In late-1700s England, Nella works as an apothecary. Like her mother before her, Nella’s potions and powders and salves bring comfort and aid to women for their physical and emotional issues. But unlike her mother, Nella’s business has a more sinister side—she’s known secretly as the woman to see when a woman needs to take care of an abusive or philandering husband.
The last thing she is expecting is a 12-year-old client, but Eliza Fanning is there at the behest of her employer. This encounter awakens Eliza’s interest in Nella’s work—both the light and the dark sides. But Eliza’s presence involves her in a scandal that has the potential to destroy Nella and her business—and perhaps both of their lives.
Meanwhile, more than 200 years later, Caroline is visiting London alone on what was supposed to be an anniversary trip with her husband. Reeling from betrayal, the aspiring historian spends the afternoon exploring items found on the muddy shore of the Thames. It is there she discovers an apothecary vial, which awakens the dormant researcher in her, and it’s not long before she’s discovering a series of unsolved “apothecary murders” from the late 1700s...
I’ll admit I probably fell prey to the hype around The Lost Apothecary and was SO excited to read it. While I enjoyed the way Penner writes, and definitely found myself captivated by much of the Nella/Eliza storyline, the Caroline story had very little appeal to me. I understand the message that Penner was trying to convey but it dragged the story down for me, and I found myself skimming Caroline’s parts by the end. I honestly think the Nella/Eliza storyline could've carried the story on its own.
That being said, The Lost Apothecary was still a quick, compelling read, and I look forward to seeing what’s next in Penner’s career. Plus, I know others have loved the book, so my expectations might have been too high, plus historical fiction isn't really my preferred genre.
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