One of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint!! 🙌

This series has become dear to my heart and I’ve only read the third and this, the fourth book! So it definitely can be read as a standalone! I absolutely love the characters and the dynamic between Mallory and Duncan! Highly recommend checking this one out!! 👏

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

I know I said last time that book three was my favorite yet, but now book four is seriously my favorite in the series yet!

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth book in the Rip Through Time series, which follows modern-day detective Mallory Atkinson when she is accidentally transported back in time to 1800s Scotland. Trapped in the body of a housemaid, she ends up assisting Dr. Duncan Gray, a mixed-race undertaker and proponent of early forensic methods, in solving murder cases. Mallory and Duncan are accompanied in their investigations by Duncan's half-sister Isla, a widow and brilliant chemist, and Detective Hugh McCreadie, a police officer and Duncan and Isla's longtime friend.

In this fourth book in the series, the gang heads to the Highlands for McCreadie's sister's wedding, but Fiona McCreadie may not make it down the aisle after all when a murder interrupts the proceedings. McCreadie is one of my favorite characters in this series, so I was super excited to get a peek into his family and past. I am very invested in the potential romance between him and Isla, and there was a bit of movement in that regard in this book. There are several moments in this book where Mallory and Duncan talk amongst themselves about how much they're rooting for Hugh and Isla to be a couple, and like, same. Good to know we're all #Hisla shippers here.

One of my complaints in earlier books was that I felt Mallory had a somewhat judgmental attitude towards Victorian society and people in the past, but she has really found her footing in this time now and learned to love Duncan, Hugh, and Isla. There are several moments in this book where she displays a very nuanced thought process regarding Victorian social norms, understanding why people do the things they do, and how seemingly "barbaric" scientific practices made it possible for her to have the 21st-century medical care she has now. I loved to see it! She's really grown on me as a protagonist, and some of the scenes between her and Dr. Gray in this book were also great. It's so clear that there's a mutual attraction there, though they both think the other doesn't feel the same way they do. I'm eager to see how their relationship will continue to evolve.

The fact that the mystery was wrapped up in a satisfying way was an added bonus that made this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I am eager and hopeful for a book five!

“Death at a Highland Wedding” is the fourth installment in the Rip Through Time series featuring Mallory Atkinson who has switched bodies with a Victorian maid after a violent attack throws Mallory back in time. In this book, Mallory accompanies Isla, Gray and McCreadie to the Highlands for the wedding of McCreadie’s younger sister. McCreadie has been estranged from his family for years so it’s a bit awkward, particularly since his ex-fiance is also attending the wedding.

Shortly before the wedding a body is found in the woods raising questions about whether or not the groom was the intended target. Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie begin investigating despite the fact that the young and inexperienced local constable has declined their assistance. The clues raise uncomfortable questions for the investigators while Mallory and Gray continue to explore their feelings for each other. As they get closer to the killer, they uncover evidence of crimes that go back decades and the circle of suspects widens.

This book has a LOT going on. The questions about morality and justice are particularly interesting…and heartbreaking. Mallory continues to struggle with her 21st Century sensibilities, but is aware that she can’t impose her own understanding of the world into the Victorian era. Of course, this causes great frustration, but she is also coming to terms with her new reality. This is an entertaining and thought-provoking entry into the timeslip genre.

This book is great for those who enjoy historical mysteries, mystery series, and/or timeslip stories.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press|Minotaur Books, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Kelley Armstrong does it again! I love these characters so much … she has created a world that we just want to be apart of. She has put together a fantastic cast of characters that we can cheer for and get behind. I really love this series and will always be excited for the next installment. You MUST read this series … it has a little bit of many genres. And it’s a guaranteed winner …

Wedding Bells and Shotgun Shells

Kelley Armstrong presents the 4th book in her A Rip Through Times Series. Although this can be read as a standalone, you'd benefit from one of the earlier books in order to get a grip on these characters. However, Armstrong does fill in the gaps at the beginning of this one.

Mallory Atkinson was once a police officer in Vancouver. That all changed when she was attacked late one night as she was visiting her dying grandmother in Scotland. For some unknown reason, Mallory was catapulted back in time to the 1870's in Scotland and woke up as Catriona Mitchell, a maid in the employ of Dr. Duncan Gray. The earlier books start to peel back her adventures as Catriona.

Now Mallory/Catriona finds herself on the road to the Highlands of Scotland in the company of Duncan and his friend Detective Hugh McCreadie. Hugh's sister, Fiona, is marrying Archie Cranston and they've all been invited to the wedding. By now, Mallory has worked her way up to being an assistant to Dr. Gray.

