Book Review
The Poisoner's Ring
reviewed by Lou Jacobs

readersremains.com | Goodreads

Step into Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland once more for a captivating cozy mystery featuring modern-day Canadian police detective Mallory Atkinson, who finds herself stranded in 1860s Scotland. She works alongside the unorthodox yet forward-thinking duo of criminal investigator Duncan Gray and his half-sister, Isla Ballantyne.
Duncan, a biracial individual, is the youngest member of the Gray family. Despite his medical training, societal constraints force him to work as a mortician, although he actually serves as a trusted consultant to Detective McCreadie. Duncan examines murder victims before the inept medical examiner has a chance to compromise the evidence. His methods are precursors to modern forensic science.
Isla, on the other hand, breaks the mold for women of her time. Highly educated, she’s compelled to work as a herbalist rather than a chemist due to prevailing gender bias. Unfortunately, Dr. Gray is often dismissed as insignificant and somewhat of a fraud. Despite his education, he faces discrimination due to his race.
Thirty-year-old Mallory, a police detective from Vancouver, is thrown into this scenario when she rushes to help a screaming woman in an alley. Suddenly, a noose is slipped around her neck. As she loses consciousness, the world darkens. When she awakens, she’s shocked to find herself in the body of an eighteen-year-old blonde girl. Through a “rip in time,” she has journeyed from May 20, 2019, to the same day in 1869. A resourceful character, Mallory navigates this new time period and unfamiliar body with wit and determination.
This is the second in a series of enjoyable historical mysteries, merging a police procedural with a time-travel narrative set in the vivid backdrop of the Victorian era. This novel works perfectly as a standalone, thanks to the writer’s skillful interweaving of necessary backstory into the current plot. Mallory’s employers are aware of her predicament and allow her to assume the role of Duncan’s assistant. The trio harness each other’s talents to solve mysteries together, although Mallory is unsure if she will ever return to her own time.
Witnessing Mallory’s attempts to mimic Victorian speech, based on her understanding of modern Victorian romance novels, is amusing. She continuously reminds herself of the “butterfly effect,” the idea that a single action in the past can have a profound impact on the future.
The trio’s latest investigative challenge involves a suspected ring of poisoners, where women are allegedly murdering their husbands. Initial evidence suggests that the victims might have deserved their fate. Wives are promptly arrested without thorough investigation. When Duncan’s older sister, Annis, becomes a suspect following the murder of her unfaithful husband Lord Leslie, Duncan is compelled to join the investigation. Poison is considered a woman’s murder weapon, but it couldn’t possibly be that simple. The poison used seems to be a traceless toxin that Mallory identifies as thallium, a heavy metal virtually unheard of in 1860s Scotland. Even Isla is unfamiliar with its use as a poison.
Kelley Armstrong proves herself to be an expert storyteller, spinning an enchanting tale packed with numerous plot twists. As the story escalates, it culminates in a thrilling and unexpected climax that leaves some questions unanswered, hinting at more adventures to come. Armstrong skillfully incorporates themes such as women’s equality, racism, immigration, and gender dysphoria into her work. These social issues are relevant to both time periods.
I alternated between reading this book on my Kindle and listening to the audio version. The narration was provided by professional actress and voice personality, Kate Hanford. Her incredible voice and tonal variations brought the characters to life in the “theatre of my mind.”
Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and an Advanced Audio version of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read A RIP THROUGH TIME which is the first in this series and enjoyed it very much.
This one continues with Mallory still stuck in Catriona's body back in 1869. She still lives with Dr Gray and his sister Isla.

Catriona goes with Gray to somewhat investigate what could be a poisoner's ring. Men have died under mysterious circumstances. Possibly murder by poisonous means. Detective McCreadie is also along with these two trying to find information about who could possibly be giving the wives poison. It's possible these wives are murdering their husbands and one is Gray's own sister Annis. Annis is the oldest sister. Her husband died in what appears to be unusual means.

There are several deaths believed to be from poisoning but what is it really? Who would be supplying women with this and why. Though there are many reasons why in most of the cases. Some of these men may have met the fate they deserve for the nefarious things they have done we can't just jump to conclusions and start hanging the wives. Isla is a chemist and works hard to prove what really killed the men. What killed her sister's husband. If the wives didn't do it then who did? Or was it really even poison? Even back in this era the science they use is pretty good. Mallory is invaluable in her help to both Gray and Isla. Not only does she do housework, she helps solve the nefarious cases of murder.

