ISBN: 0-7887-4324-4 Order from: Recorded Books Amazon.com Amazon.com
A pleasant mystery with a low-key protagonist, solid puzzle and well-drawn charactes.
Reviewed by David on December 18, 2004
Genre: Mystery (Amateur Sleuth, Jewish)
Synopsis: Rabbi David Small is vacationing in Israel. One of the Rabbi's neighbors from Barnard's Crossing has asked the Rabbi to visit his son, now in a yeshiva in Jerusalem. The Rabbi's vacation is complicated when the son—a sullen young man—features in a police investigation.
Full Review: A combination of mild humor, low-key detection and the classical assembly of clues and conclusions make this a pleasant mystery. The characters are colorful and interesting, if sometimes simplified. The protagonist, Rabbi Small, tends to lecture a bit, but despite the monologues remains an appealing sleuth.
This book returns to Israel, where some of the old acquitances from that country make return appearances. The hijinks and doubts of the congregation remain a constant refrain, as several of them visit the country at the same time.
On the whole, this is a very pleasant addition to the series.
Overall: 6; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 6; Style: 5.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 6;
Copyright date 1987, Recorded Books, 2000, Audio cassette, 5 Cassettes
ISBN: 0-7887-4324-4 Order from: Recorded Books Amazon.com Amazon.com