Both Nella and Caroline have been betrayed by men in their lives.Had you heard of mudlarking prior to reading this book? Do you believe that fate or coincidence led to her discovery? Have you ever stumbled on something that you consider to be fate? At the beginning of Caroline's story, she finds the apothecary vial while on a mudlarking tour.When you first learned that Nella was a murderer, how did you view her? How did your feelings change over the course of the book as more of her past was revealed? Did you believe she would eventually find redemption? In the end, did you see her as a hero, a villain, or something in between? Why? Her work is sinister, and much about her character is dark and disturbing. The Lost Apothecary opens with Nella in her shop, preparing to dispense a poison meant to kill a man.

With crackling suspense, unforgettable characters and searing insight, The Lost Apothecary is a subversive and intoxicating debut novel of secrets, vengeance and the remarkable ways women can save each other despite the barrier of time. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary's in a stunning twist of fate-and not everyone will survive. Meanwhile in present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. But the apothecary's fate is jeopardized when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. 'A bold, edgy, accomplished debut!' -Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice NetworkĪ forgotten history. March 2021 Indie Next Pick and #1 LibraryReads Pick Named Most Anticipated of 2021 by Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Hello! magazine,, Bustle, Popsugar, Betches, Sweet July, and GoodReads!

The lost apothecary book cover