While Caroline’s story is certainly both sympathetic (dealing with a cheating spouse) and unique (I had not heard of mudlarking before this book), having it squeezed alongside Nella and Eliza’s story left me feeling like we missed out on some important character development with Caroline. However, when there is a book like this with two interconnected stories, there’s always the chance that one of them is going to be more engaging, and that was the case here. A unique plot of a series of “apothecary murders” is engaging and, as a historical fiction fan, the details Penner uses to describe London in 1791 helped bring the story to life. The Lost Apothecary Reviewįirst of all, I really enjoyed this book. Eliza’s arrival and request will set up a chain of events with life-changing consequences for both Nella and Caroline.
One day, Nella’s newest customer arrives in the form of twelve year old Eliza Fanning. This secrecy is due to the unique nature of Nella’s work: she dispenses poisons to women looking to rid themselves of troublesome men in an era where they have few options for escape.
Meanwhile, in 1791, Nella is running an apothecary that can only be accessed by those who know exactly where to look. When Caroline stumbles upon a group going “mudlarking” along the banks of the River Thames, a small, glass vial she finds stirs her curiosity and reminds her of her long buried ambitions of studying history. Instead of soaking in the romantic sights, Caroline is reeling from discovering her husband’s infidelity only a few days earlier and has fled to London for some space. In the present, Caroline Parcewell has just arrived in England on what was supposed to be a tenth anniversary trip. Sarah Penner’s debut novel contains two storylines: one in the past and one in the present, both set in the city of London.
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