INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERNamed Most Anticipated of 2021 by Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Hello! magazine, Oprah.com, Bustle, Popsugar, Betches, Sweet July, and GoodReads!March 2021 Indie Next Pick and #1 LibraryReads Pick“A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice NetworkA forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison … Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
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.
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Great period piece about women in 1800’s London
Nella had thought that the first time she crossed the line from helping into harming that her fate had been set. And then Eliza Fanning comes into her life and her fate is rearranged, but is it for the better? What she – and Eliza – don’t realize is that their chance encounter will also shape the fate and future of someone in the far future. A woman named Caroline Parcewell, a woman dealing with her own demons.
I have to say that, although what I got was not anything like what I was expecting, I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Apothecary. Stories that alternate timelines are a favorite of mine. It’s fascinating to me how they seem to run parallel right up until that point where they become intermeshed with one another.
Of the three characters, twelve-year-old Eliza is probably my favorite. She’s stuck somewhere between child and young adult in a world where young girls become women overnight. I thought the author portrayed her well. She’s a smart kid with a good work ethic, however she still has her childish fears and ideas as well. Seeing her determination overcome her fears and worries as she helps Nella was one of the best parts of the novel.
Nella is a conflicted character. As much as she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and do no harm, betrayal in her past soured her on men. Especially men who lied, cheated, and betrayed other women. Her internal conflict really drives her and Eliza’s portion of the story. Her reluctant friendship with Eliza was her saving grace, I think.
I felt for Caroline and really loved that she decided to ditch her cheating husband and take their anniversary trip on her own. Honestly, I can’t blame her – she needed that escape. I related to Caroline more than any of the other characters due to her giving up so much for what she thought was good reasons, only to discover later she’d cheated herself out of what she’d wanted. Her drive and desire for answers also resonated with me and I lived for each little discovery she made.
One part contemporary mystery, one part historical fiction, with a dash of magical realism tossed in just for pizzazz, The Lost Apothecary is an interesting, engaging romp through both present-day London and the London of 1791. While I had gone in expecting something more action-packed and intense, the author still delivered an emotionally charged, engrossing story of three women separated by centuries and yet still tied together through time.
A dual timeline that takes the reader from present day London to 1791 London when Caroline finds a vial in the river. Caroline uses her time in London to research the mystery of the vial and question the crossroads in her life. I was intrigued when the story went to 1791 and I read about Nella and her apothecary store.
A great book
What a wonderful book and the characters are amazing. The history intertwined with the modern day story is written well and the ending is amazing!
This was a wonderful book. It took me a little bit to get pulled into the story but then I didn’t want to put it down. I loved following the characters in both past and future. It was encouraging to see the women face life altering circumstances head on and come out on top. I also loved the cover.
I was lucky to get the audiobook of the Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner to listen to! I was so impressed that this was the debut novel for the author Sarah Penner who created characters whose lives kept me immersed in the story right from the beginning. It felt like a great combination of two of my favorite genres, historical fiction and thrillers. The audiobook especially made the character of Nella, the apothecarist, even more effective giving her what I thought was a more sinister-sounding voice. The author Sarah Penner does a great job with the dual timelines. One timeline had Caroline, in present-day London who finds something that leads her to investigate the history of a lost apothecary and wants to discover what happened, and the other with Nella, a woman from 18th-century London whose potions were used by women against men in their lives they felt had mistreated them and Eliza, a young girl, who form an unlikely friendship that takes them on a path of unfortunate events. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend the audiobook. This book was just what I needed which was a great escape! #TheLostApothecary
Beyond the fierce women in this book, I loved how each woman discovered who she was and revived (or found) dreams they thought were lost. The Lost Apothecary great, tender read that had me flipping pages.
Wow, such a page turner. I loved it.
Pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Hard to believe it’s the author’s debut novel. The dual timelines worked well for the two storylines that eventually meshed together. The plot was intriguing with just enough twists and turns. Loved the way the relationship between Nella and Eliza was developed.
The Lost Apothecary was my March @bookofthemonth choice this month and our choice for our monthly book club. I was extremely excited to read this book, first and foremost because the cover is absolutely breathtaking! It is hands down one of the prettiest covers I have ever seen, and I am 100% someone who buys books based on their cover. #guityascharged
Besides the lovely cover, the synopsis of the book is exciting! Two story lines twisted: one in the president, the other 200 years in the past. Both about strong women who have been scorned.
In the 1700s, Nella is a apothecary helping women to seek revenge on men who have wronged them. We also have Eliza who is #goals! She is my FAVORITE character! These two women are strong, fight for what they believe in, and make you question what is wrong/right. I absolutely adored their story line. I wanted more and more! I still do! I wished there was more of them in this book. I want there to be another book. @sarah_penner_author give me more Eliza!!! I need her!
In present day, we have Caroline. Her story was much more complicated for me. I struggled with Caroline’s awful husband, James, and their relationship. In my opinion, this relationship was extremely abusive. James is controlling, manipulative, and just a real… you know what! He really ruined her story for me. It may be because of my abusive past? I’m not sure. But it ultimately was why I could not give this story 5 stars. WHAT I DID LIKE, was Gaynor and Caroline! I also liked how present day tied into the past.
