The adventures of Mary Darling

Nebula Award winner Murphy (The Falling Woman) riffs on both Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes in this delicious romp purported to be written by Jane Darling, granddaughter of the eponymous Mary, as a corrective to J.M. Barrie's "shameful" misrepresentation of events. When, in 1900, the Darling children vanish from their bedroom, their canine nursemaid, Nana, fetches parents Mary and George from a dinner party. For assistance, George calls in Mary's uncle John Watson and his employer, the Great Detective Holmes, who takes the case--and eyes Mary as the prime suspect. Meanwhile, secretive Mary, who is aware of the existence of Peter Pan and hostile to Holmes's intellectual snobbery, broods on how she can rescue her children. Drawing from her own past misadventures, during which she would often masquerade as a boy because Victorian sensibilities decreed too much "brain work" caused women to go insane, she springs into action. Though her husband proves unhelpful, and Holmes attempts to thwart her every move, Mary finds an ally in Sam, a Solomon Islander and former pirate, and together they make their way to a grim Neverland to face down a spoiled and near-feral Peter Pan. Murphy cleverly reworks favorite Victorian stories into something delightfully new. The wit, wisdom, and whimsy on offer here are sure to win fans. (May)

Everyone thinks they know the stories of supposed heroes Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, but Mary Darling knows them better than most, because once upon a time she and her brother were the children Peter enticed with promises of adventure that turned out to be feckless and reckless for everyone but him. Intelligent, practical, even piratical, Mary made a plan to escape and did. Now, Peter has enchanted her children with the same promises, and Mary plans a journey back to Neverland to stage yet another daring escape. But Mary's well-planned trip is followed by well-meaning, meddling men who are certain she needs their help: her husband George, her uncle John Watson, and Watson's famous friend Sherlock Holmes. VERDICT 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. Murphy's (Women Up to No Good) latest is highly recommended for readers caught up in the recent trend of feminist retellings of well-known tales.--Marlene Harris