"One accepts, as one must of all detectives, the done'e of the hero's presence at the scene of the crime. What is tedious is the ease with which the hero solves his cases on the basis of intuition. The recurrent formula soon becomes wearisome: a number of suspects are paraded before the reader, clues are given or withheld, and Father Brown after some discussion announces that he knows--and has always known--the identity of the criminal. The particualr psychological insight or theological maxim is then displayed for the reader's edification, and the story ends.
(Clipper 124)

"Father Brown, who prefers intuition of the truth, which depends on a deep knowledge of the human heart instead of methodical observation."
(Clipper 123)

"For Chesterton, who was himself addicted to reading detective stories, this popular genre was not merely escapist amusement for the masses but a powerful vehicle for transmitting the moral, religous, and political ideals of society."
(Clipper 120)

Clipper, Lawrence J. _G. K. Chesterton. Twayne Publishers, Inc. New York 1974