I was surprised and happy that Kelley Armstrong included not only the Victorian obsession with all things macabre, including the mummy unwrapping party element in this novel but also the Edinburgh Seven, who were the first matriculated undergraduate female students at any British university. They began studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1869. It intrigued me, so I researched it further. Still, she also provided necessary discussion in the story around how disturbing and disrespectful this is and elaborated on how women who wanted to study to become doctors were ostracized.

Disturbing The Dead is the third title in the "A Rip Through Time" series. You could read it as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the first book in the series to get the characters' backstories and see their growth.

It was a slow-burn whodunnit mystery with likeable, relatable, well-developed characters, humour, and witty banter between Mallory and the central characters. But it didn’t distract from my enjoyment; my patience paid off.

I was lucky enough to be granted the e-arc and the alc. It was my first time listening to Narrator Kate Handford; she did a fantastic job with the Scottish accents. I could distinguish between the various characters' voices, and she transported me to Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. I felt like I was there. It was a fully immersive experience. I could smell and taste the tea, biscuits, and clotted cream pastries. I could feel the emotion.

Six months have passed, and Mallory is still stuck in 1869 Edinburgh— trapped in the body of twenty-year-old Catriona Mitchell, a pretty buxom blonde but amoral con artist employed as a housemaid by the unconventional Gray family. Her relationships with Isla, Dr. Duncan, and Detective Hugh McCreadie have grown over time; she has become like family and has become his permanent personal assistant. There are a few staff members and family members who still do not know of Mallory trapped in Catriona’s body. Mallory Atkinson is a thirty-year-old from the twentieth century who was once a successful homicide detective in British Columbia—currently promoted to Dr. Duncan Gray’s assistant. This career change wasn’t a choice Atkinson consciously made. She had a near-death experience while visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland. When she awoke, her consciousness was in the twenty-year-old body of Catriona Mitchell in mid-19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland.

By this novel's time, Dr. Gray and his younger widowed sister, Isla, are aware of Atkinson's unbelievable background. Detective Hugh McCreadie is Dr. Gray’s closest friend and knows Mallory’s story. Between her background in the 21st century and Dr. Gray’s work as an undertaker in the 19th, it is unsurprising that they all find themselves working together to solve murders and mysteries.

Dr. Gray’s older sister, Lady Annie Leslie, invites the four to accompany her to Sir Alastair Christie's home. They are going to witness the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy. Mallory is intrigued by the idea of seeing a mummy but also uneasy with the ghoulish enjoyment she knows Edinburgh’s high society will take in this event. When it is time for Christie’s party guests to observe the unwrapping, he is nowhere to be found. Sir Alastair is late to his party, and his wife calls on Duncan and Mallory to unwrap the corpse to help the woman keep Alastair's patron, Lord Muir and their guests happy.

Imagine Mallory's and Duncan's surprise when they unwrap a dead body, not an Egyptian mummy, arousing shock and horror in the guests. Thankfully, Hugh quickly jumps into detective mode, ensuring that the constables will transport the dead body to Duncan's lab. Mallory and Duncan begin working to solve the case, examining physical evidence and getting a sense of the dead man's relationships, including those with his Egyptian brother-in-law Salim Awad and the complicated one Alastair had with Lord Muir, including a young woman who had demonstrated her displeasure and disgust at the mummy unwrapping party to guests outside Sir Alastair's earlier in the evening. She is among “The Seven” women permitted to study medicine at the local university.

Dr. Gray Mallory, Isla, and McCreadie endeavour to discover the who and why behind Sir Alister Christie’s death. Because of Mallory’s and Duncan's fondness for adventure, the two find themselves talking to people around town as they check out Alastair's connections. Soon, their inquiries do not go unnoticed, which puts them in peril.

A hiccup in the case that adds some humour is that someone has recently started chronicling their detecting adventures in a dramatic, vivid, and wildly sexist fashion. When pamphlets show details about their current investigative efforts, Mallory suspects someone they know is the writer. Isla deals conclusively with this mystery writer, while Mallory, Dr. Grey, and McCreedie can focus on exposing the killer.


