A Rip Through Time is the first book in a series and I'm very intrigued by it, maybe especially intrigued because I have zero idea where the series will go from here. I don't want to say much, about the overall plot itself because it is an excellent mystery (in my opinion), but this book sets up a cast of characters so clearly established in the past that I'm curious how the time traveling element will continue to apply in future books. Regardless, this book was so incredibly atmospheric that I was beyond anxious at certain points and stayed up just a littttle too late to read it. I really was fully absorbed and utterly invested in this mystery.

Essentially, A Rip Through Time follows Mallory as she and Catriona are strangled in the same spot 150 years apart and then Mallory falls back in time and finds herself inhabiting Catriona's life. Mallory, in the present, is a police detective from Canada, and so she can't quite help being fascinated by her new boss and his interest in forensic science and also the mystery of this wild murder. Mallory wants to get back to the future, but it turns out making that happen isn't as "easy" as it seems in the movies. Nor is it easy to inhabit the life of a housemaid with a sketchy past.

What I personally loved about this book is the friendship that develops between Mallory and Isla, the lady of the house and Dr. Duncan Grey's widowed sister. I really liked the way their relationship develops and I think it adds depth to what I'm really hoping is the slow burn romance to come with Mallory and Duncan. And if one happens to (re?)develop between Isla and Detective McCreadie, I certainly wouldn't complain. I also really appreciated the atmosphere of this book and how well done the mystery was. I remember realizing that there was an unresolved thread that I wish had come together a bit more, but tbh, it's been a couple of days and I can't remember that part. I only remember how much I enjoyed it.

I enjoy Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series and was intrigued by the premise of her new book. I wasn't disappointed by her latest. How do you solve a murder when you're no longer a 21st-century homicide detective but a housemaid in Victorian Scotland? This combines fantasy elements with elements of a police procedural and is worth your time.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for access to an ARC on NetGalley.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


When I first read the blurb about this book, I thought, oh goodness, it’s going to be another Outlander. Nope, not even close. Kelley Armstrong created a Victorian mystery that is hard to beat.

Mallory Atkinson has traveled to Edinburgh to be with her Nan during Nan’s last days. As a child, Mallory spent a lot of time in Scotland, but more recently, only once a year or so. She is a detective based in the US, but Scotland is her second home.

Busy dealing with her parents, still in the US, and her Nan’s imminent passing, Mallory has a lot on her mind. So the day she pops out of the hospice to grab a cup of coffee, she is distracted. After picking up her coffee she turns and bumps into a man, splattering coffee on him. He is less than pleased, Mallory apologizes and leaves.

Later that day Mallory goes for a jog in the old city. Drawn into an alley by the sound of a child crying, Mallory is attacked, and a rope thrown around her neck. Before she blacks out, she sees the image of a woman, apparently Victorian, being strangled. Mallory then loses consciousness. When she awakens, she is in a strange place, not a hospital. Moments later, as she looks in the mirror, she realizes that she is now inhabiting the body of the woman she saw in the alley.

How on earth did Mallory end up in another person’s body in another time? As she comes to grapple with this turn of events, Mallory gets drawn into police work in Edinburgh, in a time not her own. While she wants to get back to her own time, the mystery of who tried to murder the person she has now become, is her singular focus.

I really enjoyed this book. It ended on a not-quite-finished note, so I am hoping that it is the start of a series. Time travel novels are always a nice twist to the normal mystery, and throwing a modern day detective into Victorian times creates some interesting plot twists. I would recommend this one and look forward to the next novel.

This is the first Kelley Armstrong book I have ever read! Hard to believe with the number of books she has written.

This story is a time travel filled historical police procedural about modern day Vancouver detective Mallory Atkinson who is in Edinburgh, Scotland visiting her dying Nan. While there she gets attacked and transported to Victorian era Edinburgh, in the body of a 19 year old housemaid named Catriona Mitchell. What follows is Mallory trying to make sense of who and where she is while solving a murder and trying to return to the modern day.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. Very fast paced and I could understand her fear and apprehension of being in a different time that is so different from our own. I really like Mallory and all of the people she meets in Victorian Scotland, especially Gray and Isla. I must admit, having been to Edinburgh myself, that having been there really added to my ability to visualize the city and added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

This is listed as book one in a series and I will definitely read the next book. If you enjoy historical mysteries with interesting characters and a smidge of sci-fi/fantasy thrown in then I recommend this book.

**thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC I received in exchange for my honest review**

This is a new author for me, and the start of a new series I hope! A female detective from 2019 finds she has somehow time traveled to 1869. As she tries to figure out how and why this happened, she gets drawn into a murder case. I found this highly entertaining and will await the next installment!

I really enjoyed every part of this book, and am quite mad at myself that I waited so long to read it. I won't make the same mistake when the next one comes out lol. This had an amazing mix of historical fact mixed with fiction, that made up a story that sucked me in trying to figure out along with Mallory who the killer was, and how she ended up back in time.. and if she'll make it back..

Mallory a Canadian Detective visiting her Nan in Scotland finds herself in an alley at night getting strangled. She wakes up in a strange place, in the body of a 19-year-old maid...

The house she finds her new self working for is owned by an undertaker who occasionally helps the police with getting evidence off the dead (Which I find super cool). I loved watching Mallory who actually is a detective try and do her best to help Dr. Gray, and solve the mystery that got her thrown back in time in the first place while trying to do her best pretending to be a victorian maid. She does her best to play the part, but when her personality shines through, I love the looks she gets from whoever's around.. I loved her growing friendship with Isla and the possible romance that might brew between her and Dr. Gray.. I think they would be such a cute couple!

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because the ending was a letdown for me. I'm thinking it makes room for a sequel or series. Otherwise, A Rip Through Time was a great read. If you like time-travel books like I do, you'll enjoy it.

Mallory is a current-day detective who is transported into the body of Catriona, a young, Victorian maid in the household of a mortician and his sister after being nearly strangled by a stranger in an English alleyway. As Mallory tries to fit into the era and dynamics of the place in which she finds herself, she becomes attracted to Dr. Gray and, under the guise of losing her memory from her near-death experience, she pretends to be Catriona. She demonstrates her interest in mortuary science and detecting work, so when a body turns up that's been tarred and feathered, she assists Dr. Gray in his examination of it.

Despite the circumstances that she finds comfortable, Mallory seeks a way to return to her own time. On her day off, she goes to the spot where she encountered her strangler, but she's unsuccessful in finding a way back. Believing that if she finds her attacker, who she feels has followed her back into this time, she might be able to fix the rip in time, she sets out to solve the murders that have been taking place in town including ones that mimic those of Jack the Ripper that are occurring decades later.

A modern day detective Mallory, is attacked and strangled in a dark alley while visiting her dying grandmother in Scotland. Upon waking she discovers she has been transported back in time to 1869. Not only that she is in someone else’s body. A young housemaid named Catriona, who was strangled in the same alley at the same time 150 years earlier. Mallory needs to adapt and adjust to life in Victorian Scotland. Solve the mystery of who tried to kill Catriona, catch the killer and return to her own time.

I really enjoyed the time travelling aspect of this story. I found it slow at times but it picked up at the end. This book laid a good foundation for the next book in the series. I found Mallory to be lacking emotionally. There is a hint of a romance to come so hopefully in the next book there will be more depth to the characters. Overall a good read.

I so love historical fiction and even more so when you throw in a twist composed of a modern day in character who travels back in time. I was excited than when I came across A Rip In Time. Thank you McMillan books for my e-arc and audio book.

Catriona/Mallory was an intriguing character and I enjoyed seeing how she navigated her way through her new surroundings in time. Her background as a police officer, combined with her work as a maid and assistant to a pioneering forensic Dr. made for an interesting and entertaining read. The addition of a serial killer who may or may not have travel through time with her was a clever addition to the story.

As always a narrator can make or break an audiobook in Kate Hanford did a good job bringing this tail to life. I enjoyed listening to her and appreciated the differences she brought into the characters. I’m looking forward to future books in the series and what Mallory/Catriona will become involved in next.

