I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong - 5 Stars
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250820006


This story is interestingly different from other time-travel books that I have read in that the main character, Mallory, goes back in time and also enters a different person. She must not only adapt to a different time period but must also take on a disparate personality. Mallory, a police officer in 2019 Canada, becomes Catriona, a dishonest housemaid in 1869 Scotland.

Mallory has two goals: one to find a way back home and another to help her employer, an early version of a medical examiner, identify a killer without using modern techniques.

The plot is unique. The historical methods of crime solving are fascinating. The descriptions of Victorian Edinburgh and its residents are knowledgeable and vivid. Overall, I enjoyed the story and pace of the action. The crime is solved, but there were questions left unanswered.

Reviewer: Nancy

I love time travel novels so was very excited to read this book. This is easily a great addition to the genre. The writing itself is well done with lots of historic detail which I appreciated. The story and plot were both well developed and kept my interest. A very well done novel that I highly recommend. I can’t wait to read more books in the series!!!

Ok…I have a huge problem….I need the next book in this series and this one isn’t going to be published for five more months. I typically enjoy Kelley Armstrong’s books and this was no exception. I’ll admit the added benefit of the main character sharing my name was nice, but honestly I liked the concept and execution all around. Detective Mallory hears a woman scream and runs to help and finds herself being choked and when she wakes up she’s in the body of the woman she tried to help in Victorian Scotland as a housemaid. She struggles to adjust to the unfamiliar time and tries to figure out how she can get home to her own time and body. She finds herself lucky enough to be the housemaid for an undertaker who allows her to assist him in trying to solve murders. I really liked the historical look at crime solving and early forensics. All of the characters were fun and I definitely will be revisiting this world.

This was an engaging concept and well-executed; I thoroughly enjoyed it! Canadian homicide detective Mallory is in Edenborough to be with her dying grandmother, when she finds herself being strangled in a dark alley and losing consciousness. She wakes up to find herself in someone else's body and in a different time--1869, to be precise. She slowly figures out that she was strangled in the same place at the same time of the same day (May 20th) as Catriona Thompson...only 150 years in the past. It just so happens that Catriona's employers are in just the position to be helping the police investigate not only her attack but what appears to be the work of a serial killer, and she does her best to help while trying to figure out how to get home.

I was deeply engaged and entertained throughout most of this book! The plot developed nicely and I found the characters to be a realistic balance of humanity and talent. Everyone developed nicely, even if the basic plot points required a certain suspension of reality (dealing with time-travel, body-swapping, and detective work, as they do). So many things had to line up just right for Mallory to survive and thrive, but Armstrong as much as admits that and it flows rather naturally anyway. I was afraid it would be more fantasy-focused, but it was really just the story of what could happen if a modern-day detective suddenly found herself in a different time and place where her knowledge in some areas was a boon...and in others a stumbling block. It provided a good balance of escapism and reality with a heroine who I could relate to and root for. I found myself wondering what I would do in her position, and how would I mentally survive--never knowing if I'd ever make it home? It kept me engaged and pulled in, and I felt it was a suspenseful page-turner without resorting to horror. The end resolved itself nicely without tying up all the loose strings, as this is evidently the first of a series of books. I can't wait to read the next one!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books

This is part mystery, part time travel, with body switching and romance. A modern day cop travel to Victorian Scotland in another woman’s body. This book has a cliff hanger ending so we have to wait till the next book to find out what happens

Normally I do not care for time travel books or historical fiction, but since Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors I figured I'd give this book a try.... And I am so glad I did! The boos is exc, it has it all, mystery, time travel, body switching, and a little hint of romance!
Basically Mallory is a present day cop and she switches bodies with a 18th century housemaid. So now Mallory is stuck in 18th century Scotland, but she has to figure out who was trying to kill her from the present say, who was trying to kill the housemaid who's body she is now inhabiting, and try to figure out how to get home all the while trying to blend in an 18th century household as a maid!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher.

This is definitely an interesting story. It does feel like a mashup of Outlander and the Alienist. The characters are well written. I did think some of the time travel rules were a little weird. The overall mashup of time travel and historical fiction felt more on the less realistic end. But I guess the whole premise of time traveling back into the body of someone else would be an overall strange experience. I did think the ending was unsatisfactory just because I wanted to know more. I am interested to see what happens in the next books and how Mallory deals with the results of what transpired at the end of the book. I would recommend this book if you are a fan of murder mystery stories and time travel.

Thank you St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland—in an unfamiliar body—with a killer on the loose. She will need to solve the murder and hopefully find herself back to modern times...

I love Kelley Armstrong's books. Her Omens, Supernatural Otherworld and Rockton series are among my favorites. This is a great beginning to hopefully a new series. I love the main characters. Strong, capable and smart- like all her characters. A great plot... The suspense is spot-on.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book very much. It’s interesting and has great characters. I can’t wait to read what comes next. #ARipThroughTime #NetGalley