Friday the Rabbi Slept Late (The Rabbi Small Mysteries Book 1)

First in the New York Times–bestselling series and winner of the Edgar Award: A new rabbi in a small New England town investigates the murder of a nanny.
David Small is the new rabbi in the small Massachusetts town of Barnard’s Crossing. Although he’d rather spend his days engaged in Torah study and theological debate, the daily chores of synagogue life are all-consuming—that is, until the day a nanny’s body is found on the rain-soaked asphalt of the temple’s parking lot.
 
When the young woman’s purse is discovered in Rabbi Small’s car, he will have to use his scholarly skills and Talmudic wisdom—and collaborate with the Irish-Catholic police chief—to exonerate himself and find the real killer.
Blending this unorthodox sleuth’s quick intellect with thrilling action, Friday the Rabbi Slept Late is the exciting first installment of the beloved bestselling mystery series that offers a Jewish twist on the clerical mystery, a delightful discovery for fans of Father Brown and Father Dowling or readers of Faye Kellerman’s suspense novels set in the Orthodox community.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A master of detectival disputation . . . The most important debut of a detective in recent years.” —The New York Times
 
“A first-rate mystery.” —The New Yorker
 
“America’s finest living creator of the good old detective story!” —Chicago Tribune
 
“An excellent storyteller . . . Here is detective work at its best.” —The Detroit News
 
“Ingenious . . . Highly recommended.” —The New York Times on Thursday the Rabbi Walked Out
 
“Vintage Kemelman—clean prose, quiet wit, absorbing characters, and revealing conversations, with David’s discourses on Judaism as fascinating as ever.” —Publishers Weekly on That Day the Rabbi Left Town

From the Publisher

When I was a young boy, the first real mystery I ever read was FRIDAY THE RABBI SLEPT LATE. I loved reading about a rabbi solving crimes. When I went to temple while studying for my Bar Mitzvah, during the rabbi’s sermons I’d try to imagine him catching the myriad murderers in Barnard’s Crossing; somehow, he just wasn’t quite Rabbi David Small. And it was more than just the Jewish protagonist that drew me to the writing of Harry Kemelman; it was the spirit with which he told the story. When I came to Ballantine, I was so happy to be able to work on these terrific books. Unfortunately, Mr. Kemelman passed away shortly after THAT DAY THE RABBI LEFT TOWN was published. There may be no more new Rabbi David Small mysteries coming, but that won’t prevent me from revisiting an old friend, time and time again.

Mark Rifkin, Managing Editorial