polyhy_14's review
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
Rabbi David Small investigates a murder during Yom Kippur. Not the best time of the religious year to get involved in such a situation. An entertaining read that has me looking forward to spending the rest of the days of the week with Rabbi Small.
forrestalexander's review against another edition
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.0
anna_hepworth's review against another edition
Saw a reference to this series; figured it worth investigating. I read the intro (very interesting), and two chapters, and concluded that this was not for me. In the first chapter, the rabbi is attempting to eat dinner, while the phone is going off repeatedly, which was a little too close to farce for my liking. In the second, a church man of one of the Christian sects was complaining to the a higher up police person about the behaviour of a couple of beat cops and their treatment of two African American individuals. (Although the terminology was different, this book being some decades old)
There wasn't enough time for me to get much of a feeling for the setting, but small town/rural USA with a police problem is rarely for me. That, together with the farcical feeling of the first chapter, and the fact that I didn't particularly gel with any of the characters, and I decided not to continue.
There wasn't enough time for me to get much of a feeling for the setting, but small town/rural USA with a police problem is rarely for me. That, together with the farcical feeling of the first chapter, and the fact that I didn't particularly gel with any of the characters, and I decided not to continue.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sunny76's review against another edition
4.0
I like these somewhat cozy mysteries. They are generally short easy reads that also include information about the Jewish faith.
faethverity's review
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really loved the first book in this series, but I think I'm not the target audience for the series as a whole. The shape of the mysteries are mostly setup, a couple chapters of figuring out who the murderer is, and one chapter of ending. It feels like too much throat clearing to me, not enough mystery. But these books have a good smattering of Jewish religion and philosophy in comparison with the secular Christian community, which I always find enjoyable and fascinating.