A Rip Through Time story lines have at their heart an actual time shift as a central character travels back through time. Each book features a different central character so they are stand alones, yet part of this excellent series.
If you are not already a dedicated fan of Kelley Armstrong, you have some seriously good books in your future. Armstrong is a prolific author of several series that cross and/or combine genre to keep her readers happy. She's one of my favorite authors, easily in the Top Ten at all times, and one of the most recommended authors on the urban paranormal groups I follow on FB. I recommend and gift her titles often. Armstrong's writing skills are such that the books are fast reads. There are no slow chapters and no time to wonder what will happen next.

Disturbing the Dead features a 21st century police detective that has been thrown back through time to Victorian Scotland. During this era, detective and forensic methods were very basic so she will add her experience to the police through a group of unusual friends. She must use caution during her interactions since women were not accepted into many of the jobs or careers and she would place her friends in danger by ignoring the conventions of the time. There are several clues that will throw suspicion on the wrong characters and a BIG twist that adds an emotional element to the story.

Disturbing the Dead, A Rip Through Time Novel, book 3, by Kelley Armstrong.

I am in love with this series and officially want to try time travel at least once, lol!
We are back in Victorian Scotland and Mallory and Duncan have a new case to solve that involves an Egyptian mummy. I love this series because I learn so much and get to solve a good mystery at the same time. This one even made me get teary eyed at a few points. I love how the characters are developing and I am becoming attached to them, even Mrs Wallace. This series must be read in order to follow everything. There is semi closure to some things from the previous books in this one but so much still left open. This just came out and I already can't wait for more. FIVE STARS.

#bookreview #2024 #aripthroughtime #victoriancrime #timetravel #bodyswap #detective #womansrights #netgalley #fivestars

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur press for the opportunity to read this e-arc. This is my honest opinion.
This is a fun, mystery read. I love historical fiction that are mystery based. It's a good read with great characters. The plot moves very well and great follow up to the other adventures. Wonderful series

This is book three in the series and the best so far. It keeps getting better. This time we get more agency for Mallory. Although the murder is central in most of the book, in the last third it takes a backseat to Mallory's journey and growth since the first book. It changes things, dare I say, for the better.

I enjoyed the broadening of the world and the going deeper with characters we already know. My only complaint is that we didn't take enough time dealing with the Egyptian artifacts and intrigue. Also, I always want more Annis.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press, for providing this ARC.

4.5/5 stars

This is the third book in the A Rip Through Time series (there is also a novella). This is a mystery time travel series set in 1869.

I absolutely adore seeing modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson in her new life in Victorian Scotland. I don't normally read historical fiction. But this series features a contemporary heroine. And I cannot get enough of her solving mysteries.

I adore the characters in this book, especially Dr. Gray and his sister Isla. I love whodunnits and this one was so good. Also the author included an unexpected surprise that I really enjoyed. Overall this is a wonderful series. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Mallory's time travel adventure continues. This plot has an 1869 unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy and the morbid fascination with mummies of that society is exposed.

I found myself feeling bogged down by the constant mummia but eventually the shift to Mallory's choices between then and now lighten the mood and provide many interesting situations.

There is so much to discuss here but that would spoil the plot! I am waiting to see what Kelly Armstrong come up with for book 4!

Disturbing the Dead is the third full-length book in Kelley Armstrong’s Rip in Time series which features a 21st century detective (Mallory Atkinson) trapped in Victorian Edinburgh. Over the last several books, Mallory has made a life for herself as the assistant to early forensic scientist/undertaker (and consulting detective to the police) Duncan Gray. In Disturbing the Dead, Duncan and Mallory (along with Duncan’s sisters and police detective friend) attend a mummy unwrapping party at the home of a noted Egyptologist only to find out the mummy has been replaced with a much more recently deceased Scot.

I was expecting Egyptology to play a bigger role in the mystery when it was really more of the backdrop/inciting incident than anything else. I did appreciate that Mallory’s 21st century POV made it possible for Armstrong to more easily address the unsavory and problematic practice of pillaging of important religious and cultural artifacts from other parts of the world in general, and the callous treatment and attitude toward the handling/display of mummies (who were actually people deserving of respect) prevalent in this timer period in particular.

