Novels
If you want to play with the nature of fiction and reality
Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell
The New York Times called this novel the “cerebral equivalent of a roller-coaster ride.” An adventure story about the shifting nature of fiction, reality, and identity.
Wild Angel
Set in Gold Rush California, echoing Tarzan of the Apes and The Jungle Book, this rollicking adventure was written by Mary Maxwell, who is a pseudonym of Max Merriwell, who is a pseudonym of Pat Murphy.
Available as an ebook with Adventures in Time and Space with Max Merriwell
If you want a great read for a child or tween
The Wild Girls
Winner of the 2007 Christopher Award
A children’s novel about friendship, about learning to find your own answers and write your own stories, and about inventing the person you want to be. Kirkus Review says: “A terrific mix of imagination, insight, character inventiveness and kindness….”
If you like fiction that plays with the borders between genres
The Falling Woman
Winner of the Nebula Award
A contemporary psychological fantasy set on Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula.
The City, Not Long After
The New York Times said of this novel, “In Ms Murphy’s skillful hands, the showdown between art and power takes on mythic dimensions. No one comes out of this confrontation unchanged, including the reader.”
The Shadow Hunter
In a blend of science fiction and fantasy, the power of myth clashes with future technology.
If you are interested in wolves, women, and wilderness
Nadya
A historic, feminist, werewolf novel with fistfights, Indian magic, and daring rescues — and on a deeper level, an examination of women and wilderness and sexuality.