The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 

Author: Sarah Penner debut novel coming March 2021

Media type: Audiobook 

Multiple narrators: Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, Lauren Irwin. All 3 narrators were superb in delivering personality to each character. The deep, scratchy voice of Nella brings to mind an sickly spinster woman draped in a dark cloak. Caroline’s narrator lends a voice which gives her courage to finally put herself first, carry-on, and once again find courage and independence.  Eliza’s (the youngest character) narrator reveals an adolescent coming of age voice who is an independent thinker with a curious mind and determination. 

The story unfolds alternating between characters. Nella and Eliza are living in London during the 1700s. Nella is the female apothecary owner who has broadened her services dispensing natural ingredient poisons that cannot be traced back to the women who use these tinctures to eliminate men who have wronged them. Eliza is a 12-year-old customer who takes an interest in Nella, wanting to assist & learn from her. Our present-day character is Caroline. She lives in Ohio & has planned a 10-year anniversary trip to London. Just before the trip begins, Caroline discovers her husband has had an affair. She decides to take the trip on her own. A lover of history, Caroline stumbles upon some intriguing artifacts and is on a mission to uncover the mystery she has found. 

This is a truly enjoyable read with a great ending. It would be fun to see Caroline become an independent historical researcher so that this one book can become a fun historical fiction series. I highly recommend picking up your desired format of this story. 

Thanks to #netgalley, #SarahPenner, #ParkRowBooks #HarlequinAudio and #HarperCollins for the advance audio version of this story in exchange for an honest review. 

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