The Book of Skulls: Book 1 in the Doctresses series
The Book of Skulls, book one in the Doctresses series, is a delightfully unconventional historical mystery set in 1875 Edinburgh. It is the first in a series about two ‘doctresses,’ Liz Moliette and Amulya Patel, the only female students at the Edinburgh Medical School, who become close friends.
Interestingly, both Liz and Amulya are women of colour, though with very different socioeconomic backgrounds. Liz, the lead protagonist, is an orphan of uncertain ethnicity raised in London. Hard work, perseverance, and plenty of luck enable her to join the Edinburgh Medical School and soon become assistant to surgeon Dr Florian Blyth.
A series of grisly murders embroil Florian and Liz in the investigation led by Inspector Macleod and the murky worlds of the Edinburgh Asylum, alienists, and phrenology. Danger threatens Liz as she also begins to uncover her own family secrets. Both mysteries keep readers engaged till resolution.
Amulya, who is from a wealthy Indian family, prefers a career over marriage. Despite providing Liz financial and moral support, she remains a shadowy secondary figure. Little is revealed about her personal journey, e.g., finding accommodation, adjusting to a blander non-vegetarian diet (Patels are usually vegetarian), and dressing differently. Positively, her way of speaking is not caricatured, and she highlights the universality of gender inequities. She’s also shown providing professional advice following a murder at the Burry Man Festival which she attends with journalist Hector Findlay.
Hopefully, the next book reveals more about Amulya and numerous others who either oppose or help the women, and feature in interesting subplots. The narrative highlights inequities linked to gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and sexuality convincingly without being too true-to-life for contemporary sensibilities. Hutchinson’s sketches, descriptions of Edinburgh, Scottish festivities and words add colour.
Despite requiring occasional suspension of disbelief and some anachronisms, the book inspires me to read any sequels.
