I really enjoyed the new setting in this installment of this wonderful series.Mallory, Duncan, Isla and Hugh in the countryside with the addition of Hugh’s sister Fiona, Archie & Violet was so fun. I thought the catch up on the series at the beginning of the book was brilliant but I really hope people will read the rest of the series. (It’s soooo good!) The mystery of who killed Ezra was interesting and the climax of the story was so good I was on the edge of my seat. I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.

The narrator for this series, Kate Hanford, is fantastic & I would definitely listen to more books she narrates.

Thanks to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong & MacMillan Audio for St, Martin’s Press.

I was so excited when I saw the newest addition to the Mallory Atkinson series on NetGalley. I recently discovered this gem and immediately fell in love with it. The series has it all—an excellent premise, a fascinating historical setting, and a strong main character: the smart, funny, and brave Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day detective transported back to 1869 Scotland. The mysteries are compelling, the supporting characters are incredibly likable, and there's even a touch of romance in the air.

With each new book, the series keeps getting better.

A huge asset to the series is the fantastic narrator, Kate Handford. She brings the perfect energy to the audiobooks and truly brings Mallory to life.

The newest book in the series, Death at the Highland Wedding, only confirms my opinion. It offers an intriguing mystery and meaningful character development.

I truly enjoyed listening to this book—of course, it had to be the audiobook version, thanks to Ms. Handford’s marvelous voice work.

I can’t wait for the next adventure of Mallory and Dr. Duncan Gray.

A big thank-you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading Death at the Highland Wedding.

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth book in Kelley Armstrong's addictive historical mystery series a Rip Through Time. I've read this series from the beginning with book one, and I was hooked from the start! Now I read all I can get my hands on by this talented author. If this is your first foray into this series, this story stands alone. At the beginning of each book the author tells a bit about the characters and past situations, so there's never any confusion. Even if you've read all the books, it's nice to get a refresher course.

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson slipped 150 years into the past to Victorian Scotland. She has come to embrace her new life there, even if she's in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchell. She's become dear friends with the people she's met, and she loves her job as assistant to undertaker Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie. Mallory is traveling with Gray, his sister Isla and McCreadie to the Scottish Highlands to attend McCreadie's younger sister's wedding. McCreadie and the groom's family, the Cranstons, have a past history which makes this an uncomfortable reunion. The Cranston Estate is lovely, so Gray and Mallory head out to explore the surrounding grounds. Archie Cranston, a loud and pompous man who constantly needles Gray, has allowed his groundskeeper to set deadly traps in the woods to catch the endangered Scottish wildcats. They soon discover a deceased cat in a trap. However, Mallory realizes the cat's injuries don't match up with the trap. These irregularities and the behavior of Archie put Mallory, Gray and McCreadie on edge. When one of the guests is murdered, they must work fast to solve the crime before another life is lost.

For a while it seemed this story was a little slower than the previous books, and I was getting a wee bit disappointed. However, the second half took off and I was thrilled! It was actually a very interesting mystery when it really got started. Was murdered Ezra Sinclair the intended target? He was wearing Archie's coat when he was killed. Was the real target Archie? Also, why was the Scottish wildcat killed one way, but made to look like a different method was used? What was the angry Austrian groundskeeper so mad about? Last but not least, who was the "Nora" referred to in a note left in Gray's carriage? Sounds a bit disjointed, but it all came together beautifully in the end. Of course, though the mysteries in this series are always great, it's the compelling characters who keep me coming back. Mallory, a homicide detective, was somehow transported to Victorian Scotland when someone attempted to murder her. Now, however, she's content where she is, loving her work with Gray and McCreadie, and having wonderful friends. It has to be hard to exist in another's body of a very young woman and men's reactions to her. Her friends know the truth about her. She's tough and smart, but now she has feelings for Gray to contend with. Gray is another great character who I just adore! He's bi-racial, which some people have issues with and treat him without respect. He's an undertaker, but also a doctor who practices early forensics work. He really learns from Mallory, but she also learns from him, too. He seems to really care for Mallory but sometimes it's hard to tell. I've been waiting for their relationship to bloom into romance and move forward. It's changed, all right, but not quite the way I expected! I am going to be horribly impatient, waiting for the next book to play this out! The supporting characters are also wonderful, being some of my favorites. Hugh McCreadie is a handsome, funny man who works closely with Mallory and Gray. Isla Ballantyne is Gray's widowed sister. She a chemist (that's one smart family!) who was treated badly by her now-deceased husband. There are sparks between McCreadie and Isla. How's that going? You're not going to hear it from me! Archie Cranston was a schoolmate of Gray and McCreadie. He treats Gray horribly and is loud and boorish. But is he really? And I adored Fiona, McCreadie's sister who was to wed Archie. She seemed to be a sweet girl who was going to be stuck in an arranged marriage, but she pleasantly surprised me! I await the next book with bated breath; I don't want to wait an entire year!

