A review by renettereads
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Following three women in two timelines, this book is part historical fiction with a good dose of murder. In the past, we meet Nella the apothecary who dispenses poisons to women, whilst in the present we follow Caroline who is running away to London from her philandering husband. When she goes mud-larking on a whim and finds an engraved vial in the Thames, Caroline rediscovers her passion for history and starts to investigate. 

I will say, first and foremost, that I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. Caroline, Nella, and young Eliza were all narrated by different actors and that added a nice touch of authenticity. I also enjoyed the mysterious apothecary who helped only women, carrying the burden of her doings quite literally. But I think this book stumbled a little on execution. 

Considering this was a secret, almost underground, apothecary, with a hand in murdering men, I just wanted that explored a little more. I did like the butterfly effect of Eliza’s actions but thought the book just didn’t quite live up to the potential it had. Had I been reading this, I probably would’ve struggled to finish because I just didn’t think much happened. 

I did also like how some things in the past echoed in the future, but I felt the ending was quite abrupt considering the time we spent with these women. Not a terrible read, but also not my favourite. Still, historical fiction fans might enjoy it. 
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