often secondary. Are they charming and entertaining? Oh, yeah.

This is the book to start with. Then hang out with the rabbi on every day of the week. Then SOMEDAY. Then ONE FINE DAY. Then on THE DAY THE RABBI RESIGNED. Then on THE DAY THE RABBI LEFT TOWN. Your only regret will be that Mr. Kemmelman only wrote 11 Rabbi Small mysteries.

This Rabbi Small mystery is truly absorbing; I couldn't put it down. It's not only a mystery novel, but partly a spy thriller: you get two for the price of one. Rabbi Small and his wife spend the summer in Israel, where a professor from their home town is murdered and a boy from their home town (now attending Yeshiva in Israel) is blamed. The murder, it turns out, is connected with a Druze conspiracy to steal a PLO weapons cache--which naturally brings the Mossad and Shin Bet into the picture. Simply gripping.

At the same time, Harry Kemelman tries to use Rabbi Small as a foil to discuss the state of modern Judaism. He explains the Jewish customs which come up in his novel, by making Small explain them to his gentile friends--or argue about them with other Jews. And he doesn't just explain; he opines: Kemelman lets you know just what he thinks of ultra-orthodoxy, the "born again" baal-tshuvah movement, and a few other hot issues in modern judaism. American Jews especially are likely to enjoy the "home town" feel of the Rabbi Small mysteries.

Non-Jews may find it eye-opening to catch the glimpses of Jewish culture, religion and ethics. As a tiny example, Small reminds his wife not to appear interested at an Israeli shop, because it would be wrong to raise the shopkeeper's hopes and then dash them. In addition, there are all the other issues mentioned above.

Kemelman's explanations are at least as important as his plot, and there is a fair bit of it. You may find that a touch heavy-handed, but I think that Kemelman pulls it off pretty well. The book is really a gripping whodunit.

Even better, it's the rare sort of whodunit with a complicated enough plot to keep your attention. Turning to the end won't help you; the mystery is solved, but there remain a few unanswered questions "for reasons of national security". I think that adds a satisfying realism.

I thought that this book was quite intersesting and enjoyable. I dont know if all the locations in Israel is as accurate.

"Monday..." is part of a series of books about the Rabbi,which I have'nt read yet. I found this one in a used book store, and bought it mostly for the provcative religion-related title. It turned up to be a thrilling mystery. It was written in the mid-70s, and this is shown in the plot (Arab terrorists in Jerusalem, etc.), but that only means that you learn a bit about the way Israel was (at least, in American eyes) in the mid-70s, and about sections in the Jewish community in America at that time. On the other hand, I guess that you must have basical knowledge and interest in the Jewish Community/Judaism/Israel in order to enjoy this book.

I am not a big fan of detective novels, but I read Harry Kemelman's SATURDAY THE RABBI WENT HUNGRY with pleasure because in addition to a mystery/murder plot (which, OK, may not have been the trickiest I ever read)he surrounded the story with a lot of Jewish lore, cultural details of a synagogue's inner workings, and--for me--familiar local detail. It certainly helps to be from Marblehead when you read Kemelman stories because, for the most part, that is where they are set. Like any good author or cinematographer, Kemelman presents his characters and the locale as a pastiche of several individuals and locations, but as he lived in this town for close to 50 years, Marblehead is undoubtedly the fount of most of his inspiration; the source of his observations of human life in a small Yankee town suddenly settled by a considerable Jewish population.

The story moves along very well with asides to explain various Jewish traditions and customs. This may have been geared to a different time and generation, when the Jewish religion was still strange and foreign to many Americans on the East Coast. Certainly Kemelman's characters like to use phrases like "you people" and "your Yom Kippur", phrases that I have not heard in many, many years. Times have changed. But this story still stands as a monument to its times, to that period when New England Christians and Jews were still getting to know one another. If you know or want to know a New England town with its various characters, pressures, and patterns, if you want to read an enjoyable story with a Jewish background, then be sure to read this book.

Each of these short stories brings out Harry Kemelman's best writing skill: creating memorable and "solid" characters from thin air. While I read this book many years ago, it remains one that I wish would be republished, perhaps in paperback, to reach a wider audience. While it isn't about Messr. Kemelman's "main man" - Rabbi David Small of Barnard's Crossing, Mass. - I'm sure that it would bring great pleasure to the many who have read and enjoyed the series of books that feature Rabbi Small, or enjoyed "Lannigan's Rabbi" on TV in the '70s (with Art Carney, based on "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late").

"Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red" is one of the best mysteries out there. It takes place mainly on a Massachusetts college campus during the Vietnam era. Kemelman opens up with pieces of information that seem irrelevant, but everything falls into place. There is a clear plot, a defined theme, and the characters are real. This book will keep you wondering "whodunit" until the end.