This is really two stories intertwined: Nella, a female apothecary in the 1790s who only serves women. In addition to offering normal herbal cures for their ailments, she provides poisons to dispose of men in their lives; and a modern-day American, Caroline, travelling to London for her tenth wedding anniversary, who discovers before her trip that her husband has been unfaithful.

Caroline's efforts to research the vial she has found, and subsequently to solve the mystery surrounding the unknown apothecary, whilst trying to resolve her own life-dilemmas were counterbalanced against Nella's life and the arrival of Eliza, who was a catalyst for change for her.

The two stories work well together, and the reader is swept up in the events in both their lives. Some is perhaps a little far-fetched - the idea of the apothecary's workshop remaining hidden for centuries, for example. I found the use of the word 'police' a little distracting - in the 1790s there were only parish constables, who were recruited on an unpaid basis, so the idea of a number of them converging on the workshop in matching blue jackets seems a little unlikely. Robert Peels' 'bobbies' only began their beats in 1829.

But the tale itself is told well and certainly was a page turner. The adventures of Nella, Eliza and Caroline make for an exciting tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Legend Press for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Although I loved the premise of the book, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story of Nella, the apothecary selling poisons to get rid of men in their lives sounded like an amazing idea. But her friendship/relationship with a young Eliza was a bit too far-fetched to me, especially as it stretched the middle of the story and to me it made it too unbelievable. I liked the contemporary part of the book though, the search of the story behind the vial, despite some unbelievable chances and serendipitous discoveries. It is not a bad story, but I just feel it could have been much better.

My favourite kind of story with two interwoven tales, one set in London in 1791, and one set in contemporary times. Loved the central tales of Nella, Eliza and Caroline and the history explored through the apothecary’s shop. Perfectly paced, I raced through this book, and although on the short side, the characters were fully explored. Read this originally on NetGalley but ordered a hardback as soon as I finished.

Set in London in the late 1700's, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a historic fiction set between alternating timelines and multiple character points of view.

Hidden at the back of a storeroom at no.3 Back Alley is a secret the women of London keep. For many decades the the women of London have turned to the Apothecary to treat many ailments, it's proprietor, a trusted woman who vowed to help all women.
Nella, a middle aged woman who inherited her mother's apothecary store some 20 years ago, was wronged by someone she trusted most. This injustice propelled Nella down a path she never imagined, becoming a murderer.
Along with some medicines, Nella now makes poisons for the women of London, who have been wronged by their husbands, brothers or fathers.
But Nella still keeps one vow, to serve the women of London, never will a woman be harmed by her poison.

Eliza is a 12 year old girl, sent by her mistress to procure a poison on her behalf. This meeting is the start of a very meaningful relationship between the two and sets in motion a series of events which change their lives forever.

Present day, Caroline has been married to her husband for ten years and have recently been trying to conceive. They planned a romantic getaway in London, to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. However, days before their trip, Caroline discovers her husband has been having an affair with a colleague of his. Heartbroken and undecided on what this will mean for her future, Caroline decides to go to London alone, to give herself time to think.
On arriving in England, Caroline is invited to go mudlarking on the banks of the river Thames. It is on this excursion, searching for ancient debris, that Caroline finds a small blue bottle with a tiny carving of a bear.
Intrigued, Caroline is prompted to research the origins of the little bottle, which uncovers the crimes and mystery from over 200 years ago.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, the dual timelines worked very well and I felt a connection with all three main characters.
This book is beautifully written, has very thought out characters, with great back stories and lots of suspense to keep you wanting more.
I highly recommend it to those who haven't read this already.

This was a 5 star read for me. I absolutely loved it. I was immediately drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and was very lucky to be approved for an ecopy on NetGalley.

