Four Faultless Felons

Four Faultless Felons is a collection of stories by G. K. Chesterton, comprising four mystery novelettes connected by the theme of persons assumed to be criminals, who are paradoxically not so.

"The Moderate Murderer" and "The Ecstatic Thief" appeared in Cassell's Magazine in April and September 1929, and "The Honest Quack" and "The Loyal Traitor" in the July 1929 and May 1930 editions of The Story-Teller.

The novel was critically well-received upon its publication, with praise for Chesterton's wit, unique creative style and profound themes, intermixed with an unusual approach to detective fiction.

[20] Chesterton expert Dale Ahlquist, on the other hand, found great profundity in the stories, comparing them to Manalive and The Club of Queer Trades.

"[21] Martin Gardner diverged from Ian Boyd's critique, finding Chesterton using the novel to express his views on the economic exigencies of capitalism and his lifelong fascination with how semblances of evil paradoxically mask true goodness, in keeping with his Distributist and Catholic philosophies.

Gardner countered the criticism, often levied at Chesterton, that his plots were too unbelievable, asserting that the author viewed his narratives as "a form of ingenious play, written primarily for entertainment."