The lost apothecary

In the late eighteenth century, Nella owns an apothecary specializing in remedies for women, with a brisk side business in poisons. Her latest customer is Eliza, a servant girl charged with procuring poison for her mistress. Nella's dreams of motherhood were destroyed by a callous young man, and Eliza is curious about the intricacies of Nella's business. The two form a tenuous bond that quickly strengthens when Nella's livelihood is threatened. In the present day, Caroline's romantic anniversary trip to London becomes a solo sojourn because of her husband's infidelity. Determined to make the best of the situation, Caroline joins a mudlarking expedition and finds a mysterious bottle in the river. Her investigation into the bottle's provenance unravels the long-hidden mystery of Nella's apothecary, while also reminding Caroline of her pre-marriage dreams. Penner finds clever parallels between Nella and Caroline, and avoids the pitfall of one storyline outshining the other--all three women have compelling tales, and while Nella's business may not be on the up-and-up, her motives are understandable. Readers who enjoy Katherine Howe and Susanna Kearsley will be drawn to this promising, fast-paced debut.

In Penner's faltering debut, a contemporary American woman uncovers a clue to a series of unsolved murders in 18th-century London. After Caroline Parcewell learns her husband, James, is having an affair, she flies alone from Ohio to London on what was meant to be their anniversary trip. There, she finds a glass vial in the Thames. Her research on the bear etched on the bottle turns up newspaper articles about the suicide of a woman known as the London "Apothecary Killer" in 1791, and leads her to the site of the woman's shop. Penner switches from Caroline's sleuthing to the story of the apothecary, Nella Clavinger, who gave poison to women to use on men who wronged them in various ways. Back in the present, Caroline contends with James showing up and getting accidentally poisoned after trying to win her back. Penner's story starts strong but peters out as the engaging premise gets muddled in convenient plot turns, though the author does a good job of making two disparate stories into eventual foils for one another. This has a few things going for it, but in the end it fails to cast a spell. Agent: Stefanie Lieberman, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Mar.)

As Caroline Parcewell explores London alone, on a trip where she intended to celebrate her tenth wedding anniversary, she discovers a jar with an unusual marking. Caroline's curiosity is piqued, and she investigates the origins of the jar, ending up at a strange 18th-century apothecary that dispensed helpful remedies, as well as the occasional poison meant to help women deal with the oppressive men in their lives. The story moves between Caroline's present-day plotline, potion master Nella, and a 12-year-old customer in 1791. The three narrators, Lorna Bennett, Lauren Anthony, and Lauren Irwin, give distinctive voices to the main characters. The multiple timelines are well-balanced, with equally interesting stories and shared themes of betrayal and resilience. An accompanying PDF offers additional information on poisons in the 18th century, along with a map. VERDICT This engrossing multi-timeline story should appeal to fans of Lauren Willig or Susanna Kearsley.--Cynthia Jensen, Gladys Harrington Lib., Plano, TX