This is a dual timeline story, narrated by three women.
Nella runs a secret, hidden apothecary shop in a back alley of 18th Century London, giving out poisonous remedies to help women deal with problematic relationships. Caroline is living in the present and is on a 10 year anniversary trip to London alone after having recently discovered her husbands infidelity. By accident Caroline stumbles upon a vial in the Thames and it leads her on a trail of discovery back to the past and the mysterious apothecary shop owner and the related murders. Finally there is Eliza (in the 18th Century), a twelve year old girl, sent by her mistress to retrieve some poison. She befriends Nella but her involvement leads to some devastating consequences.

The two timelines really cleverly entertwine throughout the book as you discover more about each of them. I found each part completely engrossing and just couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed being transported back to London in the 18th Century with all the little alley ways and I loved all the historical details. Equally I really related to Caroline and was keen to keep reading to find out how she resolved all of her life problems as well as slowly unravelling the mystery of the murders.

A brilliant book. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction/murder mysteries and lots of intrigue and suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and Legend Press for this ARC.

This is a brilliant book - dual timeline historical fiction that covers mystery,murder, love and rediscovery. I loved the story from Nella and Eliza- such strong female characters fighting for survival in the strongly male world of the late 1700’s. Caroline in the present time period was also fighting, this time for her own worth.
The writing is wonderful- so descriptive you can almost feel the cobwebs brush your face as you investigate the apothecary’s room. Full of suspense, you can’t help but be drawn into the story as Caroline seeks to find answers to the murders recorded over two centuries ago.

This book was very enjoyable. I came into it with little knowledge of what to expect but I was not disappointed.

This book is about what women do to be remembered. It's about pain and endurance and finding one's self through that.

It begins with an introduction to Nella. An apothecary who while dispensing harmless tinctures, also gives out poisons to women who need to be rid of the men in her life.

The other narrative voice is that of Caroline. A woman who has come to London for her 10th wedding anniversary alone since her husband has cheated on her. After finding a glass jar during a mudlarking trip, she begins a journey to find out just how this jar came to be there and the women surrounding its story.

I expected something simple when coming into this, stories of betrayal and how the revenge is carried out but it wasn't what I got. Instead, I got a story about the importance of recording and remembering the story of the everyman and also the complex actions that lead people to their current point in life. How much other people affect our own choices and who we become.

Despite how intricate this story was, I felt there was a disconnect between the story of Caroline and Nella. Until the very end, though their slight similarities, one story was marginally more interesting than the other. While I enjoyed how you watched things unfold in both settings until the story is completed, it took longer than I wanted to get back to the story I wanted to read.

The characters were realistic. Full of pain and you understand why they made the decisions they did. It made them particularly likeable especially Eliza who was a welcomed innocent in the story. Nella's age was also something that stood out to me. I like that we don't follow someone young, naive and impressionable and have the story of someone with experience. It added a layer to the story and is a much-needed point of view.

The one thing that bothered me with the characters was the talk about pregnancy and children. At times it felt unneeded, the point had been drummed in at the beginning and I felt that at times it reduced the female characters to their abilities to become mothers.

Overall, this is a story I'm glad was told. It truly is a lost story and I'm happy with the message about the importance of forgotten people and about telling stories about them, about recording their existence. I was very pleased with how it ended, while I was not expecting part of it at all, it is a satisfying ending to a lost story.

Firstly this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so thank you to netgalley for providing an Arc.

This isn’t what I expected, but I still liked it as a whole, I think I’d of enjoyed it more of there was ahm... more murders maybe?

Even though it goes between last and present I liked how everything linked together and how Caroline was able to grow as a person after everything that happened. I think I’d quite like a prequel to maybe go into things more.

I’d say this is more of a 3.5 stars for me but I’m going to boost it up to a 4 :)

Wow, what a book! It's been so long since I've absorbed and gobbled up a story like this. For me to stay up later just to see this through to the end says a lot for how much I loved this!

It follows the story of three women, flipping between the 1700s and present day. A broken apothecary owner, a young girl with a budding interest in magick, and a historian escaping to London after a life crisis. Their stories begin to overlap and the direction of the story had me gasping and turning the page for more.

