The best of Father Brown Book

Since I happen to have seen the TV show before reading its origins, I couldn't help visualizing the actors and setting from the show while reading. In some ways that's a plus (Mark Williams played the eponymous character exactly as described) but in other ways, not so much. The TV version has more characters and a lot of added sub-plots, even when it's obvious exactly which story an episode is based on. The stories are much simpler and more direct: a crime is committed, several people give their conclusions about who did it and why, and then Father Brown comes forward and figures out what actually happened by imagining himself to be the criminal. For those who like detective stories to try to figure out the puzzle on their own before the big reveal: you might want to stop part way through and make your own deductions before finishing. For those who like to see how the answer is derived: read strait through and the payoff is usually surprising. Chesterton's introduction of theological discussion into the stories (as predicated by Father Brown himself) makes interesting counterpart to the plotlines. Altogether entertaining, even if I still do picture the TV show…

--Steven E. Scribner, author of the "Tond" series (fantasy)