“Disturbing the dead” is I believe the third instalment in the homicide detective Mallory Atkinson series, however I read this as a stand-alone having not read the previous books and I was still able to fully understand everything and enjoy the plot without feeling I was missing anything.

The plot combines historical crime fiction with present day, our FMC has found herself investigating murders in the 1860s when she is really from our modern society. Mallorys employer Dr Duncan Gray is aware of her timeline hopping situation, and together they investigate the mystery surrounding a suspicious death.

They are invited to attend a mummy unwrapping, but they find themselves unravelling a mystery instead of mummified remains. I loved the aspect of a murder occurring during such an event, as well as the historical aspects, having to use wits and intelligence to investigate without having access to modern day crime solving technology.

I enjoy both characters and their working relationship, the ease at which they work together.

I thought the narrator, Kate Hanford did an absolutely fantastic job of portraying all the different characters as well as multiple accents, and enjoyed listening along to the plot.

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books for the EARC and ALC.

Publish date: May 7th 2024

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


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

4.5 hearts

I have not always been a fan of time travel but this author has two series where it is an element and I love them. A Rip Through Time series is where a modern day police detective ends up 150 years earlier. So the story is primarily set historically.

I would read this story in order for the development in the characters and the situations. Mallory has grown comfortable with her household and life in the past. She does worry about her grandmother and parents. She wonders if Catriona is in her time, torturing them. Finally, we get some information about time travel and what is going on in Mallory's actual life.

There is a new murder case of a doctor and Egyptologist. There was a mummy unwrapping at his home where the body turned out to be modern. Disturbing the Dead has a background theme of Egyptology and artifacts. The whole episode highlights the plight of woman and the class system having unfair advantages.

Mallory continues to be a great help to Gray and McCreadie with the investigating of cases. I enjoy the fact the household has such diversity and scientific interests. Mallory does have her detractors and she is slowly working through or around them. Someone is writing racy chronicles of her adventures with Dr. Gray, which are inaccurate and embarrassing.

I look forward to seeing how things go from here. Historical mysteries have become a favorite of mine, and this series is one of the best.

2.5 stars

I struggled with this book. Apparently it is the third book in the series. I did not read the first two, so perhaps that is why. I struggled to connect with Mallory. There were numerous characters, and, at times, it was hard to follow who is doing what and their purpose. I did enjoy the setting, and I particularly like the inclusion of the Egyptian mummy. I had read that this book can be read as a standalone novel, but I'm not sure that that truly is the case. I think it would be best to read the prior books 1st.

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory was unexpectedly transported to 1869 Scotland and woke up in a body not her own. She's adapting to her new life while continuing to solve crimes. This time, she and her employer, Dr. Duncan Gray, and friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping, a morbid fascination of the Victorians. However, they uncover a much more modern body under the bandages, setting off a thrilling chain of events.

As a fan of time travel stories, I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's unique take on the trope, and loved this book! It's a page-turner that immerses readers in Victorian Scotland through Mallory's perspective. The writing is great, there's danger, and the historical details are vividly depicted, including the Victorian fascination with death, Egyptology, and antiquities.

The characters in the series are well-developed, and Mallory, in particular, is a smart, capable FMC with a dry wit who can handle whatever comes her way. Eccentric, forward-thinking secondary characters surround her. Mallory and Duncan respect each other intellectually and have chemistry, and I'm enjoying the tension of their will they/won't. I adore Duncan's sisters, Isla and Annis, both women ahead of their time. Annis makes me laugh with her bold, blunt manner. She's become quite the scene-stealer!

The mystery is red-herring-filled and suspenseful. This one even takes a few unforeseen twists that lend interesting outcomes and emotional weight to the story. It was hard to put down! While this could technically be read as a stand-alone, I suggest reading the series from the beginning for this one to make the most impact. I'm already excited for the next one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the free book!