It flows perfectly, without a dull moment, it's set in wonderful London, and jumps between the characters perfectly, I was especially glad that Eliza's viewpoint was included. Also, how gorgeous is the cover? Stunning! *chef's kiss*

For a short book, this certainly packs a big punch. I absolutely loved it!!

The story is told from the perspective of 3 women, one in the present day and other two from over 200 years ago. I adore historical fiction but usually I'm not a big fan of the two time periods being told at the same time but for me, this flows perfectly!!

I loved the characters and their development, I loved the settings and I loved the atmosphere.

It is a short book, I read most of it in a day but the story is told so well that it really didn't need to be any longer. I am so glad the author didn't drag it out to make a bigger book.

Highly recommend!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is a novel which switches between the storylines of a female apothecary in the 1790s who sells poisons to women to kill men who have wronged them and the present day, in which Caroline happens upon a clue which leads her to investigate the apothecary’s story.

Well, the idea of an apothecary dispensing poison for women to use for murder was enticing to say the least. This book had the potential to weave a thought-provoking, adventurous tale, developing themes about womanhood, oppression and doing evil for good. Sadly, for me it did not quite meet the mark.

The narratives switch between three characters, Caroline, our present-day historian, Nella, the apothecary, and Eliza, a servant girl who becomes friends with Nella over the course of the book.

As I said, I was expecting this novel to grapple with challenging themes, which could have been very emotive and dark. Yet, it turned out to be just a bland bit of light fiction never dwelling on anything for too long, skimming over the surface of most of the characters, their motives and their reactions and lacking depth on any of the parallel-running plotlines.

It is surprising how a book surrounding multiple murders, historical medicine and herbalism and women trapped in marriages with infidels, letches and rapists could be quite so vanilla. It was a pleasant enough read, but lacked the substance I was hoping for.

I found Nella, the apothecary to be a bit of an enigma. We do learn about her back story and gain some insight into her motives for dispensing the poisons. However, for a woman who was resourceful enough to construct the whole clandestine operation we meet her in a weakened state and I grew frustrated with how she seemed to fall into an oblivious kind of dream-like manner becoming swept along by circumstance with no clear influence on the events or people around her.

Eliza, was a naïve girl who met Nella whilst running an errand for her mistress. It is not really clear why the friendship between Nella and Eliza develops, it seems to be more for the convenience of the plot than due to real concrete reasoning. However, an intimacy develops between them which has the potential to bring new colour to the characters. But yet again, Penner seems to skim the surface of going to any depths and I was left feeling robbed of any insight into the emotional and kindred aspects of their friendship.

Finally, Caroline’s story in the present day brought a different perspective to the themes of womanhood running through this book. She parallels the wronged women of the 18th century by escaping to London on a trip she was supposed to take with her husband to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, but was instead travelling alone having discovered her husband had been having an affair.

I initially enjoyed Caroline’s historical investigations as they took her to The British Library and researching documents and newspapers there. As an avid genealogist I appreciated the details Penner gives about the sources of Caroline’s research and the challenges of finding the truth from historical documents.

Yet, again her story became somewhat contrived. It seemed unlikely that she would make some of the discoveries she did and her investigation became constructed around coincidence and unrealistic serendipity. Even the parallel storylines surrounding her relationship and those from the apothecary’s timeline seemed somewhat silly and phoney.

For me, the conclusion of the book yet again did not fully reconcile itself and therefore left me unmoved and feeling somewhat apathetic about the ending and the novel as a whole.

The Lost Apothecary is a beautiful tapestry of mystery, murder, suspense, guilt, discovery, and historical adventure as it unfolds in the dark alleyways of late eighteenth-century London. With the second period in modern times, Caroline Parcewell is an American, visiting London on what was planned as her tenth wedding anniversary celebration, until she discovered her husband had an affair. Now she is using the trip to gain space to think about where her life is going and why she never followed her dreams as an aspiring historian. In a mudlarking gathering on the banks of the Thames, Caroline discovers a small bluish vial with a strange image of a bear carved into the side.

