This is time travel with murder mystery and it works. I enjoyed the modern vs Victorian detective and forensic aspects.

This book had a high level of “couldn’t put it down-ness”, though it’s by no means without flaws. And except for shift in time period, and that the heroine isn’t hiding who she is, I found it remarkably similar to A Murder in Time (and the whole Kendra Donovan series) by Julie McElwain. But I think this series can stand on its own merit, and I look forward to see what Mallory and Gray (and Isla and Hugh) get up to next.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I found this book to be interesting, but I wanted more. The plot was very interesting and handled well. While the lead character (Mallory) was fairly well developed, I don't feel the rest of the characters were. The character development (or lack thereof), was what kept pulling me away. I kept waiting for the story to progress more and I do not feel that it really did. I also truly do not like cliff-hangers, and was not prepared for there to be one in this book. To me, the ending was not fulfilling.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read the ARC.

What an adventure this read was! It had a bit of everything I like - a mind puzzle/mystery, time travel, historical fiction, fantasy, interesting characters and of course a touch of romance. As a reader I'm thrilled this is just the first in a new series.

Mallory is a Canadian Detective visiting Edinburgh because her grandmother is dying. While out running, she is attacked and ups waking up in 1869 Edinburgh in a body of a 19 year old maid Catriona. Trying to navigate life in Victorian times as a housemaid of a quirky scientist/funeral parlor owner is not the easiest of tasks without access to technology. Add to that trying to impersonate Catriona AND solve a crime and Mallory ends up with her hands quite full.

I love Kelley Armstrong's writing style - it is engaging, perfectly paced to keep you wanting more and it has characters you easily get attached to. If work didn't get in the way I feel like I could've read this one in a day. Mallory for all her imperfections is a character easy to cheer for. And her boss Dr. Gray and his sister really came alive for me. I also quickly realized how much I'd miss my phone if I were to end up in Mallory's shoes!

A big thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A RIP THROUGH TIME by Kelley Armstrong
Publication: May 31, 2022 by Minotaur Books / St. Martin’s Press


Thirty year-old Vancouver police detective Mallory Atkinson runs into the alley where she hears a woman’s scream. Suddenly a rope noose is thrust around her neck …. even though valiantly struggling she starts to pass out. Just before she looses consciousness, she “sees” an optical illusion of “ a young woman with honey-blond hair, in a cornflower-blue dress, as a shadowy figure has his hands wrapped around her throat”. The world goes dark. She awakens confused and startled, and suddenly realizes she is inhabiting the body of an eighteen year-old blond girl, Catriona Mitchell in obviously Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. Somehow through a “rip in time” she has traveled from May 20, 2019 to the same day in 1869.
Kelley Armstrong crafts a delightful tale combining elements of historical fiction, time travel and a convoluted police procedural. Walking a dangerous tight rope, Armstrong expertly combines lengthy internal dialogue of Mallory/ Catriona with her amazing development of the interesting multi-dimensional Victorian characters. Catriona is a housemaid in the very unique household of “undertaker” Dr. Duncan Gray and his half sister, Isla Ballantyne. Dr. Gray is much more than a funeral director, and actually is a trusted consultant of Detective McCreadie, examining murder victims before the incompetent medical examiner botches everything. In actuality his studies are the forerunner of modern forensic science. And Isla is an exceptional variant of the women of the time …. being highly educated , but forced to work as a herbalist rather than a chemist … directly because of her gender. Did I forget to mention, Dr Gray is dismissed as irrelevant and somewhat of a charlatan. Even though highly educated, he unfortunately remains black. After interactions with various members of the household, Mallory
soon realizes that the beautiful and fetching Catriona has a murky past … being lazy, illiterate ,a con artist, and a thief, and probably uses her “feminine wiles” for illicit purposes. Mallory wonders if Catriona is back in the twenty-first-century wreaking havoc in the guise of Mallory Atkinson. Both have been attacked and strangled in the same alley, but 150 years apart. Mallory uses her “head injury” as an excuse to account for her lapses in memory and personality changes, but finds it difficult to account for her literacy (“I felt is was helpful to keep it a secret”).
Mallory witnesses and cannot help but get involved when McCreadie brings a body for Dr Duncan to assess for clues. Crime reporter Archie Evans was murdered and body staged, but Mallory realizes with her modern-day knowledge of forensics, that he was tortured by waterboarding, obviously for interrogation purposes. After forging a relationship with Isla, Mallory investigates the seamy side of Edinburgh with Isla’s aid and knowledge, while struggling to uncover the truth. At first she ponders if merely returning to the scene of the strangling will transport her back. When this fails, she considers the possibility that helping McCreadie and Gray catch the murderer will open a portal back to 2019 Vancouver or Edinburgh, Scotland. By the way, it was hilarious witnessing Mallory attempting to replicate Victorian speech, based upon her knowledge of present day Victorian Romance novels, All during her travails to find the murderer and avoid her own demise she is cognizant of the “butterfly effect”. The time travel dilemma that one’s actions in the past could have catastrophic effects in the future.
This delightful, and entertaining yarn provides a multitude of plot twists and turns, and yet escalates into a thrilling denouement that is satisfying, while leaving many unsolved questions…. knowing there is more to come …Thankfully !!! Armstrong admirably weaves into the body of her work such themes as: the plight of women’s equality, racism, immigration, and even homosexuality. It was a pleasure to see the character of Mallory unfold, with her intelligence and determination, while being adaptable and resilient.
Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books / St. Martin’s Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. I seriously cannot wait until Mallory’s next adventure.

