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redentrapy's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eggcatsreads's review
4.0
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A murder mystery set in 1875, starring a woman doctor who becomes embroiled in the police investigation when a patient of hers suddenly seems to go missing - and the body they discover in the river matches her description. We follow Lydia as she investigates alongside the police to determine what exactly happened to Anna Ward - and whether it was simply suicide, or if it was murder.
This book was a solid mystery novel, where at no point were you completely positive where the investigation was going to go, nor who was actually at fault. I enjoyed Lydia as a character - as a female doctor and a professor at her school educating OTHER women to become a doctor - she has an interesting insight to the events going on around her. I liked that while this was a mystery novel, we do spend a decent portion of the book as Lydia goes about her life and the sexism she faces for her profession.
When Lydia finds a personal diary from Anna Ward that seems to contain poetry that alludes to her knowing something that someone might want to keep secret - as well as her being frantic the last time she was seen - it adds intrigue to the case. Was someone hunting her? Did she know a secret she should not have? And while the police focus on interviewing suspects, Lydia focuses on discovering the secrets of the journal - which slowly piece together the events that lead to Anna Ward being found dead.
Mystery novels involving a complicated and intricate investigation, where you have many suspects but no clear evidence until the end, can be difficult to pull off properly. This book is able to do it convincingly, where even with there being multiple suspects and culprits, how they all fit together works extremely well. I liked how Lydia was able to work alongside the police for the investigation - but also, when she has her own leads will go off on her own.
This is a great murder mystery novel, and the meshing of the investigation with Lydia’s daily life almost felt like I was reading something similar to Katherine Arden’s Cemeteries of Amalo series.
I would only caution readers reading this if they are squeamish about descriptions of bodies, surgeries, and autopsies as while the descriptions are not overly graphic, they are described fairly well.
A murder mystery set in 1875, starring a woman doctor who becomes embroiled in the police investigation when a patient of hers suddenly seems to go missing - and the body they discover in the river matches her description. We follow Lydia as she investigates alongside the police to determine what exactly happened to Anna Ward - and whether it was simply suicide, or if it was murder.
This book was a solid mystery novel, where at no point were you completely positive where the investigation was going to go, nor who was actually at fault. I enjoyed Lydia as a character - as a female doctor and a professor at her school educating OTHER women to become a doctor - she has an interesting insight to the events going on around her. I liked that while this was a mystery novel, we do spend a decent portion of the book as Lydia goes about her life and the sexism she faces for her profession.
When Lydia finds a personal diary from Anna Ward that seems to contain poetry that alludes to her knowing something that someone might want to keep secret - as well as her being frantic the last time she was seen - it adds intrigue to the case. Was someone hunting her? Did she know a secret she should not have? And while the police focus on interviewing suspects, Lydia focuses on discovering the secrets of the journal - which slowly piece together the events that lead to Anna Ward being found dead.
Mystery novels involving a complicated and intricate investigation, where you have many suspects but no clear evidence until the end, can be difficult to pull off properly. This book is able to do it convincingly, where even with there being multiple suspects and culprits, how they all fit together works extremely well. I liked how Lydia was able to work alongside the police for the investigation - but also, when she has her own leads will go off on her own.
This is a great murder mystery novel, and the meshing of the investigation with Lydia’s daily life almost felt like I was reading something similar to Katherine Arden’s Cemeteries of Amalo series.
I would only caution readers reading this if they are squeamish about descriptions of bodies, surgeries, and autopsies as while the descriptions are not overly graphic, they are described fairly well.
np24's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
It’s a solid murder mystery! Reminds me a little of a good Agatha Christie with some twists and turns along the way. It kept me entertained and I flew through it pretty quickly. Also loved the Philly references!
persimmontree's review
read this mainly because i live in philadelphia and it's cool to learn about a specific time period of the city. the writing style is ok, and the mystery did grip me for a bit because i stayed up reading it but i wouldn't say the ending was super satisfying.