Over two hundred years earlier, Nella Clavinger, followed on with her mother’s apothecary shop and held tight to the principle “the importance of providing a safe haven – a place of healing – for women.” There is however one major difference, Nella also makes poisons to kill men if they have betrayed a woman. All her commissions are recorded in her register, a process started by her mother. While Nella is developed as a wonderfully empathetic character, suffering physical and psychological pain, she is a serial killer known only to women. Because Nella is hard-working, caring, and vulnerable it is easy to forget that she has a very dark side without obvious remorse.

“My precious register was a record of life and death; an inventory of the many women who sought potions from here, the darkest of apothecary shops.”

One day a twelve-year-old girl, Eliza Fanning, visits the apothecary on an errand from her mistress Mrs Amwell to request a potion to kill her husband Thompson Amwell. After the deed is complete Eliza comes back to the shop while her widowed mistress embarks on travels and Eliza feels the ghosts of Mr Amwell haunt her. Eliza and Nella develop a friendship, both finding comfort in each other’s company and a way to work together. The relationship between the two is wonderful and their dialogue is engaging with a feel of historical authenticity.

Each chapter is well staged as we flip between the three POV narratives of each woman. The little blue vial becomes the seductive link between the two time periods. Caroline develops a friendship with Gaynor from the British Library, and their research opens fascinating threads that Caroline explores in the hidden and forgotten corners of London. Of surprise, Bear Alley still exists, if all but forgotten, and the web of intrigue stretches between the three women. The storytelling in Sarah Penner’s novel is clever and entertaining, engrossing with a sinister undertone, and draws that amazing atmospheric blend between modern and historical London.

I had an issue accepting the deep friendships developed after a few meetings and the thought processes with Caroline as she was caught in compromising situations. There is a tainted matter of betrayal throughout the story, mainly coming from men who pay the ultimate price. I found the following quote very telling and thoughtful, although a sad position to accept.

“First, there was trust. Then, there was betrayal. You cannot have one without the other. You cannot be betrayed by someone you do not trust.”

The Lost Apothecary is a highly enjoyable novel that flows at a great pace through two eras of London as a long-held mystery of the apothecary murders is gradually solved. I would recommend this book, and I would like to thank Legend Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

I love history, and stories about women taking care of themselves and their own. This book tells the stories of some women who did what they thought was needed. About knowledge that gives power, about learning and growing.

I rooted for them, the women in this book. I hoped they would become happy, and get what they wanted in life - especially knowing that it were the women like the Apothecary who paved the way for Caroline to go her own path - in more than one way.

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner is set both in present day and in 1791.  Caroline is in the present day.  She's travelled to London on a ten year anniversary trip, except she's without her husband, who she's just caught cheating on her. 

Nella is in 1791, an is an apothecary.  She follows her mothers work of helping women, except she does it by providing poisons that they use to kill the men causing them problems.

Caroline starts to discover information about Nella's apothecary, and spending time researching helps Caroline understand what she wants to do in her life.

This was a good story, with situations in the past and present echoing each other.  It's well written, and really interesting.

 The Lost Apothecary  was published on 2nd March 2021, and is available on  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Sarah Penner on  Twitter ,  Instagram  and her  website .

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
I give this book 4.5 stars
Hidden in the depths of 18th century London a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual type of clientele.
In present day London,Caroline’s life collides with the apothecarys in a stunning twist of fate -and not everyone will survive.
What a truly fantastic debut novel!
A captivating story perfectly interwoven between Nella and Eliza (past) and Caroline (present) I loved how the author created her characters and let them tell you their stories.Beautifully written and informatively descriptive l felt immersed in the plot,especially the past storyline.l couldn’t stop reading it so would highly recommend to everyone.
With thanks to Netgalley,Sarah Penner and Legend Press for my chance to read and review this.