I also listened to the audiobook version of this story when I was unable to read carefully; you know, like while driving. The book was narrated by Kate Handford, and I think she did an excellent job. She really brought the story to life.

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Death at a Highland Wedding:⁣
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Thank you @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2025 for my gifted copies!⁣
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Mallory, Duncan Gray, and ole McCreadie are back in action, and this time, we’re in Scotland. This actually might be my favorite of the series with the change of scenery! ⁣
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Also my favorite because we start talking about the future (not 2025 future but Mallory in her present age future) we knew this was coming after the jump scare last book, and I really liked that we delved deeper into this. ⁣
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We go into a few darker themes, but they were handled well. The audio is always amazing. Kate Handford being a single narrator still blows my mind how good she performs it. ⁣
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Everyone knows Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors of all time. Books like Highland make it so easy to say this. ⁣
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Out Tuesday!

Just finished Kelley Armstrong's "Death at a Highland Wedding," and while I enjoyed being back with Mallory & Duncan, this one didn't grab me quite as much as the previous books. The Scottish setting was still pretty cool, and the wedding vibes added an interesting backdrop to the mystery. However, I felt like there was a fair bit of explaining going on throughout the book, which sometimes slowed down the pace a little.

One thing I did appreciate was the way the author addressed the topic of sexual assault. It was handled respectfully and thoughtfully, which is definitely something worth noting.

The mystery itself kept me engaged, and there were still those classic Kelley Armstrong elements I enjoy. I'd still recommend it to fans of A Rip Through Time series who are invested in the characters and don't mind a bit more exposition. Just be aware that it does touch on the subject of sexual assault.

Definitely a solid addition to the series, even if it wasn't my absolute favorite. This series has become such a cozy habit for me. It's my automatic read when I want something familiar, enjoyable, and easy to sink into.

Death at a Highland Wedding AUDIO by Kelley Armstrong is a mystery, historical fiction, and time travel all wrapped into one neat package. Police Detective Mallory Atkinson lays in a hospital in a coma, at least her body does. She has slipped into the body of a housemaid, Catriona Mitchel who lived 150 years earlier in Victorian Scotland, where she has become involved with Duncan Gray and his sister and Detective Hugh McCreadie. Duncan is an undertaker and a doctor and the four of them are top notch investigators, Mallory being Duncan’s assistant as he performs his forensic tasks. The relationships are complicated, which make them more interesting. The four are on their way to Scotland to attend McCreadie’s sister, Fiona’s wedding to his old friend, Archie Cranston. It’s a long trip in a carriage and they are happy to arrive. There are some other guests staying in Archie’s hunting lodge as well, some likable, some not so much. Things get complicated when one guest ends up murdered while out at night and wearing Archie’s coat. Did someone mean to kill Archie? That is only one of many questions the trio will be asking in the days following the death.

Terrific characters all: Mallory has trouble remembering she is in Victorian England, not only behaviors, but missing tools of her trade. Duncan is a wonderful doctor and a good man, but he is of mixed blood and therefore is looked down upon by nearly everyone, including himself. His family is a complicated one. His sister has been and is in love with Hugh, who had been engaged to Archie’s sister, Violet, but had broken it off, leaving her in the midst of a scandal. It is complicated and yet it is so well written, that is falls together seamlessly. Excellent. The ending is a surprise, as is ideal. Very well-done.

