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The Lost Apothecary

Sarah Penner (Goodreads Author)

4.06 · Rating details · 1,551 ratings · 878 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published March 2nd 2021 by Park Row

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Mar 02, 2021 jessica rated it really liked it

i always admit that im not a fan of history. but then i pick up a brilliant work of historical fiction and i daydream about life as a historian. and right now, im imagining the atmosphere of 1790s london.

this story immediate transports the reader into bustling streets, shadow covered back alleys, and dusty apothecary shelves. ive always found old, natural remedies of the past fascinating, so i enjoyed reading about that aspect of the book. it was also rewarding seeing how nelly uses her knowled ...more

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Jul 26, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

An avenger female who can concoct poisonous formulas to help you get rid of man trouble. This hell of an outstanding synopsis idea put this book on my radar!
To the attention of the abusers, cheaters, bullies and most disgusting human wastes who treat the women like doormats: you should beware because there is an intelligent, vicious angel of death who is also apothecary is coming after you!

Nella is a ghost, wowed to help the mentally and physically hurt women who needs her support, hiding behin An avenger female who can concoct poisonous formulas to help you get rid of man trouble. This hell of an outstanding synopsis idea put this book on my radar!
To the attention of the abusers, cheaters, bullies and most disgusting human wastes who treat the women like doormats: you should beware because there is an intelligent, vicious angel of death who is also apothecary is coming after you!

Nella is a ghost, wowed to help the mentally and physically hurt women who needs her support, hiding behind the secret walls of small store, conducting her business discreetly. She is playing by the rules: Rule number 1:She has two basic rules: those concoctions she dispensed cannot be used to harm another woman!
Rule number 2:Names of murderer and victims must be recorded at the apothecary’s register.

When she starts to form a unique friendship with Eliza Fanning who is only 12, working at the store with her, a string of unfortunate events put her and the women whose names are recorded at register in danger to be exposed.

At the present time, we’re introduced to aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell who plans to celebrate her tenth year anniversary with her beloved husband. But as long as she finds out her husband dearest is a cheating bastard, she travels alone to London, meeting with a mudlarking group on the shores of Thames. As she mucks through the water, she finds a glass vial which brings out so many secrets and with the help of an employee from British library she finds herself digging out to solve 200 years long mystery. Those three women’s paths cross and Caroline gets closer to solve the secrets behind apothecary murders!

This is so much exciting, mysterious and intriguing than I ever imagine. After finishing this book, I decided to read more about mudlarking and since I’ve read the story about Mary Ann Cotton who had poisoned nearly 21 victims at the 19th century, I want to take a time travel trip and search for more intriguing stories.

Overall: Attention capturing, well- developed story with impeccable characterization and high tense, gothic, dark atmosphere won my heart! I truly enjoyed it! I have to congratulate Sarah Penner for her brilliant debut!

Special thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN / Park Row for sharing this incredible ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions. ...more

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Feb 09, 2021 Kat rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: feminism, friendship, women-issues, relationships, crime, historical-fiction, mystery, power-dynamics

It’s fitting that I write this review today, because 230 years ago today on Feb. 10, 1791, the events that changed the lives of our three main characters: Nella, Eliza and Caroline took place.

Who are these three?

First, there’s Nella, the apothecary. Her timeline takes place in 1791. After the death of her mother 20 years prior, she’s been running her mother’s apothecary shop which has had a long history of helping women with whatever ails them. The only difference is that where her mother only It’s fitting that I write this review today, because 230 years ago today on Feb. 10, 1791, the events that changed the lives of our three main characters: Nella, Eliza and Caroline took place.

Who are these three?

First, there’s Nella, the apothecary. Her timeline takes place in 1791. After the death of her mother 20 years prior, she’s been running her mother’s apothecary shop which has had a long history of helping women with whatever ails them. The only difference is that where her mother only sought to help women with their health afflictions, Nella, for reasons her own, also secretly dispenses poisons to women who request it to “remedy” the husbands, lovers, fathers, brothers, or whichever other male has crossed them.

Eliza, the maidservant of one of Nella’s clients, is a 12-year old girl who befriends Nella when sent to get poison at the bidding of her mistress, Mrs. Amwell. It’s lovely little Eliza who innocently sets in motion the events that change the lives of these three ladies.

