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Bianca Goddard has set up a quiet life in the Southwark neighborhood of London in 1544, working as a sort of apothecary and herbalist out of her home. Her husband, John Grunt, is apprenticing as a silversmith, and they are expecting their first child. But in this, the fourth book of the series, trouble has a way of finding her and upending her stable life.
Her father, Albern Goddard, an alchemist, has discovered a substance that emits a powerful light, and he has shaped this into stones. But when the stones are stolen, and the wife of another alchemist tries to sell them, a string of deaths ensues.
Constable Patch, who has worked with Bianca before, asks for her help again because she understands "the way these types work," referring to alchemists and their ilk. But Albern Goddard suspects his wife, Malva, of having stolen the stones. Will the truth lead Bianca to her own mother and her mother's lover?
In the meantime, John, having failed an archery test, is conscripted into the army as a soldier to serve in either France or Scotland, leaving Bianca to survive alone. Add to that the Rat Man, a mysterious wraith who was once an alchemist but who now lives under the bridges of the Thames—a presence who seems to have an unnatural interest in Bianca and what she does.
THE ALCHEMIST OF LOST SOULS is not a lighthearted book; it is a dark mystery, filled with historical details that portray the dark, dank streets of medieval London, children beaten by their parents for minor infractions, and unscrupulous people who prey on those in pain. It's this rich detail that keeps one reading, as the mystery itself sometimes progresses at a slow pace. For fans of Tudor history, though, this is a solid book (there's even a glossary at the end) and an enjoyable read.
§ Lourdes Venard is an independent editor who divides her time between New York and Maui.
Reviewed by Lourdes Venard, June 2019
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