The Innocence of Father Brown

In the story “The Secret Garden,” Aristide Valentin is revealed to be Julius K. Brayne’s killer and dies by suicide at the end of the story. How does this development advance the collection’s themes, and how does it serve the collection’s larger narrative goals? Explain.

Compare Father Brown to other prominent detectives in detective fiction. How is he similar to other popular fictional detectives? How is he different? Explain.

During the investigation into Sir Aaron Armstrong’s death, Patrick Royce repeatedly insists that he murdered Armstrong, and Alice supports his claim. Father Brown, however, finds that Armstrong died by suicide. How do these conflicting stories illustrate differing views of human nature and the nature of guilt? Explain.