The Selected Tales of Father Brown

Early 20th century English author Gilbert Keith Chesterton may be best remembered for his stories which feature the character of an English priest and detective named Father Brown. While the character was based on a real life priest who was involved in Chesterton’s own conversion of faith, the adventures and mysteries that Father Brown solves are purely fictional. Collected together here are fifteen of Chesterton’s most thrilling Father Brown tales which were first collected in “The Innocence of Father Brown” and “The Wisdom of Father Brown”. What is interesting about Father Brown is that he does not rely on deductive reasoning like other famous detectives, namely Sherlock Holmes. Instead, Father Brown relies on intuition. He puts himself into the mind of the perpetrator and figures out the criminal’s steps along the way. Part of what makes him a great detective is that Father Brown is never shocked by the atrocities that he sees. As a priest, he says that he has already heard about all the awful things people do and think; nothing surprises him anymore. He also refuses to believe in any supernatural explanations and instead focuses on a case’s reasonable explanation. “The Selected Tales of Father Brown” collects together some of Chesterton’s best Father Brown mysteries. This edition includes a biographical afterword.