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Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
Audiobook6 hours

Friday the Rabbi Slept Late

Written by Harry Kemelman

Narrated by George Guidall

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Young and unassuming Rabbi David Small sorts through puzzling pieces of mysteries with logic straight from the Talmud. In Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, a shocking discovery on the temple grounds threatens to ruin both the diligent rabbi and the entire Jewish community at Barnard's Crossing. Unaware that his congregation is grumbling about his rumpled appearance and absent-minded manner, Rabbi Small spends long hours poring over scholarly books. But he is forced to face his congregants' discontent when the police discover a young woman's body outside the temple-and her handbag in his car. Suddenly Rabbi Small must study motives and uncover the killer, or lose more than his followers. Best-selling author Harry Kemelman fills his shrewdly plotted mysteries with likeable and cunning characters who could be your next door neighbors. Personally approved for this unabridged recording by the author's estate, veteran narrator George Guidall expertly brings the harried rabbi and his mutinous congregation to life.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateNov 23, 2012
ISBN9781470338190
Author

Harry Kemelman

Harry Kemelman (1908–1996) was best known for his popular rabbinical mystery series featuring the amateur sleuth Rabbi David Small. Kemelman wrote twelve novels in the series, the first of which, Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. This book was also adapted as an NBC made-for-TV movie, and the Rabbi Small Mysteries were the inspiration for the NBC television show Lanigan’s Rabbi. Kemelman’s novels garnered praise for their unique combination of mystery and Judaism, and with Rabbi Small, the author created a protagonist who played a part-time detective with wit and charm. Kemelman also wrote a series of short stories about Nicky Welt, a college professor who used logic to solve crimes, which were published in a collection entitled The Nine Mile Walk. Aside from being an award-winning novelist, Kemelman, originally from Boston, was also an English professor.

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Reviews for Friday the Rabbi Slept Late

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The brilliant intermingling of a clever and well-peopled story with insights into practices of Judaism, often set off by comparison with Christianity. Rabbi Small and Chief Lanigan are people you want to meet again. First read this more than 50 years ago. Still fun.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The first book to feature Harry Kemelman's detective Rabbi David Small is perhaps not an outstanding mystery - Small solves the murder of Elspeth Bleech only because of special knowledge - but that isn't the book's only point. Like Tony Hillerman's books, he intends it to be, in the modern term, "edutainment" which will give Gentiles (and some Jews as well) an insight into the nature of Judaism, and in this he succeeds.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rabbi David Small is Barnard Crossing's newest rabbi. His presence is a mixed blessing. While the community debates renewing his contact for the next year he is simultaneously fingered as the prime suspect in a murder case. It's hard to dismiss the evidence - the murdered girl's purse is found in his car and he admits being in the area at the presumed time of death. In the interest of clearing his name (and getting his contact renewed) Rabbi Small becomes a professional snoop, helping with the investigation. He becomes friendly with the lead detective and they share leads as well as discussions on religion. It is interesting to note how police work has changed! In this day and age Rabbi Small would never been able to interview the victim's employer or search her room and yet, he does both; ultimately solving the case.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I found this in a hotel, read it in one day. It was fun. I don't know whether I was exceptionally bright, the author dull, or perhaps he was just fair. Anyway, I figured out the solution to the mystery as soon as the perpetrator was introduced. Still, the mystery wasn't the best part of this book. The best part was the insight into Judaism and especially the role of the rabbi.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    While I figured out the answer to the mystery early in the book,it in no way detracted from what I got from this r easing experience. This book was written decades ago but the story survives the test of time. Rabbi David Small takes a position in a faily small Motown where he hopes he can do some good but his quiet ways are not appreciated by all. He is above all a teacher and in this capacity he teaches the readers, the police and some of the members of his congregation some comparative religion as well as what they need to know about Judaism.