The last note I wanted to make was that I did not agree with Caroline’s end decision… you’ll have to read for yourself and tell me what you think! Overall, this is a must read! Such an amazing debut novel! Bravo to Ms. Penner! I will definitely buy her next novel because I found her writing captivating! So what are you waiting for?! Get the book!
WOW!! I read the description of this book and thought it sounded good I was not prepared for how good it would be.
Working on dual timelines we meet Nella a woman using her magic to help women who are in need. She mixes potions that help women who are abused to find freedom. She keeps track of her customers in a register by the cash register.
Carolins is a woman who on her 10th wedding anniversary finds out her husband is a cheater. On a trip to London, she discovers a link to the past.
Through some hard work, Carolina discovers information that could solve murders from the past.
This book was intense, magical, and captivating. Once I got started I could not put it down. Though I know murder is wrong I could help but here for Nella and the work she did to help the women in this story.
Overall a magnificent read and one I highly recommend.
I really enjoyed this book–learn much about how women had to deal with life with unfaithful and really bad men . …..
Addictive. London, 1971…”A forgotten history. A secret network of women. A legacy of poison and revenge. Welcome to The Lost Apothecary.”
I couldn’t put this book down and I yet didn’t want it to end. Full of mystery, suspense, betrayal, friendship…it was SO good!
The Lost Apothecary is a stunning tale of growth, acceptance, love, and confidence. Penner does an excellent job weaving the stories of young Eliza, apothecary Nella, and modern Caroline together in two separate, yet completely intertwined adventures.
It actually took me a while to get into it and really hone in on the voices. They were so different that it took my mind a beat to adjust between each character. Once I got into it though I was hooked! Such a unique read and one I highly recommend.
Predictable
As a debut novel, Sarah Penner has a hit in The Lost Apothecary. This wonderful dual timeline novel follows the life Nella, an 18th century apothecary who caters to women in need of poisons to rid themselves of the overbearing men in their lives. Meanwhile, Caroline Parcewell finds herself alone in present-day London rather than with her husband, celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. While out one day, she finds a clue that will lead her on a historical hunt to find out all she can about the apothecary – who she was, what she did, and what happened to her. The unforgettable characters add to this suspense-filled story. I highly recommend this captivating, beautifully written novel. I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
This is the story of Nella, Eliza, and Caroline. In 1791, Nella is running an underground apothecary that sells remedies, but lately – poisons. Women find her by word of mouth asking to “fix” problems they might be having with their husbands or significant others. Eliza is a 12 year old girl that comes to the shop one day on behalf of her mistress, and finds that she wants to stay and help Nella with her shop. But a mistak young Eliza makes puts the shop in jeporday.
In present day London, Caroline has escaped for a getaway. Leaving a failing marriage behind, she stumbles across a glass bottle with a bear on it while doing a hunt with a tour group. This sends her on a path that connects that past Apothecary -and the unsolved murders associated with it – and changes her course forever.
This was a pretty good book. I read it quickly because I was curious to see where it was going and how the two timelines came together. It is an easy read and a well written novel. I will admit that I was more invested in the timeline of Nell and Eliza than Caroline’s, but it didn’t distract from the story. I just find the historical plot much richer.
Great find. Glad I read this one. Highly recommend!
An amazing debut novel! I immediately became immersed in the story.
Set in London England, 1791, Nella, a female apothecary, has been dispensing cures all her life. But after being abused by her husband, she now also dispenses poisons for women to get revenge on the men who have wronged them. “Vengeance is its own medicine.” She has two rules. Eliza, only 12 years old, is enthralled with what she considers magick and eagerly learns all she can from Nella.
Present day – Caroline Parcewell had planned a trip to London to celebrate her 10-year wedding anniversary, but instead finds that her husband has been cheating on her. Having abandoned her dream of becoming a historian, she decides to go to London alone and immerse herself in its history. Her discovery of an old apothecary vial in the muck of the river sets her on the path of researching the unsolved “apothecary murders” over two centuries ago.
Betrayal, grief, and revenge are core to this well plotted story. Some of the women’s stories were heartbreaking. I had to remind myself that in the 1790s women had no legal protection. The main characters were very well developed; I found myself really caring about them. I loved the suspense and was kept guessing as to what would happen to Nella and Eliza. While this is a dual storyline book and multiple (three – Caroline, Nella, and Eliza) narrators, I had absolutely no difficulty keeping the timelines and characters separate as I read.
I will definitely be watching for future releases by this author. If you are a fan of historical fiction and/or thrillers, I highly recommend this book.
This book is a beautifully written debut, I was captivated by the book cover at first glance and I was hooked by page two! This story is told in dual timelines (1700’s and present day) and by three POVs (Nella & Eliza, Caroline). Nella, a female apothecary living in the 1700’s, secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them. Eliza, twelve years old, arrives at Nella’s shop to pick a vial for her Mistress and forms a connection with Nella. Caroline, in present day, arrives in London on what would be her 10th wedding anniversary. On a mudlarking tour, she finds a vial with a note and with her love for history she goes on a hunt to look for its importance and discovers something unexpected. Soon These ladies’ lives quickly intertwines in the most clever, magical of ways!