While the mystery of course plays out I feel the real element of note here is seeing just how comfortable Mallory has become in her new life, despite the unusual circumstances. She has friends, she has a job she enjoys, and that comfort shines through her easy interactions with almost all of the members of the Gray household/social circle. I particularly enjoyed her budding friendship with Duncan’s prickly older sister Annis, whose overly brash demeanor helped her to steal almost every scene she was in (I hope we see more of her!). The one holdout has been the housekeeper, Mrs. Wallace, and here we not only get a confrontation that’s been brewing for 2.5 books but also a glimpse into Mrs. Wallace’s past (the goblin market scenes were a delight!). Mallory’s overall happiness/comfort is critical to the plot twist that takes place about 2/3 of the way into the book (I think I gasped out loud when it happened). I am really excited to see how it plays out in what is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical mystery series! Disturbing the Dead is out May 7th!

Thanks to Minotaur and Netgalley for the e-ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a must read of the series! First of all there is so much more to this novel than just a murder mystery set in Victorian Scotland. Mallory is an extremely likable and strong character. I love the fact that she is bringing her 21st century skills to the 19th century. Second, I learned a little more about the struggle that women faced to practice in the medical field. Third, I loved that the author keeps you guessing and I never quite figured out the mystery until it was finally revealed. Plus this novel has a really interesting twist that helps fill in some of the gaps from the previous novels.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, time travel, murder mysteries, and strong female characters. Also this novel touches on ancient Egypt which is always a fascinating subject. I can't wait to read more.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Oh my dear heavens, that was an excellent read! Mallory and Duncan are thrown into a murder, mystery of stolen goods and an adventure than spans time. Without spoiling it, I wasn't expecting the turn it took! One of the best novels involving time travel, historical and a touch of romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for the advanced copy in return for an honest review! Loved it!

Overall this was a great addition to the series and I continued to enjoy the mysteries, Mallory’s mental discussion of the ‘idea’ of Victorian society, the reality of Victorian society and how that contrasts with the same issues in current times, as well as the deepening relationships between the main 4 crime solvers.

I liked that we got the answer to what had happened to Mallory’s body in the current day as well as her being able to say goodbye to her grandma (as someone who recently lost their own grandma these scenes really struck as true/realistic) but this section seemed shoved into the overall story and was jarring and made it difficult to go back to the mystery in Victorian Edinburgh and see how the parts of the mystery solved before the time-slip connected to the final solution to the mystery once Mallory had gone back to Victorian times.

In summary, I enjoy this book despite the jarring middle section, and look forward to further books in this series.

I absolutely loved reading this book! I love her writing so much, and I've enjoyed this series, and boy, I had a really great time with this one! There's one thing that I want to say, but I'll add it in once the book is published, because I don't want to spoil what happens.

This latest mystery, of a mummy unwrapping (which is such a cruel and disgusting thing to do, desecrating someone's burial rites, because they're of a different descent and long dead, still doesn't excuse it) and that host was unwrapped instead, brilliant!

By now, the group knows their strengths and weaknesses in investigation, and work really well together, which is really heartwarming to read, that she's found her place here in the past, with these people, and made the investigation go pretty smoothly.

Though there was the whole thing were someone was writing about their cases, and the way that they depicted everyone was both infuriating, insulting, and a bit hilarious, how off they were! I loved how that storyline resolved!

This book was an utter delight, and I can't wait for whatever comes next from this series!

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read an advance copy of Disturbing the dead by Kelley Armstrong (the third book in the A Rip Through Time series). I could not put this down once I started reading the latest adventures of Mallory, a modern day detective in the body of a housemaid in Victorian Edinburgh. When Duncan and Mallory are invited to a mummy unwrapping party you know murder is not far behind. Even though it's a thrilling murder mystery, the side plot of who is writing about the amazing adventures of Dr. Gray and his lovely assistant kept me laughing throughout the story. I found the last chapters took me on an emotional ride. Totally recommend this series and I can't wait for the next story!

First of all, thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Disturbing the Dead. I greatly appreciate it!

