So it starts off slow, but it ramps up towards the end and I can see a great series forming here. Definitely worth the read!

A Rip Through Time (A Rip Through Time #1) by Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Published: May 31, 2022

A Rip Through Time is the first book in the series by the same name by Kelley Armstrong. This book was so good and I did not want it to end!!!!

A Rip Through Time tells the tale of Mallory, a 21st century homicide detective, who finds herself almost a victim of murder, and is only saved because she slips back to 1869 Scotland and into the body of Housemaid Catriona, who was also almost a victim of murder, at the very same spot.

Not only does Mallory need to try to blend into her new household, she also needs to make up for the misdeeds of Catriona, and help her employer solve the serial murders that have occurring!

This was such a wonderful book! I loved every minute of it! I found it to be truly captivating and a wonderful story! I need the next book to be released soon because I'm ready to go back!

This is definitely a must read of 2022! I will be reading it again and adding it to my lift of Christmas gifts for this year!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Detective Mallory Atkinson works for the Vancouver police but in in Edinburgh, Scotland to spend time with her dying grandmother. One night while going out for a jog she hears a yell down a dark alley and goes to investigate. Next thing she knows she's in Victorian Era Scotland in the body of a housemaid. She works for a funeral director that moonlights as a coroner because the real police surgeon is incompetent. Mallory decides to assist to solve the case hoping that will take her back to her time.

If this book was written by anyone other than Kelley Armstrong, it could have been a mess. Kelley is a master of her craft and able to write interesting, strong, complex female characters without having to lessen the men around them. I loved the characters in this book and can't wait for the next one. The imagery of Scotland 150 years ago is rich and shows the wealth divide in a realistic way. Once you're in the book it doesn't feel like you are suspending disbelief to get into the story. It feels like it makes perfect sense that Mallory ended up in a housemaid's body 150 years ago.

If you like a good murder mystery, serial killer story, historical fiction, or time travel I would recommend this book.

Kelley Armstrong has done it again. A unique, fascinating and intriguing story about a current day woman, Mallory, who finds herself in the body a maid in Victorian times. Not only that, but there are murders happening all around her, and she is running out of time to solve them! I adored Mallory and her strength, quick wit and sense of humor. The supporting characters were phenomenal as well - I think Isla may be one of my favorite new characters! They are all complex, interesting and quite funny individuals in their own right, and the top tier dialogue, perfectly balanced descriptions of time and place and the excellent pacing make this book impossible to put down. I also enjoyed the exploration of some of the historical aspects of forensic science, and seeing how things were done then and how they have evolved since. Watching Mallory, a present day detective, work within those confines to solve the murders that are happening was so interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end, and cannot wait to read the next installment in this series.

When Mallory Atkinson (a Police Detective from Vancouver, Canada) heads to Edinburgh Scotland to visit her dying grandmother, she has no idea the direction her travel would take her. When picking up coffee for the hospice workers, she hears a young women’s cry for help. As a Detective, she certainly can’t walk away from the cry, but when she herself is put in peril, she knows she’s going to die. When she awakes it’s to a whole different world. Not only is she in 1869 Edinburgh, she also finds herself to be Catriona Mitchell, the housemaid of Dr. Gray. Soon she finds herself entrenched in the investigation of a serial killer, the same killer that has followed her through time. It’s difficult to pretend she’s Catriona when she finds out more and more about her not so likable character and as she becomes more and more involved in the investigation. As the case comes to a head, Mallory is not the only one in danger, will she be able to save the Doctor and his sister as well as herself and will they ever believe her outlandish story of time travel from 2019 Canada? Armstrong has written the first in a new series with excellent, fleshed out characters and an intriguing plot line. There’s no doubt that there’s more to come and for that I’m extremely grateful!

A stellar start to a new series!
It's 2019 and thirty-year-old detective Mallory gets attacked, goes unconscious and wakes up in the body of nineteen-year-old housemaid, Catriona, in 1869 Edinburgh. Soon she fights off another attack and it becomes clear to her that there is a killer on the loose, one that seems to be targeting her. It just so happens that her employer, Dr Gray, is a mortician and an early version of a forensic investigator. While examining the body of a recent victim, Catriona gives her two cents worth and Dr Gray realizes she might be of some usefulness while completely unaware of what happened with Catriona/Mallory. So the question is, will she be able to help solve the murders and catch a killer? Will doing so help her get back to her real body in 2019?