I like to consider myself a fan of Kelley Armstrong. Not an avid one, but I enjoyed her Otherworld series. It's probably in my top 10 for Urban fantasy series. I also love books featuring time travel and murder mysteries and kick ass women. If you too enjoy any of those things, then this is the perfect read for you.

Mallory should have died that night in the alley where she was strangled, instead she finds herself 150 years in the past in the body of a housemaid. Who would believe her if she told the truth about who she was and where she came from? Everyone including her new employer would think she was mad.

As with all series starters, I give some leeway to a book for world building that we won't have to go through in future books, but it wasn't needed here. I absolutely loved A Rip Through Time and can not wait for the next one in the series.

Modern day detective gets thrown back in time 150 years and helps solve Victorian crimes? Cool, sign me up. As long as you're willing to suspend reality, "A Rip Through Time" is enjoyable.

Mallory is attacked in an alley 2019, and wakes up in 1869. Stuck in the body of housemaid Catriona, she is forced to resume her cleaning duties. However, she just so happens to be on staff in the home of Dr. Gray, a medical examiner. Even having accepted the time-travel element of this story, there were bits I struggled to find believable. For example, Dr. Gray and his police officer pal are both completely willing to accept Catriona's input on the case. "A Rip Through Time" is a solid series starter, and I'm curious where Armstrong will take Mallory's story in the rest of the novels.

I'm hooked! What a great start to a creative new time travel mystery series filled with solid research, strong character development and creative plotting.

Our plucky protagonist, thirty year old American detective Mallory Atkinson, is in Edinburgh, Scotland visiting with her dying grandmother. To clear her head, she strikes out on a jog and indulges in a good cup of coffee. Hearing the screams of a woman in distress, she runs to their aid only to be grabbed and strangled. When she comes to, she is suddenly in the same city exactly 150 years earlier, to the day. And what's this? She's inhabiting the body of strangled nineteen year old Catriona Mitchell, a light-fingered housemaid for a local undertaker and his widowed sister. How can this be? Can Mallory ever make it home? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, at least she is housed and fed while she tries to figure out what has happened and perhaps in so doing, find her way home to the 21st century.

What a fun read this was with its amusing dialogue of folks from differing time periods and the revealing of the mystery's details. The writing is solid, the mystery well-crafted and the story engaging and entertaining. The ending seemed a bit sudden but only perhaps because I wanted to learn so much more about the characters. I guess I'll have to remain patient. The second book in this series just cannot get here soon enough!

I am grateful to Minotaur Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

I have enjoyed lelley Armstrong books in the past. I have read entire series of books written by her and it seems she is starting another series here. I don’t know if I will. be readin any more of this one, though. Why?

