After getting sent to the past, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is quickly getting used to her new life in Victorian Scotland thanks to the relationships she's developing, particularly as assistant to undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie. When a trip to the Scottish Highlands for McCreadie's younger sister's wedding ends with a dead guest and too many questions, it'll be up to Mallory and her friends to figure out who the real culprit is.

There are so many twists and turns, with even darker revelations coming to light at each chapter, that you'd think it would be a very dark story, yet there is always a throughline of love and connection that keeps things light. I appreciate the thin line Armstrong had to toe to achieve this. A story that could have gotten very dark is saved by sweet, romantic, and entertaining moments that add to the plot without diminishing the seriousness of the crimes.

It's the fourth book in the series, which is why I have a ton of questions about what happened before. However, Armstrong does a great job of setting things up so that you can understand the important details and follow along with no problem. I'm definitely picking up the previous volumes to catch up and looking forward to whatever comes next.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the excellent read!

I love this series, and I enjoyed this installment, although maybe not quite as much as the others. It was nice to get relocated to the Scottish Highlands, though I would have liked a bit more description of the setting. The plot moved quickly, and I appreciated that things have started moving along more with some of the main characters' romances too. There were a few points in this book where Mallory had a couple of interjections that felt awkward (e.g. "Hey," and "OK,") It just felt a little too modern and casual for the tone of the rest of the book.

I look forward to continuing this series and seeing what else happens between Mallory/Dr. Gray and Isla/Hugh!

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

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

For anyone who knows me, you know that Kelley Armstrong is my all time favourite author. I read everything she writes, and will stand on the top of the mountains to share that with anyone who asks. Her writing is SO diverse, which makes everything she writes so top notch.

Anywho, Death at a Highland Wedding is book 4 in the Rip Through Time Series. We continue with main characters Mallory Atkinson and Dr. Duncan Gray (whom I love) and add in some supporting characters that I also adored throughout this book. The setting - Scottish highlands, the forest at night, the twists and turns... it was all so amazing.

This series should definitely be on your TBR.

Being a maid in Victorian Scotland still isn’t exactly Mallory Atkinson’s dream job, but by book four in this clever time travel mystery series, she’s made peace with the corsets, coal dust, and class system—and even grown to love her role assisting undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray. In this installment, Mallory travels with Gray, Inspector McCreadie, and the whole Gray-McCreadie clan to the Highlands for a wedding at a gorgeous (but tension-filled) estate. When the groom sets illegal traps for endangered wildcats and a guest ends up dead, the weekend takes a murderous turn. 🐾💀

There’s sharp banter, delicious slow-burn tension, a fascinating look at early forensics, and excellent historical detail woven into the mystery. The Highland setting is atmospheric, the family drama deliciously messy, and Mallory continues to shine as a heroine out of time—sarcastic, smart, and wonderfully unladylike.

I loved the twists, the humor, the emotional undercurrents—and as always, I’m anxiously awaiting book five. Kelley Armstrong, don’t keep us in suspense too long!

A Review of Kelley Armstrong's Death at a Highland Wedding

As a long-time fan of time travel and portal stories, Kelley Armstrong's "A Rip Through Time" series immediately captured my imagination from its very first novel. What truly hooked me, beyond the captivating premise, were the richly developed characters, each with their own unique side stories that have unfolded beautifully throughout the series. The ingenious dual-timeline narrative, spanning 150 years between present day and Victorian-era Scotland, offers a fascinating contrast in societal norms and daily life. Armstrong masterfully weaves historical details into the plot, delivering engaging and often humorous history lessons without it ever feeling overly educational like a school lecture.

Her latest installment, Death at a Highland Wedding, continues this tradition with another compelling mystery. We once again follow the resourceful Mallory, still navigating life in Catrina's body 150 years in the past. Alongside her, she's joined by her familiar companions, employer Dr. Duncan Gray, his sister Isla Ballantine, and their friend Detective Hugh McCreadie as they journey to the Scottish Highlands for Hugh's younger sister's wedding. However, the pre-wedding festivities take a dark turn when a guest is found murdered, casting suspicion on everyone in attendance.

As expected from Armstrong, the narrative is packed with clever twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very last page. The cozy mystery elements are perfectly balanced with the ongoing interpersonal relational dramas and the wonderfully depicted historical setting.

True to form, I absolutely loved Death at a Highland Wedding. It delivered everything I've come to enjoy about the series: engaging characters, a clever mystery, and fascinating historical insights. I can confidently say this series consistently hits all the right notes for an immersive read. I'm already eagerly anticipating Armstrong's next installment in the "A Rip Through Time" series, Kirkyards & Kindness, expected for release at the end of this year.

My sincere thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another excellent installment in the A Rip Through Time series!