Oh my! How to write a review for this book without spoilers…I was starting to think that the story was taking a long time to set up when everything went off the rails in the best way. Kelley Armstrong is becoming an auto read author for me. The way she weaves these time travel stories is so fun. There’s a bit of everything I like: Canadiana references, law enforcement mystery & time travel. This third entry in this series was a fabulous edition and adds so much to the continuing story. I enjoyed learning a bit about mummies & the industry surrounding them was interesting. There’s so much more I could say but you don’t want this story spoiled for you. It’s worth the read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for a copy of this book. It was so great.

4 1/2 Stars

This was the most recent entry in A Rip Through Time Series. Each book focuses on one major mystery that needs to be solved. Our main character, Mallory who is stuck in the past usually is the assistant to Dr. Gray in researching the dead and the mystery surrounding them. In this book, they find out there is a book being written about them that doesn't necessarily portray them all in the best of lights. In addition, Mallory is stuck wondering exactly how she fits in since Gray and his sister hired a maid to assume Mallory's household tasks in order to free her up for more important research.

This book was well written. I enjoy the setting and the descriptions of life during that time. In addition, the mystery and all the research they do to try to solve it are usually quite entertaining and lead to added curiosities some times. It's a clever story line and kept me intrigued throughout.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was really spot on for this book and lends itself to the overall enjoyment. With it being a period piece, I feel that it's even more important to have good accents and so forth. It's well done. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

I usually don't read many time travel books but these have been so good. This author has go beyond the realm of what my imagination looks forward to and I've enjoyed this series very much.

Mallory has been stuck in 1869 Scotland for what seems a lifetime. It's been six months though. She was a housemaid but has become an assistant to her employer now. They solve crimes. They work well together and seem to like each other. I think it's love but who knows. Maybe in the next book...

While I throughly love this series I was a tiny bit disappointed in this book. In this story. To me it was so obvious what was going to happen with the unwrapping of the mummy. That didn't make me want to stop reading though. I also figured out fairly early on who the actual murderer was. But again it didn't make me want to stop. I could have been wrong. (I wasn't.)

There was another part that I was truly disappointed in but I don't know how to explain that without giving away what is possibly a bit part of this book. I'll just keep that to myself and think on it. No need of ruining it for anyone else. It has to do with Mallory though. After she is attacked in the tunnel. I also knew in my heart who was telling secrets to a writer, about Mallory and Doctor Gray.

I have enjoyed this series and do look forward to the next book. I think there has to be a next. I like the characters and the storyline. The women who were determined to go to school and become doctors even though it was just not done in this time. That was a good thing for sure.

This is a very good book. Just because so many things were obvious to me does not mean I didn't enjoy it. It really made it a bit better proving that I was correct. There were clues that gave it away for me. I look forward to reading more about Dr Gray and Mallory. They are truly a force to be reckoned with. I'm anxious to see what they uncover next...

This would have been a five star if not for Mallory's parents. That's all I have to say about that...

Thank you #NetGalley, #KelleyArmstrong, #StMartinsPress, for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars and I do recommend this series.

In the third book in the A Rip Through Time series, Mallory, along with Dr. Gray & the rest of his family have been invited to a mummy unwrapping party. at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When it comes time to unwrap the mummy however, their host is nowhere to be found, so they ask Dr. Gray & Mallory to do the unwrapping. When they begin to unwrap it, they discover it is not the Egyptian mummy they were anticipating, but a murder victim - as well as someone they all know.

I love this series. The premise - a modern day detective is attacked in an alley when she goes out for a run, and when she comes to, she is in the body of a housemaid by the name of Catriona Mitchell in Victorian Scotland. She tries to pass as Catriona while she attempts to figure out how to get back to her time, but Dr. Gray and his sister realize something is definitely off about her, and she has to confess what is going on. Now, she assists Dr. Gray with his work, and they solve crimes together.

This book had a twist that was a game-changer, and one I definitely did not see coming. It had me worried for a little bit, I will confess. I love Mallory, and I think she makes an excellent female protagonist. I enjoy reading about her teaching them all about how life changes in the future, and teaching them new words and phrases. I had never heard of a mummy unwrapping party, so I had to look that up and unfortunately that was a thing. I saw the pictures and everything. I feel like I need to bleach my brain now, but I am definitely more informed! If you are a fan of mysteries, especially those with a fantasy/time travel theme to them, you will love this.