Jump to the present day timeline, where we meet Caroline, a history buff, who’s gone on a trip to London that was meant as a ten-year anniversary gift for she and her husband, James, but through circumstance, now finds herself there solo. On a whim one day, she goes mudlarking (discovering buried treasures hidden in the river’s mud) at the River Thames where she discovers a mysterious blue vial that, unbeknownst to her, ties back to Nella and Eliza. In her efforts to find out more about this vial, the story of the past comes to life.

I won’t go into all the details of the story, because it’s better to let it tell itself, but this fascinating womens’/historical fiction shines a light on issues experienced by women, both past and present, as they deal with the implications of their place in society. In 1791, that means Nella, Eliza, and the other women of their day having almost no power to right the wrongs they’re experiencing - at least legally, and in the present day, it’s more about how women, like Caroline, often suppress or abandon their own goals in pursuit of keeping harmony in their homes.

Despite the themes, I don’t think the intention of the book is to hate on men or paint them in the light that they’re only capable of harming women in some way, nor is it to glorify women harming them in return. Rather, this story illuminates the path that these womens’ choices put them on and the overall effects those choices have on them.

I enjoyed both the past and present storylines. Nella and Eliza’s almost mother-daughter-like friendship is sweet, as is the friendship that develops between Caroline and Gaynor, a librarian at the British Library who helps her research the vial. It’s a journey of intrigue, mystery and discovery as the dual storylines unfold. Nella and Eliza’s story has palpable tension as the repercussions of their choices made on and around February 10 come to light, and in the present, it’s one of self-discovery for Caroline, as she uncovers, not only the past, but a clear path for her future. It’s a quieter, slower story. It didn’t grab me and scream in my face for attention - thank goodness - but it beckoned me into these ladies’ lives, nonetheless, and it was a lovely little journey that I recommend you take as well. Sarah Penner has offered a wonderful debut!

★★★★

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Trade Publishing and Sarah Penner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. It will be published March 2, 2021. ...more

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Feb 06, 2021 Paromjit rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, netgalley, women-s-fiction

Sarah Penner's debut is an intriguing and atmospheric piece of historical fiction revolving around women, set in the tail end of the 18th century in London, a story that shifts from the past and the present. In the 1790s, a once reputable apothecary, Nella, has ventured into darker and more dangerous territory, that of dispensing poisons to desperate women in dire situations due to the men who have damaged or wronged them. She intends that no woman is harmed, and she records her transactions in Sarah Penner's debut is an intriguing and atmospheric piece of historical fiction revolving around women, set in the tail end of the 18th century in London, a story that shifts from the past and the present. In the 1790s, a once reputable apothecary, Nella, has ventured into darker and more dangerous territory, that of dispensing poisons to desperate women in dire situations due to the men who have damaged or wronged them. She intends that no woman is harmed, and she records her transactions in a register, the names, including that of the poisoner and the victim. The young child Eliza Fanning is a sparky and bright personality who is sent to get poison, and a friendship develops between Nella and Eliza. Unsurprisingly, Nella's intentions run into difficulties when it comes to implementing them.

In the present, the American Caroline Parcewell's marriage has run into difficulties, she has made the unpalatable discovery that her husband of ten years has been unfaithful to her. She finds herself alone as she travels to London on her wedding anniversary. She decides to join a mudlarkers group in search of finds from the past in the muds of the banks of the River Thames, unearthing an old vial. This allows her to indulge her love of history as she engages in historical research and the mystery that is two centuries old, and a string of unsolved murders in her search for the truth. In this entertaining and engaging character driven read, of secrets, vengeance, betrayal, being a women, relationships between women, friendship, self discovery, poisons and murder, the past and present connect in the most unexpected of ways.

This is a relatively short and suspenseful novel from Penner, well written, which beautifully evokes the London of the time, and includes intricate historical details of the period. The position of women is a central theme, and the narrative reflects the culture and the social norms and attitudes of the time. My favourite timeline was definitely the more compelling historical one rather than the present one, there is an unevenness in how the connections unfold and in storytelling, but I liked how Caroline ends up working her way through the challenges that she faces. Many thanks to Legend Press for an ARC. ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, netgalley

This was a dual timeline narrative, with one part of the story in present day London, and one in London of the 1700’s. It was well written and interesting.

