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Joyce Pitt expands on Ian McLaren's hypothesis in his book Marcus Clarke : An Annotated Biography that Marcus Clarke is the author of The Critic in Church or, Melbourne Preachers and Preaching and not Howard Willoughby to whom the work has been attributed.
Lucy Sussex proposes that the story by M.C., Wonderful! When You Come to Think of It! is probably the first story published in Australia by Marcus Clarke. Also, it is the earliest known Australian detective story, followed closely by The Shepherd's Hut written by James Skipp Borlase. However, it is possible that there are even earlier examples of the crime genre in Australia, waiting to be discovered.