Another fun and cozy murder mystery adventure in the series! Yes; there is a “Sherlock & Watson” feel to the series, but the characters have a completely different dynamic with a more modern take, especially since one of our leads are from modern times. There’s not just glimpses, but actual conversations about the prejudices of skin color and women being treated as equals in society. With how this ended, I’m assuming that there’s going to be more. I’m torn about how I feel about the series continuing… because this is book #3 which makes it long. BUT I’m really invested in all of the characters at this point. They’re pretty lovable and Armstrong’s got me hooked. Anyway, I was thoroughly entertained, and my favorite part of this adventure is when they went to the “market”. There’s reminiscing of past events so I think readers will be okay if they jumped right into this one, but it would be more enjoyable in order. You’ll get a better understanding of all the different characters and how they tie in. I was hoping for more romance (or a confession) with at least one of the main couples, but that’s gonna continue to slowly burn. As a side note, I read the digital version for the first half and listened to the audiobook for the second half. The narrator made the story extra fun!

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong is part of her Rip Through Time series. I have not read the earlier books so it took a bit of time to get up to speed. Mallory is a modern Canadian detective trapped in 1869 Edinburgh, trying to make the best of her new life. It's a mixture of a historical setting for a modern woman. The central idea of the series is Mallory is ripped back in time but of course there are some complications. Fun book, thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for my review copy of this book.

Disturbing the Dead is the third book in Kelley Armstrongs's addictive historical mystery series A Rip Through Time. I became a big fan of this author when I was introduced to her Rockton series, and now I try to read every new book she comes out with. My current favorite genre is historical mystery and thrillers, so this series is right up my alley, with a twist...time travel. It sounded a bit hokey to me at first, but it's not. It's riveting and she can't write new books in this series fast enough for me! The mystery here stands alone, but I highly recommending reading this series in order; you won't want to miss the progression of Mallory's life in her new world.

Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day homicide detective, is becoming more comfortable living in 1869 Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. Well, as comfortable as it can be inhabiting another woman's body! She and housemaid Catriona Mitchell were both attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart, and somehow Mallory is now wearing a Catriona suit. At least her employers know her true identity, and she does enjoy working as an assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker/medical examiner. Mallory now has true friends - and deeper feelings - in this time period. Victorians appear to be fascinated with death, so Mallory isn't totally shocked that she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping party at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. Sir Christie isn't present when it's time to unwrap the mummy, so Dr. Gray and Mallory are asked to do the honors. Except it's not an ancient mummy under all those wrappings, but something much...fresher.

