I received a complimentary ARC copy of Disturbing the Dead: A Rip Through Time Novel #3 by Kelley Armstrong from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…Fast-paced, well-written and filled with a wonderful cast of captivating characters, a touch of romance, quirky humor, heartwarming moments, and a thrilling mystery….…

A huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s work, I was thrilled to be given the honor of reading and reviewing Disturbing the Dead, the third entry in her “A Rip Through Time series”, and like the first two, I absolutely loved it!

We pick up the story of modern-day Canadian police detective, Mallory Atkinson, who is trapped in the body of Dr. Gray’s con-artist maid Catriona Mitchell in 1869 Edinburgh. Catriona/Mallory is now an assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker and medical examiner, she is doing what she can to cope until she can find a way back home to her own time to see her family and learn if the scheming Catrina is inhabiting her body, conning her family in the present day and she hopes to learn news about the fate of her beloved grandmother.

Dr. Gray and his sister, chemist Isla, are aware of Mallory’s secret and although extremely homesick, she is making the best of the situation by helping Dr. Gray with his cases as they arise, bringing modern day knowledge to help Duncan decipher crimes.

Whilst attending a high society function at the home of Sir Alastair Christie, a highly contested mummy unwrapping party goes very wrong when Mallory and Doctor Gray are enlisted to step in during the unwrapping when Sir Christie cannot be found anywhere. When the unwrapping reveals the dead body of Sir Christie and the authentic mummy and some of its grave goods are missing, they are called to assist Detective McCreadie unravel the clues and uncover Sir Christies murderer. Sir Christie’s children assist Dr. Gray and Mallory by revealing underground tunnels under their home and when Sir Christies unconscious brother-in-law is found in the tunnels it is discovered the mummy had been smuggled out through the tunnel by a cloaked figure. Determined to get to the bottom of things their investigation leads them into the seedy world of the black-market macabre antiquities scene in Victorian Edinburgh. Mallory used to investigating on her own puts herself in peril when she goes off by herself looking through the tunnels, possibly ending Mallory’s time in Victorian Edinburgh.

I love this series in particular the way the author creates such vivid and authentic characters. Mallory is an intelligent, strong, and independent female character but we also see her vulnerable, heartbroken and afraid. Armstrong’s prose feels authentic as she does not shy away from tough topics such as racism, transgender, homosexuality, and misogyny which has made her one of my favorite authors.

Fast-paced, well-written and filled with a wonderful cast of captivating characters, a touch of romance, quirky humor, heartwarming moments, and a thrilling mystery, Disturbing the Dead is a page-turning historical mystery that I highly recommend.

An excellent addition to the Rip Through Time series! The mystery/murder plot is terrific, with plenty of twists, suspects, and red herrings, and the character development is fantastic as well. This series is highly recommended.

Series Info/Source: This is third book in the A Rip Through Time series. I got an eGalley of this to review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: This is the third book in the A Rip Through Time series and I think it was the best book in this series by far.

Gray and Mallory are invited to a mummy unwrapping party hosted by Sir Alastair Christies, an Egyptian explorer. However, when Alastair doesn't show up, the crowd asks Gray to employ his skills as a surgeon and do the unwrapping. Unfortunately, the mummy that they unwrap is not nearly as old as they thought it was going to be. Suddenly, they are wrapped up (ha, ha) in yet another Victorian murder mystery.

I love that we get a bit more information around the time travel story line. I also really enjoyed the mummy mystery. I didn't rate this 5 stars because I do still find some portions of the story to be slow. At times there is just a bit too much police procedural type data for me.

I continue to really love the characters in this series. I was excited by the events that happened to Mallory and hope that we can get a bit more explanation around why they happened and also hope that Mallory can start to move past some of the uncertainty in her Victorian life now.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this installment in this series much more than previous installments in the series. I loved that the time travel storyline makes more progress here. I also enjoyed the mummy themed murder mystery a lot more than previous mysteries. I do feel like parts of the story still move a bit slow for me. Sometimes there is just too much police procedural detail and I end up skimming those parts. However, I do feel like this book in the series had much more consistent pacing than previous books in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. Like the plot involving time travel, the adventure transported me back to my days in Edinburgh. The description of the town was quite accurate. The character MS Mallory investigates a crime. As a detective in the modern day 21st century, she is faced with the challenges of being thrown in the past. She faces many challenges involving, cultural, what women can not do, and technology to solve the death of Mr. Alistair.

