Murder by Degrees

Starred review from July 24, 2023
A female physician becomes an amateur sleuth in internist Mukerji’s impressive debut. In 1875 Philadelphia, Dr. Lydia Weston teaches at the Woman’s Medical College and sees patients at a low-cost clinic she helped found to serve the city’s working class. One of her patients is Anna Ward, a chambermaid in the home of wealthy couple Edward and Beatrice Curtis. During an appointment with Lydia, Anna is visibly troubled by something she won’t explain; she then misses her next appointment and seems to vanish entirely. Soon after the police are notified of Anna’s disappearance, they find a young woman’s body in the Schuylkill River. Though the corpse is too bloated to identify, Anna’s journal is found nearby. Lydia helps her mentor, police consultant Dr. Harlan Stanley, perform the autopsy, which identifies blunt force trauma as the cause of death. Given her intimate knowledge of Anna’s life, the detectives assigned to the case let Lydia assist in the investigation. She learns that Anna was involved in “a love affair gone awry,” and that both the Curtises and their servants had reasons to harm her. Things take a more complicated turn, however, when Lydia realizes that the body she and her cohorts have recovered may not be Anna’s after all. Mukerji’s taut plotting and vivid depiction of the era’s medical practices and social customs will leave readers eager for a second installment. Agent: Nicki Richesin, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary.

June 10, 2024

Practicing physician Mukerji debuts with a captivating historical mystery set in 1875 Philadelphia, rife with socioeconomic disparity and few options for those in need. Dr. Lydia Weston teaches and practices at the Woman's Medical College, an institution dedicated to serving the working class. Many do not approve of women working in medicine, arguing that they are too emotional, but Lydia labors tirelessly to prove them wrong. When the body of her patient Anna Ward is pulled from the Schuylkill River, the death is ruled a suicide, but Lydia's inquiries during the autopsy suggest otherwise. Lydia embarks upon her own investigation, seeking out employers and friends of the victim to find the truth. Soon she discovers long-hidden secrets, several more murders, an extortion plot, and a deadly obsession. Gabra Zackman narrates with skill, providing multiple voices and accents. She perfectly captures the suspenseful atmosphere and vividly describes stratifications in wealth and social status. Listeners will appreciate her dignified portrait of the well-educated and committed Lydia. VERDICT Listeners will find much to love in this story that weaves social commentary and descriptions of period medical practices into a taut mystery. Mukerji is an author to watch.--Joanna M. Burkhardt

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