In the 1700’s timeline, we have Nella, the secretive and isolated matron of the apothecary, spending her days allowing women of London to obtain potions and natural poisons to take care of the wayward men in their lives. Also narrating chapters in this timeline is Eliza, who at 12 years old was sent to obtain a poison for her mistress and the This was a dual timeline narrative, with one part of the story in present day London, and one in London of the 1700’s. It was well written and interesting.

In the 1700’s timeline, we have Nella, the secretive and isolated matron of the apothecary, spending her days allowing women of London to obtain potions and natural poisons to take care of the wayward men in their lives. Also narrating chapters in this timeline is Eliza, who at 12 years old was sent to obtain a poison for her mistress and then becomes enchanted with Nella’s shop. These chapters were rich and full of the feel of the times. I was able to connect with both characters and felt their individual struggles and limits even with their different ages. I would have loved the addition of more focus on Eliza as well nearer to the end.

In present day, we have Caroline, visiting London on her 10th wedding Anniversary and we follow her story after she finds a clue that takes her on a journey to figure out it’s origins while also trying to sort out some issues with her own life. I thought the switch between the timelines was really well written and was able to switch between them seamlessly. I did find the present day story line a bit more of a challenge, there were a few moments where I questioned whether something would unfold in that way or why the character had certain feelings or priorities.

As I read, I found myself wanting to get back to each timeline as I left it in equal amounts which was great. I hoped for a bit more connection between the character narratives then I got but I feel like that was really a ‘me’ issue. Just past midway through, I thought, here we go and from there until the end, I thought it would pick up a bit in connection. The plot did advance quicker and things accelerated in both timelines which was nice. I just kept thinking it was going in ways that it didn’t.

The audio was well done, it was very nice to have three different narrators, I love audiobooks that are going in this direction, it is so much cleaner than one narrator adjusting her voice or cadence. I did find Nella’s voice a bit deep and slow which made for a bit of an adjustment from the other two characters though.

All in all, this was a lovely book about the self discovery of the characters. I thought it was going to be a bit more of a thriller/mystery, but I think, for me, it’s best categorized as historical literary fiction and in that category, I thought it excelled. It showed women throughout the years struggling to fend for and make choices for themselves while not always being in company of the greatest of men. And if that appeals to you, I ++ suggest that you see if the lost apothecary has any tinctures for you 🧪

**Thank-you to NetGalley and Harper Audio/Harlequin Audio for an advanced reader copy of this audiobook which releases March 2nd, 2021** ...more

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Feb 11, 2021 Ceecee rated it it was amazing

Nella Clavinger in the late eighteenth century is a ‘friend’ to women and a ‘brewer of secrets’ and twelve year old maid Eliza Fanning is sent to consult her on behalf of her mistress. In the twenty first century American Caroline Parcewell is on vacation and takes up Bachelor Alf’s offer to join a mudlarking search. Her discovery on the banks of the Thames takes her in a journey of investigation, self discovery and realisation. The story is told by these three women.

This is fabulous storytelli Nella Clavinger in the late eighteenth century is a ‘friend’ to women and a ‘brewer of secrets’ and twelve year old maid Eliza Fanning is sent to consult her on behalf of her mistress. In the twenty first century American Caroline Parcewell is on vacation and takes up Bachelor Alf’s offer to join a mudlarking search. Her discovery on the banks of the Thames takes her in a journey of investigation, self discovery and realisation. The story is told by these three women.

This is fabulous storytelling which is so immersive, compelling and very hard to put down. The narrative is visual and so you feel the squelch of the Thames sticky mud, the soot blackened apothecary comes to life before your eyes and so you see what the characters see. There’s a magical atmosphere permeating the narrative and blending with ghostly, gothic overtones. You feel the chills, the goosebumps, the hairs standing up on the back of your neck and sense the impending danger. The use of language for Nella and Eliza is authentic as is the historical context. I like the contrast between then and now but which also demonstrates clearly that some things never change. The characterisation is very good with them all being well developed. The plot unfolds at a good pace with twists and turns, keeping you wanting to find out the outcome and fate of the key characters. There’s suspicion and tension, threat and manipulation in both time periods, fear and betrayal of trust with a desire for revenge which leads to the alteration of life’s course, demonstrating too that lives can change on a dime. For Caroline, the trip to London gives her the time to think but which also awakens something dormant or suppressed in her. In some ways all the women wear disguises of some sort which are revealed to us as the storyline progresses especially as truths are dredged up and brought to the surface.