The crew attend a wedding in the highlands for McCreadie's sister. McCreadie and Gray have a complex relationship with the groom and some of the other attending guests which makes the weekend immediately tense. Once a dead body turns up, the weekend intensifies even more. As Mallory, Gray and McCreadie investigate, they turn up more than they bargained for about their friends and family.

I was so happy to dive back into this world. I continue to love the characters and enjoyed the change of scenery to the countryside. The mystery in this book was top notch and I enjoyed the background development for Gray and McCreadie that the new characters provided. I also love the development of Isla and McCreadies's romance! Overall just such a great addition to this series and I can't wait to read more!

5 stars!

I loved this book so much. Although the romance between the main characters hasn’t happened yet, I loved the ending immensely. The setting was interesting, and suspicious people were lurking everywhere. I need Isla and Archie to have their own novella.

I love being back with Mallory and Gray. This was a great addition to A Rip Through Tip Series. I loved this mystery in the countryside. It felt like things kept happening, and I couldn't stop reading to find out what happened! I can't wait for more, but come on, Kelley.....talk about a SLOW BURN. It'll just keep me reading on. This is a great series for any historical fiction fans. A huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-copy.

Death at a Highland Wedding is the 4th instalment of A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. I have been really enjoying this series and this novel was no exception. This time, Mallory and Gray find themselves attending a wedding in the Scottish Highlands for McCreadie's younger sister. When one of the guests is murdered a few days before the wedding, McCreadie and Gray, and of course Mallory/Catriona are off to solve the case and hopefully save the wedding.

Kelley always manages to make you feel like you are living in the Victorian Era and I love the way Mallory compares things to current day so we can really appreciate what she is seeing. Since Mallory is from our current time, and was thrust back into time when she was attacked and almost murdered, she thinks with 21st Century humour and compares her days long carriage ride to our hour long car rides with a comedy one would only find with time travelling Canadians!

If you haven't read this series yet, I absolutely recommend starting with the first one before jumping into a Death at a Highland Wedding. The characters don't need much development and the story jumps right in. I love that Kelley does a quick reminder at the beginning of what happened so far. I find with series that only have one book per year being released, it's hard to remember what has been happening so this is greatly appreciated.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once again, Armstrong pulls you into her world. In the fourth installment in the rip in time series, the crew faces a new slew of mystery and intrigue while out at a friend's wedding on the country side. The characters are mysterious, and unexpected at times. I appreciated some of the twists and turns and was quite happy with the ending.

This read could be a stand alone however i believe there is a chunk of backstory in the first set of books i have not yet read. Story itself is like a cross over with Outlander meets Sherlock Holmes. Great characters and looking forward to reading more.

Kelley Armstrong's *Death at a Highland Wedding* delivers an engaging mystery that will keep you guessing. While it's the fourth book in the "A Rip Through Time" series, new readers can easily jump in here and enjoy it as a standalone. Armstrong skillfully provides enough backstory and details for you to fully understand the characters and events without feeling lost.

This installment plunges you into a fascinating Victorian-era Scottish countryside wedding, just outside Edinburgh, where a murder quickly sets the stage for a compelling whodunit. What makes this series truly stand out is the unique premise of the main character, a modern-day detective, navigating life and crime in the 1870s. This "rip through time" adds an intriguing layer of modern sensibilities to a historical setting, creating a fresh and dynamic feel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and found myself completely absorbed in the unfolding events. It's yet another excellent addition to Armstrong's work, one of my favorite authors. If you're looking for a clever historical mystery with a captivating time-travel twist, *Death at a Highland Wedding* is definitely worth reading!

“Death At A Highland Wedding” is the fourth novel in Kelly Armstrong’s Rip Through Time series featuring Mallory Atkinson, a Vancouver police detective who was transported 150 years into the past to Victorian Edinburgh. Mallory works as an assistant to Doctor Duncan Grey and the pair, along with the help of an eclectic cast of supporting characters, solve mysteries with an emphasis on early forensic science. For this outing most of the supporting characters are left in Edinburgh as Mallory and Grey travel to the Highlands to attend the wedding of Grey’s best friend’s sister.

I have to admit that I thought I was going to miss the extended cast and the setting in Edinburgh but Armstrong won me over with her description of the Scottish Highlands. I really enjoyed everything about this book - there was great character development, an intriguing mystery with good pacing, a well done setting, and a good ensemble cast. I do wish that there had been a bit more development in the relationship between Mallory and Duncan, and that Mallory’s ability to remain in the past had been explored more. Despite this, I can’t wait for the next book - I’m just sad I have to wait a year!

While this is the fourth book in the series I think Armstrong provides enough of the backstory that readers starting here wouldn’t be lost but I would recommend starting with book one because the series is so much fun! I highly recommend this book, and the entire series, and I can’t wait to check out the next book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press - Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will read *anything* Armstrong writes. Even horror, which I generally hate. I really love this series, and it's such a clever approach to historical romance, time travelling, and generally is just a really fun series to read. It's smart and makes you pay attention, but it's clean, well written, and a romp to read through.