brendadiaz's review
3.0
Binged listened to the audiobook for book club (I have terrible time management skills)
I’m not really into mystery books so I had to force myself to get into it
I’m not really into mystery books so I had to force myself to get into it
boggsyroo's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It was definitely a 5-star read for me. It had just the right amount of intrigue and suspense to keep me interested. At one point I thought I had figured out how the book was going to end but then the author threw a curveball and it took a totally different turn I'm normally not one for the changing POVs in a book but here, it was done right. I really like being able to hear how a character's mindset changed about another for the better. There was also a good look into the fight for women's equality in 1875 and how people of different classes were treated. If you like historical fiction, and mysteries, this is a good one.
gigilandx7's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
madele's review against another edition
There is too much historical in this historical fiction. It's just lecturing me about medicine in the 19th century
the_liberalafrican16's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This was an interesting story as historical thrillers go. It was inspirational to read about the women’s college and female doctors defying the restrictions placed on them in a time where women’s rights were constantly suppressed. There were some chapters that seemed rushed specially towards the end but all in all it was a pretty decent story. Not much of a twist because it’s obvious, who the primary figures are and who the main person behind the mystery was. I think overall it was a decent story- it didn’t blow me away but it was educational with the historical component and a fairly interesting plot.
rusereviews's review against another edition
4.0
(3.5 stars, rounded up)
Murder By Degrees by Ritu Mukerji is a debut historical cozy mystery featuring a pioneering woman doctor in the 1870s. The audiobook is narrated by Gabra Zackman.
In 1875 Philadelphia, Dr. Lydia Weston is gearing up to teach her students at the start of a new term. When a body is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, the death is initially deemed a suicide. Lydia is suspicious as she knew the young woman in question, and inserts herself into the investigation.
This is a solid debut and I'm definitely interested in continuing on with the series, should more books be published. All of the characters (even secondary ones) are well developed. Even though I figured out part of the mystery, I enjoyed the plot and pacing.
One of the strengths of this book is the fact that our heroine Lydia allies herself with detectives Volcker and Davies to assist in the investigation, instead of trying to do it all by herself. They are a good team, and are able to throw spaghetti at the wall pretty well between them.
Another strength is the description of the medical classes and clinic work that Lydia performs, as the author, Ritu Mukerji, is a doctor in real life. She was a medical student in Philadelphia, and her knowledge of the city also shines. I especially enjoyed the shout out for the beginnings of the Mütter museum.
This is a time period I'm not too familiar with and it was interesting to see that slice of life.
CW: murder, description of surgery, classism, misogyny, abduction
I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the paperback ARC and Simon Audio (via LibroFM) for the audiobook. All opinions contained herein are my own.
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog, Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, Bluesky, Facebook or Twitter.
Murder By Degrees by Ritu Mukerji is a debut historical cozy mystery featuring a pioneering woman doctor in the 1870s. The audiobook is narrated by Gabra Zackman.
In 1875 Philadelphia, Dr. Lydia Weston is gearing up to teach her students at the start of a new term. When a body is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, the death is initially deemed a suicide. Lydia is suspicious as she knew the young woman in question, and inserts herself into the investigation.
This is a solid debut and I'm definitely interested in continuing on with the series, should more books be published. All of the characters (even secondary ones) are well developed. Even though I figured out part of the mystery, I enjoyed the plot and pacing.
One of the strengths of this book is the fact that our heroine Lydia allies herself with detectives Volcker and Davies to assist in the investigation, instead of trying to do it all by herself. They are a good team, and are able to throw spaghetti at the wall pretty well between them.
Another strength is the description of the medical classes and clinic work that Lydia performs, as the author, Ritu Mukerji, is a doctor in real life. She was a medical student in Philadelphia, and her knowledge of the city also shines. I especially enjoyed the shout out for the beginnings of the Mütter museum.
This is a time period I'm not too familiar with and it was interesting to see that slice of life.
CW: murder, description of surgery, classism, misogyny, abduction
I received a copy of this book to review. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the paperback ARC and Simon Audio (via LibroFM) for the audiobook. All opinions contained herein are my own.
If you want to see more from me, check out my blog, Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, Bluesky, Facebook or Twitter.