Another terrific read from Kelley Armstrong. I cannot wait to hopefully read more of Mallory and Duncan

In The Poisoner's Ring, Kelley Armstrong combines a murder mystery and a time travel aspect in a historical setting in this second book in the Rip Through Time series. Since May 20, 2019, Vancouver homicide detective Mallory Atkinson was in Edinburgh, Scotland to be with her dying grandmother when she is attacked. It’s May 20, 1869 and housemaid Catriona Mitchell is discovered in a lane where she has been left for dead. It’s the exact spot where Mallory was attacked 150 years later. Mallory wakes up in Catriona’s body in 1869 and quickly has to adjust to being a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. The undertaker, Dr. Gray also assists Detective McCreadie in his police investigations.

Now that Dr. Gray and his sister Isla Ballantyne know what happened to Mallory, the situation is not as full of subterfuge within the house except around the maid and housekeeper. She is now officially an undertaker’s assistant. Men in Edinburgh are dying of poison, and the widows are thought responsible, the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister Annis. Where will the investigation take them? Is Annis a murderer?

Mallory is a character with plenty of depth. She’s hardworking, kind, relatable, and makes for a strong female protagonist that readers can cheer on. However, she is also an independent thinker unafraid to speak her mind which isn’t normal for women in Victorian times. Gray is passionate about his work, enthusiastic, confident, occasionally relaxed and teasing. The supporting cast of characters are well-developed and provide insight into individuals in various roles in a Victorian household as well as those they interact with.

Kelley Armstrong has a fluid writing style that quickly brings readers into the well-paced story. They also get insight into the state of police forensics during this early era and a few insights into chemistry, diversity, and how servants are treated as well. Other themes include family, relationships, friendship, sanitary (and other) conditions, racism, gender identity, poverty, homesickness, and much more. There is a hint at a couple of potential romances, but nothing more. The world-building was wonderful and felt accurate for the times. The ending has plenty of action and wraps things up nicely.

Overall, this is well-written, engaging, and entertaining with complex characters in a historical setting. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Understanding how Mallory gets to this time in history is explained in depth in book one so I recommend starting with it. However, if you accept the time travel situation, then this can be read as a standalone novel.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 23, 2023.

Kelley Armstrong is a wonderful writer and creator of worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed A Rip through Time, and The Poisoner's Ring has increased that enjoyment. This series, in lesser hands, could end up hokey and full of anachronistic mistakes. Armstrong is clearly a history buff and researches everything she can and lets her imagination fill in the rest. She writes about what fascinates her, and that passion and fascination infect the readers of her stories.

You can start with this book if you'd like, but you will get a lot more out of the story if you read A Rip Through Time first. I won't go into the plot as I don't want to spoil anything. Suffice it to say it is a worthy follow-up, and I am chomping at the bit to see where this goes next.

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a chance to read this book.

This is the second book in the author’s Rip Through Time series. Definitely read book one first.

Mallory, a modern-day homicide detective, is still somehow stuck in Victorian Scotland and working for Dr Gray. Someone is poisoning men, and Mallory and Gray are helping solve the case. I enjoyed the mystery in this one. I guessed who the murderer was, but that didn’t take away my interest in the story. It’s interesting seeing Mallory’s modern-day perspective along with the other characters’ Victorian ones. That being said, the author has inserted basically every modern day politically correct opinion into this book, and it’s just too much. It’s frequent, and heavy handed and takes away from the story.

Content: same sex side characters, possible trans character

The second in the Rip Through Time series has Mallory and Dr. Gray working on a case of wives poisoning their husbands. It comes much closer to home when Dr. Gray's older sister Annis is also accused of poisoning her husband.

Annis had left her family behind when she married into the aristocracy. She was angered that her father decided to leave his funeral business to one of his sons rather than her who had an interest in business. Now, she needs the help of her brother who has been working as a consulting detective and her sister Isla who is a chemist, but you wouldn't know it because of her attitude.

