This was an intriguing story set in two time periods-today and the late 1700s. Both narratives were compelling and I enjoyed exploring the parallels between the characters.

The Lost Apothecary is a true gem--a thoroughly original, page-turning blend of historical and women's fiction. Over the last few tumultuous days, it's been such a comfort to escape into the pages of Sarah Penner's addictive debut. In 1791 London, Nella is an apothecary with a cure for all that ails the women who come to her hidden, back alley shop, including the dangerous men in their lives. Nella is secretly a purveyor of poisons, but she will only sell them to women in danger. When Eliza, a twelve-year old housemaid, walks into her shop, Nella's carefully ordered and secretive life will be forever changed.

In the present, Caroline is on a solo trip to London after discovering her husband has been unfaithful. She discovers a mysterious glass vial in the Thames and embarks on a treasure hunt to discover the mystery of the unknown apothecary. A highly recommended treat for fans of historical suspense! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the librarian preview copy.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to preview Sarah Penner’s debut novel The Lost Apothecary. Its parallel plotlines, one historical and one modern are sprinkled with mystery, scholarly sleuthing, the secret knowledge of apothecaries, and unexpected plot twists. While there were a few points where my interest lagged and parts that would have benefitted from further development, I found the overall reading experience enjoyable. The Lost Apothecary is well-researched and well-written. It is the perfect book to partner with a rainy weekend, a mug of coffee, and a roaring fire.

I was expecting something different from this title. Unfortunately this wasn't for me; I don't think it would fit into our collection or meet our normal readers desires.

I was looking for an engrossing read, and this was it. I read it through in one sitting. The characters are engaging and the setting is the apothecary shop comes alive through the authors writing. I was, however, disappointed at the ending. It was as though it was nailed on at the last minute, and without much thought attached. It really took the pleasure out of it for me.

This was a good story--an interesting historical aspects, a decent plot, solid characters, but it was also a little lacking in luster. The ending also left me wishing for...more. I appreciated the two story lines and how they intertwined, and the author did well to weave them together. The characters were well crafted but not, perhaps, overly memorable. The story was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it's not one I'll ever go back to. A solid, enjoyable book, great for a summer beach read.

a truly fascinating premise! I much preferred the historical portion of the book versus the contemporary, but that's not uncommon for me when reading dual-timeline books. the characters were a bit flat, but the idea of the story and the situations that were occurring made up for that, I think. all in all, something I really enjoyed. and something that I think anyone who is interested in historical fiction with a distinct feminist edge would appreciate.

This story was quite interesting, with murder, poison, with a modern day mystery. I enjoyed reading about the mudlarkers and exploring the history of London from a female apothecary and then modern a researcher perspective. There were some strong references to infidelity, infertility, etc that may be triggering for some, but overall an interesting read and one of female empowerment. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy.

The Lost Apothecary

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this novel; I was pulled into the story and invested in the characters almost immediately. The Lost Apothecary alternates between the 1790’s and present-day London. In the 1790’s an apothecary, Nella, helps women rid themselves of the troublesome men in their lives. Eliza is the young girl who befriends Nella, despite her reluctance to let anyone grow close. More than 200 years later, Caroline finds herself visiting London as she tries to sort out her life. Caroline stumbles across an artifact from Nella’s apothecary and is drawn into the mysteries of Nella and Eliza’s lives.

All 3 main characters come to life on the page as they tell their own stories. Despite the 200-year gap between the characters, there were parallels to their lives. Each struggled to make her own decisions and not let her life be decided by chance or the men in her life. I found myself guessing about what would happen next - and then being surprised by what did happen next!

I did find that the story seemed to get bogged down a little toward the end of the book. I wanted the story to pick up pace as the tension built near the end of the story, instead the paragraphs seemed to get longer and the details seemed too dense. There were also a couple of minor characters who acted in one way when we first met them but differently later on – the changes helped to move the plot along, but didn’t make sense in terms of character development.

Overall, this is a fun read and I think that anyone who enjoys historical fiction or contemporary fiction will enjoy it. This is Sarah Penner’s first novel. Her writing is smart and well-crafted and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future!

