I received a copy of the book from NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are mine and do not reflect those of the author, publisher or NetGalley.

This is a continuation of the “A Rip Through Time” series. Since it is a part of a series, it should not be read as a standalone. Detective Mallory still stuck in the past in the past in the body of a young maid. She is learning more about her bodies past and is doing all she can to correct those issues so she can survive. While trying to be make things right with Alice she gets pulled into an adventure that nearly gets her sold into slavery—along with her boss Duncan.

This a novella and a very easy read. Kelley Armstrong does a fantastic job writing characters that are displaced in time, or dealing with people who are displaced. I can not wait to see where this goes.

It is always a fun time going back to the Rip Through Time series. This was a grand, little adventure that follows Mallory as she learns more about Alice. This had all of the elements that I've loved of the series thus far; adventure, mystery, maybe a hint of romance?? (Come on Dr. Gray!!!) I just think this is a great series, good characters and a great setting. I love the mysteries, and I'm very happy with this novella and that we get to know more characters within the world. A huge thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy!

Much thanks to the publisher Subterranean Press for access to this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Release date: 31 December 2023

This novella Cocktails and Chloroform is part of author Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series. I have not read anything else in the series or by this author. That said, C&C is an excellent novella that tells a complete story.

Detective Mallory has been transported from the modern day and dropped into the Victorian era. She is now acclimating to her new life as a devious housemaid named Catriona. She cannot completely leave her sleuthing behind when she tails coworker Alice the parlormaid to a shady dance hall.

I found the main character fun and interesting, not bland but also not obnoxiously quirky. Mallory is a capable and confident female character but also one who is in over her head. She rallies her smarts, experience, and instincts to survive and help save others.

Additionally, the narrative did a great job of quickly getting a new reader like me up to speed on our protagonist Mallory’s time-travel situation. The use of imagery and descriptions was on the lighter side but efficient in setting the scene and tone. Armstrong avoided weighing down her dialogue with too many anachronisms. I felt the sense of time and place with a strategic sprinkling of details throughout the story. The story earns its title!

Kelley Armstrong has quickly risen to the ranks of one of my favorite authors. Her series are quite different from on another and while the Rockton series will rank at the top for me, her time travel books are almost as entertaining. A Rip in Time series follows a modern day detective, Mallory Atkinson who finds herself in the body of a house servant in Victorian England with no discernable way to return to her own time. Cocktails and Chloroform is a novella continuing Mallory's adventures and once again, she and the handsome Dr. Gray, her employer and one of the few people who know her true identity. are thrust together to solve another mystery. The story was fast paced, interesting, and surprising. The little facts that we never consider about Victorian England never fail to fascinate me. Definitely recommend picking this one up if you have already read at least one of the previous books in this series. If you have not read them. then definitely read them first as the characters would not make much sense without the background.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time series has been a struggle for me compared to her other books, and, unfortunately, this novella continued that disappointed feeling. I think it's because Mallory is constantly reexplaining how "my world" is different to bring forth facts about the Victorian Era, the plight of women, the beginnings of forensics, etc. which constantly distract me from the story. I also don't understand Mallory's motivations as a character - at one point she believes she has gone back to her time and she is upset about it while also being unconcerned if Catrio na is ruining her life, if her grandma has passed, etc. I find it very hard to suspend my disbelief when Mallory uses phrases like "got to butter up the boss" with no one being confused too. I honestly think I'd prefer the series with a woman interested in crime from the Victorian Era vs the time travel element - I just have no idea where this series is going. Kelley Armstrong's Stitch in Time series is better equipped to handle Time travel and mystery.

The actual story of this novella also used crimes against women the focal point, which, while relevant to the Era, just seemed a convenient plot as opposed to one that will move the entire story further. I usually oppose any book that uses proposed or intentional violence or sexual predation as a plot device (I think this has been wildly abused in books and TV since the late 90s) and I wish this story had gone a different direction.

Overall I am still a Kelley Armstrong fan and love many of her books, but this novella/series have missed the mark for me.

A great addition to an original, creative series. Cocktails and Chloroform, a mystery that involves time-travel, can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. It places Mallory, Alice, and Duncan in a rather sticky situation that requires a lot of serious thinking on their parts in order to safely extricate themselves from significant danger.

I would definitely recommend that you read the previous two novels in this cleverly thought-out series to fully appreciate Kelley Armstrong's creativity in building a world based in 1869 Edinburgh, Scotland that incorporates Mallory's knowledge of 21st Century policing techniques and Dr. Grey's open-minded thought processes.

I love this series and this novella is just another example of why. This author just keeps on creating the best adventures.

Malory is a modern day policewoman through into the past and another persons body. A not so good woman and she’s still working to prove she’s changed.

“Woof.” He motions as if patting my head. “Now stop playing about. The game is afoot.”

Duncan Gray is a doctor in Victorian Scotland. He knows that Malory is from the future.

“You’re in far too good a mood tonight,” I grumble. “Because I successfully snuck up on a professional detective.”
A great mystery with a unique twist.

This is a fun half novella to anyone wanting a sample of Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series. The story itself jumps right in with a quick paced mystery that keeps you reading. I was impressed with how well background information was presented about the characters and the series so far, you can jump right in without reading the previous books. I really like these characters and their interpersonal relationships. This series is such a fun blend of historical and modern storytelling.

This short novella is told in first person from Mallory and is part of A Rip Through Time series. I’d recommend that you start with book 1 because this is an excellent time travel mystery series, but there are tidbits of explanation of how modern day Canadian detective Mallory came to be in Victorian Scotland in the nineteen year old buxom body of a Victorian maid in Scotland peppered throughout the book.

Mallory assists Isla in setting up a new experiment then follows Alice when she sneaks out of the house after receiving a mysterious letter. Mallory is still trying to convince Alice that Catriona has changed and that she can trust her. She follows Alice into Old Town determined to help her with the mysterious errand but ends up in trouble and need of rescue herself. Except she’s Mallory and Mallory rescues herself, and her well-meaning employer when he bumbles to the rescue and ends up in it too.

This was a great little adventure and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys this series or enjoys time travel stories.

Thank you to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

This was such a fun time-travel novella - and even though I haven't read any of the larger series it belongs to, I had no problem getting the gist of the situation. Modern-day detective Mallory is in Victoria era Edinburgh, in the body of a teenage housemaid named Catriona. Fellow maid Alice, who distrusts Catriona for valid reasons, slips out of the house at night and Mallory follows. Both of them, along with Mallory's boss Dr. Gray, are caught up in the middle of a sex-trafficking operation, and Mallory must use her wits and the help of those around her to get out of the situation before it's too late.

I liked the character of Mallory - she is very aware of the time period she is currently living in, but also does her best to give Alice the best chance she possibly can. Her usual police tactics don't always work since she is now wearing a corset and long skirts, which tend to get in the way, but along with Dr. Gray, who is aware of who Mallory really is, she uses every resource she can find.

The story moves quickly and the characters are well rounded - I enjoyed this novella a lot!