These 15 essential tales of inimitable Father Brown are treasures. I have watched the series on BBC for years, so when I received this book as a gift, I was so glad to read them. These tales are very good indeed. As much as I enjoy the television series, these tales are superior. Very, very tricky and smart, and the real fictional Father Brown is very different from the on-screen one. When I read short stories I like to pick one that I liked the most. In this book it was The Man in the Passage. This is one that I couldn't come close to figuring out. It's very tricky and as with all these stories, very well-written. It is also quite hilariously funny. The characters are so well-described, even in a story of a few pages. This I think is Chesterston's genius. He says everything that needs to be said in as few well-chosen, descriptive words as possible. These are very literary little stories, and they are sure to entertain anyone who enjoys insightful and entertaining mysteries. ( )

This is not one of my favorite detective series. It is well written, but just does not appeal to me very highly. ( )

This is the first Father Brown book I've read and it seems like a good introduction. The stories were all interesting and just fun quick reads. ( )

My 14yo says "Father Brown is funny and doesn't have the superiority that Sherlock Holmes has." ( )