This story goes between current times and the 1700's. In the 1700's Nella runs a secret apothecary that is only for women. Most women use her to secretly poison a man that is causing harm to them or someone they love. Her rule is that her poisons can never be used on women. However, someone walks into her apothecary that flips her world and her life will never be the same.

In present time, Caroline finds a vial in the river that belongs to the once secret apothecary and tries to figure out it's story.

I really liked the story from the 1700's and feel that the whole story could have been about Nella without bringing in the modern times and introducing Caroline. To me, Caroline sounded kind of whiny and my heart wasn't with her as she talked about her husband.

Thank you Net Galley for an advance copy.

What a fun novel. I love the present and past story lines and thought Penner did a great job weaving them together. Nothing is more fun that a historical mystery. Makes me want to read more of her work.

There’s no denying I flew through this book– I read it faster than I’ve read anything in a while. That said, I wish I’d loved it more than I had. The sense of place was really spectacular, and whether it was present day London or a 1791 apothecary shop, I really felt *there*. This is unfortunately where the accolades end, however. The character development was really flat for me, and I felt like I never really got to know our protagonists. The story switched between late 18th century England and today, which kept things moving, but also made the story unraveling feel like neither plot line got the opportunity to flesh itself out. Ultimately, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, a little too neat and tidy for me. I’d recommend this one to YA readers of the actual demographic who are looking for a fun read without necessarily-YA characters.

My gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy and review!

Plot Summary

In 1791, in a hidden alley in the heart of London, lies a hidden apothecary. Nella provides solutions to female maladies; once a place of refuge, now primarily a place of shadows where the most permanent solutions are sought. She has offered this service more than any other for twenty years, following two rules: The poison must never be used to harm another woman, and the names of the murder and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary's register. When twelve year old Eliza appears at her shop, the events that are set into motion threaten to expose Nella and every woman preserved in her register.

Meanwhile, in present day, Caroline Parcewell is visiting London from Ohio for her tenth wedding anniversary...alone. A chance discovery of an old apothecary vial in the mud of the river Thames will revive Caroline's nose for historic mysteries and throw her onto a path she wasn't expecting...a two hundred year old murder mystery that might hold the solution to her own life turbulence too.

So how was it?

Penner does an incredible job with the characters and setting, and the plot is paced brilliantly. For a debut novel, she came out of the gate at full speed. I devoured this book in a couple of days; every spare minute I had I was flying through this book. I did not see Nella and Eliza's ending coming, and Caroline's was a surprise for me too.

Despite the content, I wouldn't say this is a dark novel. This has a much lighter feel than I thought it would have. It's not cozy mystery light....if this book was a cup of coffee, I'd say it had a healthy dollop of half and half that's just enough to cut the acidity of the coffee but not too much to let the flavor of the brew come through.

Sarah Penner is definitely an author to keep an eye out for, I look forward to what she's penning next.


Content warning: Abuse, miscarriage, murder, poisoning

Read-alikes: Amy Meyerson, Delia Owens, Erika Swyler

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for honest review. I have been stuck in a rut with historical fiction, but this one broke out of the field for me. An engaging read, fast-paced, with a dose of "magick" made for a very enjoyable read for me. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline had twists all the way up to the end. The only drawback initially was the plausibility of a woman doling out poisons and not have been caught, but by the end everything seemed to fit - the other positives outweighed this.

Caroline and James are planning to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary on a memorable trip to England. But plans change when Carolina discovers her husband's infidelity. She decides to take the journey alone, which was a gift from her parents; she takes a tour of the Thames River. It is there she finds a small blue glass bottle. The etchings on the bottle lead Caroline to an address and hidden apothecary shop, which holds secrets from the past.

The story moves from present-day to the 17th century when Nella operated the apothecary and assisted women in whatever they needed. She kept a record of what she dispensed and to whom.
One day, a young girl, Eliza, comes to the apothecary needing help. From that point, They formed a friendship. This is a story of three different females. They are separated by centuries, but so somehow, their lives will intersect.

The story was told from different points of view. The story moves quickly between the past and present. Eventually, connect ing the three women trough time and centuries. The characters were interesting and well developed. I found this story fascinating. I was drawn in from the beginning until the end.

The Lost Apothecary is a dual timeline murder mystery. The titular apothecary is plying her trade in England in the 1790s, while she sells traditional remedies to help the women of London with normal maladies she also plies a darker trade in poisons. In modern day London, Caroline has arrived on what was supposed to be her 10 year anniversary but her husband's recent infidelity has her travelling alone. On a spur of the moment tour of mudlarking on the river Thames she finds an old apothecary vial and her latent desire to be a historian comes to a head and she decided to try and track down the apothecary. The story bounces back between the two timelines as we see story of these two women who have been betrayed by the people around them and the paths they take to reconcile with these betrayals. This was an interesting book and a really quick read and while I saw the end coming there was a minor twist that I was glad to see. I received a free ebook from NetGalley.

I liked this book, but more so the historical storyline than the present day one. I don't typically read historical fiction but the idea of this apothecary was really intriguing. I almost wish the present day storyline wasn't even there, as there was just something off about it. Especially the relationship between Caroline and her husband. Overall a decent read.

Thank you to #Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced copy of The Lost Apothecary.

this book was a very interesting read. It goes between current times and about a hundred years ago. I enjoyed reading it and liked the twists.

