Thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC!

If you like a bit of mystery and are a lover of historical fiction, you’re going to love this book, and I can see why there are so many fans already. I’m incredibly impressed that this is a debut because the author has a very strong narrative voice and I’m looking forward to reading more of her writing.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this apothecary who offers poisons to help women, but even more pleased with the inclusion of research and libraries that takes over much of the present-day chapters.

The narrative is presented in shifting perspectives, Nella and Eliza in the 1700s and Caroline in the present. Their worlds start to connect quite early in the book but it’s only when Caroline really stumbles on some key records in her research that the pace picks up and characters in both time periods are fighting against time to survive.

Many readers are calling it fast-paced and it is in terms of the plot of both past and present perspectives, especially with how quickly Caroline is able to do research, but I actually found it overall to be more of a medium-paced read because we keep switching back and forth between the past and present. With each switch, those stories are paused so it slows down the reveals quite a lot.

I did enjoy the back and forth to some extent, as I loved the inclusion of the British Library and getting to uncover this mysterious history vicariously through Caroline’s research, but I much preferred the historical chapters. The characters and their story were much more enjoyable and engaging, where the present-day was more explicitly focused on the apparent feminist theme of the book.

Caroline and her struggles with her marriage, as well as her attempts to create a life for herself, are in quite obvious contrast to the desperate attempts that women in the 18th century had to go through to find peace and safety, but it pulled too much focus from the mystery of the apothecary. I think there could’ve been improvement if there had been more chapters from Nella and Eliza’s perspectives, or even if Caroline had been written out entirely.

The main thing that was upsetting for me is how convenient the research process was. While I loved that the author made use of the British Library and makes mention of the online databases available, as well as the unpredictable wait times for physical documents, the fact that all the answers they’re seeking are conveniently digitized and found within minutes was too oversimplified for my tastes.

I can totally understand that this simplification can be necessary in containing the story, and I see how this would be a thrilling story for the general public and folks who may have no experience with archival research or academic programs, but as someone all too familiar with those things, the fantastical versions of these for popular literature was a bit too much for me.

I still loved being immersed in historical England and learning more about women of the past, and this intriguing mystery was a great first taste of what some of those hidden secrets could be.