This sounded like a great book. I was familiar with most of the authors as tops in mystery. But what a disappointment! Except for one story, these stories are plain, lame trash. I was even dissatisfied with the pick from my favorite author, Edward Hoch. The publisher should contact me if they really want a book worthy of the title, but you, the reader, should steer clear of this book unless you have insomnia.

It was Block's name that drew me to this collection, but it turned out his story was not my favorite. I enjoyed the range of voices and themes throughout the tape. Were the stories best of the 20th century? That's a pretty big boast. I don't think it met it, but it was an enjoyable listen.

This is possibly the most horrible book I have ever read. I finished it, just because I kept thinking that it might get better. This is the first book I read by this author, and I have to say that I will never read another one. Books that I think are really terrible are few and far between, but this one may be the absolute best of the worst.

I realize that this is not the first book in this series, but it is his first that I have read. Although it wasn't great, I'm not quite yet ready to write off the author completely. This particular book seems to be really low-key as far as creating a motive and building storylines. However, I thought it was an okay book if you want an easy, non-suspenseful read. I'll probably try and find the first in this series and start there and see how it goes.

Harry Kemelman's Rabbi David Small is once again gainfully employed! Following his earlier resignation in "The Day the Rabbi Resigned," Small is now teaching at Windermere College--a good, if not proper for him, academic setting. In "That Day the Rabbi Left Town," it seems, having run out of days of the week (remember, this series started with "Friday the Rabbi Slept Late," Kemelman has been creative with working in other diurnal references in his title. That aside, of course, the series has been a fun read. In this one, the death of an elderly colleague gets Rabbi Small into the heart of the action, as it were. Of course, in his new setting he quickly stumbles into all kinds of academic and campus politics, grudges, and jealousies, to say the least. This episode seems a bit different, however, as Kemelman goes didactic and spends a good third of the book giving us perhaps more background, history, and practices of his religion. Readers may find this a struggle, particularly if they are in a hurry to get into the real case! Once that occurs, however, Kemelman cruises.(Billyjhobbs@tyler.net)

Rabbi Small wants to start a new career before it's too late, and sets his sights on teaching. Meanwhile, an unpopular man gets himself killed in what looks like a drunk driving accident, and the Rabbi takes a detour in his career planning to assist the police.

Kemelman is often not my cup of tea, but can occasionally create a book that I really enjoy reading. This one wandered too far afield and had a curious stilted tone in many places. Start with a different book if you want to get to know Rabbi Small.