"The
Complete Father Brown Stories" by G.K Chesterton is a series of short
stories and novelettes featuring a decidedly non-traditional British sleuth.
Father Brown, a Catholic Priest, successfully solves murders for the police,
thanks in no small part to his innocent demeanor and his congenial nature. He's
someone that everyone trusts - especially the perpetrator.
The stories are written in chapter form and narrated by one of the main characters, usually a police officer. They take place around the turn of the 20th century, which means the technology for solving the crimes is minimal, so Father Brown has to use his brains, his wits, and his innocent nature to help the police.
The
BBC produced a "Father Brown" series for public broadcast. The series
can be seen from time to time on most local PBS stations. I recently ran across
the series playing an Saturday evenings around 6PM. They run about an hour,
making them short enough for the "Mystery Theater" show. I believe
the series can also be purchased on DVD.
If
you haven't seen the shows or read the stories, they are well worth your time,
especially if you love shorter stories from time to time, like I do. The TV
shows are also nice because, while they make a nice series based on the Father
Brown character, each episode is unique. The stories create a series of short,
made-for-TV filmettes. And if you're not ready to commit to buying any
"Father Brown" books without knowing whether you'd like the genre,
then check out the local library. Most major Libraries are likely to carry at
least 1 or 2 of the books.
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