Author: Sarah Penner
Publication Information: Park Row. 2023. 352 pages.
ISBN: 0778387119 / 978-0778387114
Rating: ★★
Book Source: I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "At an abandoned chateau on the wooded outskirts of Paris, a dark séance was about to take place."
Favorite Quote: "If only I could run myself through a sieve, Lenna thought, and separate the feelings in side of me so to better deal with them one by one."
The Lost Apothecary was Sarah Penner's debut novel. I loved the three characters and the challenges they face as so many other women in this world have. What also really made this book stand out was the fact that the stories in both time periods went in a direction I completely did not expect. The parallels between the two time periods drew closer than I expect between historian and history. One ending also was not definitive as to the exact conclusion, making me wonder if a sequel might be planned to this wonderful debut novel.
This book is sadly not a sequel to the first. Nor does it live up to the promise of the first unfortunately. This is a story of two women in the 1800s and the intrigue of secret societies, mystery, murder, and, of course, séances. A séance is an at which people try to contact the dead, usually with the help of a medium. Vaudeline D’Allaire is the medium. Lenna Wickes is her apprentice. She has own reasons for wanting to engage Vaudeline. Although she is not a believer in the paranormal, she wished to identify her sister's killer and perhaps seek vengeance. Will she become a believer? Does she carry the energy to be a medium herself despite her lack of belief.
Tied into this is the London Séance Society, a club for gentleman with interests in the paranormal and spiritual realm. Is the interest real? Is it a cover for something else? Murder and intrigue bring Vaudeline and Lenna to London and the society. Rather it brings them back to the society as both have a connection to it already. Mr. Morley is a society executive, seeking their assistance in solving a murder.
The basic questions of this book are ... Is anyone who they say they are? Is anyone's motives what they say they are? Everyone has a secret, some more deadly than others.
The book also introduces a romance which, to me, is incidental and not really relevant to the story. It seems included for the sake of adding a romance. The fact that the book even adds some graphic scenes - including of mastrubation - makes that aspect of the story even less for me. I do not care for graphic descriptions in my reads.
The mystery of this book does not truly remain a mystery for very long for there are not too many characters. The villain is easily identified unless an ending was to come completely out of left field. Nevertheless, the mystery is entertaining. The view into the world of séances and the paranormal has some very human objectives of greed!
The mystery is entertaining, but the romance is less so. Sadly, after The Lost Apothecary, this book leaves me wanting a different story.
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