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.

Among other characters is Hugh Lanigan, the Catholic local police chief, and the two friends often discuss religion over a cup of tea.

An elderly man, Jacob Kestler, dies, ostensibly from a drug-related reaction and suspicion falls on the pharmacy - in particular on Arnold who had been working there.

He is arrested by Lanigan, but Rabbi Small is not convinced of Arnold's guilt and proceeds to pinpoint the real culprit.