I have loved this series from the start! I crave this fascinating blend of a historical mystery, compelling characters and a bit of the mystical all wrapped together. This particular book, however, is by far my favorite. I was expecting a great mystery, but I wasn't expecting a storyline that had me snorting out loud with laughter AND bawling my eyes out! The mystery itself was fun, thrilling, and kept me guessing. I loved all the red herrings that weren't so obvious that they were in fact red herrings. Right off the bat I'm sure you can guess who was underneath the mummy wrappings. What wasn't at all obvious was the whodunit portion of our story. There were a lot of people to choose from - the female medical student who was disgusted with Dr. Christie's opposition to women being doctors, his second wife, his wife's brother who helped him with his Egyptian finds, his sponsor, someone unknown who wanted his artifacts - it's a long list of possible suspects! There's some interesting historical aspects here that are extremely interesting, such as the Victorian fascination with death. Mummy unwrapping parties were definitely not politically correct; it's hard to imagine people wanting to be thrilled by a long-deceased body being exposed, not for its scientific importance. There is also some prejudice against those who look different, like Dr. Gray, who has brown skin due to his Indian mother. Some of my favorite scenes in the story take place in the "Goblin Market", where one could get odd remedies, pieces of corpses and "relief" for women who suffer from anxiety. It was quite unreal! There was humor here, as well. An unknown writer is chronicling the exploits of "The Gray Doctor" and his beautiful assistant. Of course, the stories are overblown in order to sell broadsheets and chap books. The descriptions of the "beautiful assistant's" actions will have you rolling on the floor. The mystery part was excellent, of course, but it's the characters who bring me back to this series time and time again. Mallory is a strong female character who has managed amazingly well being thrown back in time into the body of a duplicitous, pretty, young and blonde housemaid. Her employer, Dr. Duncan Gray, and his sister, Isla Ballantyne, a chemist, are well aware of who Mallory is now. She is no longer a housemaid but assistants Dr. Gray in his cases. His sister Isla, a widowed chemist, is a good friend to Mallory. Detective Hugh McCreadie, a friend of Duncan's since childhood, is also aware of Mallory's true identity, and he is appreciative of her help and is excited to hear about the future of law enforcement. Though she is becoming more comfortable with her situation, she still struggles with some things...like fighting in a corset, which is always good for a laugh. She has to also be careful of her modern language, lest she bring too much attention to herself. She is close to Dr. Gray, and it's becoming apparent that it's not just friendship between the two of them. I just adore Duncan Gray. He now runs the undertaking business that was his father's, but he was also trained as a doctor. (Unfortunately he cannot practice medicine, as there was an incident in digging up a corpse once...) He is also a medical examiner, but not officially. The "doctor" who does autopsies is rather inept, and Duncan is allowed access to the bodies once the other guy is through with them. Duncan is very protective, but he also knows and respects Mallory's abilities. Duncan has dealt with prejudice due to his parentage, but he is well-liked and respected by most. The man is addicted to cream pastries, and Mallory has been known to get her way by bribing him with them. He is actually a very kind man, and cares very much for Mallory. It's quite apparent; who else would give a Hand of Glory to his assistant so they could dissect it together? (BTW, a Hand of Glory is the pickled right hand of a felon, cut off while the body still hung from the gallows, and is believed to have mystical powers. How sweet!) Other favorite characters make appearances, such as Mrs. Wallace (the cook, who once worked in a circus; she is not a woman you want to anger), Alice (a young maid) and Queen Mab (an herbalist). There is one huge plot twist in this book, and I will NOT mention it here; I was glad I didn't read any spoilers beforehand. I was totally shocked, and it changes the trajectory of the series. You will be gobsmacked. This is not a series to let pass by!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I’m so obsessed with the Rip Through Time series. The setting, the characters, the time period, the mysteries, the adventures, the humour, the emotion, all of it. I love how Armstrong weaves together multiple mysteries, both big and small, to always keep the reader guessing and keep us on our toes. I enjoyed the Egyptian/mummy storyline in Disturbing the Dead; I learned quite a few new things, which I always appreciate. I absolutely adore the characters and their interactions. This book was particularly funny and made me laugh out loud multiple times, but it was also surprisingly emotional and I shed a few tears on more than one occasion while reading.

This series is so captivating, and I’m looking forward to the next adventure. I have my fingers crossed for another novella like we got last December because I need more of Mallory, Duncan, Isla, and Hugh in my life and a year feels like so long to wait!

*****SPOILER*****
As a romance reader, I'm used to shipping people, but I wouldn't let myself ship Mallory and Gray in the first book because I knew it was wrong. Mallory was in someone else’s body and hoped/planned to return home eventually. BUT... a) she CHOSE to return to Victorian Scotland after she was sent back to her time, and b) Gray is clearly falling for her, so…I can ship them now, right? It’s still kind of weird, but less weird? Either way, I’m curious to see where their relationship goes and if it veers into the romantic.

This installment of Kelley Armstrong's time travel mystery has Mallory and Duncan solving the murder of an archaeologist and the selling of mummy remains. As Mallory settles into the life of a Victorian woman she has now been released from her duties as a maid and has been hired as Duncan's full-time assistant. As she, Duncan and Detective MacReidy uncover clues and suspects, the underground world of buyers and sellers in illegal merchandise looms large in their search for the murderer. Adding new characters to the story-line and the possibility of romance between Mallory and Duncan the next installment should prove just the treat.

