The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 

Title: The Lost Apothecary
Author: Sarah Penner
Publish Date: March 2nd, 2021
Publisher: Park Row
Source: Huge thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review!

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.

Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose—selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

Penelope's Review

This was actually a really fascinating read. Not quite what I was expecting, but in a good way! I liked the dual timeline, though I did enjoy the past a bit more than the present. And for the most part, I enjoyed the character's and their development. 

In the past, we follow Nella and Eliza. Nella is the owner of the apothecary and dispenser of poisons. I liked hearing her story and getting to know how she came to be in such a profession. The whole idea behind this book is SO cool. Nella will only make poisons for women to use against men, she does not allow harm against any women (though what a customer does with their poison once they leave her shop is out of her hands). I wish more had been done with this - don't get me wrong, it was a cool story, but I would have loved for stories about who the poisons were being used against. Regardless though, it was an enjoyable read.

In the present we follow Caroline as she heads to London after finding out her husband had an affair. It was very cool reading about her journey to discover more about a nondescript vial from an ancient apothecary. The links between the two timelines were very neat. I wasn't a fan of her husband, but that was kind of the point. 

This was a really cool idea. I think it could have been a longer book, with more added to it, but it was still executed pretty well. Very good for a debut novel. I recommend giving it a try, I will definitely be trying anything else this author comes out with. 

Rating: 4/5 Devils!