As this author takes us on another journey to Edinburgh in 1869 you get to know more about the Gray family and Mallory/Catriona. You meet the oldest sibling Annis and get another side of how women lived in this era. Some married for money. Other's for love. Some for a forbidden love where money may have helped. The clothes women were expected to wear in this time were a bit crazy if you think about it. How things are now anyway. All the many layers. What was their purpose? I have no idea truly but did find that fascinating in this story. Just trying to imagine a woman having to run. Or be in any kind of a hurry. Even the lowly maids had to wear the corsets and layers of clothing during their daily chores. I love how the author captured these things in this story. She makes you feel like you are right there in 1869 Edinburgh. In the middle of a Poisoner's Ring.

I look forward to the next book in this series and have no doubt there will be another as you do have to allow Mallory find her way back home. At least I hope so.

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

Four stars and I recommend it. It's quite good.

I want to love this worries because the author has previously written so many that I enjoy, but I just can't connect with the time period or characters. Just not a right fit.

I love this series and I cannot wait for more installments. While there's obviously differences, this series puts me in the mind of Miss Scarlet and the Duke (great Masterpiece TV show) I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first. It was great since Mallory was established and you get thrown right into the mystery. I love all the characters, the banter, the time. This is a great series that I would highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

This is the second book in a trilogy about Canadian police officer Mallery Mitchell, who, after an assault, wakes up in Victorian times Scotland, inhabiting a young housemaid's body. However, her new employer is perfectly happy accepting this premise, and she will help them solve crimes, in part with help of the procedures she knows is yet to come. It is obvious that Kelley Armstrong has done quite a bit of research into the period and area, and even though it is necessary to park your disbelief that a modern policewomen could pose as a Victorian without changing her behavior drastically, this is a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read/listen to this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To be fully transparent, I would count Kelley Armstrong in my top 3 or 4 authors. Whether writing adult or YA books, I find that she always tells an engaging story. However, I have never been into reading about time travel but I did read and enjoy last year’s “A Rip Through Time”. I was very excited to get the follow up story “The Poisoner’s Ring”. I was still very invested in the book and finished it quite quickly once I started it. However, I don’t know that the actual mystery or case was as intriguing as in the first book. I do absolutely love the setting and the characters. From Mallory who is pretending to be Catriona (since she fell into her body in Book 1) to Dr Duncan Gray and his sister, I just love the time spent on the pages with these characters. There are so many places this story could go, and I feel like we will start working through getting Mallory back to her timeline at some point, but I hope it takes awhile because of how much fun I have visiting the past in this series. Now I’m counting down to Book 3 and I only can hope the mystery is a bit stronger for the next one.

https://historicWhile on a visit to Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother, Canadian homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked. She wakens in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchell, who was strangled 150 years earlier in the same spot. In this sequel to A Rip Through Time, Mallory is still adjusting to conditions for women in service during the Victorian age. But she has been accepted as an assistant by her employer, Dr. Duncan Gray, who is a medical examiner and undertaker. In this novel, men are being poisoned, and the prime suspects are their wives, one of whom is Duncan’s older sister.

This is an involving novel for several reasons. The mystery is satisfying, and though the protagonists display impressive stamina, their urgency is explained by the need to save the innocent wives, which moves the plot along at a brisk pace. The characters are well drawn, and though the attitudes of Mallory’s close friends may seem conveniently helpful and progressive, that like-minded people should find one another is unsurprising. Mallory herself is the narrator, and she provides a lively, and at times rueful, commentary on the action in general and her own problems in particular.

The historical setting of Edinburgh in 1869 is convincing. Armstrong has done her research, and sending a modern character into the past allows her to draw attention to the changes that have taken place. The absence of modern conveniences like cell phones is frustrating; lighting, whether by candle, oil lamp, or gas, is dim; women’s clothing is restrictive, as Mallory discovers when her pursuit of a suspect is hindered by her copious petticoats and a tight corset. And, of course, class distinctions and condescending attitudes towards women raise further obstacles. An absorbing read. Highly recommended.
HNR Issue 104 (May 2023)
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-poisoners-ring-rip-through-time-novels-2/

This is the second installment in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong.

