A collection of four novels from the New York Times-bestselling, Edgar Award-winning mystery series starring a rabbi in a tiny New England town. Spend a long weekend with the scholar and spiritual leader who watches over the Jewish community in 1960s Barnard’s Crossing, Massachusetts–and in his spare time, solves crimes. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late: A young nanny is found dead in the temple … A young nanny is found dead in the temple parking lot–and her purse is discovered in Rabbi David Small’s car. Now he has to collaborate with the local Irish-Catholic police chief to exonerate himself.
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry: Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, is defiled when a body is found–and the rabbi must uncover who has something to atone for.
Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home: When Passover is overshadowed by congregational politics and a murder at a local university, the rabbi must study the clues.
Monday the Rabbi Took Off: Rabbi Small journeys to Israel for a bit of peace, but instead has to team up with an Orthodox cop to unravel a bombing case.
Don’t miss these four mystery novels featuring an amateur detective who uses Talmudic logic–an introduction to the multimillion-selling series that provides both “an eye-opening snapshot of a particular time in Jewish-American history” and delightfully entertaining whodunits (Los Angeles Review of Books).
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Read the rabbi series when it first came out many years ago. It was agreat time killer I’m not sure what he did after the first week ended. The books were addictive with many twists and interesting conclusions
Two of the books are a good read. One is written from an individual’s point of view and has so much unrelated thinking that it is hard to follow the story. I couldn’t make it through that one. Still reading the last. At the bargain price, worth it for some relaxing reading.
I read this series years ago and just downloaded this set to read these again. One doesn’t need to be Jewish to appreciate books featuring protagonist Rabbi David Small. These are well-crafted little mysteries. The writing is very good, and there there are interesting factoids about Judiasm and its rituals and traditions woven throughout these cozy-style mysteries, with cleverly drawn characters.
I have read ALL of the Rabbi Small books. Each one has been fun to read & I love the characters & the mystery.
This is one of my favoriet series. The characters are excellent and very personable, and it shares information as well as providing an entertaining mystery.
I have most of the Rabbi Small books and I really enjoy them!
Great way to learn about Jewish religion and philosophy as presented by Rabbi David Small. This collection includes the first four books in the series of 13 (I think) that cover about 30 years in his contentious relationship with the temple in Barnard’s Crossing, Massachusetts. He becomes a good friend of the police chief, a devout Catholic, and helps in figuring out crimes and especially murders using the logic of the Talmud and pilpul. This is making logical fine distinctions that lead to the correct answer in discussions, or in these cases, in finding the criminals. The clues are sometimes rather far-fetched, but the rabbi’s quick mind catches the clues and uses them to come to the correct conclusion. There is a lot of dissatisfaction in members of the temple community with the rabbi, but he manages to remain all those years. In the 4th book, the rabbi and his family go to Jerusalem for 3 months, and again he solves a murder, in a different environment altogether. Good series.
Take a trip back to the early 60s… yes, it is dated by today’s standards of crime solving with forensics. Nevertheless, these books are brilliant. The rabbinical hair-splitting (pilpul) and clear non-emotional instruction about Judaism and the tenets of the religion, how a rabbi is different from those “of the cloth”, the difference of a Temple from a Christian church… it is all fascinating on so many levels. Just cozy up to “freddy the rabbit slept late” (as we called it in the 60s) and enjoy, bubby.
A great comparison of religious perspective and problem solving. One can only infer that economic class distinctions continue in this religious setting. One would think that 9/11 would serve to complicate these story lines from a less violent time.
I like the Rabbi Small mysteries and I learned a lot about Judaism
Loved it!
I love the Rabbi Small Mysteries, and not just these four.
These are part of an exceptional series. The people are ‘real’ the place is anywhere – anyone’s town – and it provides and easy and enjoyable way to learn about Judaism. Considering they were written in the 60’s and 70’s they might appear quaintly out of date but the people, information and sense of place are solid
Actually I initially read these books some years ago and enjoyed them sufficiently that I chose to purchase them for my e-reader when the opportunity arose. The characters feel like real people. For me, that is what makes fiction pleasurable. I like re-reading some books several years later because my perspective has changed. It is like visiting a friend after not seeing them for some years.
Love the Rabbi series !
These books were terrible, simply terrible! They got me hooked and then I was done with the first four! I am suffering withdrawal! Someone send a St Bernard with more books!!!
Seriously, I really enjoyed these books and would recommend them to any serious reader.
I am a fan of the Rabbi Small mysteries and enjoy the characters from the Rabbi His wife, the Police Chief to the handy man the temple employes. It takes place in the sixties early seventy and that is also enjoyable.
From a simpler time….. enjoyable stories with quick endings. This collection let’s the reader see the Rabbi grow over time.
not being Jewish, I enjoyed the insights into a different faith
I love rabbi Small, and his pilpuls, that help him to logically help solve crimes.Also, his battles with the temple board strike me as very realistic. It’s not easy being a spiritual leader to diverse personalities.