Hook and Peter

by Doram Jacoby

"There never was a simpler happier family until the coming of Peter Pan."
'Peter and Wendy' by J.M. Barrie

Captain James Hook is a retired police officer who is called back one cold night to assist in the case of the kidnapped children of the Darling family.
Follow him in his chase after his old nemesis, the child trafficker Peter Pan, through Edwardian London in this fast paced, dark adaptation of the timeless classic story of ‘Peter and Wendy’ by J.M. Barrie.
This is what really happened.

As a tribute to J.M. Barrie, his generosity and legacy, half of all the profits made by the author will be donated to the Unseen Charity, fighting against child trafficking and towards helping countless victims recover.

Genres: Thriller, Fantasy, Fiction, Suspense

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 2, 2013

About the author

My story begins on the spring of 1982 but my story as a writer begins years later, in January 2009.
For as long as I can remember I have enjoyed the arts, yet the overexposure I have experienced since moving to London has turned it into a well cultivated passion and I now live and write from my home in Richmond.

Reviews

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsettling premise: what if Hook wasn't the bad guy, but rather a police officer after the notorious child abductor, drug dealer and trafficker Peter Pan. Well done, but creepy.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I liked this story.
First let me warn you that this might be a bit biased. If you love the character of Peter Pan or you think he is 'cute' in any way, then you may be offended.
I hate Peter Pan with a passion. I hated that character when I first read the story. You can imagine my delight when I saw that someone somewhere pictured him the way I always thought of him. This is Peter Pan as I see him.

“Peter Pan is not your everyday criminal,” he began. “He is not an ordinary child kidnapper and trafficker. He targets a family as a unit and, when he’s ready, he takes all the children away together. He drugs them, poisons their minds with tales and distorts their reality to replace it with a twisted version of the truth he has created for himself. This states that all policemen are evil and he is the only one who can protect the lost children of London from them and from other dangers, some more real than others.”

This story follows the original, only it is much darker. The pixie dust Peter Pan uses is cocaine, he discards young girls when they are too old. He is unsurprisingly as disgusting as ever.
Captain James Hook, on the other hand, is not a criminal here. He is a damaged retired policeman whose life was completely ruined after Peter Pan kept him in captivity for weeks. He lost his hand then. He is not a complete opposite of his nemesis though and he isn't a very likeable character. He is an unpleasant man who hates dogs and doesn't have a very high opinion on women. The only things I agreed with Hook were Peter Pan and clowns.

“I don’t understand why people with their faces painted in white and their noses red are considered funny. They look like dead men with the flu.”

Speaking of female characters, all of them are here too: Lily, Tinker Bell, Wendy. I cannot describe how much I hated Wendy Darling here. Think of any number of insults and adjectives you can manage and you still won't be able to describe Wendy.

There is that 'they're precious jobs' error and I was afraid there would be more. There wasn't.

Even if it was too short and the characters weren't exactly developed, I am grateful that someone has written about Peter Pan as a horrible character (even if he isn't explained).

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting take on Peter Pan and I loved the idea of Hook being the good guy!! Some disturbing stuff but overall a fun and weird read, the ending kinda annoyed me though! Now I am looking forward to reading the original Peter Pan to see how they are alike!

[Doram · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw the title of this book, HOOK and PETER, I was intreagued. I had been a great fan of the original book by J.M. Barrie when I was young. I can still remember several of the scenes, especially the crocodile which both fascinated and terrified me. So when I read this reworking of the story, I was blown away! It's brilliant! The way in which the author has reversed the roles, making Hook the good guy and Peter Pan the villain, is a stroke of genius - as is the clever inclusion of the Darling children and Tinker Bell in central roles in the plot. I loved the whole thing and read it in one sitting, staying up late into the night to finish it. Many books have the word 'unputdownable' on the cover, a word I've never really liked, but now I've read HOOK and PETER I know exactly what it means and is the only word to describe this novel.

