In the second novel in the A Rip Through Time series, this adventure follows Mallory as she continues to adjust to life in 19th century Edinburgh and investigate a series of poisoning murders alongside her friend and employer, Duncan Gray. However, this time the murders are closer to home - Duncan's oldest sister Annis is accused of poisoning her husband and it is only a matter of time before the police or press start to question whether it is wise to allow an accused murderess' younger brother and sister to help with the investigation.

The premise of this series is delightfully bonkers but as long as you can accept it (Mallory is a 30-year old 21st century detective trapped in the 1860s and in the body of a 19-year old housemaid because of accidental time travel and ended up working for a household that is non-traditional and accepting of her time travel) then you are going to enjoy the ride. There is humor, sexual tension, friendship, murder mysteries, and history! I was totally wrong about who the killer was but the explanation and reasoning for the actual murderer made sense once it was laid out by the investigators. It is a good mystery and it provides a lot of historical context that I enjoyed. I look forward to the next installment and really hope that Mallory never figures out how to get home.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Poisoner's Ring early!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: May 23, 2023

This is the second book in the Rip in time series by Kelley Armstrong. The first book introduced us to Mallory (a 21st century police detective) that was thrown back in time 200 years into the body of a young house maid.

Mallory has revealed her true self to her employers and has been engaged to act as an assistant to both the police and the coroner’s office at least until she can figure out a way to get back home.

This second book focuses on poisoning deaths and the potential for a poisoner’s ring of wives arranging for their husbands deaths. As Mallory, Dr Gray and detective McCreadie set off to discover the origins of the poison and who is truly behind the murders.

This is another great mix of modern detective work in a historic setting. Mallory tried to weave in her present day knowledge with the limited resources and not yet discovered investigative techniques of the past.

I really enjoyed this one and am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong. This is a 4 star rating from me and I highly recommend for any fans of historical fiction and/or investigative fiction.

#NetGalley #thepoisonersring #kelleyarmstrong

I really enjoyed A Rip Through Time, and this second book in the Series did not disappoint. Since Dr. Gray and his sister Isla now know that Mallory is a time traveler, she is a lot freer to be more herself. She gets to be called Mallory and to slack off on her housework, as she now has become an assistant to Dr. Gray. The story is full of Victorian-era crime-fighting information, as a series of poisonings strike close to home. We learn a lot more about the members of Dr. Gray's family, and their past. The story has delicious twists and turns, and the relationship between Mallory and Duncan grows closer. I, eagerly, await continuation of the story. 4-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free, but I give my honest opinion voluntarily.

This is one of those series that should be read in order in order to follow the story. That will not be a hardship as this is a unique and fascinating mystery series, and finally, there is a hint of romance. It will be interesting to see where it goes.

A little background from the first book: Mallory Atkinson was trying to follow a woman's cry and had spotted someone - or something - when she suddenly found herself in another time - specifically, in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1869. Worse, she found herself in another woman's body, a much younger woman. Mallory was in her thirties in her own time, and now she finds that she is a teenager. Fortunately for Mallory, someone recognized the teenager whose body she was inhabiting, and she found herself working as a maid in a middle class household, where one of the men has a medical background and works as an undertaker. She becomes his assistant.

In this book, Dr. Duncan Gray has two bodies that come to him and he recognizes some unusual symptoms that point to poison. This is particularly concerning to him since one of the deceased is his brother-in-law, and most poisoners are women. He is afraid that his sister will be the most likely suspect, as his sister and her husband had recently and publicly quarreled. The investigator in charge is anxious to close the case, and unlikely to dig deeper. He and Mallory must work together to discover the real poisoner quickly. I was thrilled to see that there was finally a hint of romance in this book, and can hardly wait to see what happens next.

I received a review copy of this book from publisher St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. It was my pleasure to voluntarily read and review it.