The Lost Apothecary
bySarah Penner
Turn the corner on to a back alley, located on a dark crooked lane, there is hidden door to a tiny concealed shop. Inside is a clandestine store with bottles and brews of poisons waiting to be sold to ladies of wealth. At the turn of the 18th century we are taken back to London for an unsolved crime. The details and atmosphere of this historical
fiction make you feel like you are there, smelling the Themes River, walking the streets of London. A young ragamuffin’s knocks on Nella’s door and request a poison for her mistress. So starts the beginning of the mysteries of many murders, betrayals, thefts and scandals that take place two centuries ago.
Presently Caroline and her husband are ready for their 10th year anniversary but the anniversary will turn out differently than they had originally planned. Caroline finds a blue bottle, has an archaic mark while on an mudlarking outing on the banks of the River Themes. So begins the mysteries of murders, thieveries, betrayals, and new beginnings. Does Caroline find the murders from the poison death that happened two centuries ago? Who has new beginnings? Why use alias?
I would have given this book more than 5 stars but 5 stars are the limit. This book in my opinion would be a great Netfix series.
Thank you Netgalley for this copy..

This book far exceeded my expectations. It was a quick read and every in the book served a purpose. I really like the flow of telling two parallel stories from the past and present. I'm definitely going to choose this book for book club once it's published!

This is an interesting story, and you’ll like it if you’re looking for a very light read with a little mystery thrown in.

Fun, fast-paced, and interesting this thriller about a woman in the present discovering the tracks of an apothecary from the late 18th century is sure to keep you turning pages.

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.

I love historical fiction but rarely read ones in the 18th century, but the description of this one intrigued me. When I saw it on NetGalley, I requested it and want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and enjoy this book.

Wow!!!! Incredible debut novel by Sarah Penner.

The story grabbed me right from the beggining and kept me guessing till the end.

Dual timeline book told from the point of views of 3 female characters...Caroline(present day) and Nella and Eliza in 1791.

This is a story of friendship, betrayal, following your dreams and do much more.

Thank you very much for an early copy. Loved the book!!

There is a whole lot to like in this book. I find the topic of poisoning people to be supremely fascinating, and having one of the main characters to be an apothecary who specializes in helping wronged women, well, sign me up to read it! It's a quick read and I read it quickly.

A few things bothered me. The graphic descriptions of menstruation are pointless. Like I sincerely don't get that, and it kind of turned my stomach if I'm being honest. (Was that the point? Because if it was, then bravo!) I also felt like the book could have been better if it were longer. There were a lot of parts that seemed really abrupt and while that's fine, I guess, I actually would have liked more explanations.

And the ending. Well, it was murky and rushed. That's fine, again, I guess, if that was the point. But I sincerely felt like it could have been handled better, you know?

Anyway, overall, I enjoyed this one. I'd read more novels by this author. Great debut!

Tucked into an alley, working in a hidden room, Nella sells poisons to women in abusive situations. When a twelve year old comes into her shop seeking a potion for her mistress, a small mistake puts Nella in serious danger. In present-day, after finding out that her husband is cheating, Caroline travels to London alone. After finding an apothecary bottle in the mud along the river, she begins to track down the bottle and unravel Nella's story.

I'm not sure what to say about this one. Nella's story was interesting, and I wish the book had focused entirely on her. Caroline's story was unnecessary and dramatically slowed the plot down. I thought Caroline's research attempts were highly unlikely to yield any results and was just not believable. However, because I enjoyed the apothecary's story, 3 out of 5 stars.

This was a great historical mystery set in eighteenth century and present day London. Perfect mystery for a cozy fall day.

I requested this book on a whim after I received an email promoting it. It ended up being quite a good read, albeit a fast one. It is split between the late 18th century and the current day and alternates between the two female protagonists, Nella and Caroline. While there was enough detail to set up and continue the story, I think it could have been longer and more fleshed out. However, it was a good read and an enjoyable one and I will recommend it to my patrons.

This was a fascinating read!
Nella is an apothecary in 18th century London who has a very special business. Caroline is a 21st century woman doing some soul-searching on what should have been her 10th wedding anniversary vacation. One spur-of-the-moment excursion propels Caroline into a surprising project, and helps her decide who she wants to be.
The two storylines progress alongside each other. We learn about Nella as she faces her worst nightmare, while following Caroline's research (which leads to an interesting twist after her husband joins her in London).
The subject matter, the pacing, and the history made this a difficult book to put down. I found myself wanting more details about Nella's potions, the history behind them, and whether there were others like her in that time period. Loved the ending, too!
This would be a great book club read-so many things to talk about! The role and practice of the apothecary, women's issues, relationships, and murder all come into play in this wonderful book.