I have read the first and third book in the series. References made about what happened in book two were nicely done without the reader been confused. Got me interested enough to grab book two when I noticed it on sale. I really enjoyed the interactions between the various characters. In this book Mallory must make a challenging decision. If the force of time allows, which century will she decide to stay in? Will she, together with her employer and friends been able to safe an innocent man from hanging. Together with Mallory we learn about Victorian era attitudes towards Egyptian artifacts, the male doctors towards the woman wanting to study medicine, the class divides between the gentry and servants. In general, I am not a great fan of time travel, but Kelley Armstrong makes this story feel real to a point that I got a bit emotionally involved. Hoping for a book four in the series.

4.5 Stars
Disturbing the Dead is book 3 in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series which follows a modern-day homicide detective trapped in the body of a 20 year old housemaid 150 years in the past. If you haven’t read the first 2 books yet, I highly recommend you do!

Mallory is now officially the assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray and this time around, they are invited to a mummy unwrapping party. When the host disappears they are asked to step in and soon discover it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped but a fresh corpse.

It was wonderful being back in Victorian Scotland with Mallory, Gray, Isla and McCreadie! I absolutely adore all of these characters and their mystery solving skills. It’s always so much fun following along as they investigate and their banter is truly top notch!

If you’re familiar with this series, this installment resolves a specific plot point regarding Mallory’s time-travel and I couldn’t be happier with the way it was handled.

I love this series and I’m so excited to know there are at least 2 more books on the way. Here’s hoping for many more!

Mallory Atkinsion modern day police investigator has found a home with the Victorian "Gray" family. Transported back when she is strangled in the same place as Catroina Mitchell a housemaid of the Gray family has been, Mallory inhabits her body but retains her scruples and eye for detail.
Each book has an investigation into a murder and this one is quite literally revealed by Dr Gray and Mallory at a mummy unwrapping.
The side characters of Isla, Gray's chemist sister and of Inspector McCreadie enrich these novels with clever conversation and playful banter.
Mallory likes her place in Victorian Scotland and in her ability to make a difference. Her character faces tough choices and vows to stay with Dr Gray for personal and professional reasons. The introduction of forensic details into police investigation is in it's beginning stages at this time, and Mallory tries not to interfere with it's progression.
In this story we are introduced to various women characters who are clearly making their mark in the world.
I love Armstrong's ability to blend facts, humor, insight, and tradition into her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for this ARC. Opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I love this series and this installment was no exception! There was a resolution of a big, ongoing plot point here. I love how it resolved and that it left some questions open for the future. The crime here was creative and appropriately mysterious. I always love the cast of characters and the witty banter. I’m looking forward to future installments!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this without reading the first two books in the series. After consulting other readers, I stopped, and read the first two and came back to this one. The Rip Through Time crime novels are fantastic! Its blend of fantasy and thriller that I have come to love.
Mallory Atkinson, a time traveling detective, living in someone elses body is between the present day and the Victorian Scotland. This is so well written that the characters jump off the page in this cinematic third installment. Armstrong’s attention to detail should be applauded.

A Rip Through Time Series is one of my favorite series, so I can’t even explain how excited I was to finally read a new book about Mallory Atkinson. This series is everything for me!! And let me tell you, as the rest of the series, this book is absolutely amazing!!! It's like all my favorite elements – a lot of Victorian drama, time-traveling shenanigans, and a contemporary detective - combine together in this wonderful story! I couldn’t ask for anything more!

The main character, Mallory Atkinson, is a fantastic homicide detective who, for some reason, ends up back in Victorian Scotland. She is living in somebody else's body, working as an assistant to a medical examiner, Dr. Duncan Gray. They receive an invitation to Sir Alastair Christie's home for a mummy unwrapping party (yes, you read it correctly). But imagine their surprise when they open it, and find a fresh corpse instead of a mummy!