The story is narrated by Katie Handford who is excellent. She differentiates between characters with aplomb and brings it all to life. Her accent is just enough.

I was invited to listen to Death at a Highland Wedding by Macmillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #KateHandford #KelleyArmstrong #DeathAtAHighlandWedding

I always love this series, I can never guess the mystery and the cast of characters is always charming and entertaining. The narration is fantastic and brings every lovely character to life.

This may have been my favorite mystery yet, as I really was led astray in the truth then it’s turned out darker than I expected. This series has become a comfort for me and I am so sad to be caught up.

The slow burn romance is killing me feels like we will never see anything come from it, but I hold out major hope for my favorite characters Duncan and Mallory!

This book has all the things I wanted to like about Outlander, but with characters I like a lot more and a story I enjoy reading more. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good fish out of water mystery set in a historical space. Watching a modern woman navigate the Victorian world was fun, though this book is a bit into the series so it's less that earlier books most likely.

Thank you for this ARC! I really enjoyed it.

TW for date rape and abuse.

This is a fun continued romp of the series with my favorite characters back for another mystery and interesting new characters joining in. I do think the slow burn romance is... a bit too slow. But liked the rest. The narrator is delightful, and I enjoyed listening quite a bit.

I love this series! So the main cast of characters, Mallory, Duncan, Duncan's sister, and detective Hugh all head off to a wedding for Duncan and Hugh's childhood friend. As always, Mallory, a Canadian detective who traveled back into the past, attempts to solve crimes by adapting modern techniques using the resources of the time. This is one of my favorite historical series. The slow burn romance between Mallory and Duncan made a bit of progress, at least, so I will keep reading to see if they ever become a couple. Not to give any spoilers, but the "wedding" in the title is foreshadowing (I hope) for more weddings to come!

Audio narration is terrific as always!

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong was my first Rip Through Time novel, but it won’t be my last. The gaps were filled in with a helpful Prologue for new-to-the-series readers. Kate Handford’s narration enhanced my enjoyment of the narrative.

Though it was a little slow in the beginning as the relationships of the characters are established, it picks up pace when the investigation begins. I enjoyed the romantic tension among the characters and Mallory’s struggle to maintain the demure manners of a Victorian woman despite her modern persona. Kudos to Armstrong for her characterization, description of setting, complex relationships, and behavioral nuances.

Because this was a continuation of the series, Mallory was already present in Victorian Scotland, so she has already traveled through time in a previous novel, but that did not interfere with the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced review copy of the audio version of this title for an honest review.

Thank you to the author for giving a summary at the beginning to catch you up. It's 1870 and this time Mallory and Duncan are at a wedding, when someone is murdered.

One of the things I like best about this series is Mallory is constantly comparing her present day to her previous 2019. And her friends already know that she's a time traveler and she discusses modern day advancements with them. I also appreciate it that she doesn't remember history very well, lol. I'm ready for Mallory and Duncan to be a couple. Let's go!

The narrator of this series is extremely good with male and female characters. Very likeable.

Thank you to Macmillan for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

A Rip Through Time series is one of my favorite series because they are historical thrillers, with a splash of mystical, with a unique premise and very engaging characters. I listened to the audio version of Death at a Highland Wedding, which is the fourth installment in the engaging series by Kelley Armstrong. I listened to it in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down, despite it being 14 hours!

In the first book we learn that Mallory Atkinson is a present day Canadian police detective who is transported back in time about 150 years ago to Edinburgh when she is being strangled in the same spot that another woman was strangled (she switches bodies with the other woman). She is initially accepted in the household of undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray as a maid, and she works her way up to becoming Duncan's assistant with her knowledge of murdered dead bodies. Together they help Duncan’s best friend, detective Hugh McCready, solve murders.

In Death at a Highland Wedding, the subject of the mystery surrounds the death of the best man at the wedding of Hugh’s sister to a family friend who bought a castle in the highlands. After the groom is arrested for the murder of his best man, Hugh, Duncan and Mallory investigate the murder, which reveals several sub-plots that are disturbing.

