Tuesday The Rabbi Saw Red

Rabbi Small takes a job teaching the basics of Judaism at a Christian college in Boston (which nevertheless has some Jewish students.) Of course, this gives the author a chance to explain a lot of things to the reader, as well as the students, and it's quite interesting. The mystery plot, which, as always, seems secondary, features early 70s radicals and would-be radicals who look pretty silly 50 years later. These aren't great books by any means, but there is a certain charm--and they don't go on forever. The rabbi's solution to the murder of the day is always based on things the reader has been exposed to. But it takes a rabbi to figure them out!

I love Rabbi Small's little world. This time he represents a colleague at the college. As always, he feels offended that students are not interested in Fridays for his seminar, but rather already goes to the weekend. But Rabbi Small would not be himself, if he could interest the students in the longer term for his seminar with tricks. Of course, this time is also an investigation, because a teacher was found dead in college.
As always, it was an amusing read.

I found the mystery in this 5th book in the series below the standard of the previous books (I could tell who the culprit was right away, even before the body was discovered!). However, I enjoyed the setting (a small liberal arts college in the early 1970s) immensely and I also liked the fact that for once there was very little about the politics of Rabbi Small's congregation.

In the fifth of the books featuring Rabbi David Small and his friend police chief Lanigan, the rabbi takes on a part-time job lecturing in Jewish Studies at the Windemere Christian College. His colleagues there include the young radical Roger Fine and the subtly anti-semitic John Hendryx, acting head of English. While Rabbi Small discovers that things have changed in education since his day, some of Fine's fellow radicals among the students find that his contract is not being renewed, and try to take action. After their meeting with Dean Millicent Hanbury breaks up, a bomb goes off in the room they had been using, which apparently causes the death of Hendryx in his nearby office. All is not what it seems, however, and when Fine is show more arrested for murder the Rabbi applies some of his trademark Talmudic logic to find the real culprit. As usual, the murder itself is only part of the book's raison d'etre, and we get more information about Judaism into the bargain. Well worth an occasional re-read. show less

Really enjoyed the mystery in this one, even though I had figured out who the culprit was for the first time in this series. Quite an enjoyable read!

This is the 5th book in the Rabbi Small mystery series. When Rabbi Small accepts an offer to teach a college class in Jewish studies 3 days a week he looks forward to a break in his usual routine. In the beginning he's disappointed in his students, particularly those who don't show up for Friday classes. After thought and advice from his wife he begins, though stubbornly, to make changes himself and they lead to more interested students. For some readers the changes also lead to interesting questions and answers on the Talmud although others may want to skip a few pages here.

The rabbi shares a small office with another teacher, one who is under consideration for head of the English department. Before that can happen he is murdered in show more the office, and Rabbi Small becomes a suspect. Most seasoned mystery readers will guess who the murderer was, but there are some surprising events along the way.

Readers need to approach this book undertanding it was written over 50 years ago and the campus climate was somewhat different then.

This is the 5th book in the Rabbi Small mystery series. When Rabbi Small accepts an offer to teach a college class in Jewish studies 3 days a week he looks forward to a break in his usual routine. In the beginning he's disappointed in his students, particularly those who don't show up for Friday classes. After thought and advice from his wife he begins, though stubbornly, to make changes himself and they lead to more interested students. For some readers the changes also lead to interesting questions and answers on the Talmud although others may want to skip a few pages here.

The rabbi shares a small office with another teacher, one who is under consideration for head of the English department. Before that can happen he is murdered in the office, and Rabbi Small becomes a suspect. Most seasoned mystery readers will guess who the murderer was, but there are some surprising events along the way.

Readers need to approach this book undertanding it was written over 50 years ago and the campus climate was somewhat different then.

This is the 5th book in the Rabbi Small mystery series. When Rabbi Small accepts an offer to teach a college class in Jewish studies 3 days a week he looks forward to a break in his usual routine. In the beginning he's disappointed in his students, particularly those who don't show up for Friday classes. After thought and advice from his wife he begins, though stubbornly, to make changes himself and they lead to more interested students. For some readers the changes also lead to interesting questions and answers on the Talmud although others may want to skip a few pages here.

The rabbi shares a small office with another teacher, one who is under consideration for head of the English department. Before that can happen he is murdered in the office, and Rabbi Small becomes a suspect. Most seasoned mystery readers will guess who the murderer was, but there are some surprising events along the way.

Readers need to approach this book undertanding it was written over 50 years ago and the campus climate was somewhat different then.

This is the 5th book in the Rabbi Small mystery series. When Rabbi Small accepts an offer to teach a college class in Jewish studies 3 days a week he looks forward to a break in his usual routine. In the beginning he's disappointed in his students, particularly those who don't show up for Friday classes. After thought and advice from his wife he begins, though stubbornly, to make changes himself and they lead to more interested students. For some readers the changes also lead to interesting questions and answers on the Talmud although others may want to skip a few pages here.

The rabbi shares a small office with another teacher, one who is under consideration for head of the English department. Before that can happen he is murdered in the office, and Rabbi Small becomes a suspect. Most seasoned mystery readers will guess who the murderer was, but there are some surprising events along the way.

Readers need to approach this book undertanding it was written over 50 years ago and the campus climate was somewhat different then.
This is the 5th book in the Rabbi Small mystery series. When Rabbi Small accepts an offer to teach a college class in Jewish studies 3 days a week he looks forward to a break in his usual routine. In the beginning he's disappointed in his students, particularly those who don't show up for Friday classes. After thought and advice from his wife he begins, though stubbornly, to make changes himself and they lead to more interested students. For some readers the changes also lead to interesting questions and answers on the Talmud although others may want to skip a few pages here.

The rabbi shares a small office with another teacher, one who is under consideration for head of the English department. Before that can happen he is murdered in the office, and Rabbi Small becomes a suspect. Most seasoned mystery readers will guess who the murderer was, but there are some surprising events along the way.

Readers need to approach this book undertanding it was written over 50 years ago and the campus climate was somewhat different then. show less

This is the fifth Rabbi Smal book I've read and the first time I solved the mystery on my own. Still an entertaining read though.