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A review by brianlokker
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry by Harry Kemelman
4.0
In this second Rabbi Small mystery, Rabbi David Small gets drawn into a police investigation when a man is found dead on the eve of Yom Kippur, apparently as the result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Although the man was Jewish, he was not a member of Rabbi Small’s congregation. Nonetheless, his non-Jewish widow wants him to be buried in the Jewish cemetery.
This request causes some difficulty because it is not completely clear how the man died. If it was by suicide, it would not be permissible for him to be buried in the cemetery. Although an insurance investigator argues that it was suicide (which would conveniently invalidate the dead man’s insurance policy), the police rule it accidental. This clears the way for Rabbi Small to allow the burial.
Unfortunately for the rabbi, however, several prominent members of the temple board don’t accept his decision and plot to undermine him. He feels he has no choice but to tender his resignation. The timing couldn’t be worse, as he and his wife, Miriam, are expecting their first child in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, because of the controversy over the burial, Rabbi Small wants to be as sure as possible about how the man died. When he looks into it with police chief Hugh Lanigan, he becomes convinced that the man was murdered. Lanigan agrees with him, but because of the circumstances of the death, there are few clues and no suspects. That doesn’t stop Rabbi Small, whose amateur detective work relies on his Talmudic reasoning skills rather than standard police methods.
I enjoyed this book very much, although maybe a smidgeon less than the first one in the series. The mystery is intriguing. Kemelman has again assembled a great cast of characters and has a great ear for dialogue. The book is often gently humorous. And without being at all didactic, it offers some interesting insights into Jewish religion and culture. It all adds up to a worthwhile and enjoyable read.
This request causes some difficulty because it is not completely clear how the man died. If it was by suicide, it would not be permissible for him to be buried in the cemetery. Although an insurance investigator argues that it was suicide (which would conveniently invalidate the dead man’s insurance policy), the police rule it accidental. This clears the way for Rabbi Small to allow the burial.
Unfortunately for the rabbi, however, several prominent members of the temple board don’t accept his decision and plot to undermine him. He feels he has no choice but to tender his resignation. The timing couldn’t be worse, as he and his wife, Miriam, are expecting their first child in a matter of days.
Meanwhile, because of the controversy over the burial, Rabbi Small wants to be as sure as possible about how the man died. When he looks into it with police chief Hugh Lanigan, he becomes convinced that the man was murdered. Lanigan agrees with him, but because of the circumstances of the death, there are few clues and no suspects. That doesn’t stop Rabbi Small, whose amateur detective work relies on his Talmudic reasoning skills rather than standard police methods.
I enjoyed this book very much, although maybe a smidgeon less than the first one in the series. The mystery is intriguing. Kemelman has again assembled a great cast of characters and has a great ear for dialogue. The book is often gently humorous. And without being at all didactic, it offers some interesting insights into Jewish religion and culture. It all adds up to a worthwhile and enjoyable read.