-It is fairly boring. The characters weren’t all that interesting and a lot of their actions made little to no sense.
-It was unnecessary. There was nothing making me want to keep reading. I would put it down and read another book and then make myself go back because nothing made me feel the need to get any more from the characters or the mystery. And if you want to know how hard it is to be believed as a woman, you don’t need to travel back in time. The time travel and the change of setting really didn’t add anything. I could see this book having been kept in the same time and working better.
-It was unbelievable even beyond the time travel. Sure, it is obviously non-fiction, but the characters that believe her would more likely have put her in an asylum than helped her.
-It was insulting. We get it. There is a weird stereotype about Candians being friendlier than Americans. Have you been to Canada? It is literally like being in the US, but colder. Big cities have issues, crime, homelessness, even rudeness. But the main character saying another should have known she was Canadian because she apologized after spilling coffee on him? A small part but soooooo stupid.

I just cannot see where Armstrong thinks this one is going. It was OK. I expected more.

Rip Through Time is an amazing read by one of my favorite and engaging writers. Ms. Armstrong spans genres and comes up with fantastic plots with strong women, and interesting characters. This novel does not disappoint. Mallory is a Canadian homicide detective in Edinburgh, Scotland to say farewell to her dying grandmother. When going to the aid of a woman being attacked in alley, she finds herself thrust back in time 150 years, in the body of a housemaid, who works for Dr. Gray, who moonlights as a medical examiner. Mallory figures out tat she has a role to play, that of Catriona, the housemaid, as well as solving a crime which will also hopefully return her to her own time. The story includes Armstrong’s typical cast of complex, interesting characters. Highly recommend!
I was given an ARC of this book, in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kelley Armstrong writes many different genres and she does them all very well. This one is no exception. I had very high expectations when I started this book because I love her Rockton series and I love time travel. I am happy to say they met everyone. I've been in a bit of a reading slump but this book hooked me from the beginning and I picked it up every spare minute I had. I felt as though I was in the story working with Catriona and I couldn't wait to see how it would end. I really liked all the characters and I look forward to more in the series. I highly recommend this to everyone.

Start of a new time travel series where homicide detective Mallory Atkinson travels to Edinburg to visit her dying grandmother. She is attacked while jogging and when she awakes she learns she has traveled back to 1869 where she is a housemaid named Catrionia.

Much of the story involves her problems dealing with the times and social injustices even though she has an employer who allows her work with him to solve crimes.
This tended to slow the story’s pacing.

I’ve read the whole Rockton series and loved them, so I will give the next book a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is a fun detective mystery, at its heart this is a classic fish-out-of-water story, where being thrown into an unfamiliar environment lets the protagonist learn something new about themselves. However, in this case, the lost fish happens to be hunting a serial killer, who maybe also wants to kill her.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story, they felt earnest and real. In their own the main character and the supporting characters also are all trapped between who they are perceived as and/or expected to be and who they know they really are, and yet each character has unique dilemmas, unique obstacles, and unique ways of navigating them. These characters all could have been two dimensional stereotypes and it wouldn’t have affected the plot too much, but instead by making them fuller it allowed for a much more interesting and compelling story. As for the story, it was dynamic and well-plotted, never feeling like it was rushing through but also never waiting around twiddling its thumbs. The detective mystery was neither so obvious nor so convoluted that you ever felt you were at odds with the protagonist, neither wildly ahead of her nor totally lost. If this is the first of a series then later books, that don’t need to do as much heavy-lifting in introducing the characters and the world, can offer more complicated mysteries that require a little more work—both from the characters and the readers—to solve, but in this book the balance felt good. The mystery was intriguing and juicy enough to keep your interest but it didn’t come at the expense of the characters.

The one place I found the novel lacking was some of the writing. It is all written in the first-person, which can be difficult to do. It makes the understanding and exposition of thoughts and memories harder, because they always feel performative. In this way sometimes the writing felt almost a little forced at times, telling instead of showing, if that makes sense. The writing was never a distraction, but it did feel at times very much performative for the reader as opposed to what or how the character would actually be thinking about the situation. But this wasn’t a huge problem, and it went away when there was the chance for dialogue and interaction with other characters. The exciting and complicated characters along with a compelling mystery all more than make up for it.

