THE INNOCENCE OF FATHER BROWN

At least a dozen audiobook versions already exist of this first collection of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories, but this new version for AmazonClassics has much to commend it. Rory Barnett--also the narrator for Chesterton's THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY--captures much of the distinctive tone and spirit of these stories and their beloved author. Now more than a century past, that was a time when authors were reserved and omniscient, wrote proper English in measured cadences, and contrived a tale that challenged both mind and wits. The voice is assured and reassuring, and these 12 stories are, as ever, satisfyingly artful and ingenious. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]