I can’t tell you how much I loved this book! I’ve been a fan of Kelley’s for years and have loved this series so much! This book was no exception … it is by far my favorite! I really love the dynamic of this group of characters. And I couldn’t love the direction that this is taking more! I read a lot of books and this series is so unique and so enjoyable. I was right in the middle of reading another book when this landed in my inbox … I immediately switched to this one! I’m so looking forward to these stories continuing - please keep them coming! You MUST give this one a whirl!

Mallory the modern Canadian detective trapped in 1869 Edinburgh is making the best of her new life. Being officially promoted to assistant of the rich, handsome Dr. Duncan Gray, undertaker/consulting detective, means she gets to do fun Victorian activities like attending a mummy unwrapping party. Their murdered host ends up being the one in the wrappings. Mallory and Gray are somewhat distracted from their investigation by the highly inaccurate but wildly popular serialization of their adventures. Solid historical grounding, nice brisk plot. Volume three offers some answers and closure about the central premise of the series, which is appreciated.

This series just keeps getting better and better!

This is book 3 in the Rip Through Time series. You are missing out if you haven't jumped into this series yet.

In book 1, Mallory was violently brought to the past, 150 years earlier, waking up in the body of a housemaid. Since then, she has etched a place for herself in her new life. She has become the assistant to the local medical examiner and between the two of them, they are unstoppable at solving crimes.

I absolutely loved the mystery tied to this one! A body wrapped up and left as a mummy!? Who is responsible and where did the real mummy go? These characters are just so charming and fun. I love that we get to know them more and more with each book. This book had my jaw on the floor at parts and was dying to see where this series would go.

This was a great addition to the series! I really have enjoyed all of the books and am now starting the countdown for the release of the next installment. Is it next year yet? This one had an entertaining mystery and has you very invested. I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see who was the bad guy and how the group would wrap it up. This book takes Mallory to some places she has been wanting to get to for a long time and answered a few of the questions we have had since the first book. I can’t wait to see what is in store for Mallory and Duncan in the future. If you have started this series already, you will definitely want to read this installment and if you haven’t started the series yet, you should pick up the first - A Rip Through Time and start it.

Mallory Atkinson (homicide detective) is still trapped in the past--literally, having somehow been yanked back to 1860's Edinburgh and now living in the body of Catriona Michell (housemaid). But she is minding less and less as she begins to make a place for herself in the eccentric household of undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray and his scientist sister, Isla. They and those close to them know who Mallory really is, and it has allowed her to assist in more than one murder investigation. So when a fresh corpse is unwrapped instead of the expected mummy at a macabre society gathering, Mallory gets a dangerous crash course in just how valuable Egyptian artifacts can be, and what people will do to get their hands on them.

I really enjoyed this latest in the Rip Through Time series. Armstrong has a way of making history so real, and the setup (a modern police detective living over 250 years earlier) is perfect for explaining how things worked in a way that doesn't detract from the plot. And an intriguing plot it is. So many situations and struggles that we face today aren't new (blended families, complicated feelings, found family) and are found in this book. I do have mixed feelings about the twist in the middle of this one (no spoilers here)--I do appreciate that it resolved some of the tension stretching through the series so far, but I'll wait to see how things play out moving forward to form a more concrete opinion. All said, I really enjoyed this one and can't wait for the next in the series!

I've really been enjoying the Rip series, and this is definitely my favorite so far. Firstly, mummies!! I quite liked the crime and the process they went through to solve it. It pulled in characters from the preceding book in a satisfyingly organic way, and it introduced a delightfully amusing "chronicler" of Duncan and Mallory's adventures with a Holmesian flavor. I was rather blindsided by a mid-story twist, but it did an excellent job of resolving one of the primary tensions in the base story arc. I'll admit to being a little frustrated with the slow burn, but I guess that's a sign of a well-executed slow burn! (fingers crossed for next book!)

Disturbing the Dead finds my favorite time traveling detective back on the case as a gentleman is murdered and a mummy’s bones are stole, Mallory is falling into a familiar and comfortable existence in the past but when the future comes calling, Mallory finds her place in the world is different from what she thought. The case is twisted and unpredictable while Mallory and Duncan’s story has you rooting for a romance between the couple. The characters are always memorable and unique and the mystery always slaps you with an unexpected twist for a great read. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.