This story is set in a richly imagined Victorian culture with all the required fashions and attitudes. The worldbuilding is very well done. I enjoyed watching Mallory, as a 21st Century police officer, try to adjust to a new time period and the knowledge and attitudes of Victorian policing. It helps that a select few know that she is a person out of her own time.

Fans of time travel and mysteries will enjoy this story.

I loved A Rip through Time and was excited to read the second book The Poisoner’s Ring in this time travel mystery, with a very slow burn romance.. Kelley Armstrong doesn’t disappoint with captivating, witty well developed characters, that leap from the pages. Armstrong creates a powerful atmosphere I.felt transported to Victorian Scotland.
I love watching the relationship between Mallory and Isla grow stronger my patience at the slow burn romance between Duncan and Mallory is fraying my nerves, the chemistry is palpable. between them.
I enjoyed trying to solve the new case and, the mystery behind it. That includes my favourite characters Mallory, Duncan, Detective Hugh McCreadie and Isla. Dr. Grey and Isla’s sister Annis who isn’t close to the family is accused of poisoning her husband Lord Leslie so she runs to her family for help., but Lord Leslie dies before the lawyer could make changes to his will and he’s in a locked room alone. Two other men have been murdered by poisoned are the cases linked?It was hard to say goodbye to my favourite character. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the next instalment in The Rip Through Time series.

A special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong in exchange for a honest review.

The Poisoner’s Ring is the second book in a time travel series that places a 21st century female Canadian police detective back in 1869 Edinburgh, Scotland. Mallory is the ultimate “fish out of water,” having to get used to 19th century clothing and customs.

Mallory has found herself in the body of a much younger housemaid named Catriona. Luckily, her employers are more progressive, perhaps, than the average Victorian Scottish family. This being the second book, her employers know her situation. Dr. Duncan Gray is a biracial doctor who runs his family’s funeral business and does research on bodies when he can and helps the police on occasion. At this point, Mallory is being introduced as his assistant when he’s helping the police, while she still maintains her “cover” as a housemaid. I loved Duncan’s character as well as his sister, Isla, who is a chemist.

There are a few suspicious deaths that seem to be cases of poisoning and one of them hits close to the Gray family. I thought the mystery was very satisfying, with lots of theories being put forward and investigated over the course of the book.

It can be read easily as a standalone if you simply accept the situation and enjoy the mystery story. I kept waiting for more information for new readers, as to how Mallory found herself in this situation, and for Mallory to make more progress in figuring out how to get back to 2019, but it never really came. It was a fairly straightforward historical mystery story this time. So if you haven’t read the first book you’ll be in the dark as to how Mallory found herself there. But if you just roll with it, then you’ll enjoy the book on its own merits.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was well narrated by Kate Handford.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

The Poisoners Ring A Rip Through Time Novel Book 2 by Kelley Armstrong

368 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 23, 2023

Fiction, Time Travel, Detective, Forensic, Victorian Times

Mallory Mitchell travelled to Victorian times into the body of 19-year-old Katrina. While Mallory was a police detective in current time, now she is a young maid and an assistant to the undertaker/police surgeon, Dr Duncan Gray. Mallory and the doctor are investigating several poisonings. Thalium is a new heavy metal and not much is known about it. When the doctor’s brother-in-law is a victim of poisoning, alone in a locked room, the mystery deepens.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. If you like time travel and detective books, you will enjoy this one.

The second installment of a time travel murder mystery. A new murder, an addition of some new characters. Kelley Armstrong books are always an enjoyable read, and that holds true for this one!

Mallory is back again helping solve some Victorian murders. There’s antics and bad guys and mysteries to be solved. I like the main characters of this series and enjoy the fun time travel aspect. It doesn’t seem like Mallory is going home any time soon, and I’m happy to keep reading about her Victorian policing!

