Harry Kemelman

Harry Kemelman (1908-1996) was an American author of mystery novels. He wrote the Rabbi Small series. A native of Boston, Kemelman earned his B.A. in English Literature from Boston University and his M.A. in English philology from Harvard. From there, he began a career teaching English. Kemelman spent World War II working as a wage administrator for the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and for the War Assets Administration. Following the war, he began his writing career. Harry Kemelman became a published author in 1947 with the story The Nine Mile Walk, which was written for Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. The story and its follow-ups all appear in the collection of the same name. Kemelman’s first novel was Friday the Rabbi Slept Late in 1964, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Below is a list of Harry Kemelman’s books in order of when they were originally published: Harry Kemelman Synopsis: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late is the first book in the series featuring Rabbi David Small by Harry Kemelman. Rabbi Small is now the head of the Jewish community of Barnard’s Crossing, but he can’t even enjoy his Sabbath before a young nanny is found dead on his Temple’s parking lot. With the evidence pointing directly at him, the Rabbi will have to clear his name.