Overall, this is a captivating and clever story which is very well written. It’s dark, a bit sinister, intense, magical, ghostly with the two parallel timelines blending seamlessly. This is good escapist reading which I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Legend Press for the much appreciated arc for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 14, 2021 Sheyla ✎ rated it liked it

Shelves: publisher, historical-fiction, 2021, netgalley, arc, debut

Two timelines. Two different centuries. Women impacted by deceit.

In 1791, we meet Nella. She is a woman in her forties. She owns an apothecary just like her mother did before her. The difference is that while her mother used it for healing purposes, Nella after a terrible event in her life has decided to use it for murder. Nella supplies poisons to women who want to eliminate a man in their lives. It can be a brother, a father, a husband. Nella's only rules are not to harm women and to keep a l ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Liz rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, audio

Once again, we have an historical fiction using the split time period device. And once again, I was not taken by the present day story. The historic story grabbed me. It’s 1791 and Nella is a woman’s apothecary, providing formulas for all sorts of women’s problems, especially problem men. When 12 year old Eliza is sent to her shop for a “remedy”, they form a friendship. Unfortunately, it’s not long before a client seeks to violate one of Nella’s rules (harm no women) and everything is put at ris ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Fran rated it it was amazing

"Fancy joining us for mudlarking?" These words would soon jump start Caroline Percewell's unfulfilled dreams of pursuing a graduate degree and researching obscure documents, rare books and perhaps propel her to further exploration of past centuries. Caroline had expected to celebrate her tenth anniversary with her husband James in London. While James had been climbing the corporate ladder with the goal to become a partner in his firm, Caroline's happiness had played second fiddle. First love, th "Fancy joining us for mudlarking?" These words would soon jump start Caroline Percewell's unfulfilled dreams of pursuing a graduate degree and researching obscure documents, rare books and perhaps propel her to further exploration of past centuries. Caroline had expected to celebrate her tenth anniversary with her husband James in London. While James had been climbing the corporate ladder with the goal to become a partner in his firm, Caroline's happiness had played second fiddle. First love, then marriage, now betrayal! James's affair had Caroline reeling. Why not go mudlarking?

"The Thames runs straight through the city of London...Little remnants of history...can be found right here in the mud...countless souls scrounging about in the river for something old, something valuable...". Caroline spotted a translucent sky blue glass, "very much like an apothecary's vial...the glass...quite uneven in places...this glass object-delicate and yet still intact-somewhat like myself...the discontent within me seizing the possibility of adventure, an excursion into my long-lost enthusiasm for era's past". First stop: The British Library!

1791. Netta's story. "I was wonderfully in love. The first betrayal. The first victim. The beginning of a stained legacy. I was not just an apothecary, but a murderer. A master of disguise...". In an outer room, only an old grain barrel, a hiding place for letters with requests from women. "My shop was buried deep behind a cupboard wall at the base of a twisted alleyway in the darkest depths of London...This was my mother's shop long before it was mine. The tinctures she dispersed were meant only for good: benign herbal remedies...but beneath the ink strokes of my register hid betrayal, anguish...and dark secrets...My precious calfskin register- a record of life and death; an inventory of the many women who sought potions from here, the darkest of apothecary shops." "Betrayal was why I began to dispense poisons...to carry the secrets of these women, to record them in my register, to protect and aid them."

In present day London, Caroline searched the British Library databases for information on the vial, hand etched with a tiny bear, the vial unearthed from the muddy Thames. She hoped to time date this item which perhaps was centuries old.

Unfolding in a dual timeline, present day and the years between 1791-1816, the narrators Nella, Eliza, and Caroline tell their stories. Caroline tries to piece together the life of Nella, the apothecary who operated a shop in a back alley two hundred years ago. At the shop, Nella conversed with twelve year old Eliza, who expressed an interest in becoming an apothecary apprentice. Nella explained that she never rested. "Something is always steaming, brewing, stewing, soaking at all hours of the night" and that this has taken a toll on her life. Eliza, a curious, observant, wide-eyed child proved to be a challenge to Nella as apothecary, a brewer of secrets, and a friend to all women.