Lastly, there is something quite joyful about being able to experience 19th century Scotland through the eyes of a 21st century Canadian. It is a really wonderful balance of old and new, if that makes sense. Unlike other period novels you don’t feel confined or contained by the setting, which is ironic because being stuck in the past is the protagonist’s main problem! But by sticking us in the past but maintain a contemporary sensibility we right away feel more at home with the main character and are offered what feels like an uncommon way to discover a Victorian-era Scotland.

This story is a really fun read. It kept me intrigued and entertained, and I didn’t want to put it down. I look forward to solving more mysteries with these characters!

I want to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, who provided a complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This time-travel mystery was fascinating with main character Mallory- a modern detective who awakens in the body of nineteen year old housemaid- fighting 1869 social norms and restrictions to figure out how to get home and help solve the crimes happening around her, without giving away too many of the advances that will come in years to follow. As a series starter, I wasn't sure where this would end, but I found the arc satisfying.

A Rip Through Time is the first in a new time-travel mystery series by Kelley Armstrong. Released 31st May 2022 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in early 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a well written and eminently readable fantasy time travel murder mystery. The main protagonist is an intelligent strong and capable young Canadian policewoman visiting Scotland to be with her grandmother who's in hospice care.

The time-travel aspect as well as the investigation in the past were well built up and executed. I liked the dialogue and the author was good at the period aspects of both dialogue and class behavior as well as social roles. The limits of the period technology, and MC Mallory's internal reasoning are well rendered and believable.

The plotting dragged a bit at the beginning for me and I found myself tempted to skim here and there. It's the beginning of a series, and it's understandable that the author would expend a thorough effort with world building and characterization, so I refrained from skipping ahead. Further on in the novel, I found the mystery itself somewhat linear, but the denouement and resolution were well done and satisfying. There's a Quantum Leap aspect which I enjoyed and the later parts of the book were engaging and entertaining.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 14 hours and is narrated by Kate Handford. She has a rich generic North American/Canadian accent and does a good job of the narration with the exception of the bits of Scottish dialogue, which weren't especially accurate. I've been told that Victorian Edinburgh's dialects are fiendishly difficult, and Glaswegian is worse. It wasn't a distraction and for the vast majority of the read I found her voice quite pleasant and well modulated. The sound and production quality are high throughout.

Four stars. I'll definitely be looking for upcoming books in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Quantum Leap vibes, am I showing my age? Yes.
Am I here for this vibe? Also, yes!

Mallory is a detective in modern time and Catriona, a house maid, 150 years apart they are the same spot at the same time...what's happening to them both, oh, well, they're being strangled. Mallory finds herself waking in a different time, in a different body. There is a serial killer on the lose, and it doesn't matter what time she's in, she's a detective and solve this case, she must.

Now, the jumping back into the past, into another body and then solving mysteries is a total QL vibe here. I loved it. You can't think too hard when reading this type of book and just let the journey take you. Suspended belief is a must with time traveling books. A wonderful start to a series and I look forward to the next one.

Once again, I listened to this one as I read along (at times). I feel like I've been lucky so far because all of the narrators I've listened to recently, they've all done such a fantastic job and really enriched the reading experience. (I might be getting too obsessed, I'm buddy reading out loud with a friend and now I want to read to everyone!)

Thank you so much to @minotaur_books, @macmillanaudio, @netgalley and Kelley Armstrong for the review copies!

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong features a fascinating premise, but the execution falls a little flat.

Mallory, a 21st century Canadian detective, mysteriously swaps bodies with Catriona, a 19th century Scottish housemaid, because the two women were strangled on the same spot exactly 150 years apart. This intriguing concept only takes the novel so far, though, because the whys and hows are barely investigated—especially frustrating when Mallory is surrounded by cutting edge scientists while trapped in the past! This is the first in a series, but I would’ve liked to see more attention paid to the fantasy elements in this installment.