I absolutely love this series! This one was so good! So much happens and so much comes to light!
I love the growing relationships between characters. The comparison of times for Mallory from her time to the Victorian time she is currently in keeps the story refreshing and so much fun. This one keeps you on your toes......one thing gets solved and then more is revealed and another part has to be solved. A definite suspenseful mystery!!!!

Detective Mallory Atkinson has finally come to terms with her time travel 150 years in time. She loves her life in Scotland serving as an assistant to the undertaker and pitching in as a housemaid. When Dr. Gray and his family travel to the Highlands for a wedding, Mallory accompanies them. Once again her problem solving skills are needed when crimes are committed. She works with Gray to solve the mystery in this fourth volume of Kelley Armstong's A Rip Through Time series.

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth installment in Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time series. Go grab yours now!

Mallory, Duncan, McCreadie, Isla, and Alice are in the Highlands for the wedding of Hugh's sister, Fiona. Now, relationships between the cast of characters can sometimes be complicated. Fiona's wedding to Archie Cranston is an arranged marriage, and although they've known each other for a long time, they don't really have feelings for each other. Archie's sister Violet is the ex-fiancee of our own Hugh McCreadie, and that's a little awkward. The men know each other from school, although not all of them are actually friends.

Due to Muller, the gamekeeper, putting out traps for the wild animals, everyone is told to stay in the house or gardens, but not to walk around the property. None of our main characters are happy about this, and when a mother wildcat is killed and one of her babies injured, they aren't happy about it. But they can only worry about that for so long because someone is killed and Archie is arrested. Mallory, Duncan, and McCreadie will need to investigate in secret because this isn't Hugh's jurisdiction and the local constable doesn't want his help. They can't just leave the bridegroom in jail for his wedding day though, so they've got to act quickly.

I really enjoy this series with it's mix of history and contemporary, along with all the banter between the friends. This one, however, was a little less interesting than previous books. I still enjoyed it, it just wasn't my favorite from the series. There's still a good mystery, and putting the clues together was interesting and twisty.

All in all, this was a great addition to the series. If you've enjoyed the other books, or are looking for a new cozy historical mystery series, then definitely give these books a try!

Thank you to @Minotaur_Books and @NetGalley for a digital copy for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.

In this fourth installment of the series, we are following Mallory as she, Duncan and various family members travel to attend a wedding in the Scottish Highlands. However, when a murder happens, they are forced to jump into action to solve it.

This book was just fine for me. I always enjoy being back with Mallory, Duncan and their friends, and the mystery was entertaining. I do find something I am having a bigger problem with in this series is the overexplaining the author does. The characters will do something, and instead of letting the reader put the pieces together, the author gets the characters to go into detailed explanations to each other about why they are doing what they are doing, what this means, etc, and spells it all out for the reader. I found this annoying, and wish Armstrong would trust the reader to piece together information on their own. A solid addition to the series, but weighed down by my above issues.

This was my first Kelley Armstrong book and I really enjoyed it. I was concerned that I was jumping in mid-series, I would feel a little lost, but she did enough recapping with the characters and previous plots that I was able to follow along. It was a comfortable read - it felt familiar - not in the actual telling of the story - but in the sense that it combined a few of my favourite genres/time periods, into an easy-to-read, not too shocking, overall enjoyable work of fiction. Good mystery, good back story, good chemistry between characters.

Omg! I absolutely adored this book and I absolutely adore the entire series! Thank you @minotaur_books and @kelleyarmstrongauthor for providing me with an Arc of this book and for getting me started with this entire series.

Time, travel and historical romance and historic detective series are my favorites, and this has woven all of these genres into one amazing story.

💫Brief Synopsis💫

Mallory and Gray, Ila and Hugh are off to the wedding of Hugh’s sister. There is a lot of drama associated with - you know families…

Anyway, at this wedding, a murder happens. And all four are involved in solving the murder as they always do.

🤗I had no idea who the murderer was so I was very happy to have been surprised. I loved everything about the strong women in this book, as well as the underlying, and slow burn romance between Mallory and Gray.

⏳also love that the fact that Mallory has gone back in time has not been erased. You’ll have to read to see about that!

🎧I read and listened to the audio, and I highly recommend the audio for the entire series. The narrator is fabulous and you’re just drawn into the story and it brings it to life in such an amazing way.

When the story was finished, I wanted more. I hope that book 5 comes out sooner than later! I, for one. will be first in line.

This book recently published May 20, 2025.

I highly recommend this series if you like historical romance, historical detective series, and time travel. It really is fun and fantastic!

Thank you again to Kelley Armstrong, and to Minotaur Books for the arc.