Kate Handford narrated this audiobook as she did in the prior three installments. She provided differing voices for all the characters, and inflected the right amount of shock, exasperation, and sorrow in all the right places. Simply put, I highly recommend this audiobook!

My first book in the A Rip Through Time series and now I want to go back and read the first 3.

The main character has traveled back through time 150 years at the start of the series and is now working to help solve crimes. She has also made many friends which takes us to this book: Death at a Highland Wedding.

She is attending a wedding with the many people she has gotten to know (seriously, an almost hard to keep track of amount of people) when someone is murdered! She must help solve the crime and, along the way, many secrets are uncovered which means many people are suspects.

It was a good mystery in that I was not able to guess who committed the crime earlier on in the book and was surprised to discover who it was. I loved hearing about all the ways that solving crime back then were different from modern day and also want to go back and read book 1 to see how exactly she ended up back in time.

I have become obsessed with catching up on this time travel/historical fiction series! One of the things that I have been enjoying about this series are the interactions between Mallory, with her 21st century memories and experiences, and her 19th century friends and associates, especially Duncan. I love the friendship that they have developed and the camaraderie that they engage in when they’re working together on a case. With Duncan as the Dr and his education and knowledge of what can and cannot be done in 19th century and Mallory with her 21st century detective skills and experiences, some of their interactions are hilarious.

”I believe we require a demonstration. Stand right there, face the window and let me club you in the back of the head. Then we can see which clubs line up correctly.” - Duncan Gray

🤣🤣🤣 I’m still cracking up over that scene, even now as I write this. I was walking my dog as I was listening to the audiobook and when I started cracking up, one of my neighbors came over to see if I was ok because I was bending over in hysterical laughter (I can be easily amused at times). Suffice it to say that there are so many hilarious moments like that in this series, which is indicative of both the series’ characters and Armstrong’s wacky sense of humor. I love a good story that can make me laugh and cry and that will grab my attention from the get-go and never let up until the end. This is classic Kelley Armstrong and why after 21 books spanning three series as well as including several standalones, I remain a huge fan of her work.

Anyway, the book summary pretty much lays out the primary storyline of the murder of Ezra, the best man for Archie, who is marrying McCreadie’s little sister, Fiona, because 10yrs ago, McCreadie broke of the engagement with Archie’s sister, Violet. It’s no spoiler that McCreadie is in love with Isla, Duncan’s sister, and probably has been since he was a teenager. Both McCreadie’s thwarted marriage, and Fiona’s impending marriage are, for the most part, transactional and arranged for the purposes of the bride and groom’s family merger for business reasons. This was quite common back then and still very much alive and well today in some countries and families. None of this is a spoiler since it’s basically how the story started.

However, there is kind of a secondary storyline of the local country folks despising the previous owner of the country home, that the Cranston family has recently purchased. The previous owner had kicked all of the tenants off the property and had forbidden them from hunting on the property (that the former owner before that had allowed them to do for generations). The Cranston family has now set traps to catch poachers. There are other dramas going on, actually a whole lot of drama that keeps the story moving at a very steady pace, basically never letting the storyline drag – at all!

Much of the story revolves around Mallory, Duncan and McCreadie investigating the murder while at the same time avoiding the local, country constable, Petey, who is a young, inexperienced and kind of a pompous idiot, who hasn’t a clue what he is doing. Petey has taken offense to McCreadie, the older, wiser, and MUCH more experienced Edinburgh Homicide Detective, advising Petey on what he needs to do. Suffice it to say, that there is a lot going on for Mallory and the rest of the wedding guests. It’s deep into the second half, that I begin to suspect who the killer was and was kind of shocked when the real killer was revealed.

The continuing character development for Mallory, the Grays and McCreadie as well as the bride and groom was well done. The pacing was steady and the storyline very interesting. The writing was, again, classic Armstrong. I can’t say it enough; I am really enjoying the evolving relationships between the MC’s that is such a vital component to the series. There were some potential changes in the dynamic between Mallory, the Grays and McCreadie that I look forward to seeing where Armstrong goes with those changes. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.5 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #MacmillanAudio #DeathataHighlandWedding

This book was received as an Advanced Readers Copy Audiobook.

