The Adventures of Mary Darling
by Pat Murphy
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Pub Date May 06 2025 | Archive Date Not set
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Description
Who is Mary Darling? In this subversive take on both Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, a daring mother is the populist hero the Victorian era never knew it needed.
“Pat Murphy illuminates the heroes we think we know and the stories we’re ready to swallow whole. She reveals powerful characters who’ve had to hide in plain sight while saving their world. The result is a rip-roaring tale of magic and mystery!”
—Andrea Hairston, author of Archangels of Funk
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 perhaps not that great), Mary is Sherlock Holmes’s prime suspect in her children’s disappearance. To save her family, Mary must escape London—and an attempt to have her locked away as mad—to travel halfway around the world.
Despite the interference of Holmes, Mary gathers allies in her quest: Sam, a Solomon Islander whose village was destroyed by contact with Western civilization; Ruby, a Malagasy woman on an island that everyone thinks is run by pirates (though it’s actually run by women); Captain Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger; and of course, Nana, the faithful dog and nursemaid.
In a witty and adventurous romp, The Adventures of Mary Darling draws on the histories of women and people indigenous to lands that Britain claimed, telling the stories of those who were ignored or misrepresented along the way.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
“Pat Murphy illuminates the heroes we think we know and the stories we’re ready to swallow whole. She reveals powerful characters who’ve had to hide in plain sight while saving their world. The result is a rip-roaring tale of magic and mystery!”
—Andrea Hairston, author of Archangels of Funk
“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, author of Number One Fan
“Pat Murphy rips off the cloak of 19th-century patriarchy that makes Peter Pan a difficult read in the 21st-century, and reveals the realities that the past held for feisty women, lusty pirates, and indigenous people living under the governance of the British Empire. If you think you have outgrown Neverland, maybe you have. But you don’t have to believe in Tinkerbelle to love this book.”
—Eileen Gunn, author of Stable Strategies and Others
“A dashing adventure featuring a swashbuckling heroine, a fascinating exploration of the voices we never get to hear in JM Barrie’s version of the Peter Pan story, and a wicked take-down of the Sherlock Holmes mystique.”
—Susan Palwick, author of The Fate of Mice
“A clever and delightful secret history of Neverland. This twisty tale full of mystery and fairy magic, grand adventure, and deft character revelations, challenges our societal expectations, and causes us to reconsider what it means to be strong. A wonderfully fun and deeply relevant novel.”
—Josh Rountree, author of The Legend of Charlie Fish
Praise for Pat Murphy
“Murphy’s [blend] of fantasy and reality honorably recalls the novels of Margaret Atwood.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Murphy has a flair for description that brings every aspect of the setting vividly into focus.”
—SF Site
“Murphy's convincing modern setting is a marvelous foil for her frighteningly alien Mayan ghost, and the archeological material, besides being fascinating in its own right, is put to excellent use in the plot.”
—Newsday
Marketing Plan
*Digital and print ARCs available
*NetGalley and Edelweiss+ newsletter advertisements [Nov/Dec 2024]
*Indie Next nomination campaign/White Box bookseller-mailing [Jan 2025]
*ABA Winter Institute table display and ARC distribution [Denver; Feb]
*Author event at SF in SF reading series [San Francisco; May]
*Author appearance at the World Science Fiction Convention [Seattle; Aug]
*National book club outreach with ARCs and author's discussion questions
*ABA regional association outreach and galley distribution
*Shelf Awareness website author feature
*Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA) website feature
*Storygraph online sweepstakes giveaway [Spring 2025]
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781616964382 |
| PRICE | $18.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Kathryn M, Reviewer
I loved the idea of combining Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes in this world. It was everything that I wanted and was hooked from the first page. I loved that Mary Darling was able to take the spotlight in this story and was glad I got to read this. Pat Murphy wrote this so well and was glad I got to read this.
Literary R, Reviewer
Review coming soon!
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.
Opinions are mine.
Katherine A, Reviewer
Excellent pastiche of the Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes worlds by a fine Science Fiction/fantasy author, Pat Murphy. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale from the point of view of the Darling children’s mother, Mary Darling and as a reader of Sherlock Holmes stories of all kinds was amused by the less-than-flattering portrayal here. This novel had a very Victorian setting and style which was enjoyable to me also. I hope there will be more in this style and about these characters in the future.
Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher, #tachyonpublications for this ebook ARC to read. All opinions are my own.
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