mollykwhelan's review
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A totally fun mystery. I had no idea it was written so long ago! I really love Rabbi Small and Miriam and can't wait to read more about them. Very fun to see "modern" issues through the eyes of a Talmudist.
polyhy_14's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
skateanddonate's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed reading this book. Loved the Rabbi character. The other characters were all richly developed. Once I got use the fact it was an older book, back when the style was for the story to develop naturally rather than starting in the midst of the action I liked immersing myself in these characters life. Can't wait to read more of this series.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book in the Rabbi David Small series. Rabbi Small is in his first year as rabbi at the Temple in Barnard Crossing, located about 30 minutes from Boston, and, quite frankly, his congregation is unsure about his suitability. He is a Talmud scholar which gives him an ability to question and interpret modern situations according to its principles, but he is also young, unkempt, and he has an alarming tendency to say what he thinks in almost every situation. A young woman is murdered on the grounds of the Temple and the rabbi becomes a friend of the Chief of Police and a chief suspect at the same time. The most interesting aspects of the book for me were the descriptions of the internal politics within the Temple's congregation--sounded so familiar to this Episcopalian--and the rabbi's explanation to several Gentiles about the different functions and responsibilities of Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, and Jewish rabbis.
zhelana's review against another edition
3.0
It took an exceptionally long time for this book to start happening, and then it wrapped up exceptionally quickly, and like without exploring all of the open ends it left, like why the one guy was paying bribes to not be brought to the police attention if he actually wasn't the one who did it. I guess it was alright though. I don't read a lot of mystery series because they make me paranoid and I don't really like them, but this was my book club book, and I guess for what it was it was fine.
forrestalexander's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0