"The Lost Apothecary" by Sarah Penner was a fascinating melding of the secrets of a hidden apothecary shop and the reemergence of a talented researcher's quest and pursuit of higher education and her search to rediscover herself as well as hidden treasures from the past. I highly recommend this historical fiction read.

Thank you HARLEQUIN/Park Row for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 09, 2021 Jessica | JustReadingJess rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

I LOVED The Lost Apothecary. From the very beginning I was drawn into Nella and Caroline’s stories. The past and present intertwine in this great novel. The chapters alternate between Nella and Caroline’s stories. These characters are complex and trying to do the best they can. Nella is trying to help women especially her new friend Eliza. Caroline is trying to decide what makes her happy. The Lost Apothecary shows how far some women would go to rebel against a man’s world. I loved how unique th ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Elle rated it liked it

Shelves: 2021, coming-soon, netgalley

Now available!!
Pub day: Mar 2, 2021

Well I think this is another case of my expectations being far different than what the book ended up being. Maybe I can’t really fault the author for that, but honestly after reading the description I just thought this was going to be something else entirely.

I mean based off of these quotes:

“female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them”

“unsolved ‘apothecary murders’ that haunted London“

“not everyone will sur ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Sarah Penner rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: slp

Dear Reader,

Last summer, long before lockdown, I found myself standing in the mud of the River Thames in central London, wearing blue rubber gloves and a pair of old tennis shoes. I was mudlarking—hunting the river for old treasures, which is the inspiration for my debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. Given such an adventure would be impossible right now, I hope my novel provides you an opportunity to escape back in time and embark on a story that begins with one woman’s discovery of a mysterious v Dear Reader,

Last summer, long before lockdown, I found myself standing in the mud of the River Thames in central London, wearing blue rubber gloves and a pair of old tennis shoes. I was mudlarking—hunting the river for old treasures, which is the inspiration for my debut novel, The Lost Apothecary. Given such an adventure would be impossible right now, I hope my novel provides you an opportunity to escape back in time and embark on a story that begins with one woman’s discovery of a mysterious vial on the banks of the River Thames. The vial is connected to a string of unsolved murders two centuries ago and the female poisoner behind them—an apothecary who sells well-disguised poisons to other women seeking freedom from the men who have wronged them.

The Lost Apothecary is very much a story about women controlling their own destinies. There are dark aspects to the story—like the burden of secrets and the destructive pursuit of vengeance—but it is also a story of hope and the way women can protect, honor, and free one another, even when separated by the barrier of time. While researching this book, I loved digging into historical documents and antiquated ephemera, particularly those relating to eighteenth-century London. Over the last few years, I’ve happily passed many an afternoon in the Rare Books room of the British Library, my head buried in fragile manuscripts from bygone eras. I’ve studied firsthand accounts of apothecaries, druggists, and poisoners. (I know enough to be dangerous, as they say.) So, although The Lost Apothecary is a work of fiction, I have done my best to research and craft a story that is true to history.

As lockdowns continue and many of us turn to books to escape our present reality, I hope you feel swept away by the mysterious world of The Lost Apothecary and the complex female heroines at its heart. You will become familiar with the secret apothecary shop and the many vials lining the shelves—their contents, their preparations, their sinister uses—and peek into the apothecary’s register of names, discovering who stepped through her hidden door in pursuit of poison. And you will, of course, be alongside the apothecary when the unthinkable happens and her greatest secret is exposed.

I invite you now to leave your own lockdown, if only in your imagination, and join me on the banks of the River Thames. Together, we can begin to unbury the secrets belonging to the lost apothecary. I only ask that you tread carefully—for the apothecary is a clever woman and a master of disguise.