A growing attraction between Mallory and Dr. Gray complicates the investigation. She is conflicted because of her time travel—can Mallory return to her time, and will she want to go if the opportunity arises? How far should she go in her new life—

Interestingly, Armstrong answers a question I've had from the series' outset in this book and ties up a thread, taking a situation that has troubled Mallory throughout her time in Victorian Edinburgh and answering it heartwarmingly. I am eager to know how this development will be further integrated into the series. Still, I also love the more settled, positive way Mallory feels after getting some questions answered by the ending. I can’t wait for the next adventures that await these characters.


I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Disturbing the Dead is now available

Armstrong's books are always a hit with me & this one is no exception. Looking forward to the next one!

Just when I think this series cannot get any better, here comes book #3 to prove me wrong! I inhaled the first two books featuring accidental time traveler Mallory as she finds her footing in 1890s Edinburgh. Reading rebels could probably read Disturbing the Dead without reading the first two books but I’d urge you not to miss out on all character and relationship building. Chemistry between Mallory and Duncan is next level.

The first chapter of this book was absolutely delightful and probably one of my favorite first chapters. And Mallory is one of my favorite characters. Resourceful and curious and drawn to “crime detecting” in both times she got to live in, she is such a great counterpart to more serious and studious Dr. Gray. And in book 3 we get to know better some of the other characters like the housekeeper Mrs. Wallace and Queen Meb.

Mummies, murder, fight for female rights and a sense of adventure made this such an entertaining read. If time travel with a side of murder investigation sounds like your cup of tea, I highly recommend this series! I cannot wait for book 4!!!

A huge thank you to minotaur books and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A satisfying addition to the series! Some series like this drag on and on but this book propelled the series forward. I had been wondering how Armstrong was planning on resolving the time travel issue and was pleased with what happened.

I was disappointed, in the beginning, that Armstrong was devoting herself to this time-travel/mystery/romance series, reminiscent of “Outlander,” instead of to the Rockton/Haven’s Rock books I love. But after the third installment, I realized I’m enjoying it quite a bit. Armstrong has developed her characters skillfully, and her insights into forensics (and everything else) in Victorian Scotland are fascinating. I could see this on television. Like “Outlander.”

Quite a mix of mystery, time travel and historical adventure. Excellent characters and comprehensive depiction of life in Victorian Scotland. Two women are strangled in two different parts of the world in two different eras One is a cop in modern day Canada, the other a housewife in Victorian Scotland. The detective ends up in the housemaids body in a very eccentric household. They are rule breakers at a time when roles were very defined for both genders. They accept her story and Mallory comes to care very deeply for her new associates. Lots of mayhem ensues as they search for a murderer and thieves of the mummy and other Egyptian antiquities. Given the chance to return to her own time will Mallory go or has she found the place she was meant to be?

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for giving me a free E-Arc of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
5 stars
This book was amazing. I have loved all the characters throughout this series. This book moved all the character development well. I enjoyed the storyline. It was layered and paced well. Overall, I enjoyed this book and can not wait for the next book in the series.

I first learned that mummy unwrappings were a thing wealthy Victorians did for entertainment while reading an issue of Mike Mignola's B.P.R.D. series. I was happy that not only did author Kelley Armstrong include this element in this novel, the third entry in the "A Rip Through Time" series, but she also provided necessary discussion in-story around how disturbing and disrespectful this is.

Mallory is still stuck in Edinburgh in 1869 in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a pretty but totally amoral con artist, employed as housemaid by the wealthy and unconventional Gray family. Her relationships with Isla, Duncan and Hugh have continued to improve, and she's even reassured twelve-year-old parlourmaid Alice of her intentions with respect to the household. The only hold-out is Mrs. Wallace, the cook, and something else, as we'll see later in this story.

The Grays and Hugh McCreadie are invited to the home of a former colleague of Duncan Gray, Sir Alastair Christie, for a mummy unwrapping. Mallory is both intrigued by the idea of seeing a mummy, but also uneasy with the ghoulish enjoyment she knows Edinburgh society will take in the event.

As Sir Alastair is late to his own party, and Duncan and Mallory are called on by Sir Alastair's wife to unwrap the corpse, so they can help the woman keep Alastair's patron Lord Muir and their guests happy. Imagine Mallory's and Duncan's surprise when they unwrap a dead Sir Alastair, arousing shock and horror in the guests. Thankfully, Hugh quickly jumps into detective mode, ensuring the dead body is sent to Duncan's lab, and beginning to question possible suspects, including a young woman who had harangued guests outside Sir Alastair's earlier in the evening. She is one of a few young women very grudgingly allowed to study medicine at the local university.

