Who is Mary Darling? In this smartly subversive Victorian mash-up of the legendary literary novels Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, the intrepid mother of the Darling children is on the case—and always one step ahead of her inept husband and a very famous sleuth.
[STARRED REVIEW] ‘The wit, wisdom, and whimsy on offer here are sure to win fans.’
—Publishers Weekly
[STARRED REVIEW] ‘Mary’s story is a dangerous and delightful adventure that turns the bigotry and misogyny of Victorian England on its head.’
'''Library Journal
Mary Darling is a pretty wife whose boring husband is befuddled by her independent ways. But one fateful night, Mary becomes the distraught mother whose three children have gone missing from their beds. After her well-meaning uncle John Watson contacts the greatest detective of his era (but not that great), Mary is Sherlock Holmes’s prime suspect in her children’s disappearance.
To save her family, Mary must escape an attempt to have her locked away as mad, and to travel halfway around the world. Along the way, her allies include a Solomon Islander whose village was destroyed by Western civilization; a Malagasy woman on an island that is run by women; Captain Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger; and of course, Nana, the faithful dog and nursemaid.
This witty and adventurous new novel from Pat Murphy (The City Not Long After) will delight fans of classic Victorian tales, as well as those who are looking for a radical new take on the British Empire.
Genre: Fantasy
[STARRED REVIEW] ‘The wit, wisdom, and whimsy on offer here are sure to win fans.’
—Publishers Weekly
[STARRED REVIEW] ‘Mary’s story is a dangerous and delightful adventure that turns the bigotry and misogyny of Victorian England on its head.’
'''Library Journal
Mary Darling is a pretty wife whose boring husband is befuddled by her independent ways. But one fateful night, Mary becomes the distraught mother whose three children have gone missing from their beds. After her well-meaning uncle John Watson contacts the greatest detective of his era (but not that great), Mary is Sherlock Holmes’s prime suspect in her children’s disappearance.
To save her family, Mary must escape an attempt to have her locked away as mad, and to travel halfway around the world. Along the way, her allies include a Solomon Islander whose village was destroyed by Western civilization; a Malagasy woman on an island that is run by women; Captain Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger; and of course, Nana, the faithful dog and nursemaid.
This witty and adventurous new novel from Pat Murphy (The City Not Long After) will delight fans of classic Victorian tales, as well as those who are looking for a radical new take on the British Empire.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"A cracking read, a virtuoso act of gender jiu-jitsu, a Sherlock story like no other, a rough trip to fairyland, and the real, true story of Peter Pan. What a book!" - Cory Doctorow
"A delightful mashup of familiar tales, written by an expert for the reader who hungers for something old, something new, justice borrowed and logical glue." - Meg Elison
"Put the beloved characters of Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes into the blender of Pat Murphy's prodigious imagination and you have a book that upends, complicates, situates, and explicates the stories we have always known. Full of surprises and deeply satisfying." - Karen Joy Fowler
"Pat Murphy has written a page-turner that is both a rousing adventure and an insightful critique of Victorian literary tropes." - Theodora Goss
"Reveals the realities that the past held for feisty women, lusty pirates, and indigenous people living under the governance of the British Empire." - Eileen Gunn
"A rip-roaring tale of magic and mystery." - Andrea Hairston
"Outstanding characters, a deep understanding of her new fictional world, and clever storytelling." - Richard Kadrey
"A wild ride full of pirates and adventures that will keep you reading straight on till morning!" - Ellen Klages
"A gem of a novel. I haven't had this much reading fun in ages. A literary mashup that thrilled and tickled me to no end. More please." - Joe R Lansdale
"Murphy does a masterful job of subverting Victorian tropes while delivering all the fairies, mermaids, and pirates anyone could desire." - Susan Palwick
"Full of mystery and fairy magic, grand adventure, and deft character revelations." - Josh Rountree
"Pages fly as the mystery unfolds and Pat Murphy gives girls and mothers the thrilling adventures they deserve." - Wendy N Wagner
"A fresh new take on both Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes that gives new depth and richness to each." - A C Wise
"A delightful mashup of familiar tales, written by an expert for the reader who hungers for something old, something new, justice borrowed and logical glue." - Meg Elison
"Put the beloved characters of Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes into the blender of Pat Murphy's prodigious imagination and you have a book that upends, complicates, situates, and explicates the stories we have always known. Full of surprises and deeply satisfying." - Karen Joy Fowler
"Pat Murphy has written a page-turner that is both a rousing adventure and an insightful critique of Victorian literary tropes." - Theodora Goss
"Reveals the realities that the past held for feisty women, lusty pirates, and indigenous people living under the governance of the British Empire." - Eileen Gunn
"A rip-roaring tale of magic and mystery." - Andrea Hairston
"Outstanding characters, a deep understanding of her new fictional world, and clever storytelling." - Richard Kadrey
"A wild ride full of pirates and adventures that will keep you reading straight on till morning!" - Ellen Klages
"A gem of a novel. I haven't had this much reading fun in ages. A literary mashup that thrilled and tickled me to no end. More please." - Joe R Lansdale
"Murphy does a masterful job of subverting Victorian tropes while delivering all the fairies, mermaids, and pirates anyone could desire." - Susan Palwick
"Full of mystery and fairy magic, grand adventure, and deft character revelations." - Josh Rountree
"Pages fly as the mystery unfolds and Pat Murphy gives girls and mothers the thrilling adventures they deserve." - Wendy N Wagner
"A fresh new take on both Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes that gives new depth and richness to each." - A C Wise
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Used availability for Pat Murphy's The Adventures of Mary Darling