I need to start off by saying I loved The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Most of you know that I'm very interested in history and an added bonus of the book is the setting of my home town, London which has a millennia of history and an abundance of artifacts. It begins with Caroline who, while overcoming the heartache of a cheating husband, comes across a River Thames mudlarking group. Mudlarking is the river equivalent of beach combing. She uncovers an apothecary vial on the banks of the Thames (mudlarkers are forbidden from digging in the mud but can retrieve anything the tide has left behind)
The story moves between Nella an apothecary in 1791 London and Caroline (in present day) who uncovers some of Nella's secrets. After Nella takes over her mother's apothecary shop, providing potions for women's problems, she begins offering well disguised poison to some of the women for use on the oppressive men in their lives.