Mallory and Duncan begin working to solve the case, examining physical evidence and getting a sense of the dead man's relationships, including those with his Egyptian brother-in-law, and the more complicated one Alastair had with Lord Muir.

Because of her experience, and Duncan's fondness for adventure, the two find themselves talking to a variety of people around town as they check out Alastair's connections, and soon find themselves in danger. An added wrinkle to the case is that someone has recently started chronicling their detecting adventures in melodramatic, florid and wildly sexist fashion. And Mallory begins to realize that someone they know is the writer when details about their current investigative efforts are showing up in the paper. Isla shows herself as being quite capable of dealing conclusively with this mystery, while the other two expose the killer.

This series hooked me from its first book, and it just keeps getting better. I am a longtime fan of Kelley Armstrong, and love her ability to keep me turning pages while exploring the foibles and desires of her well-drawn characters.

Interestingly, Armstrong answered a question I've had from the series' outset beautifully in this book, taking a situation that has troubled Mallory for a while, and answered it in the best, most heartwarming way. I am eager to know how this development will be further integrated into the series, but also really love how the more settled, positive way Mallory felt by the end of this novel.

So, when can I read the next book?

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an e-arc of this novel.

This is the 3rd novel in the "A Rip Through Time" series.

It is such a good series and each book keeps getting better.
I love the characters, the historical details and the uniqueness of the plot.

I look forward to book #4 in the series.

Kelley Armstrong is a must read author for me.

This has become such a comfort series for me. I always enjoy falling back in with Gray and Mallory. This story was fast paced from the beginning and kept hooked the entire time. I’ve always been a fan of Egyptian culture so the unwrapping of a mummy was super intriguing. What ensued was nothing I ever expected. The twist with Mallory was so bittersweet and yet satisfying. I’m so excited to see what her decision leads to as she and Gray are still tiptoeing around each other. Ughhh, the ending. I wanted to know what Gray really wanted to say!! I can’t wait to see what mystery falls in their lap next!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

The time travelling heroine, Mallory Atkinson, is a 21st century cop trapped in a body of a late 19th century maid.  The maid’s less than stellar reputation has been difficult to overcome, but by book 3 in the A Rip in Time series, Mallory is starting to get somewhat comfortable in Victorian Scotland. 

As the title suggests, this one is about grave robbing.  The graves being robbed are in Egypt, done for the sake of preserving history – or so they say.  One particular mummy will be disturbed twice.  Once when it is removed from it’s tomb in Egypt and brought to Edinburgh.  And a second time when it is removed from its wrappings to be replaced with another, more contemporary body. 

Mallory and Gray jump into the mystery that is complex and full unexpected twists.  Each chapter brings new evidence into the story, along with several likely suspects.

Mallory’s 21st century perspective, language and sense of humor baffle, frustrate, and entertain the Victorians.  Gray and his sister are aware of her origin, but the rest are in the dark (for now).  Gray’s sister Annis, is one of my favorite annoying characters to butt heads with Mallory, while they solve the mystery. 

The author includes real life figures The Edinburg Seven, the first women to study medicine at the University of Edinburg.  Their actions helped to pave the way for future female scholars, but they never stopped struggling for acceptance.  Adding a bit of realness to this historical novel, Armstrong deftly adds depth and even suspects to Mallory’s mystery.

Followers of this series will absolutely want to read this one.   Readers new to this series can jump in here and still appreciate solving a mystery without needing to know the background.  (But read the entire series – they are all great!)

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong is number 3in the series starring modern day detective Mallory Atkinson as she is caught in the body of a maid 150 years in the past. Luckily she is still in the household of undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray so can continue her profession. This story concerns the unraveling of a mummy at the home of Sir Alastair Christie where the mummy ends up being Sir Alastair himself. This is another good mystery set in the Victorian era.