This book's characters are so vividly drawn that they seem to jump off the page. With their combined skills at mystery solving and butt-kicking, the entire group resembles the perfect dream team. It's lovely to see how they've always supported one other, even throughout centuries. And the bond between Duncan and Mallory is so heartwarming!! I really enjoy their witty banter and their emotional connection. It makes me feel all kinds of emotions!

And I have to say that Armstrong has an impeccable eye for historical detail. She clearly did her homework, which greatly increases the story's credibility. I could really imagine being in Victorian Scotland with all those characters!
If you enjoy epic adventures, emotional relationships, and time-traveling entertainment, "Disturbing the Dead" is a must-read! Highly recommended!

I am always here for a new Kelley Armstrong book and Disturbing the Dead did not disappoint! I'm so enamoured with Mallory and Duncan's relationship, as well as the cast of secondary characters that make their escapades so entertaining. I can't wait to see what shenanigans they get into next, AND WILL THEY FINALLY GET TOGETHER FOR REAL?!?

I was excited to return to the Rip Through Time series with Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong. This is the third mystery novel about modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson, who solves cases in Victorian era Scotland with the handsome undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray. A fantastic case and reveals.

I absolutely love spending time in Victorian Scotland with Mallory, Duncan, Isla and Hugh. They make quite the team as they solve murders. I would love to take tea with them in the afternoon and discuss clues while enjoying cakes.

Disturbing the Dead proved to be an interesting story with a murder-mystery, Egyptian mummy and clever plot twists with the murder at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. Armstrong weaved in historical fact, women’s issues and the plunder of Egypt into the tale.

As you know Mallory is trapped in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchell. Fans of the series will be excited to learn we are enlightened about what happened and how Mallory handles it. Another side thread that wove in nicely was about local serials depicting their adventures.

With recent discoveries, the romantic thread shows more promise. I didn’t dare to hope, but am excited to find out what develops. While each book in this series has its own unique murder mystery, I recommend reading them in order.

I was a tad worried that this might be the last of our adventures with Mallory, Duncan, his sister, Isla, and Detective Hugh because of events surrounding Mallory’s time-slip, but every indication suggests we will get more mysteries and romance. I for one cannot wait!

The third book in this series is wonderful! Time travel, murder mystery, set in Victorian England with a modern-day female detective stuck in the Victorian era has all of these elements in this amazing book! Thank you Kelley Armstrong for writing such a great series!

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
A Rip Through Time series #3. Historical mystery, police procedural with a slight paranormal time shift. Best read as part of the series in order.
Mallory Atkinson is a police detective. Or she would be if she could get home. Mallory is stuck in Victorian Scotland because of a weird time slip. She’s a maid and part time assistant to Doctor Gray in 1890 since she woke up in the body of another woman that was strangled in the same place but different time.
Together Duncan Gray and Mallory investigate the murder of a man wrapped like a mummy and try to find the missing Egyptian artifacts. Tunnels and marketplaces and the help of the Queen send Mallory and Gray on a twisted path to find the murderer.

🎧 I alternated and reread passages between an ebook and an audiobook. The series is narrated by Kate Handford who is simply amazing with voices and emotional expression. She has one voice for Mallory, an accented different voice for Mallory when she is talking as if she’s the maid, and a very distinct voice for Doctor Gray. I looked up the narrator more than once to verify it was really just one person. There are other voices as well for secondary characters, but the best part is following along with the mystery and being drawn into history and situations as they are happening, and being drawn in by the passion.
I listened to this at 1.5 which is my preferred speed. It best matches my reading.

I loved reading print still as I see the images in my head like a movie. Listening for me is more about hearing the personality such as the snark or sarcasm and tension. Mallory has a strong personality that just jumps out of this narrative.
Which did I like better for this book? It’s a toss up. Both are equally well done.

Dramatic, entertaining, and enthralling.
Chapter 29 through 32 killed me. I was an emotional wreck.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan Audio.

Praise for the latest in the Rip Through Time series!

