The Wisdom of Father Brown - GK Chesterton

In spite of all the essays and poems and books and philosophy and social criticism that flowed from his prolific pen, G.K. Chesterton is best remembered for some detective stories he wrote. And it is fitting that it should be that way, because first of all, nothing would please him more, and secondly, almost everything he wrote falls in line with his mystery stories, achieving the same effect of presenting a puzzle to us, leading us along, and finishing us off with the shock of truth, the surprise, the revelation of things that we should already know, the solution that is utterly appropriate but entirely unexpected.

It is natural that Chesterton, the master of paradox, should be master of mystery, because both involve seeing what is familiar for the first time. Chesterton's second collection of Father Brown stories, The Wisdom of Father Brown, solidified the character of the priest sleuth and assured him a permanent place in the annals of detective fiction.

- - Dale Ahlquist, President The American Chesterton Society