I took this book with me to read while we were away for a few days last week. It was first published in 1908 and has written on the front: “The most thrilling book I have ever read” Kingsley Amis.

Poor Kingsley, he led a dull reading life, going by this book. Of course, it could be that Chesterton and I just don’t get on, I remember being unimpressed by a Father Brown book of his which I read years ago.

I’ll leave it a while before trying another one of his, if it isn’t third time lucky then I’ll never darken his pages again. I can’t help thinking that Kingsley Amis must have been on the sauce when he wrote his comment!