Mallory Atkinson, a 30 year-old police detective from Canada, found herself unexplainably transported from modern day Edinburgh Scotland to the city in 1869 and even more inexplicably she found herself in the body of an 18 year-old housemaid with a pretty bad reputation. Eventually her employers, Dr Duncan Gray and his sister Isla, came to accept she was from the future and she is making a place for herself as Gray’s assistant. Dr Gray is an unofficial medical examiner for the local police and Mallory’s knowledge of forensics helps him in solving crimes.
Someone is poisoning men in Edinburgh and the first suspect in each case is the wife. But then Duncan and Isla’s older sister is suspected of poisoning her husband and the race is on to find out who the real culprit is before Annis faces the gallows. While Mallory is making a life for herself in this time she longs to go home to her own time she does find her self attracted to Duncan. And the prospect of Mallory leaving is one that dismays Duncan and Isla as much as they understand her homesickness.
I am really enjoying this series, sort of a Quantum Leap meets Highlander with a touch of CSI thrown in. The world of 19th century Victorian Scotland is portrayed vividly as Mallory accustoms herself to everything from lack of modern conveniences like cell phones to her current inconveniences like corsets. We get glimpses into the realities that women faced in Victorian times being dismissed as not capable of real intelligence as well as the legal and social restrictions on women. I look forward to more mysteries for Mallory and Duncan to solve as well as seeing where the growing feelings they have for each other might lead. Highly recommended

I REALLY enjoyed this book! The plot, in a nutshell, is that through some trickery of the universe, a 30-ish modern-day major crimes detective is placed in the body of a 19-year-old housemaid to a wealthy Scottish doctor of Indian descent. Because of bigotry/discrimination being even worse than what it is today, the doctor is denied the ability to practice due to his skin color. Instead, he manages his family's funeral business and provides assistance to a local member of the police force, with whom he has been friends since childhood. The doctor is not paid for his service, but he is content to help from the sidelines. When our main character is hurtled back through time, she, too, begins "assisting" the doctor with his investigations. I thought this sounded like an intriguing premise when I first read it, and I was NOT disappointed!!

The Poisoner's Ring is full of twists and turns and red herrings. Many of them, I could see coming, but rather than be disappointed because I had guessed the plot, I was delighted that my guesses were right!! A good mystery, to me, sits right in that space - easy enough to follow so that you can have some idea of what's going on and what will happen next, but not too easy as to be predictable or dull. This book occupied that sweet space for me!

This is the second book in the series featuring our detective/maid and the doctor, and I will definitely search out the first one to read it, too. This story stands well on its own, though, as back story from the first book is woven in deftly enough to not derail the current tale unfolding.

I really enjoyed the contrast and comparisons between modern day culture and Victorian culture, and I admit that some of the Victorian tropes I had long held as true, turned out to be less than accurate. I love it when a book teaches me something I hadn't intended on learning!! I also enjoyed the relationship between our maid (or is it detective?), the doctor, his chemist sister, and the friend/police officer. Dialogue aptly reflected whether our main character was thinking/talking to herself (and the very few others privy to her secret) or speaking to someone who expected her to sound "Victorian."

I only have a few bones to pick - very few. One was that I was unable to follow the passage of time in one early segment of the book. It seemed like our heroine only slept 2-4 hours over the course of three days? I don't think anyone would be at their best with so little sleep, but she was running all over Edinburgh with hardly a break for sleep, let alone for meals or anything else. I wish I could have better understood the amount of time passing and what things were done at which time in the day (or night) so that I did not fear our maid (and sometimes the doctor) was going to drop from exhaustion at any minute!!

Another is that there were quite a few places in the edition I reviewed (I received an advance reader's copy (ARC) for free) that had missing words. It wasn't so egregious that I couldn't make out what the missing word should have been, but it was a rare hiccup that interrupted the story's flow. Example: my copy said things like " he sent on her way..." or "his thoughts it continued..." instead of "he sent HER on her way..." or "his thoughts OF it continued..," etc. I think a tight proofread will pick these 5-6 instances up with no problem .

I break down the various elements of this book as follows:

Heroine - 5/5 stars
Hero - 4/5 stars
Supporting cast - 5/5 stars
Plot - 5/5 stars
World building/Setting - 5/5 stars
Dialogue - 5/5 stars
Pacing - 5/5 stars
Grammar/Spelling - 4/5 stars
Sex Scenes - N/A
Swearing - very mild
TOTAL - 4.75 stars, rounded up to 5

I would not hesitate to read another book by this author, and as I stated above, I will be seeking out the first in the series. I can't wait to read more stories about these characters!

