Dominic Mary Paul McGuire (1903–1978) was an Australian author, Catholic activist, and diplomat, writing mostly poetry and nonfiction and for a few years crime fiction. His 16 mysteries were all published between 1931 and 1940, after which he pursued less frivolous subjects. McGuire’s series characters were Superintendent Fillinger, Chief Inspector Cummings, and Inspector Wittler. See the Golden Age of Detection Wiki for a list of titles and a more detailed biography. http://gadetection.pbworks.com/w/page/7931045/McGuire%2C%20Paul
Threepence to Marble Arch (Skeffington, 1936) is the second appearance of Inspector Wittler. This story is interesting if verbose. It takes place in one very long and busy night in London, starting simply enough with a bus ride. Gillian Robartes lacks the full fare for the bus to take her to the Marble Arch. Michael Grey, who moves in the same social circles as Gillian, leaps to her aid with the necessary coin. He then attaches himself to her side, accompanying her to a political rally in Hyde Park.
Gillian doesn’t have particular political leanings but her aunt has asked her to do what she can to heal a serious rift between two of the aunt’s sons, one of whom, Richard Robartes, is planning to make an inflammatory speech at the rally denouncing his brother Thomas Robartes. The accusations are not believed to be true but just the fact of their being made will cause Thomas no end of difficulty in his job as a financier. Edward, the third brother, is also planning to attend in hopes of dousing the flames.
The rally goes as expected and afterwards Thomas makes some threats of his own against his brother Richard. Gillian and Michael go in search of Richard or Thomas to try to keep the two angry men apart, as does Edward. When Edward goes to the small newspaper that Richard runs, he finds the body of Richard on the ground beneath the window in his office.
The family would like to believe the fall was accidental but the police think otherwise. Richard held everyone around him to very high standards and sometimes antagonized people unnecessarily. Despite Inspector Wittler’s directions to go home, Gillian and Michael spend the night talking to potential witnesses and intermittently discussing their joint future in what has to be the fastest courtship I can remember.
The interaction of Michael and Gillian reminds me of the early Tommy and Tuppence Beresford stories, only more precious. The book could improve vastly by reducing their twee dialog. (E. R. Punshon in his review of the book, which follows, disagreed.) Inspector Wittler is a brisk no-nonsense cop who ended the night by arresting the one person I thought had a solid alibi.
McGuire could definitely plot a mystery. It’s too bad he couldn’t edit himself. I ended up skimming the pages and still capturing the essence of the story. Still, I liked his characters, his stye, and his setting. I am looking for more of his books.
Torquemada said in The Observer on November 22, 1936:
“I like Mr. McGuire’s way of writing a detective story more than I like the story which he writes. Threepence to Marble Arch is ingenious enough and perfectly consistent; but it suffers from the final revelation of the murderer being an anti-climax. The murder, however, is really only of incidental interest; for the Robartes family are a phrase-mine in themselves and Mr. McGuire’s dialogue, especially in the opening chapter, should ensure the success of any book. Threepence to Marble Arch should not be overlooked by the discriminating reader with an eye to an exciting future.”
E. R. Punshon wrote in his “New Crime Tales” column in The Guardian on October 30, 1936:
“Mr. Paul McGuire has a sense of humour and a bright and cheerful style that makes his Threepence to Marble Arch very pleasant reading. He has a sense of character, too, but little respect for it so that a lively phrase, once thought of, goes into the mouth of the next speaker whether it suits his personality or not. The story is one of those conscientious people who so much enjoy exposing the faults of others. Not undeservedly, he is murdered, and suspicion naturally falls on all those of whose shortcomings he was so anxious to tell the world. Mr. McGuire does not pay much attention to the detective side of his tale, and provides only what seems a hasty, and is certainly a highly improbable, solution. By far the best thing in the book is the way in which two young people caught up into a world of crime and doubt and death try to keep their sanity and balance by reminding each other of their cottage in Devon by the sea and all the peaceful, homely country scenes around.”
This book has been reprinted several times and is readily available through the usual sources. I am really sorry I could not find a photo of the original dust jacket. The art for other McGuire first editions is wonderful and I expect it was equally fine for this book.