Wow! This first book is first rate. Alternating between present day and the late 1700s, the author leads us through the story of a woman who mixes poisons to kill and a young girl who visits her, then to a historical researcher who stumbles onto their story. Highly recommended!

While I loved the historical detail, and the sections dealing with the past really came alive, the modern-day thread was less interesting, especially in the beginning. The modern-day main character also felt much more thinly realized than the girl and the old woman in the historical chapters, and her relationship woes came across as oddly inauthentic. Overall a fun read, though.

An enjoyable romp that holds the reader's attention as it swings between the past and present-day London. While richly detailed, the language is at times overwrought and the actions of the characters contrived.

I found this to be a compelling read. It's a dual timeline, present day and late 1700s, that takes place in London. There is an historical apothecary story and an American out-of-sorts in present day London. I found both stories interesting and found myself quickly turning pages to dig deep into the story and then had the same compulsion to finish it. It was great storytelling. While reading though, I felt very much pulled out of the wonderful atmosphere of the historic portion each time the timeline switched and ultimately I wondered if the present day story was even necessary. I think I would have more enjoyed staying in 1700s London as the author does a brilliant job of making that come to life, as well as creating really vivid characters in that time period as well.

I’m not sure if it was reading it in ebook format or what, but the pacing of this book felt very off. I was just starting to get into the story and care about the characters when it ended, pretty abruptly. I also didn’t find it realistic in any way, either the present narrative or the historical one. Not in a suspension of disbelief way, but in a this is just not how humans interact way. The plot was compelling but not something I can really recommend.

This was such a fabulous read about an 18th-century female apothecary, helping women with their everyday woes... and with enacting revenge on the men who have wronged them.

Nella is basically a ghost, living behind a secret, hidden wall that leads to her apothecary of helps and poisons, the knowledge of which is passed on only from mouth-to-mouth, from woman to woman in their times of need. She doles out the healing medicines for all varieties of women's ailments as her mother taught her, along with deadly poisons - only to be used against men, and the names of the purchaser, intended victim, and poison must ALWAYS be recorded.

Caroline lives in our present day. Recently estranged from her husband, she takes their intended anniversary trip to London alone, where on a mudlarking trip she discovers an old apothecary's vial, strangely unmarked except for a little image imprinted upon it. This novel is full of intrigue and suspense as Caroline uncovers the secrets that lie buried in the past, and Nella's life intersects with that of her youngest patron yet - a girl aged 12, named Eliza.

This book was utterly un-put-down-able, and I highly recommend!

The ending of this book was not what I expected! I enjoy books that time jump so this was perfect. The reader is drawn in by the discovery of a notebook that belonged to someone long ago that operated the apothecary. The narrator then discovers the apothecary and embarks on a journey of self discovery. I will recommend this book to mystery readers.

Author Sarah Penney has written an extraordinary story intertwining the lives of three women over the span of two hundred years. It is at once captivating and the storyline carries you along on a ride of suspense. The characters are developed fully and their lives are clearly set before us. You find yourself invested in each of the women hoping for a satisfying future for each of them. The information regarding the plants used for the poisons and cures dispensed from the Apothecary make for an interesting read.

This is a wonderful book, and to be written by a first-time published author is as extraordinary as is this story. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to read a good suspenseful story, and one that truly speaks to the wonderful love and support women can have for each other. (I was given this book from NetGalley for my honest opinion, but I can honestly say that I would have gladly paid to read this book—it is that good!)

This book was not for me. For some reason I just had a hard time connecting with the characters. I felt like I could see bad things were going to happen to them way in advance, and they were all just not making smart decisions. Others may really enjoy this book, but I did not.

Debut novel from Sarah Penner. The storyline jumps between 1791 and present day London. Told from three POVs, two in the past and one present. In the present Caroline goes Mudlarking and finds an old glass apothacary vial. I have seen mudlarking on a travel show where pipes, coins, pottery and other items can be found in the mud as the tide changes. Caroline with the help of a new friend at the British Library tries to find out about the vial where it came from.

In 1791 Nella is runs an apothecary. In her mothers day it was mainly for female complaints. Nella continues that tradition but she also helps women who have special problems. She will provide the means to poison cheating or abusive spouses or others. She is literally a Georgian era serial killer. Eliza is a 12 year old girl who befriends Nella.

With multiple stories it is easy to like one more than the other. I preferred the 1700s partly because it got more time being told from two people. I think this will be promoted as feminist which is true in the sense that a woman was helping other woman in a time when legally they were so restricted. To me it is a mystery that is pealed back layer upon layer. Each chapter ending was almost a cliffhanger making you wait to join that storyline again. I am not sure that I could fully believe that Caroline could put together all the pieces that she did. I loved that she used period maps to aid in her search. I did have a few questions that weren't quite answered. What was or caused Nella's ailment and what was her ending. And why was Eliza so independent and capable yet also frustratingly superstitious.

I read this fairly quickly in a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. It will appeal to anyone who likes mysteries, London or womens fiction in general. It is also clean for language and sex. Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin and the author for an ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view. Nella owns an apothecary in London during the 1790s. Caroline is in present day London on a trip after finding out her husband has been cheating on her. Eliza is a young girl who goes to Nella on behalf of her mistress for a potion to kill the husband of the mistress.

I enjoyed the plot and the character formation. It kept my interest throughout, and I had a hard time putting it down. I think this would make a god book club pick.