Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman is the first in the series of mysteries featuring Rabbi David Small. Rabbi Small is a brand-new rabbi, a newlywed, working on his PhD about Moses Maimonides, and enjoying his tenure in his seaside Massachusetts temple.

One Friday night a dead woman is found in the temple parking lot; her purse is found in the back seat of Rabbi Small's car. The temple board of directors thinks that they need a more experienced rabbi - one more conservative, and one a little older. Things are not going well for David Small.

I loved the Rabbi David Small mysteries when I was a teenager. I have a lifelong fascination for Judaism, and these books offered an eager young woman the chance to have a glimpse into rabbinic life, and I was intrigued by new-to-me words and ideas such as minyan and Talmud and phylacteries. I'm in my late 50s now, and I found the narrative rather dull, the mysteries contrived, and the outdatedness of the male/female relationship within and without marriage made me wince more than once.

I have three more David Small books on my reader (they came in an inexpensive four-pack), and I will probably finish them, as despite their outdated quality, they are relaxing and easy to read, which are great qualities when my days are stressful. ( )

Kept me guessing all the way through, which, admittedly, wasn't terribly long because I couldn't put it down! George Guidall narrates this perfectly. I loved learning a little about Judaism! ( )

I'm writing this review while midway through listening to the third book in the series, so some of the oddities I found in the first book aren't so odd anymore, now that I realize how this series works. Listening to this well-performed audiobook, I kept waiting for the crime, but the book just goes on and on and no crime! Finally, it occurs about midway, which is the case for the second and third books as well. But the crime really isn't the center of the book. The center of the book is Rabbi Small and his struggles to survive in his synagogue against members who want him out for one reason or another. The crime (or I guess it's always a murder?) in each book merely gives the Rabbi an avenue for winning over or at least blunting the efforts of his adversaries in the synagogue. Along the way, we get a lot of the Rabbi's philosophy about Judaism and its differences from various type of Christianity, particularly Catholicism, since the small town's police chief, who becomes a friend of the Rabbi is Catholic. It is interesting to read this book after reading Tod Goldberg's Gangsterland trilogy, about someone pretending to be a Rabbi. Kemelman's books are a lot more sedate, and the mystery in the two I have finished is probably something you can figure out if you think hard enough. All the clues appear to be there, but the pleasure in listening here is to see the Rabbi outwit the members of his congregation who are trying to damage his career. More in my second review. ( )

2019 reread:
I very much enjoyed rereading this first Rabbi Small mystery despite the fact that I suddenly remembered who the murderer was halfway through. Now (finally) on to the next book in the series.

2015 review of library hardcover edition (1964 edition):
4½ stars.

I had been vaguely aware of this series before but hadn't paid it much attention until I was introduced to the Guardian newspaper's list of 1000 Novels Everyone Should Read and found this first book of the series in the Crime section.

I am so glad that I finally read this! I found the rabbi David Small very likeable, although he played a smaller part in the story than I expected. The relationship between the Catholic chief of police and the Jewish rabbi promises to be an ongoing pleasure. I hadn't realized until I started reading this that it was set in Massachusetts, which as a MA native is a plus for me.

The mystery itself was excellently crafted. The pointers to the culprit were there yet the revelation of who it was still surprised me (even though I had noticed one of the biggest clues!). ( )

I don't read a lot of mysteries, but I see how someone could be hooked on them.

This one took the formula and set it against a pleasant little tale of local Jewish politics. The rabbi is a compelling and unexpected crime solver. ( )