Cheers,
Sarah Penner
...more

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May 30, 2020 MaryannC. Book Freak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, thriller, edelweiss, drama, crime, kindle-read, women-of-strong-character

This was such an engrossing and fascinating read for me, encompassing the wonderful pastime of mudlarking coupled with a dual story line this had me gripped from page one till the very end.
Caroline is a young woman anticipating the near day when she and her husband James will fly to London to make plans for their future and celebrate their 10th anniversary. But all the happy plans are crushed for Caroline when she discovers James has been having an affair. To now contemplate the future and escap This was such an engrossing and fascinating read for me, encompassing the wonderful pastime of mudlarking coupled with a dual story line this had me gripped from page one till the very end.
Caroline is a young woman anticipating the near day when she and her husband James will fly to London to make plans for their future and celebrate their 10th anniversary. But all the happy plans are crushed for Caroline when she discovers James has been having an affair. To now contemplate the future and escape the pain Caroline travels onward alone to London where she happens upon a mudlarking group on the shores of The Thames( Mudlarking for those who may not know is a centuries old pastime of folks scouring the mud for old items of value, it was a means of survival for some adults and children to sell what they found in order to feed their families). Not really knowing whether she cares to involve herself in mucking through the water for items she finds a small glass vial that will change the course of her life and lead her to search for the origins and secrets the vial holds.
In the alternate story line going back to the late 1700's, Nella is a woman who has chosen to live in secret as an apothecary to not only make her special healing tinctures but also as a means to kill men, men who have betrayed, hurt and deceived women. Through word of mouth Nella receives secret requests from women to conjure up poison remedies that will kill the boyfriends, husbands and lovers who all have caused them pain in way or another. Vowing never to hurt any women in the course of dispensing her poisonous tinctures Nella will receive a request that will put her lifelong vow to help women in danger as well as her own life.
I have recently begun exploring the topic of mudlarking and long to know more about the fascinating historical objects that have been gleaned from the mud and waters through the years, so I was excited to read this when I first spotted it. This novel also peaked more of an interest for me in the poisoning cases during the Victorian era, leading me to seek out the books the author has mentioned in her notes. All in all this was an engrossing and totally fascinating read! Recommended.

Thank you to Edelweiss and author Sarah Penner for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Mar 18, 2020 Amy Meyerson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Sarah Penner kept me guessing until the last page of this addictive, atmospheric novel about an apothecary, who concocts poisons to help women exact revenge on men who have betrayed them, and the woman who uncovers her secrets over 200 years later. Meticulously researched, The Lost Apothecary is both a cure for idleness and a recipe for intrigue. Prepare to be consumed by this carefully plotted, propulsive debut.

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Jan 13, 2021 Josh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: best-reads-of-2021, netgalley-arc-s

The Lost Apothecary

A mesmerizing debut novel about womanhood, feminism, betrayal, vengeance and a stained legacy

1791 : Nella, Eliza
Present : Caroline

The story line is aesthetically written. Interchanging between the past and the present makes it more interesting and captivating. The narrative is very exquisite and have that old-fashioned classy feeling in to It.
Throughout the novel, the author heartily writes about feminism and womanhood. Women supporting women, from Nella's rules about ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it it was amazing

Quick thoughts:

How about this beautiful cover?

Listen to this premise: “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.”

Told in two timelines, present day and London in the 1700s, The Lost Apothecary is atmospheric hist fic gold! Full of secrets, lies, suspense, drama, and betrayal, I loved this engrossing and juicy story from start to finish.

Genre-wise, I would say The Lo ...more

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Feb 18, 2021 Ink_Drinker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, audio-books

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

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

What a phenomenal debut novel for Sarah Penner!! I am so honored to be one of the first to read this book!! I had no idea what this book was about when I requested a c ...more

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Jan 24, 2021 Dennis rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-pub, 2021-read, historical-fiction

After having such a bad reading month, it’s nice to have two back-to-back great reads. First, Chris Whitaker’s We Begin at the End, and now Sarah Penner’s The Lost Apothecary !
⁣
This feminist historical fiction story focuses on three point of views in a dual storyline—1790s and Present Day London. In the present day, Caroline is running from her troubles and on vacation touring London. Caroline is hoping this vacation will give her the answers she needs to solve her current problems. While tou ...more

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Feb 25, 2021 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: blog-tour, net-galley, debuts, 2021, february-2021, she-spoke, 2021-motley-challenge, historical-fiction

Blog Tour Feb. 26th!