Great series. I love Isla and McCready and the rest of the secondary characters! And the setting and the history! Excited to see what the series brings next

Kelley Armstrong is the author of nearly 50 novels. Disturbing the Dead was published early last May, and is the third book in her Rip Through Time series. It is the 43rd book I completed reading in 2024.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

Mallory Atkinson is 30 years old and was once a successful homicide detective. Now, she is the housemaid and sometimes personal assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray. This change in career wasn’t a choice Atkinson consciously made. She had a near-death experience, and when she awoke, her consciousness was in the 20-year-old body of Catriona Mitchell in mid-19th century Scotland.

By the time this novel takes place, Atkinson’s unbelievable background is known to Dr. Gray and his younger widowed sister, Isla. Detective Hugh McCreadie is Dr. Gray’s closest friend, and he is also aware of Atkinson’s story. Between her own background in the 21st century and Dr. Gray’s work as an undertaker in the 19th, it is not a surprise when they find themselves solving mysteries.

Dr. Gray’s older sister, Lady Annie Leslie, invites the four to accompany her to the home of Sir Alastair Christie. They are going to witness the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy. When it is time for Christie’s guests to observe the unwrapping, he is nowhere to be found. As the mummy is unwrapped, the small audience is horrified to discover that the corpse is that of Sir Alastair Christie.

The Grays, Atkinson, and McCreadie endeavor to discover the who and the why behind Sir Christie’s death. Many close to Christie seem to have some motive. Their inquiries do not go unnoticed, which puts them in danger.

Complicating the investigation is a growing attraction between Atkinson and Dr. Gray. Atkinson is conflicted because of her time travel. How far should she go in her new life when she might be returned to her real life?

I enjoyed the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 341-page mystery. I enjoyed this period mystery with a time travel twist. While part of a series, this book reads well on its own. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

I absolutely love this author and ESPECIALLY this series!! Mallory and Duncan are the perfect duo and I love how they work together to figure things out. This book surprised me a bit and we met some new characters (I absolutely adore Queen Mab and the whole underground market thing!!) as well as some old friends. Without adding any spoilers. I’ll just say I loved the decision Mallory came to when faced with a difficult choice and loved the solution for keeping in touch. It would be so nice if the messages somehow could go both ways, esp because of a comment that was made regarding a comatose patient that I suspect may be Catriona.

I do hope we see more of what will happen with Lady Christy, Sir Alastair’s wife, and the children as well as what Jack has on Lorna that zipped her lips so quick. Looking forward to the next book!!

*3.5 stars rounded up. This is third installment of the Rip Through Time series and I do recommend reading them in order as the story builds one upon another. Previously in this series, a near-death experience transports modern-day homicide detective, Mallory Atkinson, back in time to 1869 Edinburgh, Scotland, where she awakens to find herself inhabiting the body of a buxom young housemaid in the household of Dr Duncan Gray, a scientist who does business as an undertaker and medical examiner. Eventually she shares her true story with Dr Gray and proves her worth and investigative skills, so that now she has now become his assistant.

As this story begins, Duncan's older sister, Lady Annis, invites them to come along to a 'mummy-unwrapping' party at the home of Sir Alastair Christie, who has recently returned from Egypt with two of them. It will be the event of the season, fancy dress and all. But that night something goes terribly wrong and once again Duncan and Mallory are drawn into helping solve the mystery.

Of special note, there are some nicely-handled twists to the plot that answer some intriguing questions about the time travel aspects of the story. I enjoyed how all that works out and thought it ingeniously done.

BUT: Is Mallory even trying to 'pass' as a proper Victorian-era woman at this point? Often her language and actions seem so modern--even swearing at times. Gasp! So far she's putting up with the cursed corsets and long dresses but there are some hints that she may be wearing pants soon. How will that work in proper society?

A PET PEEVE: Too many times the author writes that someone 'snorts', a sarcastic response to something ridiculous that is said. I personally don't know that many people who rudely snort in conversation and these characters are supposedly refined, educated, professional, upper-middle class people. I found myself noting each time the word is used once again, which of course threw me out of the enjoyment of the story. The book needs some tighter editing over things like that, imho. I know, quibble, quibble, but it's the English teacher in me coming out.

Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this new time-travel mystery via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own. I am currently reading an arc of the next book in the series, book #3.5, Schemes & Scandals, publishing in October, 2024. (And yes, someone has already 'snorted', lol.)