Without wishing to give too much of the story away, the narrative focuses on the abduction of Wendy, Michael and John by the mercurial and charming Peter Pan, a London club owner who takes children and sells them into the world of vice. Called out of retirement to investigate the case, the world-weary and penniless Captain James Hook finds himself battling his old enemy, the one who cut off his arm in the cruelest of fashions and left him permanently in pain and unable to perform the simplest of tasks. The unfolding narrative is a roller-coaster ride of excitment and emotion set in the underworld of Edwardian London which is as dark and brooding as the story itself.

Doram Jacoby writes with clarity and simplicity, making the story memorable and easy to read. Many of the scenes are still vivid in my mind, particularly the game of cat-and-mouse between the two protagonists in a deserted fairground at the end. I also liked the dream sequences in which, having been given drugs by Pan, the three children think they are flying to Neverland whereas they are really in an underground hideout with all the other Lost Boys. Everything in this book is an echo or a reflection of something in the original. It is a masterly tour-de-force and I would recommend anyone remotely interested in JM Barrie or wanting a inventive reworking of an old story...or just looking for a really good read.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange little book. Not as strange as the original Peter Pan book, but strange.

Hook has been retired from Scotland Yard for seven years. Late one night he receives a call requesting his help. When the carriage from 'the Yard' delivers him to The Darling House, he knows Peter Pan is back. His task is simple, stop Pan and save the Darling's three children.

Peter has been convincing children (using lies and drugs) to follow him to Neverland. In reality, Peter will keep the children near and "nurture" them. When the boys are old enough for work, he'll sell them to drug dealers. Girls are sold to work in brothels. (Peter actually has a large financial interest in the London sex and drug trade).

I will not recount the whole story, you really should read it! All the elements are here - the Indians, Tiger Lily, Tinker Bell, the lagoon. Smee, just a little different. Well, maybe more than a little. The end, oh you'll decide when you get there.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This adaptation of the timeless classic, "Peter Pan," takes the reader into a world where Hook is a retired police officer who is asked to return to work to catch Peter Pan. Peter is not trying to make a fun world, instead he is a child trafficker who kidnaps then completely dupes the children. Peter uses spying equipment to select, then time the abduction, then convinces the boys to stay for protection against the pirates. Readers are treated to a totally different view of characters like Hook, Smee, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Tiger Lily. Not for children, but readers who enjoy dark, fast paced stories will enjoy it.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella (122 pgs) is a retelling of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan set in Edwardian London where Hook is a retired police officer and Peter is a child trafficker. The characters felt true to the original, even in their altered circumstances, and it was fun to see how the supporting characters (down to Smee and the Lost Boys) were portrayed.

If you enjoy this kind of mashup/deconstruction/homage, it's an entertaining example, and a pretty good first novel. I'd be interested to see what Jacoby comes up with next.

[Abby Vandiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great little book. It's short, but tells a lot. It is well written and makes you want to go back and read Peter Pan.

Jacoby has taken the characters from the famous story and turned them around. Hook is the good guy, Pan the bad one. Tinker is vulnerable and Wendy is still smart but probably a little too curious and gullible for her own good. The story is engaging, interesting and imaginative.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading Peter Pan. You won't be disappointed.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free kindle book and sincce I love Peter Pan why not? Short book with total role reversal, ..... Captain Hook is the good guy, the police are the pirates and Peter Pan is a kidnapper of young boys....you can guess why I am sure. However all left to your imagination, as a good story should be. I liked it.

[Chad Jansma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing retelling of a story you thought you knew

This is the most amazing retelling of the classic Peter Pan. Captain Hook as a detective Peter Pan as a drug dealing kidnapper and pimp and all the other characters just to fall into place flawlessly. I recommend this to anyone who thinks they know the story between Hook and Pan.

[Dlblumer Blumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed your book Hook and Peter! I also think the direction of your story is an amazing way to shine light on the dark practice of human trafficking I pray that this book goes viral! I love that the profits are go to help stop human trafficking!