The coach arrives at their destination days before the wedding. We'll meet some strange characters here who are interconnected to one another. There's a sketchy new hire game manager on the property. He likes to set traps. Watch your step.

But then one of the guests is found dead in the tall field grass outside the hunting lodge. There's a nasty wound to the back of the head. Who would want this person dead and why?

And that's when Mallory, Duncan, and Hugh jump into action. Mallory agonizes over the lack of modern day investigating tools and DNA. But between them, they'll work their way through the clues. Armstrong implements the use of back-and-forth banter between these characters in a think-out-loud manner. We readers become part of the "deducing"......a bit of Sherlock happenin' here. And the result is a fine read in the hands of the talented Kelley Armstrong. Don't miss it.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Minotaur Books and to the talented Kelley Armstrong for the opportunity.

Book 4 in the A Rip Through Time series was every bit as devourable as the first 3. I do recommend at least reading Book 1 first, because of important background information (though if you do, I'm pretty sure you'll want to read 2&3 as well because this series is addictive!).

I love the Victorian era setting. The lack of DNA, technology, proper evidence and hiring procedures make solving mysteries far more difficult. Heck, the era even makes it difficult for our main characters, Mallory and Duncan, to have a private conversation without worrying about how it will appear to everyone because what a scandal it would be for an unwed man and woman to meet unsupervised. (Can I just say how thankful I am that I wasn't born back then!)

The murder mystery was fast paced and unpredictable. There were several viable suspects, but I had no idea who did it until the very end.

Some characters made progress in their love lives while others at least shed some light on the insecurities preventing progress. Hopefully they can work it out soon as I've been rooting for them since Book 1!

I would love to see this series turned into a TV show!

Thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the early copy!

Mallory the modern Canadian police detective has found peace with her inexplicable transportation to nineteenth century Scotland. She even expects to have some fun at the upcoming wedding of her employer/potential love interest Duncan’s school friend. She does not, however, expect the convoluted web of interpersonal relationships that envelops her there. When a wedding guest is found bludgeoned to death, Mallory, Duncan, and their friends must circumvent the laughable “investigation” of local law enforcement to discover the truth. Their probing uncovers great darkness behind the stiff proprietary of Victorian high society. Armstrong also takes time to develop Mallory’s slow-moving romance.

Modern-day thirty-one year-old Vancouver, Canada homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is back. She’s still 150 years in the past in Scotland and still in the body of twenty-year old maid Catriona Mitchel. Mallory is enjoying her job as assistant to undertaker and medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray and assisting him and Detective Hugh McCreadie in a variety of cases. In this fourth book of the A Rip Through Time series, Mallory along with Duncan, his sister Isla Ballantine, and Hugh travel to the Scottish Highlands for Hugh’s younger sister Fiona’s wedding to Archie Cranston. The weekend is uncomfortable due to some family history. However, the Cranston estate is beautiful. Duncan and Mallory go for a walk and find traps have been set out to prevent poaching and to capture a Scottish wildcat. They discover irregularities when one is caught, but even more when one of the wedding guests is murdered.

Mallory is a character with plenty of depth. She’s logical, kind, relatable, and empathetic. She’s good at seeing clues and connections in people’s speech, mannerisms, and expressions and is protective of her friends. While she makes for a strong female protagonist that readers can cheer on, she flouts convention and is sarcastic as well as being 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, caring, occasionally relaxed and teasing. He’s a pioneer in the field of forensics, has an eye for detail, and has a scientific curiosity. He reads and interprets evidence well, but can be obtuse when it comes to evaluating emotional situations. Isla is a chemist who is brilliant, strong-willed, and kindhearted. She’s also been a widow for two years and is well-respected by those who work for her. McCreadie is clever, good-natured, and a bit of an adventure hound. The remaining 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.

The introduction catches readers up if it’s been a while since they read the last book. It also provides a summary for new readers jumping into the series with book four. 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 as well as how the local constable approaches a murder investigation. My biggest quibble is the lack of progress in one of the potential romances.

There are some twists and surprises as the story progresses with an ending that is full of action. There are some dark aspects that are uncovered during the investigation. Two things that stand out are the world-building that transported this reader to the Scottish Highlands and the humor that is sprinkled throughout the tale. Themes include endangered wildlife, weddings, family, arranged marriages, relationship, friendship, how servants are treated, and changing laws regarding estate land, as well as attitudes toward, expectations of, and limitations on women.

