An entertaining historical fiction debut that is told by narrators in two different time periods.
At the center of this story is a hidden apothecary shop. Secreted behind a false wall and accessible only through a dark alley, this special place served the women of London -- women who had been ill-used or betrayed by men. For the owner would not sell any tinctures, potions, or concoctions to someone who intended to harm another woman. Each transaction was recorded in the apothecary's register to serve as an acknowledgment. The shop had operated out of this back alley for years until one day when it suddenly closed and everything was left behind, untouched, for over 200 years.
1791 London, the current shop proprietress, Nella, has mixed a special poison ordered by a patron who left a letter in the secret barrel outside of the hidden room. At the appropriate hour, someone arrives to collect it but Nella is surprised to find a 12-year-old girl, Eliza Fanning, picking it up for the woman who has requested to be rid of her husband. Eliza and Nella form an unusual relationship and spend some time together. Unwittingly, Eliza makes a mistake that jeopardizes Nella's entire operation.
In the alternate time period, it is current day when Caroline Parcewell comes to London for what was meant to be a 10-year-anniversary celebration. She is alone because she had just discovered that her husband was having an affair and left him behind at home. While out mudlarking on her first day there, she finds an ancient apothecary vial on the banks of the river Thames at low tide. Since she always was interested in artifacts and history, she decides to do some historical research and stumbles upon an old newspaper article that mentions the "apothecary murders" that had occurred in the 1700s.
Although the premise really enticed me, the actual story and the way it was told sort of disappointed. I was much more invested in the 1791 time period and the adventures of Nella and Eliza than I was in the Caroline portion of the novel. I wanted to know more about the actual apothecary and its customers while Caroline's amateur historical searching and the drama surrounding her crumbling marriage wasn't that appealing. The serendipity and coincidence of most of Caroline's discoveries did require a bit of suspension of disbelief. The conclusion left me a bit confused with unanswered questions though the author attempted a tidy wrap up.
Overall it was a quick and enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - historical fiction
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