If you have not read the first in the series, A Rip Through Time, GO DO IT NOW!

This story picks up after the events of A Rip Through Time. Mallory‘s secret is out to those she is working closely with and she is adjusting to life in Victorian Scotland. Now that Dr. Duncan Gray knows she is modern day detective she is now officially the undertakers assistant, and helps when he is called for assistance to crime scenes to be a medical examiner. After a series of deaths – several men in Edenburgh – Duncan and Mallory start question if all are connected. A possible poison ring? Women poisoning their not so faithful or upstanding husbands? The case becomes too close to home when Annis, Duncan’s older sister, calls for their help when her husband is dying. By the time they get there, the house is in an uproar and Annis’s husband dies. It is up to Mallory with the help of Duncan and Isla to figure out who’s behind the poison ring.

Oh, I love this series so much! I hate to have to wait for the next installment but, I couldn’t help myself when I saw this pop up on NetGalley!

These are such fun historical mysteries. One thing I loved about this story was we really got to see Mallory’s personality come out. In the first book she is reserved so she can hide that she isn’t truly Catriona but here she gets to be herself.

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy historical mysteries and time travel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a eARC of the story! As always all opinions are my own.

The second book in the "Rip through Time" series continues Mallory's reality of time travel and Dr. Duncan Gray and his family's acceptance without much fuss.

The story combines Mallory's present-day investigative knowledge with Edinburgh in 1869, resulting in amusing conversations and adventures between her and Gray. Mallory, who poses as a housemaid and assistant to an undertaker, works with Gray, who moonlights as a medical examiner. Together, they find themselves entangled in twisty investigations that require modern-day skills and Victorian-era methods.

What's interesting about "The Poisoner's Ring" is how it combines modern-day acceptances into the storyline and makes readers wonder how Edinburgh, in Victorian Times, would have treated those who lived outside the norms of the time.

As a fan of Kelley Armstrong, I'm glad she unknotted the twisty plot and tied it up neatly, as some situations and relationships confused me. I enjoyed the ending and felt for Duncan when he expressed his feelings for Mallory and how he will miss her when their time together comes to an end.

A time travelling kick ass Canadian detective who ends up in a body of a 19 year old maid in Victoria era Edinburgh! That alone had me sold on this series. Beautiful writing and captivating characters in A Rip Through Time made me a fan and so excited to get my hands on book 2 in this historical mystery series.

Mallory is such a fun main characters. I love following her journey and finding her bearings not only in someone else's body but in a different time and cultural context. Like many readers I often day dream of time travel but I love that this book reminds me of many challenges that would involve. Mallory's Scottish boss and crime solving partner is dreamy Dr. Duncan Gray and the dynamic between these two makes me all warm and fuzzy.

This time around Mallory and Gray found themselves investigating a serious of poisoning's in which wives' of the deceased stand accused of the crime. Of course when one of the accused ends up being Duncan's standoffish older sister, stakes get all the much higher.

I love everything about this series. The fact that I can lose myself in the story and writing. The fact that the story manages to entertain while also exploring topics of gender and race in the context of 1800s. I know this The Poisoner's Ring just published but I'm already buzzing with excitement, anticipating what kind of trouble awaits Mallory and Gray in book 3. Highly recommend this series!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I am a total fan of Kelley Armstrong! I thought nothing could surpass her Rockton books, but this book two of her newest time travel series is completely solid and left me utterly enthralled. This is set in Victorian times, which is where Mallory (a detective in current day) has gone back in time and is living in the body of a 19-year-old maid. The premise is clever, filled with suspense and mystery with an interesting cast of characters. I am so pulling for a Duncan/Mallory romance that can allow them to be together in whatever timeline is needed. Pretty please! The last line of the book...deep sigh. I can hardly wait for book three!

