Christopher Rowe, almost 14, considers himself extremely fortunate to be apprenticed to Benedict Blackthorn, an apothecary in London in 1665 who’s training him to become a pharmacist of that time.
Christopher grew up in an orphanage. A small inheritance and an active, inventive mind led to his passing the demanding Apothecary Guild exam and being apprenticed to Blackthorn at 11.
Blackthorn’s kind. He’s doesn’t beat Christopher, a daily occurrence for most apprentices, even when Christopher mixes gunpowder, causing an explosion that shreds the fur off Blackthorn’s stuffed bear.
Blackthorn teaches the boy cures and treatments for diseases and conditions using plants and other natural ingredients and trains him to use secret codes to keep recipes from being stolen. He encourages him to read his books on philosophy, history and science. Christopher devours all the learning.
For Christopher’s birthday, Blackthorn gives him a silvery puzzle cube. He celebrates with his best friend, Tom. Tom’s “a foot taller and built like a blacksmith” and always game to help with Christopher’s experiments.
King Charles II had returned to England five years ago after a long exile and the end of Oliver Cromwell’s strict Puritan regime. Puritans were purged and executed. Loyalty to the king is still questioned.
Three apothecaries are brutally murdered. When everything Christopher holds dear is threatened, he’s driven to use his skills to unmask the killers.
“The Blackthorn Key” is an imaginative tour de force of historic detail, science, crime and detection that will engross young readers looking for a strong story and new hero to admire.
Author Kevin Sands holds degrees in theoretical physics and has worked as a teacher and in other fields. This is his first novel. It’s a 2016 Edgar Nominee for Best Juvenile Mystery and has won many awards.
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