A Rip Through Time
by Kelley Armstrong
Pub Date: May 31, 2022
Minotaur
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
In this series debut from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland—in an unfamiliar body—with a killer on the loose.Kelley Armstrong combines a murder mystery and time travel in a historical setting in this first book in a new series. It’s May 20, 2019 and Vancouver homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh, Scotland to be with her dying grandmother. While jogging, she hears and sees a woman being attacked and goes into an alley where she is also attacked. It’s May 20, 1869 and housemaid Catriona Mitchell is discovered in a lane where she has been left for dead. It’s the exact spot where Mallory was attacked 150 years later. Mallory wakes up in Catriona’s body in 1869 and quickly has to adjust to being a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. The undertaker, Dr. Gray also assists Detective McCreadie. They are investigating the strangulation of a man, similar to Mallory’s attack. She hopes that catching the murderer will lead her back to modern times.
This was a very enjoyable read for me and I am recommending it. Well written, and had good character development.
4 stars

At first this book reminded me a lot of "A Murder in Time' due to both having their heroine be in law enforcement and then travel back in time to an era without any of the forensic procedures they usually use in solving crimes. But that's about where the comparisons end. I love Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series and I think this is definitely another series I will thoroughly enjoy. I liked that the romance part of this book took a back seat to the murder mystery and was really only mentioned as perhaps developing at the end of the book. The supporting characters are interesting by themselves and I can't wait to learn more about them in future books. Because our knowledge of the possible suspects comes solely from Mallory (who doesn't really know them at all) the murderer could really have been anyone. And of course you are left really wanting to know what was going on in the present day - is Mallory dead? is Catriona walking around in her body? is Mallory in a coma? when she returns to the present will she return back to the moment she left? So many questions! I'm not in a huge hurry to get the answer to these questions because that means the series is wrapping up and Mallory's time in the past is over. But I'm equally interested in what other cases Mallory will be involved in and how her relationship with not just Duncan, but all the characters continues to develop.

A Rip Through Time is the first installment in author Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time series. 30-year-old Mallory Atkinson is a Detective for the Vancouver Police Department who is on leave in Edinburgh, Scotland where her grandmother is facing the end of her days. While out for a run, Mallory hears a woman scream and runs to help. She see's a blonde woman, and then is attacked by a stranger with a rope. What happens next is straight out of a bad dream. She wakes up, in the body of the woman named Catriona Mitchell.

The twist is that it is the year 1869, and Catriona is a 19-year-old housemaid who was similarly attacked in the same place only 150 years earlier. Catriona, Mallory learns, lives in Victorian Scotland, and she's not the nicest person you'll ever meet. Mallory must put aside her shock of being in a different reality, without her cell phone, while also living as a housemaid to an undertaker named Dr. Duncan Gray. Duncan moonlights as a medical examiner and has just taken on an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself. Could the attacks be connected?

Even though Mallory is way ahead of her time in knowing the ins and outs of investigating murders, and science of the 21st century, she needs to learn to adapt to her surroundings and how to get back to her own time or face the possibility of being homeless without any friends. With a killer on the loose, Mallory hopes that by figuring out who was trying to kill her and Catriona will help her get home. A plus for readers like me, the romance aspect is missing.

Instead, the author focuses on the mystery of who attacked Mallory, Catriona, as well as two others, and why a rip in time chose that moment to send Mallory out of her own body and into Catriona's. Mallory struggles in this new world hoping that she doesn't cause a butterfly affect. If she tells Duncan, or Isla too much, could she change the future? I think as the series progresses, Mallory will hopefully figure out how to get back to her family. Or, will the author choose to keep Mallory in 1869, and write a romance between Dr. Grey and Mallory?

Mallory is a homicide detective from Canada visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh. While out for an evening jog, she hears what sounds like a woman in distress. She sees a flicker of a young woman in a blue dress before she’s attacked and strangled in an alley. Mallory then wakes to find herself in the body of a young housemaid named Catriona living in 1800s Edinburgh. As Mallory attempts to live as Catriona, she quickly learns that the housemaid is a thief with many enemies who was also attacked in the same alley as herself causing a rip in time. While she is desperate to find her way home, she finds herself drawn to the newly emerging forensic science and the hunt for a serial killer.

