Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Series: A Rip Through Time #2.5
Published by Subterranean Press on December 1, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 115
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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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 is 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.
While the A Rip Through Time series has a time travel aspect, Cocktails & Chloroform has no time travel happening. After the first book, we just get to enjoy the stories of Mallory living in a historical time period. She is fortunate to be with open minded, kind people. I’m enjoying the historical mystery and the lovely characters here. She is very helpful in solving the crimes and assisting Duncan in his undertaking / doctor business.
Now we have a mystery around Alice receiving a letter. Mallory is worried when she goes out in the night and follows her. Alice is not trusting of Mallory (Catriona was vile) but the situation turns out to be dire. Mallory runs in to some of the bad crowd Catriona knew.
As a short novella, we get a quick story where I cared about the characters. Mallory made some progress in her relationship with Alice. They and Duncan, everyone took too many chances and things could have gone much worse. Thank goodness they knew how to make Molotov cocktails!
I look forward to more excellent adventures with Mallory in this historical setting and perhaps even some learning about how she was able to travel time. I hope she can retain these friends if she goes back to her own time.
- Sunday Post – 16 February 2025 @caffeinatedreviewer.com @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - February 16, 2025
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 23-COYER
Glad you’re continuing the enjoy the series, Anne💜
Kelley Armstrong is on fire these days. Her books are top notch.
Time traveling to the past would be hard with how things were back then and how you would be really use to all the modern stuff we have now.
I agree. Mallory seems o handle it well. But it’s really all set in the past except for the initial accident that caused her to travel.
This sounds fun. I’m liking Armstrong more and more as I read more of her stuff.
This series is really excellent. I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong.
Love the title of this one! I think I saw the author has a new YA coming out next year, so I’m excited for that! Great review.
Thanks Lisa. She does have a YA title coming which isn’t my thing. Also she just did a horror title, also not my thing. But everything in the genres I read has been amazing.
I love when an author gives little side stories in novellas.
It is nice. KA has done Christmas novellas in her other time slip series.
I should read more by this author. She is good.
I have enjoyed everything she writes except the horror type titles.
Lovely review. It was a nice short and I look forward to more 🙂
yes I’m extremely curious when and how they are going to address the time travel thing since the books have been all in the past for Mallory. But maybe going back(to the future) is the end of the series?
I’m really looking forward to reading this author and this series. It looks so good!
This series is amazing! The only reason this didn’t rate higher is a novella is shorter with less development but the heroine acted a bit TSTL and that annoys me.