3.5 ⭐️’’s
Homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is a time traveler. As her time in 1890’s Edinburgh becomes less strange, she’s still a bit uncomfortable being in someone else’s body. Mallory is an assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray. Dr. Gray is aware of Mallory’s true identity while most think she’s just a maid. The Victorians have a fascination with death and when the two are invited to a mummy unwrapping ceremony, they weren’t surprised. The real surprise came when the mummy was unwrapped! This series is unique with a cast of great characters and a suspenseful mystery. Not my favorite of the three, but good nevertheless. Thank you to Minotaur books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

✨ Publication date: May 7, 2024✨

Disturbing the Dead is the third instalment of the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. This series focuses on a modern day police detective Mallory Atkinson being thrown back 150 years to the Victorian era. Mallory finds a place in the Gray household as the assistant to the undertaker using modern day investigation techniques in the Victorian era.

Mallory and Duncan Gray are invited to a “mummy unwrapping” party. A wealthy archeologists comes back from an excavation with several artifacts from Egypt. In order to satisfy his sponsor he agrees to have a mummy unwrapping party.

As unusual as this is, Mallory and Duncan attend with the Gray sisters and their police detective friend McCready. The party host is is missing so Dr Gray is asked to begin the unwrapping. Almost immediately he notices something is wrong and discovers that the body wrapped is not an ancient mummy but the host himself.

Gray, Mallory and McCready set out to solve the murder. As the author weaves in fiction with actual historical figures, the group works together to gather evidence and make an arrest.

During the investigation, Mallory is attacked and unknowingly gets thrown back to current time after 6 months in the past. After seeing her family and trying to understand how she even went back and forth is faced with a decision that will permanently impact her life moving forward.

Will Mallory stay in her own time period or find a way back to solve the murder and tell Duncan Grey how she really feels.

I love this series! I highly recommend you start on book 1 though to understand the characters and how Mallory ended up where she is. This is a 4.5 star read for me!

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

#NetGalley #kelleyarmstrong #disturbingthedead.

Presenting: the book that caused a major reading slump! I loved every second I spent reading Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong and had no idea what to do with myself when it was over. It’s the third book in her Rip Through Time series and it’s by far my favourite - they just keep getting stronger!

Here’s the book’s description:
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.
A friend mentioned that she got a little bit bored with the mystery and I can kind of see what she means. While I was invested in finding out what happened to the “modern” mummy, the other bits of the story were slightly more compelling. I wasn’t bored by it though and enjoyed the other characters I got to “meet” while Mallory and Gray tried to help solve the murder (except for, you know, the murderer - not a fan of them!).

I very much enjoyed getting back to Victorian Scotland, especially since I was just in Edinburgh (again) over Christmas. I found myself constantly Googling areas and checking my photos to see if we had ended up in some of the same places Mallory had been describing. The city, even now, is full of history that is almost impossible to fathom, especially for a tourist who’s only there for a week or so. (As busy as it was over Christmas, something I wasn’t quite expecting for some reason, it was still a remarkable place to spend the holidays.)

At the risk of being too spoilery, we get a bit more information about the time travel aspect of the story in this book. Which is kind of why the mystery took a bit of a backseat. I think my jaw was hanging open for a good portion of the story because I really wasn’t sure how it was all going to turn out!

This series may frustrate history buffs but for those of us who enjoy history but don’t actually study the Victorian era? Oh, it’s perfect. I love the time period, the location, the characters, the time travel, and the mysteries. It’s everything I love wrapped up in one hell of a compelling series. One that I really hope continues!

Historical fiction and mystery lovers will thoroughly enjoy Kelley Armstrong’s latest book, Disturbing the Dead. The Rip Through Time series is incredibly entertaining and is well worth a read. (Even if it did give me a huge book hangover!)

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Disturbing the Dead is a continuation of Mallory Atkinson's story. Mallory has accidently traveled back in time 150 years and is inhabiting the body of a housemaid. So you've got the time travel aspect into a historical setting, and then this is also a murder mystery. In modern times Mallory is a homicide detective, but in 1869 she is a housemaid who works for an undertaker and medical examiner, who she has romantic feelings for.
In this book our main characters are invited to a mummy unwrapping party, but instead of a mummy, a fresh corpse is found inside the wrappings. Chaos ensues, and our dynamic detective duo must figure out who killed this newest victim.
One of Armstrong's greatest strengths, in my opinion, is her attention to historical detail. She has clearly done her homework!