4.5 stars

I was thrilled to receive a copy of The Poisoners Ring by Kelley Armstrong. I enjoyed the 1st book in the series (A Rip Through Time). I think I enjoyed the 2nd book even more. In this continuation, Mallory is still stuck in Catriona's body after falling through a time warp in the previous book. She is now adjusting to her new life and body. She has taken a position as Dr. Gray's assistant in his undertaking business. When women of Edinburgh start being accused of participating in a poisoner's ring where they kill their husband's Dr. Gray & Mallory set off to assist Dectective McCreadie in the investigation. Soon, the investigation gets a bit too close to Gray's family, and things become serious when Gray's sister is accused of being involved. The mystery takes many twists and turns throughout the book. This book had many interesting characters that keep you guessing who did it to the very end. One thing that I absolutely loved about this book is the development of Mallorys friendship with Dr. Gray. They seem to really compliment each other and have great chemistry. I found this book very enjoyable and truly hope there is a 3rd book in the future.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This is the second book in the Rip Through Time series and was even better than the first. Mallory and Dr Gray are back, looking into the mystery of four men who have been poisoned, and their wives blamed for the deaths. Their relationship is even better this time, and the slow burn is absolutely perfect. For anyone looking for a great mystery with a side of slow-burn romance, then this is the book for you. I give this book 5/5 stars.

This is the second book in A Rip Through Time series and it picks up where A Rip Through Time left off. Our main character, Mallory has been trying to deal with the many adjustments needed to function in Victorian era Scotland after being transported there by a fluke in time. She's stuck in a maid named Catriona's body and only a few people now know who she really is.

In The Poisoner's Ring, Mallory helps her boss Dr. Duncan Gray, police detective McCreadie and Isla try to solve the mystery of who is poisoning random men in their area. To figure it all out, they have to determine what the common link is and that becomes more and more difficult every day.

I really enjoyed the mystery of the story and how they handled all of the interplay between characters and the impact of the time period. In addition, they dynamic between the characters was strong. I was kept glued to the story until it finished.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The narration was really good and made this book just resonate even more. It helps to make the listener feel completely immersed in the storyline. Well done. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the audiobook and ebook. I'm voluntarily reviewing them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

Second book in the Rip Through Time series. Mallory continues to be a maid in Victorian Scotland but also gets to help Dr Gray as his assistant. Three men have died due to poison and the group seeks to figure it out. ARC from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this second installment and the narration was fantastic! She handled the different accents to perfection. I loved the introduction of some new characters like Jack and Sarah and getting to know old ones even better. I was fully invested in the murder mystery, but I found this particular one to be pretty predictable. I wasn’t as wowed as I was with book one. This is by no means a romance, but it feels like there is still the possibility of one between Mallory and Duncan despite it being an impossible situation. It’s so complicated with the possibility of Mallory going back to her own time period, but there is just so much chemistry there!! Can’t wait to see what happens in book three!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy and Macmillan audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

Love a good time travelling mystery! This book perfectly follows book 1 and cannot be read as a stand-alone. That said, I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend!

4.5 stars

The Poisoner’s Ring is the second book in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series. Book one followed Mallory, a modern-day Canadian detective who’s visiting Edinburgh and gets sucked into the Victorian era while investigating a potential crime. Not only is Mallory trapped in another time, but also in another woman’s body - that of a young maid who’s built a less-than-stellar reputation for herself. While I enjoyed the first book, I loved the second book. I’m invested in the characters now, the mystery kept me guessing, and I love the setting.

In this book, we see Mallory adjusting to Victorian life while working as an assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker with a medical background. Gray and Mallory work with the local police, and Mallory proves to be a valuable asset with her 21st-century knowledge and expertise. When a string of murders makes it seem like there’s a poisoning ring in Edinburgh, Mallory, Gray, and Gray’s friend Detective McCreadie, set out to discover if and how the victims are connected and where the poison is coming from. It becomes personal when Gray’s own brother-in-law is poisoned and his sister is accused of the murder.

This book had it all: mystery, action, humour, fantastic characters, a great setting, and just a hint of potential romance. Having recently visited Edinburgh for the first time, I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what life was like in Victorian Scotland and ‘travelling’ around the city with Mallory and Gray. I appreciated that Armstrong touched on topics like racism, social classes, women’s rights, and gender identity and orientation, among others.

If you’re looking for historical fiction with a unique modern twist, a mystery that’ll keep you guessing, and characters you come to love and root for, The Poisoner’s Ring is a must read.

