The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Title: The Lost Apothecary 
Author: Sarah Penner
Release Date: 3.2.21
Publisher: Park Row 

Publisher's Summary: 

In this addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, 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. Pitched as Kate Morton meets The Miniaturist, The Lost Apothecary is a bold work of historical fiction with a rebellious twist that heralds the coming of an explosive new talent.

A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary…

Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary’s fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries.

Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate—and not everyone will survive.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time.

My Review:

I always love a connected dual timeline that spans centuries, especially with strong female characters. Both storylines were great but I did lean more into the historical one: the apothecary shop and the relationship between Nella and her apprentice Eliza. As for the present day storyline with Caroline, I was so happy that the author didn't go where I thought she might have been going for a minute (I don't want to give any spoilers.) This was written in the style of several magical realism books I like (The Little Shop of Found Things, The Glamourist, etc.) but the potions in this book were all too real. The perfect amount of cozy, mixed with scandal, history, and strong-willed women, The Lost Apothecary is sure to be the first of many successful novels for Sarah Penner. 

About the Author

Sarah Penner is the debut author of The Lost Apothecary, to be translated in eleven languages worldwide. She works full-time in finance and is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She and her husband live in St. Petersburg, Florida, with their miniature dachshund, Zoe. To learn more, visit slpenner.com.