Apologies, but DNF/ Promising premise, but poor characterisation and slow narrative meant i couldnt engage

I have to start by saying I absolutely loved this book! Told from the perspective of 3 women and set in London we meet Nella and Eliza in 1791 and Caroline in the present day. Caroline a once budding historian discovers the events of Nella and Eliza’s lives whilst visiting London from America. I found the story like nothing else I’d read before and really loved the female lead characters each of them on their own journey of healing. With my day job as a pharmacist I was so excited when I heard about this book on Bookstagram and it’s safe to say it did not disappoint. I would happily read this over again and will be recommending it to friends!

***I received a free Advanced Review Copy. This review is entirely my own and represents my honest opinions.

Set among the grimy backstreets of eighteenth-century London, a secret Apothecary caters to a specific set of clienteles. Nella, the shop's reclusive owner, brews poisons for women looking to escape the tyranny of the men in their lives. But Nella’s future is jeopardized by her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old who makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that will echo throughout the centuries.
Meanwhile, in modern-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone running from her own problems. When she stumbles across a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that plagued London two-hundred years ago, Caroline’s life collides with the apothecary’s in a stunning twist of fate. Not everyone will make it out unscathed…

***
Through the use of dual timelines, ‘The Lost Apothecary’ follows a string of unsolved historical murders and explores the possible motives behind them. Packed with intrigue this novel is sure to have your heart racing as the past begins to spill over into the present day.
Slow to start, this novel really came into its own around the half-way point where the tension really started to rise. For me, Nella’s narrative in eighteenth-century London was the most compelling. I found myself fully invested in Nella and her twelve-year-old companion, Eliza’s storylines. The historical detail was so engrossing that I could practically picture myself wandering through the winding backstreets of London. The modern-day narrative was harder for me to engage with. Some parts of Caroline’s narrative seemed so improbable and, at times, ridiculous that it took me a long time to warm up to her character. However, by the end of the novel, I was completely invested in the lives of Nella, Eliza, and even Caroline.
Overall, ‘The Lost Apothecary’ is a strong murder-mystery that stretches back through the centuries. Centered around women and their quest for agency, I would heartily recommend this book and look forward to seeing what this author does next.

“Beneath the ink strokes of my register hid betrayal, anguish…and dark secrets.”

Sarah Penner’s debut is an intoxicating masterpiece, weaving an unfortgetable tale of vengeance, women and the secrets that bind them.

“while my story is terrible, every woman has faced a man’s wickedness to some degree. Even you.”

Through two centuries and two timelines we follow the lives of three women. Nella, whose Apothecary makes poisons to help desperate women shed the oppressive men in their lives.Eliza a maid and twelve year old client of Nella’s and Caroline, an aspiring historian who stumbles upon their story whilst running from her own troubles.

A predominately narrative driven story ,the two timelines are cleverly intwined throughout the novel and I couldn’t help but love all three of the protagonists. honestly, it’s hard not the sympathise with these women (Nella and Eliza especially) and the heart wrenching betrayals that all three have experienced at the hands of men.

It’s undeniably addictive,lushly descriptive and vividly atmospheric in its historic setting. The premise was incredibly intriguing and reminded me of Robert Browning’s poem, The Laboratory, which made it all the more enjoyable for me.

Beautifully written and compelling I loved it soo much and would say this is definitely a must read of 2021.

Also huge thank you to Legend Press and Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC.

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.

This book is written in dual timeline and narrators. We have Nella in the 1700s and Caroline in the present day.

I was a bit sceptical of the dual timeline with there being such a big time difference. However; the writing was seamless and the storylines ran together extremely well.

The book is a great self discovery novel and a great women’s historical fiction book and I feel I will read more of this genre