The book also drags, with the investigation—into who tried to kill Catriona and who is killing people now that Mallory has arrived—only truly getting underway in the second half. Contributing to this agonizing slowness is Mallory’s dry, expositional narration. She tends to go on lengthy internal monologues, only sparsely studded with moments of action and dialogue—though there’s the occasional moment of dry wit. Mallory over-explains her every thought process, as though the author has very little faith in her readers to make connections on their own. This, and her judgemental attitude, make Mallory a little grating.

In fact, most of the characters feel very one-note, even the de facto love interest Dr. Gray, who is smart, aloof, and kind (when he pays enough attention to be), but not much else. The only truly compelling character is his widowed sister Isla, who also doesn’t make an appearance until halfway through the novel. She is by far the most lively and likable character—just as smart as her brother (and even more kind), doing her own scientific research in the field of chemistry and chafing against the constraints the 19th century places on women.

A Rip Through Time requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief—and I don’t mean the body swapping or time travel. Dr. Gray is an undertaker who is doing his own research into what will one day be forensic science, and when Mallory-as-Catriona expresses interest in his work, as well as an aptitude for it, he’s more than happy to have her assist him in autopsies. What 19th century (male) surgeon would allow his 19-year-old maid to help him examine murdered bodies??

Isla is also surprisingly progressive—she barely blinks at mention of homosexuality, gladly hires convicted criminals for her staff, donates generously to poor immigrants, and is apparently a saint. While there were certainly open-minded people in the past, it seems very contrived that Mallory just happened to land in a house that would be so attuned to her 21st century sensibilities.

Once the pace picks up in the second half, though, the book becomes much more compelling. Mallory, with Isla’s help (and some from Gray), takes a much more active approach to the investigation, and there are several heart-pounding moments where she has to fight for her life or is stalked through the streets. Armstrong succeeds at one of the most crucial yet difficult aspects of mysteries—dropping enough clues for readers to start putting the pieces together, while still keeping them guessing.

Though I had some complaints, the book was fine—not mind-blowing, but there is plenty of potential for the rest of the series, and many people will certainly enjoy it. It had only just started hitting its stride as it ended, so book two may be worth the read, though I dearly hope the writing is tightened up.

This is about Mallory Atkinson, who is a detective on a trip to visit her ‘Nan’ in Scotland one last time. One night while she is jogging, she comes across a young girl being attacked. Before she knows it, she is attacked and loses consciousness. When she wakes up, she finds herself in Victorian Scotland, in the body of a young housemaid named Catriona. Now the fun begins, and Mallory has to solve a crime and figure out how to get back to her time.

I enjoyed this book very much. Once I got into it I didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend to those who enjoy a great time-travel mystery.

A very interesting mystery and a good story. Mallory is in Scotland because her grandmother is dying. When she goes for a run to clear her head, she ends up the victim of a murderer. Just when she thinks that this is the end, she wakes up in a strange place. Everything is strange. She finds she is in a stranger's body in 1869. How could that happen? While trying to find a way home, she is helping the police to solve two murders. Are they connected to her and her situation? Will she ever get home?

A Rip Through Time sounded like a book I was really going to like, it was a time travel book that had a modern detective transported to Scotland in 1869. However, I have learned that when I read a time travel book I want the person to be themselves transported back in time not their conscience put into someone else's body. I always get an ick factor when this happens because I feel like it's a violation of the original body. Mallory, our main character is in Scotland visiting her sick grandmother when she hears a woman in distress, deciding to intervene she somehow gets sent back in time and into another person's body who was also being assaulted at the same time. When Mallory wakes up she is not sure what happened but soon learns she has a new name and is a maid for the local undertaker. Mallory then tries to solve the case of what happened to her and also of the person she now embodies. As I said I really struggled with the fact she was in someone else's body as well her deciding to play detective while also being a servant. I felt like we also spent way too much time with her inner monologue and her trying out different old timey words. Overall I just couldn't continue with this one and decided to dnf it. Thank you Minotaur books for my gifted copy for review!