Books with Bean ~ The Blue Cross

Title: The Innocence of  Father Brown: The Blue Cross

Author: G. K. Chesterton 

Published: 1911

Genre: Mystery 

Summary: Flambeau is the greatest criminal in the world and no one quite knows where he will strike next. Except maybe Aristide Valentin who is the head of the French national police force. He believes that Flambeau is headed to London to try and rob the International Congress of Clergymen. But he finds that he is not the only person who knows who and where Flambeau is. Once he arrives in England he follows the clues to follow to Catholic Priests, one of which he believes the be Flambeau in disguise. As he and his British colleagues follow the two men Valentin becomes more and more sure that he is following Flambeau. But in the end it is not Valentin but sweet innocent little Farther Brown who unmasks the villain and saves the religious artifact. 

What I liked about it: This is the first of so many Farther Brown short stories and it is super good. Father Brown is so sweet and funny and his way of looking at the world unique. I will admit that there are a lot of stories and a few of them drag and it took me a while to get through them but over all the stories are interesting and good. 

Language: Well I must admit that I have only read the story once because I was introduced to Farther Brown by Jim Weiss’s presentation on the life and works of G. K. Chesterton and the version he read during the segment had no language. However there is some very mild swearing in the later stories.

Romance: Occasionally part of the plot deals with two people in love but there is never anything crude or dirty.

Violence: Well some of these are murder mysteries but it is never graphic. 

Magic: None

Recommended Age: Well these are good but I think the oldie-timie British language may be a bit harder for younger kids to understand. That paired with the fact that they where written for adults I would say 13-14 and up.