Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out

A Rabbi Small Mystery, Book 7

By: Harry Kemelman

Narrated by: George Guidall

The adventures of Harry Kemelman’s unassuming hero have been hailed by critics and fans alike. Kemelman is celebrated for his absorbing plots and his warm and knowledgeable depiction of Jews and Judaism. Rabbi David Small must step into action when Barnard’s Crossings’ most notorious anti-Semite is found dead, and several members of his congregation are suspected. The murder victim is a cantankerous curmudgeon who has offended many members of this close-knit Jewish community. It will take all of Rabbi Small’s cool-headed logic and tenacity to solve the case and redeem his standing in the temple. Narrator George Guidall was personally approved for this project by the author’s estate. With his dramatic flair, Guidall brings Rabbi David Small fully to life and makes you wish the colorful residents of Barnard’s Crossing were your own neighbors.

©1978 Harry Kemelman (P)1998 Recorded Books

Some of the older books are still great!

Back when mysteries were being written before computers, DNA, cell phones, etc, authors had to create characters who solved them with the powers of the human mind alone. And among the best is the "Rabbi Who..." series, in which Rabbi Small applies the wisdom of his Jewish knowledge to perplexing situations that the local police dept cannot solve on their own. These are always fascinating because not only does Harry Kemelman write good stories, he weaves in a great deal of Jewish tradition and teachings, and I find that an extra bonus!

In this book, a man who is known to be an anti-Semite is murdered, and there is no shortage of possible suspects. Rabbi Small quietly goes about using his logical way of viewing situations to shed light on things, but the listener has had many different suspects to consider along the way.

I read all these books back in the 70's, but I love their recreation through the wonderful narration of George Guidall. Don't pass up this series due to its age--they were a great read at the time, and have lost nothing over the years! I really recommend them if you like your mysteries to be good whodunnits, light on violence, and combined with lots of woven in cultural interest.

Another good Rabbi Small Story

As usual a well written and excellently performed mystery story. As usual the Rabbi quarrels with the Temple governing board but survives; I find this a little tiresome but the plot and general atmosphere are very good and not repetitive of previous stories.l

A wonderful series, improbably hero

This is a delightful series from a couple of generations ago; set in the late '50s- early '60s, the reader is
led into a small town/suburb, where the women are mostly housewives, the men go to work and murders
still occur. The 'improbable hero' is the local rabbi, a scholar who isn't interested in being a community
leader, nor does he want to make a name for himself: he is a teacher, a scholar, an inspiration.
What makes this particular interesting is the conversation in the novel about bigotry, religion and
common sense. George Guidall makes this outstanding.. a visit to the past, human nature, and
the enduring wisdom of scripture.