The Lost Apothecary is an historical fiction with a dual timeline set in 1791 London and the present day. Both of these timelines deal with secrets and the agency of women. Both story arcs are born out of betrayal. The pain from one betrayal leads one woman to turn her apothecary into a means for other women to free themselves of the men in their lives. Whether it be their husband or employer Nella serves up doses of poison to kill them but make it look like they died of ...more

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Feb 04, 2021 Theresa Alan rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

The Lost Apothecary is historical fiction that follows two storylines told from three points of view. In the present day, Caroline is alone in England on what was supposed to be a trip to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary. She’s reeling from discovering her husband’s infidelity. She’d wanted to get a degree from Cambridge as her passions are history and British literature, but she gave up on her dream when she got married and chose a safe life working the books on her family farm. ...more

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Feb 22, 2021 Annette rated it really liked it

Shelves: english-heritage, historical-fiction-1700s

Murder by poison throughout England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was carried mostly by women. “The largest population of accused poisoners consisted of mothers, wives, and female servants… Motives ranged widely: grudges against employers, the removal of inconvenient spouses or lovers, death benefits…”

London, 1791. Nella is an owner of an apothecary. Her mother started the shop for women’s maladies (as similar help provided by men was hardly helpful to women). She never intended to Murder by poison throughout England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was carried mostly by women. “The largest population of accused poisoners consisted of mothers, wives, and female servants… Motives ranged widely: grudges against employers, the removal of inconvenient spouses or lovers, death benefits…”

London, 1791. Nella is an owner of an apothecary. Her mother started the shop for women’s maladies (as similar help provided by men was hardly helpful to women). She never intended to stain her mother’s shop’s legacy, but an event in her life propels her to make certain remedies - deadly ones.

Eliza’s family are farmers. At her mother’s insistence, she travels to London where in search of a life beyond fields and pasture. Eliza starts her work first in the scullery. Two months later, she learns how to write as her mistress’ hands are shaky. “She cannot write much of anything anymore.” And once Eliza experiences her master’s unwelcome touch, her mistress sends her on an errand to Nella.

Present day London. Caroline, an aspiring historian, while visiting London, she learns about mudlarking. As it turns out, the river Thames holds “little remnants of history, all the way back to the Roman era,” including coins, rings, pottery and such. She finds a vial with a little animal etched onto it – something like an apothecary vial, but it’s missing a logo. Her background in history and a feeling of unfulfilled life prompts her to explore her curiosity.

What interested me in Caroline’s story was her attempting things she missed out on marrying and settling too early. She is an interesting character. However, her trying to solve the mystery that happened two hundred years earlier brings some repetition as we learn about those events when story goes back in time. I felt a much stronger connection with the past story and that’s where I think the strength of the novel lies.

Nella is the star. Her knowledge of herbs and making different tinctures with caution (as small dose of one plant can be beneficial, but too much can be deadly) creates a mystery in itself. I enjoyed learning about her childhood. When “other children amused themselves with blocks and sticks and cards in muddy alleyways,” Nella spent her childhood learning “the color, consistency, and flavor of hundreds of ingredients. She studied the great herbalists and memorized the Latin names within the pharmacopoeias.”

Overall, the dual timeline with three POVs are seamlessly woven with suspense carried from one perspective to another. With crisp prose the story is engrossing and propulsive. You can also see and feel the darker and mysterious atmosphere added by the place’s narrow alleyways. If you don’t know the area, it seems as you can easily get lost there.

Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com
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Dec 14, 2020 Cheryl rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-suspense-thriller, arc-giveaway, adult-fiction

After learning of her husband’s affair, Caroline travels to London where she hopes to spend time alone and decide what she will do as she moves forward with her life.

Once there, a series of unexpected events draw her into researching “the lost apothecary”. The mysterious apothecary existed two hundred years ago, and the details surrounding the murders and disappearance were never fully exposed. As Caroline begins to delve into the circumstances related to the apothecary, she soon realizes that s ...more

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Mar 01, 2021 Madison Warner Fairbanks rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, arc, historical, clean, ecopy, kindle-ebook, dark, publisher-supplied

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
Contemporary and historical women’s fiction. Alternating chapters from 1791 and present day.
1791 Eliza, a twelve year servant tasked with killing her employers husband with a poison from the hidden apothecary.
1791 Nella, an aging and sick spinster has been disbursing poisons to women since she lost her own child in death.
Present day Caroline, a woman traveling alone in London after finding out her husband has had an affair. She finds an intriguing glass vial ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Judy rated it really liked it