I reviewed an advance reader's copy and the preceding is my honest review.

This is turning into my new favorite series!

This story picks up right where book 1 ends, Mallory is still working as a housemaid/ Duncan's assistant in 1869- stuck in a body that doesn't belong to her. Now that we know all the characters, we jumped right into the mystery...men are being poisoned and no one knows who is responsible. When Duncan's sister Annis' husband is mysteriously killed- all eyes point to her, but Mallory knows there is more to the mystery.

As with the first book, Mallory is the star of the show. I love her relationship with Duncan, they are so well matched. (I'm hoping for a love connection in the next book). One of my favorite things about these books is that Mallory is working with the knowledge of the future and can use that to her advantage. I love when she uses phrases or words that Duncan does not understand and she has to explain herself.

With this novel, we learned more about Duncan's family and really got to know Annis. Even though she is a bit unlikable, she was a great addition to the cast of characters.

I alternated between the audio and print copy of this book and it really enhanced the reading experience. I love the narration, it brings Mallory to life.

I can't wait to see where this series goes...will Mallory ever get home...or will she want to stay?

This series is not getting enough attention! This is a must for regency and mystery lovers.

The Poisoner’s Ring
By Kelly Armstrong
Pub Date: May 23, 2023
Minataur
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
This is the second book in the series and you really should read the first one to fully understand it.
However, the second book is actually much better than the first book.
I loved the elements of time travel/displacement. This book is filled with action, adventure, a bit of romance and a setting I adored,
5 stars

Thank you St. Marten’s press for this ARC.

I liked it more than the first book, A Rip Through Time. I found the concept harder to swallow the first time around. However, the characters and body swap/time travel concept are more established here. Armstrong doesn’t spend too much time re-explaining it. It’s great to see Armstrong explore a new world and time period.

A lot of people might compare this to Outlander, being that the central character is a woman displaced in another time period. But I find it has more in common with Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series, and great for lovers of Armstrong’s Rockton series. Definitely big sleuthing vibes.

The mystery weaves and takes unexpected turns, while expanding the Victorian London. While not a romance HEA, there are underpinnings of a slow burn at the heart of the novel. I ship it more than in the first book.

I loved the epilogue/final chapter, it rounded out Annis’s character.

Edinburgh, 1869

Mallory Atkinson is a modern day homicide detective that found herself transported to Victorian Scotland into the body of a housemaid in the first book in this series, A Rip Through Time. Most believe her to be Catriona Mitchell, the housemaid of Dr. Duncan Grey. Dr. Grey knows her true identity and utilizes her skills. In this book she is now an undertaker's assistant and Dr. Gray (Duncan) is moonlighting as a medical examiner. In this book, men are dying after being poisoned. Grieving widows are believed to be poisoners. Poison is, after all, a woman's weapon. Are widows killing their husbands? Could someone else be to blame?

I loved A Rip Through Time and was so excited to read the next book in this time travel mystery series. Kelley Armstrong does not disappoint, and this book is proof. I was instantly drawn into the story and had fun doing my own super sleuthing right along with Mallory and Duncan. Readers will get to see Mallory using her modern-day skills and knowledge to help track down a killer.

I had both the book and the audiobook and enjoyed both. The narrator did a fantastic job and brought the story to life. It was a pleasure being able to flip back and forth between the two versions of the book.

This book was gripping, well written, and well thought out. I loved the Setting of Victorian Scotland. The descriptions were vivid and transported me back in time as a silent observer. This book was atmospheric and hard to put down.

Mallory and Duncan are both likeable characters and I could feel their connection/chemistry in their scenes. I enjoy how they work well together and how Duncan listens to Mallory and respects her opinion.

Atmospheric, gripping, and well written! I can't wait for the next book in the series.

In what may be the first time I've ever come to this conclusion: I think this second in series is dramatically improved from the first. Maybe, having dispensed with some of the world building in the first book, the author was able to tighten up the story some? Not sure what happened, but it works.