I had read the first book in this series and was really excited to have a chance to read this second one.
It’s another good mystery with an unexpected ending.
I do think the book moves a bit too slow, at least for me.
Looking forward to the next one
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Armstrong is a longtime favorite author of mine and this latest entry in the A Rip Through Time series doesn’t disappoint. Armstrong’s characters are not only complex but incredibly likable and I love reading a Mallory’s modern day POV being turned on its head by her Victorian era setting. Most importantly, Armstrong’s mystery plot is perfectly balanced with plenty of suspects, clues and red herrings that will have you scratching your head until the final page. If you’re looking for a great mystery involving time-travelling homicide detective solving crime run don’t walk and pick up this amazing series. This is the second book in the series; so be sure to pick up A Rip Through Time, book one, and read Mallory’s time-slip adventure from the beginning.


I was received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #StMartinsMinotaur for the advance copy of this book, publish date May 23, 2023. The opinions are my own.

My opinion is that this is a hell of a ride. Mallory is back in good form and is just as enjoyable a character as in the first book. The mystery in this book revolves around Gray's older sister who is accused of murdering her rich husband with poison. There have been several men killed by a new, undetectable poison and in each case the wife is accused. Because Gray's sister is accused, he and Mallory and the cop all get caught up in the investigation.

I liked this installment because it gave more background to Gray and Isla's family history and the sibling dynamics. It helped make them fuller characters. Annis (the accused murderer) is a great addition as a character because she's so unlikeable.

The one slight flaw I noticed multiple times is that the way Mallory speaks is so NOT of the era or even of her apparent age (19 and she's really 30). I get it with her close friends, but when meeting someone new during an investigation, she just pokes and pries and speaks like a modern detective which leads me to forget that she's presenting as a 19 year old servant. Armstrong specifically brings it up now and then, but I wish the dialog was a little more era accurate.

Other than that, it was another good mystery peopled with interesting characters. Armstrong has a very readable writing style and I just flew through the book. Definitely recommend!
Blog link live 5/15

We are reunited with Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day Canadian police detective who somehow tripped through time to become trapped in the body of a young servant in 1869. Her employers now know she is Mallory stuck in Catriona's body, and she is assisting her boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, in his work as an undertaker and in his hobby as a medical examiner for the police. But his latest cases are hitting close to home when is sister is implicated in a string of seemingly unrelated poisonings done by the victims widows. But Mallorey and her friends aren't convinced--can they prove the authorities and the papers wrong in time? And will Mallorey ever make it home again?

I love this series! I love the modern voice coming out of the context of Victorian Scotland, rich with historical detail yet fluid because of the narrator's foreign voice. This works most of the time, and even creates some funny situations in a dark mystery. Only sometimes does it seem that she's showing off with modern idioms and phrases. Not only is this a cultural education in Victorian times, but also in police procedure and the investigation of death. The story is told in the present tense--an interesting choice for a time travel book--which made it more urgent and real to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced electronic copy.

I loved à Rio though tune so much last year and I was very excited to read the second book in the series. I was not disappointed at all, The poisoner’s ring is great. It has a lot of the same exciting elements of the first book, the setting of Edinburg in 1869, Mallory trapped in a housemaid’s body in the wrong era, Dr. Gray, and an interesting mystery. I loved Mallory even more in this book, and I really like the dynamic between her and Gray. The poisoner’s ring mystery was really good and kept me guessing. I did eventually suspect the actual suspect, but only in the end, and I was satisfied with the ending. I can’t wait for book 3 now!

I absolutely love this series! The character development is great in this book and I love that Duncan now knows that Mallory is from the future. I like that Mallory gets to still use her present day detective skills while teaching the men more about detective skills 150 years in their future.
Duncan tries so hard to treat the women in his life as equals but still struggles with letting them do their own thing and thinking they don’t need protection. They had some really good conversations about that in the book. This book was an easy 5 stars and I can’t wait for the third book in the series!

Poisonings in Victorian Edinburgh!

