Penner’s <i>The Lost Apothecary</i> is a spellbinding novel (pardon the pun) told in dual perspectives. The first is the apothecary owner, a woman who has made it her life’s work to craft poisons—but only for women to exact revenge on men who have scorned them in some way. The owner keeps a detailed log book of these concoctions—and their unfortunate recipients.

The second perspective is of a woman in the present day, who happens upon one of the original apothecary bottles and begins to dig into the history of the hidden shop and it’s mysterious owner. This is a welcome distraction, as she too is running from her own cheating spouse.

The two women’s stories collide in a wonderfully written, heart wrenching novel. Penner does a fantastic job of weaving both of the tales so seamlessly, as well as meticulously researching the time periods, that you truly feel that you’re in the novel with the characters. I couldn’t put this one down and I don’t think you will be able to either!

I was forced to stay up half the night because I HAD to see how this book ends! With alternating narratives - one from the late 18th century and one from modern day - we have an intersecting story in one of the most unusual ways. Fans of herbology and nature lore will be fascinated by the more nitty gritty details of the story, while anyone who loves mystery and / or historical fiction will be intrigued by figuring out exactly how it all goes down...

This historical mystery meets women’s fiction is page-turning, can’t put it down, twist within a twist good. Moving between modern day and the late 1700s, parallel tales of women finding their place in the world are anchored by a mysterious apothecary in a literal back alley. The contemporary story of overcoming heartbreak, betrayal and all the “easy” ways a life (and marriage) can go wrong provides delightful twists and turns. Solving a historical mystery as a journey of self discovery would be a solid enough story alone! When combined with a well researched window into the historical use of poisons, potions and women’s power, this story will have you up way past bedtime promising “just one more page.”

This book blew me away! It was first brought to my attention during a virtual BEA livestream and the premise had me instantly hooked. The Lost Apothecary is a perfect blend of historical fiction and contemporary with a dash of fantasy. I loved the back and forth storytelling from present day to historical England, and I was curious to see how the stories would connect. Usually with alternating timelines I prefer one to the other, but I was equally engaged in both worlds and the character's lives. I loved reading about the apothecary's methods of distribution and the affect it had on her life and the lives of others. There were a lot of surprising twists and turns along the way which I didn't see coming. I found myself rooting for the main character in the present day and was pleased to see how much growth and fulfillment she found at the conclusion. An epic read - I would highly recommend!