Welcome to A Novel Idea 2025
A Novel Idea is in its third decade of building community—one book at a time. By harnessing the power of books to foster empathy and understanding, this beloved annual community read program also strengthens connections among people throughout Deschutes County.
Over the years, we’ve explored and discussed dozens of books as part of A Novel Idea. Yet, one genre has been notably absent from our selections: mystery. And we know Deschutes County residents love a good mystery. In a recent 12-month period, local readers checked out more than 67,000 mysteries—making it the second-most circulated genre after general fiction. What is it about mysteries that keeps us coming back for more?
Mystery is the perfect genre for unraveling complex puzzles and following unpredictable character arcs. Often featuring unforgettable sleuths, a great mystery delves into high-stakes tensions and the intricate twists of the human experience. These thrilling, hard-to-put-down stories keep our minds engaged until the final scene, when everything is revealed in those last, satisfying pages.
We encourage you not only to read this year’s selections — Murder by Degrees and The Queen of Ocean Parkway — but to take part in the thought-provoking events and discussions that will enrich your experience. Throughout the month of April, readers can attend more than 45 dynamic programs that tie into themes found in both of the books. A Novel Idea culminates with a free author event featuring the youth edition author, Sarvenaz Tash, on Saturday, April 26 at the Redmond Library and author Ritu Mukerji on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Summit High School. Free tickets are required and available online (www.dplfoundation.org) starting April 5.
Our hope is that you engage in conversations about this year’s books—with friends, family, and fellow readers throughout Deschutes County. It’s your engagement and those discussions that make A Novel Idea the largest community read program in Oregon.
About the Book: Murder by Degrees
Philadelphia, 1875: It is the start of term at Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Lydia Weston, professor and anatomist, is immersed in teaching her students in the lecture hall and hospital. When the body of a patient, Anna Ward, is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, the young chambermaid’s death is deemed suicide. But Lydia is suspicious and she is soon brought into the police investigation. Aided by a diary filled with cryptic passages of poetry, Lydia discovers more about the young woman she thought she knew. Through her skill at the autopsy table and her clinical acumen, Lydia draws nearer the truth. Soon a terrible secret, long hidden, will be revealed. But Lydia must act quickly before she becomes the next target of those who wished to silence Anna.
About the Author: Ritu Mukerji
Ritu Mukerji was born in Kolkata, India, and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. From a young age, she has been an avid reader of mysteries, from Golden Age crime fiction to police procedurals and the novels of PD James and Ruth Rendell. She received a BA in history from Columbia University and a medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She completed residency training at the University of California, Davis and has been a practicing internist for fifteen years. She lives in Marin County, California, with her husband and three children.
About the Book: The Queen of Ocean Parkway
Eleven-year-old Roya is the superintendent’s kid in her regal Brooklyn apartment building, so she knows pretty much everything there is to know about its residents. An aspiring reporter, she even hosts a secret podcast about the lives of the building’s tenants. It’s a good distraction from the problems in her own life. But when Katya Petrov, one of her favorite tenants, goes missing, Roya discovers an eerie connection to Grandmother’s Predictions, an antique fortune-telling machine at Coney Island. “Grandmother” has been linked to multiple disappearances in the Petrov family over the last century. Now, with the help of a new friend who’s just moved in, it’s up to Roya to make her own headlines as she searches for Katya and attempts to break the Petrov curse once and for all.
About the Author: Sarvenaz Tash
Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran, grew up on Long Island, and graduated with a BFA in Film and Television from NYU. She is the author of eight novels (and counting) for kids, young adults, and adults including The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love, A Whole Song and Dance, and The Queen of Ocean Parkway. Though her books run the gamut of genres and age groups, they’re tied together by her strong voice and affinity for joyful, diverse, humorous stories with heart. She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting for the likes of Bravo and MTV. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn with her family.