Kelly Mun is a private detective.. She has an uncanny sense of smell. She runs Non-Linear Investigations with her cousin Critter, using psychic and arcane methods to earn a living. When a mysterious businesswoman hires them to find the source of a deadly new street drug called bardo, Kelly’s life gets even stranger than usual in this mystical Seattle. Will Kelly find the source of the street drug Bardo?

It’s a story well written detective novel with wit, pathos, compassion, religious deities, and arcane monsters from beyond our ken. It’s a fast, fun story to read as bing procedure can also be considered urban fata and horror. I enjoyed the book as it was cleverly written.

Quirky good fun! I feel like I'd find this tucked away in some hidden corner of an anarchist bookstore. Noir isn't really my thing, but if it's yours, this will be a great time.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a review copy.

This book has quite a lot going on. It could best be described as urban fantasy horror noir. The world-building is interesting and unique, with the magical system being based in real religions and traditions. I enjoyed learning about the characters, shows back stories are revealed bit by bit. I hope that this book will be the first in series, as I felt it definitely has potential for more great stories. 4.25 stars

Better Living Through Alchemy is a plot-driven adventure with weird, sometimes wonderfully gruesome, experiences. A new street drug is causing bizarre deaths. Kelly and Critter are tasked by a wealthy and powerful woman to find its source and stop the killer. With Kelly’s unique magic and Critter’s research, the race is on.

The narrative of the first victim is imaginative and thrilling, and the rest of the book’s supernatural encounters followed suit. I especially enjoyed the creative twists of freaky and outlandish entities that Kelly and Critter must battle and decipher.

At times, it felt like I was reading from the middle of a series—there were questions I had about world-building that weren’t answered. I also felt a lack of emotionality and depth to the characters. In one instance, we don’t get a key character background scene until 80% of the book is over. There’s banter, but because of this lack of context, I found it left me more confused than entertained. At only 166 pages, Peterson could have gone longer to let these characters breathe, and I was disappointed he didn’t. Bonus for queer rep, though.

The story shines in the speculative and strange. Peterson’s relaxed confidence with the uncanny propelled the story forward, and made every action scene intriguing and fantastical. I could see this developing into a long-running series, and I’d be willing to read another eerie or trippy adventure with the Non-Linear Investigative team.

Thank you to Broken Eye Books and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.75/5

"It was easy to smell a devil's bargain, but she still couldn't detect which circle of hell the sulfur came from."

Better Living Through Alchemy is set in an occult-noir version of Seattle and follows Kelly Mun, a private investigator with the unique psychic ability of clairolfaction—she can smell things others cannot. Kelly runs Non-Linear Investigations with her cousin Critter, a librarian with a penchant for folkloric taxonomy and the occult. They are hired by a mysterious businesswoman to find the source of a deadly new street drug called "bardo," which is linked to bizarre and lethal overdoses.


Reading this book was a pleasure—I connected with the characters almost immediately. Kelly and Critter are both endearing from the start, with genuine interactions and a strong familial bond. The world itself, a strange version of Seattle equipped with an Occult Crimes Division and magic crimes, is richly described, and it's evident how much care was put into the world-building aspect. The various crime scenes Kelly investigates, especially the first one, are intriguing and unique. I particularly enjoy body horror, and this book incorporates elements of it naturally, never feeling forced. Another interesting aspect is the incorporation of "fakelore", adding an extra layer to the mythology explored within the story and heightens the mystery.

The story's pacing was excellent and held my attention throughout. Although I occasionally paused to look up some religious or folklore terms, this was out of personal curiosity—the author introduces a broad range of esoteric concepts while ensuring they are explained within the necessary context. This is a compelling and well-crafted tale that blends mystery, body horror, and dark fantasy seamlessly. The characters are lovable, the world-building is meticulous, and the plot is engaging. This book is a must-read for fans of occult noir and supernatural mysteries.

Please note: I was provided with an advance copy of this book by Broken Eye Books and NetGalley. This does not impact my review or rating.