As the protagonist of a series of novels, Rabbi Small has wisdom, an unerring sense of Jewish tradition (which can at times put him at odds with the Jewish community when he believes that they are seriously deviating from Judaism) and all the good qualities of a detective sharpened by his Talmudic training, which enables him to see the third side of a problem.

Usually Small is drawn into the events when they involve a member of his congregation or Barnard's Crossing's Jewish community in general.

Small has many troubles with his congregation and he is constantly at odds with at least one of its powerful members, usually the Temple President at the time.

The woman had been strangled and evidence points to Rabbi Small - her purse is found in his car, which had been left in the Temple parking lot the night before.

The novel has been released in unabridged audiobook format by arrangement with The Harry Kemelman Estate by Recorded Books, Inc. (ISBN 0-7887-1300-0), 1997 and narrated by George Guidall.