I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Cocktails & Chloroform by Kelley Armstrong Series: A Rip Through Time #2.5
Published by Subterranean Press on December 1, 2023
Genres: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Historical
Pages: 136
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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For modern-day detective Mallory Atkinson, being trapped in the body of Victorian housemaid means overcoming endless obstacles. Her current challenge is winning over the suspicious young parlormaid, Alice. Mallory’s plan starts with teaching the girl to make Molotov cocktails, which is a perfectly valid science experiment and not at all a desperate ploy to gain Alice’s attention. Before the lesson can begin, though, Alice receives a letter that has her slipping off in the night. Concerned for her safety—and naturally curious—Mallory follows.
Mallory finds Alice at what seems like a simple dance hall, watching young men and women flirting and whirling in pretty dresses and dapper suitcoats. But nothing here is what it seems, and what starts as a simple surveillance exercise turns into a full-scale spy mission with Mallory’s boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, at her side. Before the evening is done, those Molotov cocktails are probably going to come in handy.
This was such a well-done novella! I am convinced that Kelley Armstrong can do no wrong. This may have been a quick read, but it was a layered and compelling tale. I have enjoyed the two previous installments in this series so I was excited to be getting a new story featuring this group of characters. I had a really hard time putting this entertaining novella down once I started reading.
Mallory, who is living in Cat’s body, is worried about the young housemaid, Alice. She follows her one night only to find herself in the middle of something much more sinister and of course, Mallory feels compelled to put herself right in the middle of everything. The descriptions in this story were incredibly well done so I almost felt like I was there with this group of characters. There was plenty of excitement to go around and it was great to see Mallory, Alice, and Dr. Gray come out on top.
I would highly recommend this story to others. While this story could probably stand on its own, I would recommend reading the series in order if possible to understand the characters’ history. I had a wonderful time reading this story and cannot wait to read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a review copy of this book from Subterranean Press.
I love the title and your review thanks this is definitely one I’ll look into
I love this series. I agree KA can do no wrong with her work right now. This series and the Haven’s Rock series are fantastic.
Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. 😀
The title sounded so cozy!
I would definitely not want to be trapped in the body of a Victorian house maid! Between the hard work and the levels of hygiene I don’t think I would survive! That said it would be really fun to read about! This looks like a fun series.
I read the first book, still haven’t had time for the second one. But I love the title of this novella! It’s going on my list.