Some sort of time slip occurs and thirty year old Canadian police detective Mallory is trapped in someone else’s body in Victorian Edinburgh, 1869. As a maid in the Gray household! That is Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker and sometime forensic assistant to the crown, and his sister Isla who’s a chemist. An unusual household that ever since she’s come through some crack in time has welcomed Mallory, formerly Catroina.
Gray has allowed Mallory who had studied forensics in her previous life to become his assistant. The family is going to need all their wits about them and Mallory’s help when one of their own, their sister Annis’ husband, Lord Leslie is found murdered—poisoned.
Duncan, Mallory and Detective McCreadie have been following a series of fatal poisonings and Lord Leslie’s is the latest in the line. The victims have all been men whom it appears their wives have reason to be free of. The events take the poisonings to the next level—a poisoning ring!
Annis is high handed and estranged from her family. Her companion Sarah is assisting Annis but it is to her brother Duncan that Annis turns. What Duncan and Mallory discover is a poison but not arsenic, rather a heavy metal.
There’s a complicated cast of characters but each has its place in this intriguing, page turning saga.
I love the character of Mallory, street savvy, a fighter, but working in a body that’s not as fit as her 21st century body. She’s forever hampered by the clothing of the time, by not knowing the customs and expectations. This unknowing constantly trips Mallory up.
Dr. Duncan Gray is measured thoughtful and a fantastic foil for Mallory. Their relationship seems to be building in respect, possibly more, but there’s always Mallory’s thoughts of what happens when or if she’s wrenched back into her own time.
I’m not a fan of time slip stories but this second novel in the series has maintained the high standard of the first. I’m sold!

A St. Martin’s Press ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong.
This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone.
Mallory Atkinson is a modern day police detective who somehow found herself in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1869. She is in the body of a 19 year old chambermaid in service to an unusual family. Her employer helps the police with crime victims and Mallory becomes his assistant.
Several men have been poisoned and the finger is pointed at their wives. It becomes personal for Dr Gray when his older estranged sister arrives late at night - her husband is dying and she will be blamed. It is the third death by poison in a short period of time. The Press is saying wives are poisoning their husbands.
I really enjoy all the characters. They are well written and really come to life. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the story - how women are regarded and treated and the early stages of police detection and the use of forensics. The story flows well and it was a very enjoyable book.

This book was so much fun! It is the second book in a series so I would definitely recommend reading A Rip Through Time first or you probably won’t understand what is going on with Dr. Grey and Mallory. The best description I can give for these characters is if you could imagine Sherlock Holmes as an undertaker who solves crimes in secret, and Watson as a Canadian police detective from the future, pretending to be a 19th century Scottish maid. If that isn’t enough to hook you in, I don’t know what else to tell you.
Dr. Grey and Mallory are trying to figure out why men are being poisoned in Edinburgh. None of the men seem to be connected outside of the manner of their deaths. Is it all a coincidence or is there a secret group of women trying to rid themselves of unwanted husbands. The story will make you question everything until the very end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a splash of fantasy thrown in. Can’t wait for the next one.

The Poisoner's Ring, A Rip Through Time 2 by Kelley Armstrong is one Victorian time travel police procedural excellent read. The research is evident clearing up misconceptions of life during that time for me and yet verifying other ideas that I had. That was as interesting as the murder cases. It was all written so naturally as Mallory went about her days, plus some very long nights of investigating along side of Dr. Duncan Gray. With that I am so glad to go along with homicide detective Mallory Atkinson to 1869 Edinburgh, but also so glad I don’t have to run in those skirts or clean chamber pots!

I had my suspicions of who could be the murderer. While I was right, I was never sure until Mallory had placed herself in seriously dangerous situations. Not much information on how she could return to modern times in this book. That doesn’t bother me since I have become so very fond of Dr. Gray. Mallory has turned his world upside-down, while entertaining mine.