Moving on to my review -- I stumbled across this series by accident. In fact, if you read my review of A Rip Through Time, you'll discover that I didn't even realize it was a series until I was deep into the novel! Since reading that first book of the series, I have eagerly awaited each new installment of this series -- the second book, the novella, and now the third book. Out of those three, Disturbing the Dead is by far my favorite. In fact, it might even be my favorite book of the entire series and I really enjoyed the first book.

Why is Disturbing the Dead so good?

Couple of reasons:
- the mystery/murder/whodunnit is really interesting and well done
- the core 1860s group knows Mallory's "secret" and so there is less focus placed on her "oddness" and more focus on solving the crime and character and relationship development
- the whole getting back home storyline which hasn't moved anywhere since the first book... finally has movement (and is navigated really really well)
- we get to see new parts of the 1860s world and they are really cool (as well as the new characters)

I honestly could go on and on but I think this list covers the main points.

All in all, Armstrong knocked this one out of the park. Highly recommend both this book and the series itself. Personally, I can't wait for the next installment!

The third book in Kelley Armstrong’s time traveling mystery series is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I recommend reading the first two in the series, partly because it makes everything in this one make more sense but also because they’re excellent. Mallory, our modern detective transported to 1860s Edinburgh, Duncan, and co find themselves involved in a murder investigation related to Egyptian artifacts, educational integrity, and underground markets. I was skeptical of the time travel element when I started the first book because it frequently doesn’t work for me as a story element. Armstrong is a great writer, though, and the story and characters all work beautifully. The mystery is compelling, the descriptions of Edinburgh and the time are great, and there are some interesting developments in Mallory’s life in this one. Already looking forward to the next one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own.

Another fun, sophisticated and thrilling whodunit mystery adding to a great series!
Mallory and Dr Gray are two very endearing characters that you can't help getting invested in and rooting for. The mysteries are always thought provoking filled with red herrings and twists along the way. This one has a refreshing section that allows Mallory to move on with her life in 1860's Scotland that was both poignant and emotional.
Although the books in this series can be read as standalones,I highly recommend starting at the beginning to fully enjoy the relationships and journey these characters take. The pace of the books are relatively quick and if you haven't started this series you could catch up easily before this one is published later this year.

Thank you to the author, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for granting me an early copy to read, review and enjoy.

A detective/time-travel story. Detective Mallory accidentally travels back in time and become housemaid. Her boss recognizes her as someone from the future and they work together to solve the mystery.

Mallory and Gray are both likable characters. I like their romance- maybe a bit too slow for me but I love how they are attracted to each other intellectually and emotionally. The mystery is suspenseful and interesting. I love all the details about Victorian times. It's not the first book in the series but can be read as a standalone. You would miss a lot of nuances though in the story. A very enjoyable mystery.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc

“I know what this is because, when not dreaming of ponies, I was a ghoulish little brat who thrived on the macabre.”

There’s just something special about a good Victorian mortician setting and Kelley Armstrong continues to nail it with Disturbing the Dead!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 and I am so grateful to have received an advance copy!

Disturbing the Dead follows the trail set by its predecessors - a morbid mystery with action, adventure, and entertaining characters. I love the melding of Victorian and modern day characters that continues through this instalment. Even the more seemingly inconsequential side characters are intriguing and hint to much larger backstories.

The historical facts, people, and events included in these books make for a fully immersive experience and encourage further research into their subjects, as well as show the time and effort put into working them into the writing in a natural way.

This has quickly become one of my favourite series of Armstrong’s and I hope it continues with many more!

Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1860s and the other in the present day. The Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends―and feelings―in this century.
So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body.

I love anything to do with history and mummies, so this was right up my alley. I loved the duel timeline that Armstrong uses here, it's almost like we get two stories in one. If you're like me and enjoy history, or are just looking for a unique horror novel, then check this one out!

An absolutely delightful romp through Victorian Edinburgh. The series is refreshingly original combining time travel and mystery. The characters and scenery come to life on the page! I do love the twist in this story allowing Mallory to tie up her loose ends. I eagerly look forward to seeing the relationship between Mallory and Duncan progress as well as Isla and Hugh.
A definite must read for all mystery lovers!