A Rip in Time is the first in a new series by Kelley Armstrong. This book is a lot of genres rolled into one: historical fiction, time travel fantasy, thriller, and mystery. The characters are very enjoyable and well developed. The plot is well paced and the storyline engaging. While I’m sure “time travel” and “Scotland” will pique some interest, it is it’s very own series with little in common with the Outlander series. Fans of historical fiction, mystery, and a little departure from realism will enjoy this series as I did.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

United States Publication Date: May 31, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

A modern day detective finds herself in a different body in 1869. In her time, and her adopted time, there is a killer on the loose and she feels the urgency to expose the killer in both times before anyone else dies. In addition to trying to hunt down a killer in 1869, Mallory is trying to figure out how to get back to 2019 and navigate an unfamiliar culture and time without getting sent to the local insane asylum. Fortunately, the body Mallory is inhabiting belongs to a servant at the home of a rather unconventional family where being slightly off and odd works in her favor. In fact, her employer is studying forensic science, in its infancy, and Mallory gets a front row to seat to the evolution of her career field. But she's got to be careful to not give away too much and disrupt the fabric of time. If Mallory can discover who the killer is in 1869, will she appear in her own body back in her own time? Or is she stuck in 1869 "forever"?

I really, really liked this title. It was a great start to a new series although now I am eagerly (anxiously?) awaiting book 2, which will probably be next year at the earliest. Bummer. I appreciated Armstrong's attention to historical detail and fact and making the non-fiction parts of her very fiction story as factual as possible. I liked Armstrong's Mallory and the setting she transported her to, along with the family she dropped her in. And even though the family she gets dropped into is unconventional it is still slightly implausible that there wasn't more of a reaction to Mallory's real life. Even being open-minded and open to possibilities outside of the box, I think Gray and his sister would have had a much bigger reaction, even if it were short term, to Mallory's confession. Regardless, that was a small detail and I loved the story and can't wait for the next installment.

Publication date: May 31

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of A Rip Through Time ebook from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Kelley Armstrong for a couple of years! I discovered the Cainsville series and loved it! I have also read the first two Stitch in Time books. This new series promised time travel, mystery and murder so I was all in!

Mallory is a 21st century police detective that’s visiting her ailing grandmother in Edinburgh. On an evening jog, Mallory hears what sounds like a woman in distress. As she investigates she gets strangled with a rope and desperately fights off her attacker. When Mallory awakes, she is in the body of a young housemaid 200 years earlier.

As Mallory takes on the life of Catriona she learns that she was also strangled in the same manner which created a Rip in Time. Mallory has no idea where the real Catriona is but after a few days of being her realizes Catriona is not the gentle, kind housemaid she is expecting. Catriona was tangled up in some rough business. In the meantime, there is a murderer on the loose and Mallory needs to help solve the crimes while impersonating a housemaid and finding another Rip in Time to get her home.

I love Mallory’s character and all of the amazing people she encounters when she falls through the rip in time. Discovering historical science and criminal investigation techniques adds to the authenticity of the story telling. There is a wicked cliff hanger at the very end that has me on my toes waiting for the next instalment of the series.

Rating this book 4/5 stars and highly recommend for any Kelley Armstrong fans, fans of time travel or historical fiction. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series and story goes!!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been looking for something that would fill the void left by the absence of the excellent Kendra Donovan time-travel mystery series, and A Rip Through Time fits that bill, with a similar premise of a law-enforcement officer being sent back in time and becoming unexpectedly involved in unraveling crime there. And while Armstrong’s approach with this book is very much her own, the broadly similar vibes are there. I did have some concerns, having tried (and DNFed) one of Armstrong’s time-travel romances recently, but that concern was unfounded, as this one is more suspense-driven, albeit with other elements.
One of the quirks of any time travel narrative is how the time traveler becomes accustomed to their new environs. With the additional twist that Mallory literally swapped bodies with Catriona, a Victorian housemaid, there are some wonderfully awkward moments of figuring stuff out and trying not to be found out. I also love that her modern skills as a detective get out to use, although she feels compelled to be subtle about it for most of the book. She does find friends she feels she can trust with her secret over time, which does make navigating the situation much easier…at least, for the day-to-day, non-investigation stuff. I particularly liked the friendship that grows between her and Isla, although the camaraderie between her and Dr. Gray is nice too, with a subtle hint of a possible romance.
The mystery elements with the investigation are compelling. While it is a tad convoluted, with there being an extra layer to suss out the killer, it’s also quite intriguing, and there’s never a dull moment as Mallory works with Gray to unravel the case.
This is the first of a series, so there is a lot of time devoted to setup, and it ultimately ends on a cliffhanger. However, while it does fall into the trap of being a first book, there is a lot of potential with this concept and I’m eager to see where it goes from here.
I enjoyed this one, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys any blend of historical fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, and/or paranormal/fantasy.

