Our Mystery Book Club read The Lost Apothecary for our March meeting.
Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.
One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.
In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders” that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive."
This book was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction 2021 and Best Debut Novel 2021.
The story goes back and forth between Nella's story in 1791 and Caroline's story set in the present. I like books that go between two time periods. I liked both story lines. They kept my interest and certainly had some suspenseful moments. Nella and Caroline were both strong female characters, trying to make it on their own after being wronged by a man. But their options were different. It was also interesting to read something about apothecaries. I actually looked up additional information on apothecaries. Apothecaries were an option for people who couldn't afford doctors in the 18th and 19th century but went out of business as medicine became more regulated in the 19th century. There were accidental poisonings from apothecary remedies.
The MBC members all like this book alot. We had a really good discussion about the two women, their options and their choices. One person read an interview with the author and found Sarah Penner may do a sequel with Eliza, Nella's accidental apprentice. Everyone liked that idea and wants to know more about her story.
All and all, we gave it two thumbs up!
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