I did stay up well too late wanting to read just one more chapter, then just one more chapter. Since I enjoyed every minute while reading this book, I highly recommend The Poisoner's Ring.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is definitely a series that you have to read in order to have any idea of what's going on, so don't start with this second book. That being said, I think I enjoyed this installment more than the first. Mallory is now finding her legs in 19th-century Edinburgh, as she waits and wonders if she'll ever return to the present. The murders that this book are built around are cleverly plotted, and the way the various elements come together to eventually reveal the murderer is thoroughly enjoyable. There are still sometimes a few too many pedantic sections where Armstrong earnestly shows us that she's thoroughly done her homework on this time period, but they do contribute to a strong sense of place and atmosphere. I'm glad that she's not allowing the tiny hint of romance to come front and center; I imagine we'll get there, eventually, but I'm much more enjoying Mallory's fish-out-of-water experience and her attempts to apply modern crime-solving techniques to 19th century investigations. Hopefully there will be many more books to come in this series. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for a digital review copy.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Poisoner’s Ring is the second book in the Rip Through Time series. I do recommend reading book one first, as while the mystery is fully self-contained, you’ll have more sense for the background for the characters. This is an equally intriguing installment, and I love the balance between the modern woman continuing to attempt to get her bearings in Victorian Scotland, while helping to solve murder cases. She continues the intriguing blend of having her fish-out-of-water protagonist set against the more repressed, yet no less morbid world of the Victorians, perfectly blending twenty-first century sensibilities and nineteenth century norms.
Mallory continues to be a delightful character in that respect. She’s very opinionated, which makes her stick out, but she’s also very much an asset for her mystery-solving abilities. I enjoyed seeing her relationships with the other major characters evolve, especially Gray, as he’s now aware of who she really is. The two of them have a great dynamic, and I love how they play off each other and work together.
The mystery was a bit of a slow burner for me. I was drawn to the initial premise, and while there was a bit where the story lost me in the middle, I ultimately enjoyed the resolution and how it came together. The case tackles a number of social issues related to race, gender, sexuality, poverty, and more, demonstrating how these issues were as relevant to the people of the past as they are to people today.
This is another solid installment in this series, and I’d recommend the series to anyone looking for Victorian-set mysteries and/or stories with time travel.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur for gifting me an early copy. Below is my honest review.

This one was a rollercoaster! I had my suspicions of the killer, then changed my mind, then changed it back, then changed it again, then... over and over. Armstrong had me spinning and I love that!

It was an intriguing mystery, surrounding a confidence scheme, an interesting new poison, and some major players in Mallory's new locale.

I think my favorite part of this book was actually the development in character relationships that Mallory has, along with some new ones that have some familial ties to her current situation.

Honestly, I have to admit... I really am not rooting for Mallory to find a way home. I like her where she is now. Hash-tag shame on me, right?

Highly recommended, but please read the first one before picking this up.

I am enjoying this series very much
Mallory and Duncan are wonderful
Isla and Hugh are the cutest and I want all of them to be happy
I need to know how many books are in this series and how long I need to wait for a resolution with the time travel, poor Mallory and Duncan

3.5/5⭐️

Second in A Rip Through Time series, Mallory, a modern-day Edinburgh homicide detective who found herself transported back to Victorian Edinburgh (in a housemaid’s body) following a brutal attack, is once again assisting her employer Duncan (a doctor/medical examiner) and a police detective when a string of men (seemingly unrelated) die by poisoning. Could it be the work of a Poisoner’s Ring consisting of their wives?

I would call this book average (as its
predecessor was) with echoes of the excellent Kendra Donovan series. My biggest complaint was that the plot line was tedious and confusing at times…a bit too convoluted with motives and suspects going off on tangents. I felt there were too many twists and false paths which led to some sighs from me and a “get to it already”.

Still overall not a bad read. Would definitely recommend reading the prior one first.

My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

The depth of character in this book is nothing short of amazing. Mallory is funny, snarky, and absolutely delightful as a main character. Her interactions with Gray and Isla are authentic and very real. I love that Mallory is displaced in time as it adds to the humour in certain situations.

These characters have so much room to grow and develop, I can hardly wait to read more from this series.