Father Brown Series by G.K. Chesterton

The beloved fictional detective Father Brown solves 12 of his most puzzling cases in this copiously annotated edition. This first collection of Father Brown mysteries, widely considered the author's best, includes "The Blue Cross" "The Hammer of God," "The Eye of Apollo" and more.

G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown may seem a pleasantly doddering Roman Catholic priest, but appearances deceive. With keen observation and an unerring sense of man’s frailties–gained during his years listening to confessions–Father Brown succeeds in bringing even the most elusive criminals to justice. This definitive collection of fifteen stories, selected by the American Chesterton Society, includes such classics as “The Blue Cross,” “The Secret Garden,” and “The Paradise of Thieves.” As P. D... moreG. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown may seem a pleasantly doddering Roman Catholic priest, but appearances deceive. With keen observation and an unerring sense of man’s frailties–gained during his years listening to confessions–Father Brown succeeds in bringing even the most elusive criminals to justice. This definitive collection of fifteen stories, selected by the American Chesterton Society, includes such classics as “The Blue Cross,” “The Secret Garden,” and “The Paradise of Thieves.” As P. D. James writes in her Introduction, “We read the Father Brown stories for a variety pleasures, including their ingenuity, their wit and intelligence, and for the brilliance of the writing. But they provide more. Chesterton was concerned with the greatest of all problems, the vagaries of the human heart.” less

"And the young woman of the house," asked Dr. Hood, with huge and silent amusement, "what does she want?" "Why, she wants to marry him," cried Father Brown, sitting up eagerly. "That is just the awful complication." "It is indeed a hideous enigma," said Dr. Hood. "This young James Todhunter," continued the cleric, "is a very decent man so far as I know; but then nobody knows very much... more"And the young woman of the house," asked Dr. Hood, with huge and silent amusement, "what does she want?" "Why, she wants to marry him," cried Father Brown, sitting up eagerly. "That is just the awful complication." "It is indeed a hideous enigma," said Dr. Hood. "This young James Todhunter," continued the cleric, "is a very decent man so far as I know; but then nobody knows very much. He is a bright, brownish little fellow, agile like a monkey, clean-shaven like an actor, and obliging like a born courtier. He seems to have quite a pocketful of money, but nobody knows what his trade is. Mrs. MacNab, therefore (being of a pessimistic turn), is quite sure it is something dreadful, and probably connected with dynamite. less

The Complete Father Brown Mysteries includes 24 stories featuring G. K. Chesterton’s eponymous Roman Catholic sleuth. These mysteries are the original source material for the current hit BBC TV show Father Brown starring Mark Williams. Chesterton’s priest-sleuth was loosely based on Father John O'Connor, a parish priest in Bradford, who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922... moreThe Complete Father Brown Mysteries includes 24 stories featuring G. K. Chesterton’s eponymous Roman Catholic sleuth. These mysteries are the original source material for the current hit BBC TV show Father Brown starring Mark Williams. Chesterton’s priest-sleuth was loosely based on Father John O'Connor, a parish priest in Bradford, who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922. By bringing murder and mayhem into the genteel setting of a village parish, Chesterton pioneered the ‘cozy’ mystery genre which Agatha Christie and others would further develop in subsequent decades. less