How to read the Father Brown books in order

G. K. Chesterton, or Gilbert Keith Chesterton, was born in London on May 29, 1874. A critic, verse, novel, and essay author, and popular short story writer, Chesterton was known for his rotund figure and cheerful personality.

The Club of Queer Trades, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, and The Man Who Was Thursday are some of his most popular titles.

What is the Father Brown series about?

The Father Brown series is about a Roman Catholic parish priest, Father Brown, who learned much about people’s evil side by listening to their confessions. Although naïve-looking, the priest is clever and has a gift for observation. He captures criminals using his ability to identify with suspects.

The Father Brown series in order

The Innocence of Father Brown (1911)

The Innocence of Father Brown is the first collection of short stories published by the renowned author. In this series, the readers are introduced to the sleuth. The first story, The Blue Cross, debuted characters like Flambeau and Valentin.

Here’s a list of stories featured in the first Father Brown book:

• The Blue Cross
• The Secret Garden
• The Queer Feet 
• The Flying Stars
• The Invisible Man 
• The Honour of Israel Gow
• The Wrong Shape 
• The Sins of Prince Saradine 
• The Hammer of God
• The Eye of Apollo
• The Sign of the Broken Sword
• The Three Tools of Death 

The Wisdom of Father Brown (1914)

Detective Father Brown is put to the test again in the second story collection, The Wisdom of Father Brown. In this volume, Brown solves cases involving traitors, bandits, murder, and voodoo, wrong-footing the criminals at every turn.

In the first story, The Absence of Mr. Glass, Brown tries to solve the mystery behind a lodger. Naturally, he comes up with a completely unexpected solution. Many of the possible theories are a parody of The Blue Carbuncle Sherlock Holmes story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Below is the list of other stories featured in the second series book:

• The Paradise of Thieves
• The Duel of Dr. Hirsch
• The Man in the Passage
• The Mistake of the Machine
• The Head of Cesar
• The Purple Wig
• The Perishing of the Pendragons
• The God of the Gongs
• The Salad of Coloner Cray
• The Strange Crime of John Boulnois 
• The Fairy Tale of Father Brown 

The Incredulity of Father Brown (1926)

The Incredulity of Father Brown is one of the best story collections ever written. It features eight stories, seven of which involve a perplexing murder. Intellectual religion is the unifying theme of all the stories. As Father Brown says, those who don’t believe in God lose their common sense in the first place.

In The Resurrection of Father Brown, the author tries to destroy Christianity. Father Brown as a parish priest, becomes a tourist attraction. The seemingly funny story soon turns dark when the Father gets murdered at the pinnacle of his fame.

Surprisingly enough, Father Brown rises from the dead at his funeral but doesn’t believe in his resurrection.

Other stories from this book series include:

• The Arrow of Heaven
• The Oracle of the Dog
• The Miracle of Moon Crescent
• The Curse of the Golden Cross
• The Dagger with Wings
• The Doom of the Darnaways 
• The Ghost of Gideon Wise

The Secret of Father Brown (1927)

The overarching idea of this book series is how Father Brown can understand murderers from within, showing how much more there is to a man than his appearance.

The first story, The Mirror of Magistrate, one of the author’s greatest works, involves the murder of a judge in his garden on his way back from dinner. The police detective arrests a poet, but Father Brown knows better. He unmasks the true villain, to everyone’s surprise.

Below is the list of other stories featured in The Secret of Father Brown:

• The Man with Two Beards
• The Song about the Flying Fish 
• The Actor and the Alibi 
• The Vanishing of Vaudrey
• The Worst Crime in the World
• The Red Moon of Meru 
• The Chief Mourner of Marne 

The Scandal of Father Brown (1935)

The next collection of Chesterton’s Sherlock Holmes-like mystery stories sees the little priest imagining himself inside the personality of criminals and trying his best to understand their motives.

The title story is about a beautiful rich woman who takes up with a distinguished poet. Unexpectedly, Father Brown helps her despite knowing she is married. This book series also includes the following stories:

• The Quick One 
• The Blast of the Book 
• The Green Man 
• The Pursuit of Mr. Blue
• The Crime of the Communist
• The Point of a Pin 
• The Insoluble Problem 
• The Vampire of the Village 

Father Brown of the Church of Rome: Selected Mystery Stories

The 10 best detective fiction Father Brown mysteries are gathered in this special edition published in 2002. The selection emphasizes the role of faith in Brown’s murder mystery-solving abilities.

Most collections claiming to be the “complete” reprint of compilations omit some stories. The Penguin Classics collection from 2012, however, is the only complete version, including The Donnington Affair, The Blue Cross, and The Mask of Midas.

Enjoy the Father Brown books on Speechify Audiobooks

Speechify Audiobook is your go-to platform for listening to Father Brown stories as audiobooks. Much like Amazon’s Audible, Speechify Audiobook offers thousands of titles and gives you complete control over playback speed, accessibility features, and usage mode (offline vs. online).

Speechify Audiobook hosts more than 60,000 titles in all genres, including crime, mystery, non-fiction, science fiction, and many others. Listen to audiobooks on your mobile device or desktop computer and get your first book for free.

Find out more, or start listening to your favorite Father Brown stories by visiting the official website. 

FAQ

How many books are in the Father Brown series?

The complete Father Brown stories come in five volumes.

Is the Father Brown series over?

The 10th season of the Father Brown series started airing in January 2023.

How many stories are in The Innocence of Father Brown?

There are 12 short stories in The Innocence of Father Brown.

What is the name of the detective in the Father Brown series?

Edgar Sullivan is the name of the detective in the series.

Are there any Father Brown movies or TV shows?

Yes, there is a Father Brown BBC TV series with ten seasons as well as several films.