I found this one to be a fun, time traveling adventure/mystery with compelling characters and atmospheric settings. The writing is clever with a fairly quick pace that keeps you turning the pages well into the night. I really enjoyed getting to know Mallory/Catriona, Dr Gray and the supporting cast of characters. The reveal was surprising but made perfect sense with the storytelling. I look forward to the continuing adventures of Mallory/Catriona and to see what happens next.

Have you watched the TV series The Alienist? If you loved it as much as I did, this series is for you! It’s May 20, 2019, Homicide detective Mallory is in Edinburgh. Her gran is dying and when she takes a break from her bedside vigil to go for a run and clear her mind, she is brutally attacked. She awakens in another body in the year 1869. She discovers the girl was also attacked in the same location and left for dead.

I slipped into this story, and it held me in its grip from the first page. It had all the elements I love in a time-slip, but Armstrong added murder and social classes.

Mallory is now Catriona Mitchell, a housemaid in the home of Dr. Gray and his sister, both dabble in science. He is an undertaker who moonlights as a medical examiner. Detective McCreadie has brought him an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself.

Armstrong weaved her magic and drew me into the story. Told in first person by Mallory as she adjusts to her new, however temporary, life and works to solve the murder and discover what happened to her. She is drawn to Dr. Gray’s examination room, and he is intrigued by her observations.

Mallory/Catriona was such an interesting character. Here is this detective in the body of a thief turned housemaid who wasn’t a kind character and she has to not only acclimate to this century but prove she has turned over a new leaf, so to speak. Then there are the detective and forensic aspects, not to mention what has and hasn’t been developed yet. While some of the forensic aspects, have been discovered, most of the police and the medical doctors who act as coroners think the scientist are quacks. I found it all fascinating and well researched.

The author did a splendid job of introducing character from the head housekeeper to the criminals Catriona sold secrets to. I loved afternoon teas with Detective McCreadie, Dr. Gray, his sister and Mallory to discuss the case, clues, and developments. It truly had an Alienist vibe with only a hint of romance, and I cannot wait to return to 1869 and tackle more cases with them.

Perfect for fans of historical murder-mysteries, early forensics, engaging characters and time-travel stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It almost felt longer than it actually was (slow read), but kept me pretty engaged from the beginning. I was hoping to find out more in the end, but it left a HUGE cliffhanger. I will pick up book 2, but would have liked a little more closure.

In a Rip Through Time we have Mallory, a 30 year old homicide detective from 2019, one minute being attacked and strangled by a mysterious man and the next waking up in Victorian Scotland in a body that is definitely not her own. She has somehow time traveled back to the Victorian age and is now in the body of a 19 year old housemaid who has a sketchy past and is not well liked by the people around her. Mallory finds herself being forced to learn all there is to learn about this time period and the body she inhabits and at the same time try to keep herself from giving away that she isn’t the housemaid by using modern jargons or mannerisms. She learns that Gray, her employer is an undertaker of sorts and she becomes interested in how forensic criminal science was like back then and works her way into become his assistant when it comes to looking at the bodies of murder victims. She realizes that there may be a connection of sorts between her attack and the murders of a supposed serial killer on loose in Victorian Scotland and to get back to her time she may need to solve this crime.

I really loved this time traveling mystery that had everything I love in a good book which includes; historical fiction, romance, mystery, suspense, humor, and fantasy. Kelley Armstrongs writing had me flying through the book because the story just flowed off the pages so easily that it was hard to get back to work when my breaks were over. The picture she created with Victorian Scotland was so atmospheric and had me wishing I could research all the facts she was including in the story. The characters were also another favorite part of mine because I found Mallory and Gray to be such strong characters who are both expertly developed and likable. I really enjoyed the chemistry that could be seen between the main characters and the supporting characters like Gray’s sister and his best friend the detective on the murder case. I enjoyed this story immensely and cannot wait for the next one in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading A Rip Through Time and all I can say is……when is the next book in the series coming out?!?! I want it right now! Please?
What a intriguing and intense time travel murder mystery!
Canadian Detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked, time travels back 150 years to Scotland……
The plot was ever so engaging! There is time travel along with murder and mystery.
I have to say some parts of the story did seem to be dragged out a bit too long. Did this stop me from reading on? No! I just had to keep reading to find out what the outcome was going to be. And, I still left wondering which is really sad. I really need the next book in the series!
By now you may have figured out I really liked this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

If I could have one superpower it would be to time travel! It should therefore be no surprise that I LOVE time travel books! When I saw that a new time travel murder mystery novel was coming out, I was absolutely on board for a review! I have read a couple of other time travel murder mysteries and loved them so much so naturally I am always looking for another to satisfy my desire to time travel!