[Julia Woltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

true life version of Peter pan

[Alysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye opening view of how the world of Peter Pan could be interpreted... Gripping and well written.

[B. Ross Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted. Or maybe J M Barrie was twisted.

[Tammy Dotts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting twist on Peter Pan. I liked how Jacony worked in all the familiar Neverland stuff.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It seemed like it was a fun story to write and in turn made it a fun story to read. There are a good amount of exclamation points utilized which kept the tone to be more light as an adventure book akin to the original Peter Pan, while still implementing many darker traits. This book could have easily doubled in size and become a very twisted depiction of the under belly of England. As it stands, it still feels appropriate for young teens to adults. I enjoyed the ending, and the use of Hook’s hatred of ticking clocks (as I myself take issue with the constant ticks and to tocks). If there was a sequel written directly following the last line of the epilogue, I would be intrigued to read it. 5 stars for the story, 4 for the edit which could have been a bit tighter here and there.

[Dina_s · Rating 1 out of 5]

First off, great concept. Framing Peter Pan as a creepy child trafficker slowly grooming children is inspired. Donating proceeds to a child trafficking charity is inspiring. However, I just couldn't settle in with the writing and the plot seemed to jump around a lot. Lastly, the author lost me at "picanninny tribe". Now don't get me wrong, I grew up in a very non PC era, and I have no patience for "cultural appropriation" or "snowflake sentiments", but if one is contemporising a story like this, one should also be aware of the modern day connotations of a word like that, and what it signifies to POC. Just my personal opinion.

[James Cardona · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely different novel than what I thought from the title. I was really looking forward to this one because I like young adult fiction, which this is not. Unfortunately the only thing in common with the original source material is that the book uses the same characters as Peter Pan. As other reviewers have stated, Hook is a detective who is investigating Pan who is a child trafficker. I will leave it at that.

The writing is not bad but as a reader I could not help compare it to Barrie’s original (how could you not?) and it does not stand up to the comparison. That is not to say that it is bad, only that when compared to one of the greats it just doesn’t compare. I hope that doesn’t sound too harsh but I think when a writer does something like this they are inviting such a comparison so I had to at least mention it.

Overall, I think adults (and only adults) who like the detective angle might enjoy this book and I think the twist of having it involve the original Peter Pan characters was different, but for me it was too much of a stretch away from the original source and I didn’t care for it.
I would give it 3.5 stars but since no such rating exists I round to 4

[Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is a Peter Pan adaptation more on the dark and twisty side.
I'm saying this for many reasons, but one of them is - since Peter Pan's age isn't mentioned at any point, but he's a criminal, so one thinks he's probably not a kid, he's sort of a pedophile.
Basically, hook is a police captain, Peter Pan is his arch nemesis criminal.
I think the fact that the period in which this happened (I actually mean the specific year) wasn't mentioned until quite late in the story, I couldn't tell if things made sense or not.
For example, the use of cocaine, and the use of pay phones. The writer clearly did his research, but since I kept thinking it was around 1880 (which wouldn't make much sense with the payphones, I checked) but it was actually 1905.
Generally, the concept is intriguing, but some things felt forced, done so it'll fall into place with the original story. A lot didn't really made sense and it felt like it all escalated too fast.
They're making a movie with a similar concept but I think it's a modern day version of the cop vs. criminal, so we'll have to wait and see if the change of period fits this narrative more.

[Paolo Caracciolo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea. Even considering that I like so much Peter Pan that it is very difficult for me to see him as such a bad guy. I should say that I liked this book, probably 3 or even 4 stars worth, just until the last part. That is what I simply did not like. Not because there is not (spoiler?) a "happy ending", but because, in my opinion, it is simply not needed. It is just violent.

[Samantha Cronin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun reimagining of the classic Peter Pan, but I found the allusions to the original forced, and there was little to no character development.