# Mr. Tarkington — The Starvel Hollow Tragedy character guide

> Mr. Tarkington in The Starvel Hollow Tragedy by Freeman Wills Crofts.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Tarkington, III Mr. Tarkington

**First appearance:** 0004-iii-mr-tarkington-develops-a-theory

## Snapshot

A dry, quietly humane theorist whose early reading of the Starvel crime gives Inspector French one of his first footholds in the case.

## Who they are

Tarkington pieces together the facts of the Starvel tragedy before the official machinery has fully turned, and his hypothesis about the hoarded notes shapes how the investigation proceeds. There is kindness beneath his clipped manner, a sense that he sees the dead miser's weakness without contempt. His reasoning about the twenties becomes the thread French follows from a Yorkshire moor all the way to a London bank.

## Relationships

### [Mr. Oxley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/characters/mr_oxley)

_social_

Oxley and Tarkington are likely local acquaintances or business associates with frequent interactions.

### [Mr. Oxley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/characters/mr_oxley)

_social_

Oxley and Tarkington are likely local acquaintances or business associates with frequent interactions.

### [Mr. Oxley](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/characters/mr_oxley)

_social_

Oxley and Tarkington are likely local acquaintances or business associates with frequent interactions.

## In the story

### [The Starvel Hollow Tragedy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/chapters/the-starvel-hollow-tragedy)

Develops an early theory about the fire being a burglary and murder.

### [Mr. Tarkington Develops a Theory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/chapters/iii-mr-tarkington-develops-a-theory)

The bank manager who informs Mr. Oxley about the destruction of Averill's paper money and later develops a disturbing new theory about the fire.

### [IV: Inspector French Goes North](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/chapters/iv-inspector-french-goes-north)

His theory about the safe and the missing notes influences French's investigation.

### [V: French Picks Up a Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/chapters/v-french-picks-up-a-clue)

Bank manager who provides French with a list of serial numbers from previous consignments of twenties sent to Starvel.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/characters/mr_tarkington
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_starvel_hollow_tragedy_se/characters