The Charing Cross Mystery · Character

Mr. Matherfield

A police inspector whose weary realism about hunting one man among seven million sharpens every theory Hetherwick brings him.

major

Also known as Matherfield

First appearance: The Last Train East

As a major figure in The Charing Cross Mystery, Mr. Matherfield is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Police inspector who investigates Hannaford's death and questions Hetherwick.

In the storyThe Last Train EastOpen this moment free

See Mr. Matherfield in The Last Train East Book page

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Matherfield works the case from the official side, trading theories with Hetherwick over late-night walks and quiet meals while the city's clocks strike around them. He is neither credulous nor dismissive; he names murder when he sees it, but he knows how easily a suspect dissolves into London's crowds. His cautious, methodical pressure on the evidence keeps the amateur enthusiasm of his partner tethered to what can actually be proved.

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See Mr. Matherfield in The Last Train East

Character Web

32 connections

A slice of how Mr. Matherfield sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

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Central Mystery Figures
Extended Minor Cast
Briefly Mentioned Characters
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because Matherfield’s exclamation—“Then who on earth is that woman that I followed…

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In the story

Mr. Matherfield appears across 19 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Last Train East
Police inspector who investigates Hannaford's death and questions Hetherwick.
Whose Portrait Is This?
Leads the investigation, informs Rhona of her grandfather's death, later reveals the postmortem confirmed poisoning.
III: The Potential Fortune
Leads the investigation, questions Rhona and Mrs. Keeley, and notes the missing sealed envelope.
VIII: Fligwood’s Rents
Leads the investigation, forces open Granett's box, and discovers key evidence including letters and a five-pound note.
IX: The Medicine Bottle
Discovers the medicine bottle clue and traces a five-pound note to Vivian's night club.
X: The Mysterious Visitor
Police investigator working on the poison case; discusses the five-pound note and medicine bottle with Hetherwick.
XI: Lady Riversreade
Insists on following Lady Riversreade to St. Mary's Mansions and maintains a vigil through the night.
Alias Madame Listorelle
Matherfield pursues Lady Riversreade alone after spotting her from the window.
XIII: Who Was She?
Exhausted and disappointed after losing track of Lady Riversreade in Southampton; he shares his detailed account of the pursuit with Hetherwick.
Is It Blackmail?
Perplexed after following a woman he believed to be Lady Riversreade to Southampton, only to learn she was at Riversreade Court.
XV: Revelations
Police representative; sees the reward advertisement and joins Hetherwick in confronting the solicitors.
XVI: Still More
Reacting with surprise to the twin sister revelation; follows Blenkinsop's detailed explanation of the case.
The Torn Labels
Leads the investigation; deduces Baseverie may have doubled back and identifies Ambrose as the mystery man from Victoria.
XVIII: The Telegram
Leads the investigation, discovers the telegram, interviews the caretaker, and obtains medical records of Ambrose and Baseverie.
XX: Converging Tracks
Receives Hetherwick and Penteney, shares news of a lead on Ambrose from the Green Archer landlord, and discusses Lord Morradale's theory about the kidnapping.
The Highly-Respectable Solicitor
Leads the police operation, devises the stakeout plan at the Safe Deposit, and identifies Garrowell as the solicitor retrieving the box.
The Landlady of Little Smith Street
Leads the investigation to Garrowell's office and decides to intercept the jewel box in Southampton.
Waterloo
Sends a wire from Southampton asking to be met at Waterloo at eight-twenty; expected to be on the train with Baseverie.
The Assurance
Summons Hetherwick and Rhona to his office, introduces the chemists Culthwaite and Houseover, and reveals the discovery of the formula.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Matherfield in The Last Train East