‘Murder By Degrees’: A Philadelphia Murder Mystery

This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Ritu Mukerji, the author of Murder By Degrees, a mystery that takes place in 1875 Philadelphia. It is a fun read.

Ritu shares her inspirations behind the story and why she chose 1875 Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania as the base for her story.

We talked about the groundbreaking medical history of Philadelphia, as well as the geography of the city. The treatment of women and sexism in the working world in the 19^th century was also part of the discussion as it is an extremely important aspect of the story. If you are a fan of history, you will enjoy the book and our conversation.

Philadelphia was so alive in the 1860s and '70s. Ritu captures the vibrancy of the medical community extremely well. The dialogue, the story, the descriptions, the twists, and the turns all fit in with the time. Ritu does a wonderful job taking the reader back to 1875 Philadelphia as if we are there with Dr. Lydia Weston and the others. It feels as if we are there solving the mystery with them. You can get more information about Murder By Degrees at Ritu's website, here.

Ritu attended The Sydney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. You can also see Ritu Mukerji at Headhouse Books in Philadelphia on Wednesday, October 18th in a conversation with Allison Buccola. Details here.

Thank you for listening,

Markus Goldman

The last Saturday in September is NATIONAL GHOST HUNTING DAY. It's an annual international investigation of the paranormal.

Ghost hunting usually takes place in abandoned mansions with murderous histories, or asylums with tortured souls. It may involve specters guarding ancient crypts. Or even ghouls out to entertain themselves by scaring us. Centuries-old ghost stories around the world focus on historical records or literature. But, science debates the existence of ghosts.

Tons of historic places seem to be teeming with paranormal activity. If you're a Philadelphian and a lover of all things spooky, you're in luck. This city is full of old buildings with tons of history attached. You can't go anywhere in Philly without stumbling upon or likewise tripping over a historical site.

Some are true believers. Others want to prove it all wrong. Above all, whatever your motivation is for participating in searching for some ghosts, you'll need to know where to go. You can't live your Ghostbusters fantasy without ghosts actually being there to find you. There are tons of places in Philly that are thought to be haunted. Some of these places even get in on the spooky fun that comes with their reputation.

At Pennhurst Asylum, you can search for spirit activity on the grounds of the infamous Pennhurst. Investigators will have access to all four floors of the notoriously haunted Mayflower Hall. Also included is the underground tunnels of Philadelphia, Devon, and Rockwell.

A historical site and haunted attraction, Eastern State is said to be littered with spirits. You can take a tour to experience the history of one of the country’s oldest and most famous former prisons. Today, it’s considered by some to be one of the most haunted places on earth.

This 300-year-old alley has seen over 3,000 residents in its time. People that visit report paranormal activity. There is also a running rumor that a soldier was hanged in the alley. Scary stuff!

This premier city dining location was once a functioning boat. It's actually one of the oldest surviving four-mast ships still in the water. It is said that at least 28 people died on board when the ship was in its heyday. There are rumors of a spooky "Lantern Ghost," and disembodied hysterical laughter.

In a place with practically 1,000s of bodies buried, it is no wonder ghosts lurk around there. There is a rumored "eternal patrol" of deceased soldiers that hang around at night.

Don't go here if you're easily made queasy! It's a medical history museum with some pretty gruesome exhibits, like body parts in jars and crazy anomalies. Ancient bodies donated to science are breeding ground for the ghosts that once owned them.