The Adventures of Mary Darling
by Pat Murphy 
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Description
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 famous detective. 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 show more Watson contacts the greatest detective of his era, 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. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The Adventures of Mary Darling is an absolute delight, perfect for summer reading or any time you want an escapist moment. The book is a mash-up of Peter Pan and the Sherlock Holmes stories, presenting new perspectives on both.
The overlap between these two casts of characters are Mary Darling and her uncle, John Watson. Mary is the daughter of Watson's brother, who had moved to Australia hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields. When her father died, Mary became Watson's ward. When Mary's three children disappear one night—with no footprints on the snowy ground and the nursery windows left wide open—Watson pulls Holmes into the search.
Holmes, Watson, Mary, Mary's two brothers, her husband, Peter Pan, "Tiger Lily," a fairy, show more pirates, bloodthirsty mermaids, a brothel owner, also the dog Nana who runs the nursery all have parts to play. Some rise to the moment; others don't. Seeing them all come into their own, for better or for worse, makes for a mix of hilarity, tensions, adventure, and the unexpected.
If you have any fondness for either Holmes or Peter Pan and company, you're in for a treat with this title. Keep an eye out for it. I promise you'll be glad you did.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less
The overlap between these two casts of characters are Mary Darling and her uncle, John Watson. Mary is the daughter of Watson's brother, who had moved to Australia hoping to strike it rich in the gold fields. When her father died, Mary became Watson's ward. When Mary's three children disappear one night—with no footprints on the snowy ground and the nursery windows left wide open—Watson pulls Holmes into the search.
Holmes, Watson, Mary, Mary's two brothers, her husband, Peter Pan, "Tiger Lily," a fairy, show more pirates, bloodthirsty mermaids, a brothel owner, also the dog Nana who runs the nursery all have parts to play. Some rise to the moment; others don't. Seeing them all come into their own, for better or for worse, makes for a mix of hilarity, tensions, adventure, and the unexpected.
If you have any fondness for either Holmes or Peter Pan and company, you're in for a treat with this title. Keep an eye out for it. I promise you'll be glad you did.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own. show less
Ratings
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ThingScore 100
Murphy's mashup of Holmes, Pan, South Seas pirate anarchists, and other salutary and exciting personages, milieux, furniture and tropes of the Victorian adventure story is an unmissable triumph, a romp, a delight.
added by SandraArdnas
Starred review. Murphy cleverly reworks favorite Victorian stories into something delightfully new.
added by karenb
Starred review; SFF Pick of the Month. Mary’s story is a dangerous and delightful adventure that turns the bigotry and misogyny of Victorian England on its head as she takes charge of her own life and rescues everyone with the help of her friends.
added by karenb
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56 works; 1 member
Author Information
85+ Works 4,135 Members
Pat Murphy is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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- Original title
- The Adventures of Mary Darling
- Original publication date
- 2025-05-06
- People/Characters
- Mary Darling; John Watson; Sherlock Holmes
- Publisher's editor
- Goh, Jaymee
- Original language
- English
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 57
- Popularity
- 536,203
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (4.20)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
