The Lost Apothecary — Sarah Penner

Genre: Historical Fiction

Spoiler Alert: Low Spoilers

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

“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.”

My Thoughts:

I’ve always been a fan of historical literature, and I’m weirdly obsessed with nineteenth century London. So when I came across The Lost Apothecary at my local Target I was pretty much instantly hooked.

The book follows the stories of two women, living centuries apart. Nella, an apothecary who took her knowledge of herbs and remedies in order to help the women of London in more than just medicinal ways. And Caroline, a young woman desperately trying to find herself after discovering her husband’s deceit. In truth, we have a third character whose story the book follows closely.  Eliza, a young girl on the precipice of womanhood who finds herself mixed into Nella’s tale.

As I mentioned, I love nineteenth century London. (Okay, technically this takes place at the end of the eighteenth century, but that’s not the point.) So, I was instantly attached to Nella and her story. And if I’m being perfectly honest, it was much more interesting than Caroline. I’ve never had much patience for romantic novels. Nothing against them, it’s just not my thing. So, when Caroline’s story started and we’re hearing of her marital issues, I was a little unsure if I would enjoy the book as much as I thought I did. And truth be told, I spent a lot of the book pushing my way through her parts until I got back to Nella and Eliza. It wasn’t until closer to the end, when Caroline began connecting the dots between her little glass vial and the mysterious killer apothecary, that I became more interested.

Nella and Eliza’s story is much more compelling to me. Nella took over the apothecary after losing her mother, whose goal was to help the women of London with their ailments. While Nella did continue her mother’s legacy, she twisted it into something dark. She used her skills to help women rid themselves of men who hurt them, after she herself was hurt in the worst way possible.

I would have liked to see a little more of Eliza’s story. We’re given a small glimpse into her future, but I am curious to know what she did with the new talents she learned from both Nella and the book of spells she received.

There are still a lot of unanswered questions at the end of The Lost Apothecary. And while I do wish we got some of those answers, I think that’s the key to a good mystery. We’re never going to get all the answers, and sometimes we have to piece things together for ourselves.

If you love mysteries, intrigue, and maybe a hint of romantic drama, you’ll definitely love The Lost Apothecary. While it wasn’t on my initial TBR list for 2022, I’m really glad I came across it. And if you have read it, let me know your thoughts!