The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

 I love it when books connect the past to the present.

This is an interesting tale about women being diabolical in the 1800s and just getting through life in the 2000s.  

3 main characters all going through their own "stuff" but each story as compelling as the other.  

But where's the "thriller" part?  Well, you tell me ...

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Discussion Questions

Borrowed from the back of the book (Park Row Books, 2021)

1. The Lost Apothecary opens with Nella in her shop, preparing to dispense a poison meant to kill a man.  Her work is sinister, and much about her character is dark and disturbing.  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 somewhere in between?  Why?
2. At the beginning of Caroline's story, she finds the apothecary vial while on a mudlarking tour.  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?
3. Both Nella and Caroline have been betrayed by men in their lives.  In what ways did the two women respond similarly to these betrayals?  In what ways did they respond differently?  Do you feel that one woman was more emotionally resilient than the other?
4. Nella and Eliza form an unlikely friendship early in the story, despite Nella's resistance to having the young girl in her shop a second time.  Why do you think Nella eventually softened her heart toward Eliza?  What drew the two characters - one at the cusp of womanhood, the other near the end of her life - toward one another?  What kind of impact did Eliza have on Nella's character?
5. The Lost Apothecary is sprinkled with mentions of magic and several events occur that could be considered either the work of magic or merely good luck.  When you learned that Eliza survived after ingesting the Tincture to Reverse Bad Fortune, did you believe it the result of magic, or do you think she was a lucky survivor after jumping into the freezing river?
6. When James feels a cold coming on, Caroline points him to the eucalyptus oil in the hotel bathroom but she doesn't tell him it's for topical use only.  Later, we learn that he ingested the toxic oil.  While reading, did you consider the possibility that Caroline purposely didn't tell him the oil was for topical use only?  Do you think that, even subconsciously, this might have been a form of revenge?
7. James is a nuanced character.  At different junctures in the story, he shows remorse and heartbreak, only to later lie again to his wife.  What did you think of their relationship?  Did you believe he was truly sorry for his infidelity, or were his apologies to Caroline yet another form of manipulation?
8. At the end of the story, when Eliza is an adult with children of her own, she says that Nella still counsels her to "this very day."  Do you interpret this as Nella having lived many more year, or is Eliza referring to Nella's spirit?  Why do you think the author might have left this purposefully vague?
9. Which of the characters - Nella, Eliza, or Caroline - did you find the most compelling or enjoyable to read about?  Why?
10. THRILLER BOOK CLUB FINAL QUESTION:  Who would you cast?

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 Finally, a book with a male lead.  Many of our recent thrillers centered on a female protagonist that gets in to all sorts of mischief, trouble, and mayhem.  Now we have a male author deserted on a small island with zero contact with the outside world.  What could go wrong?

Did you notice anything strange about the island?  Lots of things are.  

I like that each chapter focuses on an oxymoron, indicating that this is not exactly black or white, it is a gray world, and all the characters are not exactly what they seem.

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Discussion Questions - Borrowed from: Book club questions for Beautiful Ugly | Bookclubs

1. How does Feeney build a growing sense of unease?
2. Have you ever been to Scotland? Could you picture the Isle of Amberly? Do you imagine it as similar to anywhere you've ever traveled?
3. Did you enjoy all the twists and turns of the plot, or did it feel convoluted to you?
4. Which twist was most jaw-dropping for you?
5. Oh boy that ending! Did you expect it? Did it make sense to you? Did you feel it did a good job of tying up loose ends from earlier in the novel?
6. Beautiful Ugly is told from both Grady's and Abby's perspective. What does the reader gain by experiencing both points of view? From the way that the novel also jumps back and forth in time.
7. Spoiler alert: Beautiful Ugly features a very unreliable narrator. How do you feel about this authorial choice in novels, especially thrillers?
8. Did you grow to care about Grady or Abby as characters? What about any of the many eccentric side characters on the island? Why or why not?
9. Thriller Book Club Favorite Question:  Who would you cast in each role?

The Father She Went to Find by Carter Wilson

 This was amazing!

The main character becomes a savant by trauma - never heard of that.  That's an interested condition, though.  You remember EVERYTHING from the day of your accident until this very second.  How mind numbing.  It can definitely be useful but difficult.  I mean, there are definitely some things we need to forget to protect ourselves, don't you think?

Besides this psychological phenomenon we have all kinds of fun in this book.  From missing fathers, random road trips, meet-cutes, strange coincidences, drug cartels meet mob bosses, rogue cops, clandestine agencies, I mean the list goes on and on and on.  

There's just no knowing where this genius will find herself next.  All I can say is she took me for a ride, and I didn't stop gasping until it ended!  And even then ... 

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Discussion questions (taken from the back of the book; Poisoned Pen Press, 2024 (c))

1. Our main character is a savant and can remember everything.  How does this ability affect her?  If you had the ability to remember everything, how do you think you'd feel and why?
2. Penny's father left her after her accident.  What does he send her once a year on her birthday, and what made her 21st birthday different?  How did you feel when Penny received this card?  Would you have reacted the same way?
3. Penny sets out on a road trip to find her father, as well as the clues they buried all those years ago in their final moments together.  Why is this a risk for her?  Would you have done the same thing?
4. Penny and her father "talk" in her head.  What are these conversations like, and how do they change throughout the narrative?  Why do you think Penny feels the need to have these conversations?
5. Sebastian tells Penny, "You recall everything but know nothing."  What does he mean by this?  How does the idea of recalling versus knowing play a role in Penny's character transformation?
6. Travis and Penny begin to travel with a woman named Fia.  Why are the Snakeskin Boys after her, and what is the reason they decide to all travel west?
7. In an emotional ending, Penny is finally able to "find" her father.  What does she learn about him?  How did you feel when this was revealed?
8. List your cast of characters!