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"The Lost Apothecary" by Sarah Penner is Historical Fiction mixed with Mystery-Suspense and a touch of Magical Realism!

In 1792 London, there's a clandestine apothecary shop that's frequented by a certain patronage. Nella Clavinger, the apothecary within, sells creatively concealed poisons concocted per each woman's request concerning the burdensome man in her life. She fastidiously records every transaction, patron and victim, in a special book she secures in a hidden room behind the walls of her shop.

Tragically, Nella's secrecy is threatened when twelve-year-old Eliza Fanning, wanting to assist and learn from Nella, makes a grievous mistake setting a chain of events in motion that's felt for years to come.

In modern day London, an American wife is spending her 10th wedding anniversary alone. It's planned as a second honeymoon, but discovering her husband's unfaithfulness days before departure, Caroline Parcewell opts to travel alone. Being a history buff and deciding a respite from her marriage to discover the history of London, at her own pace, is just what she needs.

During a day of 'mudlarking' in the River Thames, Caroline discovers a small blue vial etched with the image of a bear. Intrigued by her find, it sparks curiosity about its origin which leads her to the trail of serial murders that plagued London over two centuries ago...

I love how two separate stories in two different timelines play off each other and magically come together in the end. With great characters you either love or love to hate it always makes the story more interesting and fun to read.

If I could change one thing about this story, it would be to expand more on the historical timeline and less on the present-day timeline. I wanted more of Nella and her apothecary adventures! What an interesting and fabulous character!

The audiobook narration is fantastic with three narrator's, Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin, who give a unique voice to each of the main female characters of Nella, Caroline, and Eliza. The voicing of all three narrators is spot on!

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel with its depth and creativity that brings a connection of female theme's between the past and the present. The author's choice of Historical Fiction mixed with Mystery-Suspense and a touch of Magical Realism makes this an unusual and entertaining story that I highly recommend.

4.25 stars!

I can't wait to read this author's second book The London Séance Society due to publish 4/11/23. Early reviews are positive on ŷ������!