Overall, this is a well-written, suspenseful, gripping, and entertaining novel with great characterization as well as some pivotal stressful and emotional moments. Readers of historical mysteries will likely enjoy this novel. It captured the characters, attitudes, and lifestyles of the times and brought them to life. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next book in the series.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Kelley Armstrong provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for May 20, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

This is the 4th book in a series. I have not read the other books in this series, and I usually like to read books in a series in order. This is the first book I have read where the author gives you a brief summary of the storyline to familiarize you with the characters. So, to read this book, you don't have to have read the other books to know what is going on.

I love the writing style and the beautiful descriptions of Scottish Highlands. I look forward to reading the others books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a chance to review this book.

It was fun to see Mallory and crew get out of Edinburgh and out to a country house wedding. We get to meet more of McCreadie's circle, with his sister as the bride and her groom as the brother of McCreadie's ex-fiancee. Of course, even in the country, murder follows them around, and so the Scooby Gang find themselves hunting a killer. There was a solidly maintained level of tension with plenty of feasible suspects, as you want from a well-plotted mystery. And of course we advance the relationships of both Mallory-Duncan and Isla-McCreadie in a satisfying (though sloooooooow burning) way.

I was very hesitant to read this novel because I'd noticed that is was the 4th book in a series that I had not read. However, there was a quick summary at the beginning that informed me of all the necessary details, and made my reading experience so much more enjoyable. I throughly enjoyed everything about this book!

I liked Mallory's (out of place) humour, I loved watching her try to fit in with the new time period, and I also liked the deep-dive into 1800s sleuthing and the comparisons to how these things occur in todays world. The writing was very atmospheric and I easily found myself sucked into the setting. The ensemble characters were also quite likeable and easy to root for!

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and I'm looking forward to reading more work by Kelley Armstrong!

Thank you so much to Kat White at St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Death at a Highland Wedding, by Kelley Armstrong, is the Fourth installment in the author's A Rip Through Time series. This novel continues the adventures of Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day homicide detective who, after slipping 150 years into the past, inhabits the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchel in Victorian Scotland in 1870. The story begins as Mallory, now settled into her role as assistant to undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, along with Duncan's sister Isla, travels to the Scottish Highlands for the wedding of McCreadie’s younger sister, Fiona, to Archie Cranston.

The McCreadie and Cranston families share a complicated history, casting a tense atmosphere over the festivities at the Cranston estate. Seeking respite from the strained social dynamics, Mallory and Duncan explore the estate’s wilderness, only to stumble upon a disturbing discovery: deadly traps set for endangered Scottish wildcats, authorized by the groom himself. When a guest is found murdered, suspicions mount, and Mallory’s 21st-century detective skills combine with Duncan’s pioneering forensic techniques to unravel a web of secrets, motives, and deception.

As the body count rises, the duo must race against time to identify the killer before more lives are lost. The murder mystery is layered with red herrings, unexpected twists, and a cast of suspects, each with their own secrets, that keeps readers guessing. Including an incompetent new constable adds humor and frustration, forcing Mallory and Duncan to navigate bureaucratic obstacles while solving the case. The novel delivers several surprises, from plot twists to a particularly satisfying revelation at the end that ties up loose ends while opening doors for future installments.

Armstrong balances the darker elements of murder and betrayal with moments of hope, friendship, and romance, ensuring an emotionally rewarding experience. The most curious aspect is that Isla and Hugh finally seem to be moving in the direction. Does that mean that Mallory and Duncan will follow? Guess we must continue the series to find out.

Weddings are supposed to be a wonderful & joyful time. Instead, when the "gang" heads out of town for the wedding of a friend to Hugh's sister, a murder happens. At every turn, there seems to be a new suspect with motivation for killing. Add to that an incompetent young cop and who knows what will happen. Who's the killer? Was the wrong person killed? The story had me guessing from the start. Well written, with a touch of romance.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

When I was invited to read/review this by the publisher, I had never heard of these books, much less the author. I went and looked them up, found there were only three books [and 2 novellas] and that this one would be #4 and they looked interesting and very intriguing [this is a real twist I have not read before], and as they were on KU and the audio was readily available at my libraries, I decided why not; the worse that could happen was that I hated them and I would do a "will not review" for this one. So I jumped in with book one and WHOOSH, here we are.

This is one excellent series. Twisty, turny, and a real reminder of what life was like in 1860's Scotland. Seeing that time-frame from someone who is from MY time is...well, there is a lot of laughter, cringe and EW. LOL The four main characters [I have to include everyone; even though technically these are Mallory's stories, Duncan, Isla, and Hugh are SO much a part of these stories that they too are close enough to main characters themselves] are just fantastic, very real, and very aware of just how weird and often precarious their situation is. If you like historical fantasy, this series just might be for you.