A modern-day homicide detective is in the body of a maid who assists a Black undertaker/doctor—who moonlights as a medical examiner—in Victorian Scotland when a serial poisoner attacks the men of Edinburgh and leaves their widows under suspicion.

There isn’t as much world building and telling-not-showing (but still a lot) in book 2 as there was in book 1. You don’t need to read book 1 one to get up to speed with this one.

Better pacing with great supporting characters and a clever mystery. I knew who was behind it, but not the how or the full why. Mallory’s adjustments to being thrown 150 years in the past continue to entertain, and since everyone in her circle knows the truth story, it keeps us focused on the plot and characters rather than just waiting for the other shoe to drop. I hope the next book has even more conversations between Mallory and Gray. And maybe some kissing.

Points off for perpetuating the myth that corsets were too tight to move in. *eye roll* I don’t think the author has any idea how they laced if she has characters say “I accidentally tighten a stay…” Men didn’t typically wear wedding bands. Some words Mallory explained to Gray would have been known even before the 1860s. And no one has “mild” ADHD. Those sorts of qualifiers are demeaning, so maybe a sensitive reader is in order.

The Poisoner's Ring (A Rip Through Time #2) by Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books
Genre: Historical Fiction
Expected Publication Date: May 23, 2023

The Poisoner's Ring is the 2nd book in A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. This book was so good and I did not want it to end!!!!

This was such a wonderful book! I loved every minute of it! I found it to be truly captivating and a wonderful story! I need the next book to be released soon because I'm ready to go back!

The world the author created is absolutely fascinating! I love the characters and the blend of modern culture into 1869 Scotland life. This book is filled with heart!

This is definitely a must read of 2023! I will be reading it again and adding it to my lift of Christmas gifts for this year!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I would suggest reading what I thought about the first book in the series, A Rip Through Time, because everything I said there still applies to this story. I’m not going to repeat myself about those points. Though I’m giving this the same rating as its prequel, I will admit that I liked the first book in the series a bit better than this one.

What didn’t work for me

Mallory’s change in language: One of the things I liked a lot about the first book was that she struggled to learn the 19th-century language and that is more or less gone in this book because her inner circle has more or less accepted her 21st-century way of speaking. It makes her seem less…charming? I’m not sure if that’s the word exactly, but a lot of what she says would absolutely not make sense to the people around her and though she does reexplain it a lot of the time, I still think it doesn’t work as well.

The detective work: I didn’t really know what to call this, but related to the point above, Mallory does a lot of her detective work like she’s in the 21st century and the people around her just accept what she’s telling them without really questioning it or verifying in whatever way they would. It works in the story because she’s clearly a very good detective (almost too good—she’s rarely wrong) but I wished not everything came to her so easily.

What I liked

The development of the case: Though I did guess who the poisoner was pretty early on, the way it all came to be and the reason behind it came together in a way that was unexpected (to me, anyway). There were some unnecessary characters in there that ended up being red herrings, which added to the complexity. It kept me guessing and into it the whole way through.

Duncan and Mallory: We’re being so patient with these two, but the very, very (very!) slow burn between them is palpable and jumping off the page. I can’t wait to see how they continue to develop together as the series continues.

I cannot wait until the third (and maybe final, I don’t actually know) book comes out—I know I have a long wait ahead of me!

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 stars

Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. So I was very excited to read the next installment in this series.

This is book two in the A Rip Through Time series. This is a mystery time travel series set in 1869. This book takes place a month after the first book ends. The books are meant to be read in order. However the mystery is self-contained in this book. But I would definitely read them in order as the characters grow over the series.

Mallory is a present day detective who has ended up in the body of a house maid in Victorian Scotland. I love Mallory so much! She is so smart. And I absolutely love seeing her solve cases with Dr. Gray and his sister Isla.

The case in this book was quite complex. But it was very interesting. I definitely wish that this series focused more on romance. And I would love to see what Catriona is doing in the present. But overall it was still a very enjoyable read.