Cozy mystery season continues with Ritu Mukerji's wonderful "Murder by Degrees”

We are thoroughly enjoying cozy mystery season here at the Lakshmi and Asha Show and we’re pleased to share that we have yet another title to add to our list of recommendations.

Released last month, Ritu Mukherji contains so many of the tropes that we love: A daring young woman in an unconventional career, a historic setting and — of course — lots of twists and turns.

Set in Philadelphia in 1875, Murder by Degrees introduces us to Dr Lydia Weston, a recent graduate of the famed Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Now a professor and physician, Lydia loves both teaching and attending to her female patients from throughout the city

Lydia is both shocked and saddened when one of her patients goes missing and is later identified by police as a body found in the Schuylkill River. But Lydia is instantly suspicious as the Anna Ward she knew had lots to live for and had not shown signs of melancholy.

As she assists the police in their investigation, she discovers that Anna’s death is not at all what it appears and realizes she needs to figure out what really happened before her own life is at stake.

We received copies of Murder by Degrees from Simon and Schuster. You can purchase your own copy from our Bookshop storefront here.

Lakshmi: So first, we should note one of the things that is mysterious about Lydia is that she has a lot of connections to India — note the shawl she’s wearing on the book’s cover. Which led both of us to be confused about the character’s identity. The Indian references are very subtle. But her mother is English, born to English people in India.

Asha: I wasn’t confused! But I did think the references to India were interesting

Lakshmi: Oh I totally was wondering if one of the reveals was that age was Indian. 

Have you seen the famous photo of the students at Women’s Medical College?

Asha: I haven’t…

Lakshmi: I kept wondering if the character was based on Anandabai Joshee, who was an Indian graduate of that same school! 

Asha: I don’t think the character in this book could have progressed the way she did if she was Indian. She would have faced too much racism. She already faces a lot of sexism for being a female doctor.

Lakshmi: For the first third I thought she was passing. Clearly I was seeing things I wanted to see,  haha.

But this was so good! I liked the structure and the twists in the last third – 

Asha: Me too! And I liked the glimpse into medicine in the late 19th century.

Lakshmi: – And how she was so much smarter than the police haha. 

Though obviously there is an inspector who is a potential love interest. What was his name?

Asha: Davies.

And there’s an inspector who under-estimates her at first (of course). Lydia is very much a proponent of seeing the big picture when it comes to her patients, not just their symptoms, and she brings that to the case.

Lakshmi: Whereas Davies needs to solve this case QUICKLY. and the initial signs do support his conclusion— because he’s not digging deeper at all.

Asha: But his superior is: Volcker

Lakshmi: Volcker and Davies were both excellent foils

Asha: Volcker has a long-standing friendship with Lydia’s colleague, Dr. Harlan Stanley, which is how she’s able to get on the case. And Volcker has seen some things…In other words, he’s very experienced and willing to take his time.

Lakshmi: A perfect match. But I also really appreciated how compassionately both Anna and her sister were portrayed.

So Philly in the late 1800s and early 1900s was very fancy and is often portrayed as such in historical fiction. But obviously fanciness has a price — it is maintained by servants, cooks, drivers and chambermaids like Anna. Anna works in the city but goes back and forth to her family each week. Her labor is supporting so many people.

I just liked the portrayal of her family and that divide a lot. It’s only a few miles but two COMPLETELY different worlds.

Asha: Her brother is disabled and they’ve moved to the outskirts of the city because it’s better for his health. Otherwise they would, presumably, live in the tenements of South Philly.

Lakshmi: That’s also why her sister knows she wouldn’t die by suicide: Anna would not abandon them.

Asha: Right.

Lakshmi: This also is why Lydia immediately knows something is going on

Also — Anna and Lydia are close. It’s almost like a mentorship relationship.

Asha: Anna’s parents are both dead, which is why she ended up in service

Lakshmi: Anna wants to learn so many things, so Lydia lends her books, offers her advice – all kinds of things.

Asha: She sees herself in Anna.

Lakshmi: It’s touching.

What stood out to you about this book?

Asha: I don’t know that there’s anything that “stood out” per say. It was a good mystery, with a likable protagonist

Lakshmi: Yes

Asha: The medicine element was probably the most interesting – or the most different from other mystery novels – especially when you realize how far medicine has come…They’re still using mercury as a treatment!

Lakshmi: Yes, those bits write great

Asha: And the hygiene/sterilization element was still new at the time I think

In the wards, Lydia advocated vigorous handwashing, good ventilation, and careful monitoring of respiratory symptoms to prevent the spread of illness among patients.

We’re still working on the ventilation element here in 2023…lol

Lakshmi: For sure.

Asha: I also like the idea of Anna using poetry as a code in her diaries.

Lakshmi: The title of the book is from an Emily Dickinson poem!

Asha: I did not know that.

Lakshmi: It’s in the prologue haha

Asha: Oops, missed that.

Anna was a careful person…she didn’t write anything in her diary that she didn’t want anyone else to see…which makes it more difficult to figure out what was going on in her life. So the poetry is their only clue – one that the detectives initially dismiss, but that Lydia recognizes as important.

Lakshmi: Which makes sense as so many of their convos were about poetry and books.

I’m excited to see where the character of Lydia goes from here!

Asha: Me too!

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