Wow! This is an excellent debut novel Sarah Penner! The story is told in two timelines, both in London: one in the 1790s and one in present day. In the 1790s, Nella is an apothecary with a hidden, secret shop where she dispenses poisons to women who are in desperate situations due to men. Nella has two rules she lives by: 1) Do no harm to women, and 2) Record the names of both the woman and the victime in her journal. A young girl comes into Nella's life, Eliza Fanning, who precipitates the risk ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Melissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Few stories take less than a page to lock me in their grasp, but The Lost Apothecary was certainly one of the few! I was taken instantly into the depths of 18th Century London, and I mean the depths, to discover a woman who chooses a dangerous path not for her own benefit, but because of her own pain, and with an unsolicited assistant amid much misgivings. Concurrently, we meet another woman whose pain brings her to the same London but in the modern day. As she unearths secrets long buried in th ...more

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Feb 19, 2021 Eva K (journeyofthepages) rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook, netgalley, ebook

I loved the story of The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner! I fell in love with all the female characters and was invested in them from the beginning. The premise of this novel is really intriguing! Told from three points of view and in two periods of time, you are provided with a thriller in the 1700s and a mystery in the present day.

As her debut novel, Penner really impresses! This story is fantastical yet realistic, dramatic but not absurd, touching but not sappy, and overall empowering for wom ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Krista rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021

This was one of my most anticipated reads for Winter 2021 and I'm thrilled to say I loved it! I was captivated by this debut novel by Sarah Penner in which we follow two women, learn how their secrets affect them and watch as their stories weave together. Nella, in 1700s London, is an apothecary who provides women with means to avenge themselves with the men who have hurt them. Caroline in present day London finds one of the apothecary's vials while mudlarking along the Themes. She had come to L ...more

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Jan 21, 2021 Vanessa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Lovers of the film Practical Magic

Shelves: historical-fiction, 4-stars-it-was-good, mystery-thriller, cover-love, netgalley, revenge-is-a-dish-best-served-cold, kick-ass-heroines

4.25 Enchanting Stars!

“The best apothecary is the one who knows intimately the despair felt by her patient…”

RELEASE DATE - March 2, 2021

I was selected to review the AUDIO version of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio!

As soon as I read the blurb for this book (and saw that gorgeous cover), I was immediately intrigued. The idea of a lost apothecary buried in the walls of London that catered to a secret network of women fascinated me.

The story is told in three d ...more

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Mar 02, 2021 emily • emilybookedup rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-books

3.5 rounded up to 4 on goodreads! a unique, quick story that featured strong, brave female characters and i looooved that. eliza + nella = dream👏🏼team👏🏼 loved the dual POVs and how the author wove them together. full review to come in March on my Instagram!

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Feb 14, 2021 Jannelies rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley2021, historical-fiction

My interest in this book was piqued by the cover and some of the excellent reviews here on GR. I happen to like stories set in different timelines and I was not disappointed. The characters of Nella and Eliza are very well drawn out and early in the book I could relate to them. Caroline, I liked a little less; I thought her a rather unreliable person because during the story there are many times, she decides not to disclose something that would have helped other people. Or even herself. Yes, her ...more

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Huntsville-Madiso...: Hoopla Pick - March 2- The Lost Apothecary	1	4	Mar 02, 2021 08:22AM
Download PDF/ePub eBook The Lost Apothecary: A Novel by Sarah Penner	1	1	Mar 02, 2021 02:58AM
Fiction, Fantasie...: March 2021 \| Lost Apothecary	1	4	Feb 27, 2021 08:27AM
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Challenge Corner: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner -> Starting January 12th, 2021	43	8	Jan 16, 2021 09:42AM
NetGalley Readers: The Lost Apothecary is available to request on NetGalley!	16	69	Jul 14, 2020 09:12PM

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“To me, the allure of history lay in the minutiae of life long ago, the untold secrets of ordinary people.” — 0 likes

“My mother had held tight to this principle, instilling in me from an early age the importance of providing a safe haven - a place of healing - females.” — 0 likes

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