Police detective Mallory ends up on the wrong side of a killer's rope one night in a dark alley. After being nearly choked to death, Mallory wakes up in Victorian Scotland. While working towards returning to her own time and life asap, Mallory tries to blend into the life she finds herself in. But there's a killer on the loose, and maybe by using her modern forensic investigative skills, Mallory can help crack the case, and in doing so, find her way back home.

This was a nice blend of mystery and time travel. A modern woman possessing skills and experience in an era that barely understands fingerprints, yet she's stymied by social constraints and her unfamiliarity with the historical world she's living in.

I can't judge the historical accuracy. I don't know enough about the era - socially, culturally, or at all, to do so. But facts aside, this was a very engaging book, and it kept me up way too late on more than one night.

While I enjoyed the story, It did get bogged down pretty often with lengthy wording. For example, when the protagonist needed to choose whether to hide or fight, it took about two entire kindle pages, small font, for her to explain all her reasoning before acting. I skimmed through those instances where I could, but it was slightly annoying.

Otherwise, It was an enjoyable read. From Mallory's attempts to discover more about the character who's life she possessed, to her work with the doctor and his sister to find a serial murderer, this was a nice combination of time travel and murder mystery.

Wow! I'm sure when you hear time traveler to Scotland, another series may come to mind. But this is entirely different; a different time and different characters. This is a "true crime" drama that sparks your interest from the get-go and has you reading into the wee hours of the morning. Kelley Armstrong has started off her Victorian Edinburgh series superbly!

Canadian Detective Mallory Atkinson in in Edinburgh to be with her grandmother who is on her deathbed. One silly mistake and she find herself in the noose's grip...but even stranger is when she mysteriously finds herself 150 years in the past from her current timeline. Upon waking in another woman's body, she must come to terms to what has happened to her as well as try to fit into her new station as housemaid to the local undertaker.

But her attack is just the beginning. Not only did it occur to her in the future, but in her past present, it was happening to the housemaid she now inhabits. Mallory discovers she can help her new employer help to solve the crimes occurring that appear the be connected to her attack. The catch: how can she convince those around her that she's not the same thieving, lying housemaid she was before?

This was such a great story! Enough detail was given to make you believe the time period and just enough suspense to keep you guessing what was coming next. I thoroughly enjoyed A Rip Through Time and looking forward to more in this series.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Was able to get this book as an Advanced Reader Copy which made me SO excited but once I was done I was mad because now I need to wait even longer for the next one to come out. I LOVED this book - the main character was Canadian (yay!) and it was such a fun read. You got to experience the modern day detective techniques but also those of the Victorian Era. The ending had me excited for the next book to come out - I can't wait to read it!

Homicide Detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh with her grandmother who is dying of cancer when she decides to take a late-night run to ease some of the stress. She hears something suspicious in a dark alley and goes to investigate. She is attacked and left for dead.

When Mallory wakes up, she finds that she is still in Edinburgh but 150 years earlier than when she was attacked. She finds herself in the body of housemaid Catriona and working in the household of a mixed-race doctor who is acting under the table as a medical examiner assisting the police with their investigations.

Mallory's main goal is to get back to her own time, but she has no idea how to do that. She decides that finding out who attacked Catriona and why might be a way to get back home. She learns that Catriona wasn't a very nice person. In fact, she was a thief and con woman who was being given a change to change by Dr. Gray and his sister. She was taking advantage of their help to find more opportunities to cheat and steal.

Mallory gets involved in Dr. Gray's work because it is the sort of work she does in her own time. She uses being knocked out as a reason why her personality has changed so much and to explain why she doesn't know things that a Victorian maid would know. While Dr. Gray isn't very observant outside of his own scientific interests, his sister is much more observant. Most improbably, she believes Mallory when she confesses that she's a time traveler.

The story was entertaining. I liked the characters and the setting. I liked Mallory's fish-out-of-water problem. I also liked the potential for romance with Dr. Gray. I look forward to more stories in this new series since Mallory doesn't find her way home in this episode.