"The Innocence of Father Brown" by G.K. Chesterton: We're not ready to abandon the mystery genre just yet, pausing to reflect upon an often forgotten master of the form, G. K. Chesterton.

This isn't our first encounter with Mr. Chesterton's mystery writing. Longtime readers of 70 Proof will recall that we reviewed "The Club of Queer Trades" during our first incarnation, enjoying its characters and style but finding the plots themselves a bit lacking. The more things change…

A Roman Catholic priest from the tiny English village of Cobhole, Father Brown is hardly the typical detective. He's very short, somewhat round, and possesses the innocent expression of a child, and a not very bright child at that. Yet, through no fault of his own, this little, unassuming clergyman continually gets mixed up in one intrigue after another. Once involved, the good Father uses his profound knowledge of the human soul, gathered from years of hearing confessions and penitent pleas, to unravel the most complex crimes of man.

The first Father Brown mystery, "The Blue Cross," opens with Aristide Valentin, Chief of the Paris police and the most famous investigator in the world, traveling to London in pursuit of the great Flambeau, the world's most successful criminal. Flambeau, described as a "colossus of crime," is a giant of a man, with his immense physical strength and athleticism only matched by his cunning and elusiveness. Capturing Flambeau would be the crowning jewel of Valentin's legendary career.

Thanks to his exceptional intuition, Valentin picks up Flambeau's scent after deciding to stop off at a restaurant for some coffee and discovering that someone has switched the salt and sugar at his table. The waiter believes the mischievous prank to be the work of two clergymen, one of whom was very tall, the other extremely short. Upon leaving the restaurant, the smaller of the two men threw a cup of soup against a wall. Valentin immediately suspects Flambeau to be behind the unusual behavior. He begins to trail the duo throughout the city thanks to a string of other odd occurrences, from an upturned apple cart to a broken restaurant window. His suspicions about Flambeau seem to be confirmed when he learns that a Father Brown was bringing up a valuable relic, a silver cross with sapphires, to show some fellow priests at a congress. Naturally, Flambeau would have also heard of the treasure, targeting the unsuspecting priest as his next victim. But is Father Brown as gullible as he seems?

Valentin also stars in "The Secret Garden," the second of the twelve mysteries, which has Father Brown and several prominent guests arriving at the distinguished detective's home for dinner. The gathering takes a somewhat disturbing turn when the dead body of an unknown man is found in Valentin's garden. This story is the strongest mystery of the lot, although the main reason why the setup is so puzzling is that the eventual solution isn't really plausible, failing to account for the unique and memorable physique of one of the involved parties. Even so, the outcome is so surprisingly unexpected; it almost makes up for any flaws in logic.

And that's the main problem with the Father Brown mysteries; the plots, for the most part, are rarely confounding, and the few that are tend to play fast and loose with the facts upon conclusion. The collection lacks that one singular tale of excellence, in the way Sherlock Holmes had his "Scandal in Bohemia," "The Red-Headed League," or "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." All the mysteries are enjoyable, but none really transcend the genre.

Other stories of note include "The Invisible Man," involving a murderer who escapes notice because he's so taken for granted; "The Sins of Prince Saradine," featuring a rather twisted brand of brotherly love; and "The Sign of the Broken Sword," which sees Father Brown attempting to confirm the true history of a war hero.

Despite its flaws, "The Innocence of Father Brown" still comes highly recommended due to the skill of Mr. Chesterton. His prose here is spectacular. He has a command of the language equaled by few authors. And he uses all the flashy vocabulary and thoughtful phrasing to create an incredibly likeable character in Father Brown, whose gentle nature and underestimated sagacity identifies him as a clear forefather to the beloved Lieutenant Columbo.

Mr. Chesterton, a renowned wit, allows plenty of room for comedy. Father Brown's lovable personality brings an air of lightheartedness to all the tales, providing comic relief that can't be found in the mysteries of Holmes or C. Auguste Dupin. One of the great joys is discovering how Father Brown will be introduced in each story. Since he isn't a professional detective, it's not as though clients arrive at his church asking for help. Therefore, it's up to Father Brown to stumble into the path of mystery, whether it's by transporting a Church relic, attending a dinner party, showing up to give Last Rites to a dying waiter, or visiting an old friend.

Another nice touch is the clear progression the characters undergo from story one through story twelve. Flambeau, after having Father Brown thwart more than one of his criminal plots, eventually mends his ways, going straight and even becoming a detective himself. The gigantic former criminal and the diminutive priest become best of friends, creating quite the crime- solving duo.

And don't be put off by Father Brown being a priest. While a few of the stories do feature theological discussions, none of them are too preachy or overly religious. Actually, these stories were written in 1911, several years prior to Mr. Chesterton's conversion to the Roman Catholic faith.

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"The Wisdom of Father Brown" by G. K. Chesterton: Father Brown returns with twelve more mysteries, although there aren't many that reach the level of the stories in the first collection.

The best is easily "The Paradise of Thieves," in which a band of robbers kidnap Father Brown and his traveling party during a trek through the mountains of Italy. The criminals and their true motive may not be what they seem.

In "The Absence of Mr. Glass," Father Brown matches wits with an eminent criminologist, using his humble, simplistic means of investigation to show up the established pro. Although, there really isn't much of a mystery to solve. In fact, none of the mysteries contained in this volume add up to much of anything. They're all pretty average, with a few failing to reach the lofty goal of mediocrity. "The Mistake of the Machine," "The Strange Crime of John Boulnois," and "The God of the Gongs" are all rather insignificant, the latter containing some writing that can only be described as racially insensitive, at best. It makes for some awkward reading.

On the plus side, Father Brown remains his usual charming self throughout, and Flambeau's presence in five of the stories always inspires a smile. So, while the book isn't great, it's not completely awful either. But if you want to experience these delightful characters for yourself, do so with "The Innocence of Father Brown."

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