A return to Victorian Edinburgh and the freak out life of a thirty year old, twenty-first century detective, who went to the aid of a woman being strangled in her time and woke to found herself trapped in the body of a nearly illiterate housemaid to a Dr. Duncan Gray. The maid Catroina had been a young, well endowed servant with sociopath tendencies, consequently Mallory has had trouble winning over her fellow servants. They’re all waiting for the other shoe to drop!
Now six months later Mallory Atkinson (her real name) is a valued member of the doctor’s household and has become Duncan’s forensic assistant. Mallory had been a dedicated homicide detective. She knew all about DNA, fingerprints etc. She has to be careful not to let her knowledge outstrip the times.
Much to her disgust Mallory is to attend a mummy unwrapping party with the Dowager Countess Lady Annis her siblings. Suffragette chemist sister Isla, Dr. Gray, her illegitimate brother, and Detective Hugh McCreadie (Gray’s friend)
The unwrapping begins, only to find the missing host within in said wrappings.
Now they have a murder to solve which necessitates the descent into a mysterious underground market, the meeting of the illusive Queen Mab, the Edinburgh Seven (females seeking to attain entrance to the medical profession), and a host of further surprising happenings which had me on my toes. This time the investigation is somewhat stranger than usual (although that’s an epitaph I’d apply to the entire series thus far).
A fulsome read!

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

I haven't read a time travel book in such a long time, and this was such a wonderful read.

Main character Mallory Atkinson was transported back in time and working as an assistant to a ME. She and her boss Duncan get invited to a mummy unveiling. Not what they expected happened! This is a whirl wind of a read and the characters I felt were described so well they all come to life.

This is the 3rd in a series called Rip Through Time and it's a crime series which stands alone. I would highly recommend this book for anyone that loves a time travel crime read.

I think this might be my favorite in the series so far!!! If you are thinking of starting this series, which I highly recommend I would say to start at the beginning.
I love coming back to this world and hanging out with Mallory, Duncan, and Isla. And in this installment, we get to see MUMMIES! well a mummy and investigate the death of the man who brought the mummy to England. I have always been fascinated by everything Egyptian, and this book had me invested.

I love everything about this series, from the characters to the funny/sassy banter to the murder mystery plot. I love how close Duncan and Mallory have grown, my fingers are crossed that they will eventually cross the romance bridge. I also love how close Mallory is with Isla and the way they go about an investigation. Every time Mallory lets some 20th-century tidbit slip makes me laugh and I love it when she then has to explain it.
There is a big unexpected twist, and I loved every moment of it. I can't wait to see where the series is going home from here!!

#DisturbingTheDead:⁣
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Major thanks to @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for my gifted copy. #MacAudio2024 #SMPInfluencers ⁣
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“I might have wanted a pony when I was five, but at my age, nothing is better than a puzzle.”⁣
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I think we already know I’m a major Kelley Armstrong fan. I also love a good time loop/time travel trope. Make it a police procedural and it’s easily one of my favorite series, ever. ⁣
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Book 3 starts off with mummy unwrapping, mummia discussions (which I didn’t know was a thing but now it’s all that’s on my FYP), and the Edinburgh Seven protesting the such. The host gets axed and now the mystery unfolds. ⁣
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As I say with every Kelley Armstrong book, you must read the series in order. Because holy moly that twist will not make sense without the background. I almost called my husband, but realized wow I just almost spoiled the entire book for him. That’s how good it was, I had to talk to someone about it ASAP. ⁣
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Audio great as usual. Kate Handford is back for the third installment, and will forever be Mallory Atkinson to me. She was a little more snarky (didn’t know if it was possible) and I cackled harder than before.⁣
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The favorite of the three so far, I cannot wait to see what’s next for my favorite time traveling detective.⁣ Out May 7th - tomorrow!
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QOTD: What’s a book you still think about because it was so good (or bad)?

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong is just a phenomenal read that is part of the addictive Rip Through Time Series. I have my fingers crossed that it is not the finale but that many more are coming our way. This Powerhouse writer gives characters that I love and some that I loathe but all of them cause strong feelings. As soon as the murder is discovered the pace of the story speeds up never slowing down, not even with the astonishing surprise about 2/3 through. I found myself holding my breath at that point not sure how the story would progress.

If you have been following this series like I have this is a be sure not to miss book. Just grand from the beginning to the end.

Another great book in this series. I have always enjoyed books by this author. I am glad to see the different varieties of genres. It seems that any topic this author chooses to write about becomes a bestseller. The writing is always descriptive and the characters are people the reader either loves or hates. I look forward to reading many more books by this author.