The Adventures of Mary Darling

Who is Mary Darling? In this smartly subversive Victorian mash-up starring legendary literary characters Peter Pan's Mary Darling and Sherlock Holmes the mother of the Darling children is on the case despite the meddling of both her inept husband and a clueless Sherlock.

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 civilisation; 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 adventurous and witty novel will appeal to fans of classic Victorian tales, as well as those who are looking for a new take on the British Empire.

'Pat Murphy 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