In this book, the whole crew is heading to the Highlands [Mallory telling them that it would take only an hour and a half or so in her time as opposed to the EIGHT hours it is taking them by carriage is hilarious and makes for some interesting conversation] for a wedding [Hugh's sister is getting married in an arranged marriage - EEK!] and of course all sorts of shenanigans occur, including a particularly grizzly murder of someone that everyone but Mallory knows well. There are suspects galore and plenty of excellent red herrings and when the nail-biting reveal happens and you learn the whole truth [and y'all, this was...ergh], well, I was in shock and really felt for the characters as they have to absorb some seriously ick knowledge and then move on from it.

Excellent writing and research, really great story and mystery, and fantastic pacing - this one was just what I was hoping for and I can only hope that we get at least a couple more books!! ;-)

Kate Handford is one excellent narrator. She handles all the voices really well, flips between Mallory's "Canadian" voice, her "Catriona" voice and the Scottish brogues of all the other characters like she talks that way on a regular basis and also delivers the story in the very best way and I'm never wishing that there was a different narrator. I highly recommend listening to this series; it is a great way to experience this awesome series.

I was invited to read/review this by the publisher [St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books] and I thank them, Kelley Armstrong, Kate Handford - Narrator, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for access.

I emjoyed this next book in the adventures of Mallory in the Victorian Scotland. In this edition, Mallory, Duncan, Isla, and Hugh travel to the highlands for Hugh's sister's wedding.

We have death, mystery, and romance in a country house setting. This felt a bit more cozy than the first three books in the series. This may be my projection onto what is a country house mystery. The mytery is a slow burn and this is one where I didn't have it all figured out.

A vey enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I adore this series and count down to the next installment not too patiently...

This is the perfect series with well-developed characters, authentic era setting, murder and mystery with a time traveled modern day detective living in the body of a young Victorian maid...throw in a slow burn romance (which I'm ready for a speed up, please!)

This series is just so much fun despite someone always getting murdered! The banter and the well-established relationships between our characters are great. This time our crew is traveling to the Highlands for Hugh's sister's wedding despite his estrangement from the rest of his family because of his choice of profession...oh, and his broken engagement to one of the guests at the wedding. Talk about complications! We have more backstories to get a better understanding of characters. Of course, we have a murder, many suspects, and a slow unraveling of the facts with twists and turns until the final reveal.

Another solid book in this series! I'm excited one of our couples has finally taken a leap, but I am still hoping we have some concrete movement in our other romantic partnership...pretty please!!

4 stars

4.25/5 stars

I am thoroughly enjoying this time travel historical mystery series revolving around a woman (Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day homicide detective) who is transported back to 1870s Victorian Scotland.

The setting here is a vacation to a wedding in the countryside and involves old friends and very evil deeds/villains. In fact, I'll add a trigger warning here for sexual abuse/rape. I'll not go into specifics of the plot that can be gleaned from the book blurb, but this plotline centers around how well do we know those friends that we might not see very often. Without giving anything away, we learn lots about the pasts of Detective Hugh McCreadie, his sister Violet and various friends from Hugh's and Gray's childhood and early adulthood.
There are quite a few twists and turns, some forward movement on some romantic relationships and some complex/morally gray areas over some law-and-order steps. And I ALWAYS have to mention the banter and snarky humor I so enjoy with these characters.

I found this installment engrossing if a bit on the darker side, and as always, I'm looking forward to further cases for Mallory, Gray, Hugh and Isla and their supporting cast.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing the free early arc of Death at a Highland Wedding for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

From the moment I picked up At a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong, I was hooked. As someone who enjoys a good mix of mystery, time travel, and historical intrigue, this book gave me everything I was looking for and even more. The story drew me in right away and kept me turning the pages, always eager to find out what would happen next.

Armstrong has a real talent for combining suspense with vivid historical detail. I found myself completely immersed in the world she created. The characters felt authentic, the plot was full of unexpected twists, and the pacing kept me engaged throughout. I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

If you enjoy time travel thrillers with a smart, engaging mystery, I highly recommend reading this one. I found it to be an entertaining and satisfying read.

I love reading time travel stories.
Death at a Highland Wedding was a fun read. I haven’t read the previous books in this series, but the author’s recap at the beginning of the book was very helpful to get me caught up.
While I loved the main characters, there was one side character that I despised. I did not like the way he was treating Duncan and acting superior.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC to read and review.

I love this story. I haven’t read the other books in the series before this one but I love the characters and the setting. I love when a story can make me feel like I’m in another world and I can escape into it and this book does just that