Set in the 1950s in the fictional village of Kembleford, the series follows Roman Catholic priest Father Brown who has a knack for solving crimes. He is assisted by parish secretary Bridgette McCarthy and is often a source of frustration for the local police.

Father Brown（Mark Williams饰演，他是哈利珀特系列里的 Arthur Weasley 英国喜剧演员，编剧和主持人）是切斯特顿笔下的著名侦探，矮个子，圆脑袋，身材胖儿可爱。手边常有一把标志性的大雨伞，他天性怕羞，说话有些结巴，看起来憨厚纯真，似乎与探案不搭边，却大智若愚，有着很锐利的直觉。