The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Published : 2nd March 2021

Publisher : Legend Press

Format : Kindle, Audio, Hardback

Genre : Historical Fiction

Review #25/2021

{ 𝐚𝐝: 𝐩𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 / 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜 }

* All words highlighted in Grey are affiliate links to either purchase from a range of sellers or links to the authors sites. Where ever possible I will try and provide different versions of the book on all purchase sites.

Synopsis

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.

Thank you @LegendPress for this stunning copy and totally unputdownable historical read

My Review

“ I swear and promise before god, author and creator of all things...

Never to teach ungrateful persons or fools

the secrets and mysteries of the trade..

Never to divulge the secrets confided to me...

Never to administer poisons...

To disavow and shun as a pestilence the scandoulous and pernicious practices of quacks, empiric and alchymists...

And to keep no stale or bad drugs in my shop.

May god continue to bless me as long as I continue to obey these things!

Ancient Apothecary Oath

1791

Nella

The Apothecary dispenses poisons & topics to women. Once her mother’s shop had been one of curing & healing but since she met a man in the throes of mourning her mothers death & the heartache & betrayal he caused turned Nella’s shop into one of secrecy, a shop that sells the healing tinctures of her mother’s past but now also poisons to help women. Help them get revenge & resolution from the men who have wronged them. Hidden behind a secret wall the only proof of her wares is a short hand journal marking all the women she has helped.

Eliza is a twelve year old girl. A servant scullery maid sent to Nella’s shop by the lady of the house to purchase some poisoned eggs to feed to the master who has been taking advantage of Eliza. This is how Nella & Eliza meet & set the turn of events that bring the pair together & bind them forever.

Present day-

Caroline

After finding out her husband has been having an affair on the eve of their tenth wedding anniversary trip to London from the States, Caroline makes a spontaneous choice to join a mudlarking group on the Thames. Upset & confused she sifts through the stones and happens upon a small blue glass vial with a drawing of a bear in the side.

Intrigued She is directed to the British Library to try & find out more about this strange glass bottle. With a passion for history Caroline starts to investigate where the vial came from & starts to get somewhere when her husband turns up unexpectedly & throws everything that was starting to clear her head back into chaos. She can not rest until she has discovered the secrets of the Lost Apothecary.

Why I Loved It

I literally devoured this one in under twenty four hours. I absolutely adored this story!

Written & told through the eyes of three women who are two hundred years apart the story draws you in & has you totally spellbound, enraptured with the bond that the women share and the mysterious vial that binds them.

With each chapter you get to read alternatively what is happening within there own lives & the serendipitous moments that make them all travel down the same path.

This is an amazing historical debut & an author to most definitely look out for ✨

Rating

★★★★★

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Meet the author

I was born and raised in northeast Kansas, growing up in a small log cabin nestled deep in the woods. This picturesque retreat, where I lived until early adulthood, frames most of my early memories.

I began writing seriously in 2015, after attending a moving lecture given by Elizabeth Gilbert. She was on tour for Big Magic, a game-changing book for creatives. Soon after her talk, I enrolled in my first online creative writing class. I haven't looked back since.

I'm an avid traveler, though my heart is stuck in London. Other favorite destinations include Thailand, Ireland, Germany, Belize, and Grand Cayman.

I graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in finance, and I've spent the last decade in various corporate finance functions. I love my day-job: numbers and spreadsheets appeal to my analytical side.

When I'm not writing, you'll likely find me in the kitchen, the yoga studio, or running outdoors in the Florida heat.

I'm married to my best friend, Marc. We're proud residents of the Sunshine State, where we live with our "silky hair" miniature dachshund, Zoe.