In this 4th installment of the Rip Through Time Series we are heading to the Highlands for McCreadie's sister's wedding. The McCreadies and the groom's family have a bit of a complicated past. With a beautiful estate Mallory and Grey explore the grounds to discover Cranston let his ground keeper set up traps all around to keep the endangers Scottish wildcats at bay. They Discover a family of these wild cats with mom dead, one injured and the others that are fine. The death of the one just doesn't seem right to Mallory and after further inspection the truth is found.
One night Mallory and Grey have a late picnic, but they are not the only ones out late. The witness another person, but they don't know who, leaving the house heading down to the lake. While they are leaving they stumble upon a dead body. They are thrown into an unlikely investigation as this isn't their home town. The local detective is new after his family member retired and the doesn't like McCreadie at all.
With the investigation and some truths of the past for McCreadie that Mollary didn't know. With even more mysteries surrounding the wedding and the people, it's unsure how this will turn around.
This is another round of emotional pulling after what went down in the 3rd book with Mallory going home and choosing to come back. How it effected Grey and her relationship and if more could be there. I am rooting for them both this book doesn't help. It did feel longer edition in the series with more going on with them. Defintiley still worth the series and can't wait for the next one.

Thank you to Netgally for a chance to read (listen ) to this book.

Okay, confession time: I didn’t realize this was book four in a series , and that’s 100% on me. It was clearly stated on NetGalley, but I jumped in anyway… and unfortunately, I think this just confirmed that Kelley Armstrong might not be the author for me. 😬

The premise is super unique: a modern-day homicide detective stuck in Victorian Scotland, now living life as a housemaid-slash-investigator. Honestly, I love a good time-slip concept, and I can see why this series has a dedicated following. The worldbuilding is detailed, the writing is solid, and the mystery is slow and thoughtful.

But for me? It felt like a bit of a slog. I struggled to connect with the pacing and found myself wishing for more energy, more suspense, and a little less meandering. The murder mystery didn’t grab me the way I hoped, and without the emotional investment from earlier books, I just wasn’t pulled in.

That said, if you’re already a fan of the A Rip Through Time series, I think this entry will deliver exactly what you're looking for; a layered, cozy historical mystery with strong characters and moody Scottish vibes. It’s not bad... just not my kind of read.

🏴‍☠️ Read if you love:
• Victorian-era mysteries
• Fish-out-of-water sleuths
• Cozy pacing with historical depth
• Series with slow-burning character arcs

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.

I really enjoyed this one. The time travel detective angle provided an interesting perspective. I also really enjoyed the forensic science discussions.

My Rating: 4*

Though this was my first foray into the Rip Through Time Series, I had a great time on this highland romp with Mallory and her friends. I can only imagine the other cases were just as engaging and entertaining as it seems this series is getting some pretty good reviews. Most of the main characters in the “friend group” are likeable and fun getting to know. There’s a bit of romantic tension and a bit of teasing and playful banter. I’ll admit, I love the premise of this series a bit more than other time travel Scottish series. I think the mysteries are well crafted and they don’t focus too heavily on romance or entanglements.

Mallory was a detective in modern times, but finds herself in the body of a maid in Victorian Scotland. With her wit and knowledge she is able to prove to those around her, she is no longer Catriona but a detective with vital skills who can assist Dr Gray and Detective McCreadle. The team is on their way to a wedding but the Cranston estate is neither welcoming nor open for wandering. Archie Cranston, the future groom and owner, has placed traps throughout the grounds to catch wild animals and the guests are prohibited from taking walks through much of the land. Cranston is also acting oddly which puts the group on edge.

First a cat is found in a trap but the cause does not appear to be by the trap itself. And then a body is found and the true mystery begins. I do feel the mystery kept me guessing until the final reveal and the character relationship were a part which kept me reading. All in all a great period mystery series with a bit of a modern twist and lots of thrilling adventure.