The Poisoner's Ring was a mixed bag for me. There were aspects I loved and parts I could definitely do without. I thought the mystery wasn't very strong. When it was all solved, it didn't seem like the perpetrator actually had a very good motive for the crimes they committed. The escalation from manipulating people to serial murder was a bit extreme - I just didn't believe they were desperate (or crazy) enough to make that leap. I realize that it's silly to complain about the murder in a murder mystery book, but for me it took me out of the story. I also don't think Mallory is a very good detective. She's very knowledgable about forensics, which is cool, but isn't really what modern-day detectives do. One thing I love is the discussion of historical accuracy. I especially like that being in Mallory's head means we get the explanation of historical practices from a contemporary perspective, which simply woudn't be possible in a strictly historical novel. I know that Armsrtong does a lot of research for her books, so I expect that what she's sharing about Victorian life in Edinburgh is accurate and I love learning from novels like this. I give this book 3.5 stars.

The Poisoner's Ring is the second book in Kelley Armstrong's incredible series A Rip Through Time. I absolutely loved the first book. Surely it couldn't get any better than the first one. But it sure as heck did! I've got a lot of things going on in my personal life right now that don't allow me much reading time. When I had to put the book down for extended periods of time, however, I was able to jump right back into the story as if I had never left. Though this particular mystery stands alone, you will miss too much backstory if you start with this volume. Do yourself a favor and follow our heroine's journey from the beginning.

Mallory Atkinson is a modern-day homicide detective who was inexplicably thrown back into Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. Not only is she in the wrong time period, but she's also in the wrong body! She's inhabiting the person of housemaid Catriona Mitchell; at least her employers are now aware of who she truly is. Mallory is adjusting to living in 1869, working as an undertaker's assistant in addition to being a maid. Dr. Duncan Gray moonlights as a medical examiner, and his latest case hits a little too close to home. Men are dying from a potent poison, and suspicion in falling upon their widows. Who is the latest widow? Well, that would be Gray's older sister Annis! Oh, dear. Poison is generally considered to be a woman's weapon, but is it that simple? No one can guess where the evidence leads!

This was such an amazing, exciting story! The plot was great, but it's the wonderful characters that make it so special. Mallory is such a fish out of water; just imagine a modern homicide detective stuck in the body of a young (and apparently unlikable) maid. She does her best to fit in when she's in the presence of others besides Dr. Gray and Isla, his chemist sister. At least with them she can be herself since they've gotten through the hurdle of finding out her true identity. Mallory is too snarky and bold to fit in with many in Victorian society. She stuggles to fit in...but she especially struggles trying to run and fight while wearing a corset, numerous petticoats and boots! She has become friends with Isla, but also with Gray. She's a great help in his investigations...having advanced knowledge of crime fighting techniques sure does help! She desperately wants to return to her time; is Gran still alive? But she also seems torn at the thought of leaving. I absolutely adore Dr. Duncan Gray. He is a man of color, the illegitimate child of his father and Indian mother. He is living in a society that's not yet particularly diverse and is sometimes treated with disdain. He has his deceased father's funeral business, but sometimes uses his skill as a doctor, and he moonlights as a medical examiner. He respects Mallory's skills and opinions, yet is still protective of her. He's gotten to the point that he gets angry when Mallory calls him sir or Dr. Gray; he insists she call him Duncan. They are obviously friends now...but is the spark between them just my imagination? I hope not; I love a little romance with my mysteries! I so enjoyed seeing Gray's sister Isla Ballantyne, who is a chemist. Gray isn't amused when she asks Mallory to teach her how to knife fight. (Just wait until you see how Mrs. Wallace the cook handles that situation! HA!) We also get to visit with Detective Hugh McCreadie, who was Gray's childhood friend. (He seems to hold a bit of a tendre for Isla...hopeful thinking again?) The most important new character we are introduced to is Annis, Lady Leslie, the older sister of Gray and Isla. She isn't exactly a warm, fuzzy person. She is actually quite prickly and disdainful of others. She has a bit of an unpleasant history with Gray. She is accused of murdering her husband and perhaps the other deceased. Or are the killings part of a poisoner's ring, where one woman is supplying the poison to each of the now-widowed women? Sarah is Annis's Sapphic lover who has reappeared after many years apart. And then there's Jack, a young woman who dresses like a man and who may or who may not be the writer of sensationalistic broadsheets. The plot is quite exciting and kept me constantly changing my mind as to the identity of the culprit. But it's the characters who shine the brightest. I don't want to wait an entire year for the next installment!!!

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.