And why does it always seem like every time travel book is set in Scotland? I don’t have the answer nor do I care, because I love how well Scotland works for time travel books. I mean Outlander, need I say more?! When I saw this book was being labeled as a cross between Outlander and The Alienist, I couldn’t WAIT to get my hands on it! I loved both of those books and couldn’t wait to read something in a similar vein that was also different.

To be fair though, not all time travel murder mysteries are created equal and just because a time travel murder mystery set in Scotland calls to my heart, I didn’t want to overly build it up in my mind only to be disappointed. That has happened. to me before so I didn’t want to experience a let down, however I simply couldn’t help but build it up in my mind before I even started it!

Summary

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.

May 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory is in Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother. While out on a jog one evening, Mallory hears a woman in distress. She’s drawn to an alley, where she is attacked and loses consciousness.

May 20, 1869: Housemaid Catriona Mitchell had been enjoying a half-day off, only to be discovered that night in a lane, where she’d been strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one-hundred-and-fifty years before Mallory was strangled in the same spot.

When Mallory wakes up in Catriona’s body in 1869, she must put aside her shock and adjust quickly to the reality: life as a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. She soon discovers that her boss, Dr. Gray, also 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. Her only hope is that catching the murderer can lead her back to her modern life . . . before it’s too late.

Outlander meets The Alienist in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time, the first book in this utterly compelling series, mixing romance, mystery, and fantasy with thrilling results. (Summary from Goodreads)

Review

I need not have worried about building this one up in my mind too much because it was absolutely fantastic! I loved that this book had a lot of interesting elements for me as a reader to enjoy and digest. There was history, romance, mystery, and of course time travel. I found that I was constantly engaged in various aspects of the story and each was more and more compelling! I loved how authentic the history and setting felt. I loved reading about Scotland in the late 1800s, I felt like each character historically fit well in the novel and even the modern Homicide detective, Mallory fit seamlessly into the historical narrative.

What I felt was the absolute best part of this book though was how Mallory adjusted to living in a different era. She was certainly out of place but she did a good job assimilating and it was fun trying to figure out what was happening with her. I mean she wakes up in the body of 19 year old housemaid Catriona in the 1800s, but what’s happened to Catriona? What’s going on in the modern story? I loved that part of the story and just loved how well developed Mallory was as a character. It’s what shined for me!

The mystery itself was well written and interesting, not to mention it kept me guessing until the end. Mystery fans will certainly enjoy this book. I don’t want to give too much away but just know it’s a well done mystery! It’s clear that this is going to turn into a series but I loved that the first book wrapped up as much as it was able to which leaves readers looking forward to what’s inevitably coming. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series! I loved this book from beginning to end and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and murder! So good!

Book Info and Rating

Format: 352 pages, hardcover

Published: May 31st 2022 by Minotaur Books

ISBN: 9781250820006

Free review copy provided by publisher, Minotaur Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction, mystery

What would you do if you woke up 150 years before your own time?

On May 20th, 2019, Mallory is getting some fresh air after spending time with her grandmother in the hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland. She's a homicide detective back home in Canada, so when she hears a woman who sounds like she needs help in an alley, her natural instinct is to investigate and try to help. Mallory is attacked in the alley, and everything goes black. She wakes up on May 20th, 1869, in the body of a housemaid named Catriona Mitchell. Catriona was strangled in the same spot as Mallory, exactly 150 years earlier. Mallory tries her best to keep her head down and fall into Catriona's routine, and finds out that her employer, Dr. Gray, is a medical examiner. When the body of a man who has been strangled ends up on his table, Mallory hopes she can catch the killer and return to her own time before it's too late.
I love a good time traveling story, and A Rip Through Time was no disappointment! I loved the murder mystery element to the story as well as the body swapping/time traveling. This series debut had me clinging to every word and I struggled to put this book down for long. I read the eARC and listened to the audiobook, and I loved the way the narrator potrayed Mallory as herself and Mallory as Catriona. I never got confused during her narration. I loved the fluent sarcasm from all characters across the board, something I wouldn't necessarily expect to hear in the Victorian era. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, crime thrillers, or science fiction. I can't wait for the next book to come out!

Falling through time into Victorian Edinburgh

2019 - Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh, Scotland where her Nan is not expected to live much longer. At home in Canada she's a homicide detective. One evening she's out, is attacked and when she wakes up she is in...

1869 - the body of Catriona Mitchell, a housemaid working for Dr. Grey, an undertaker and an early pioneer in forensic science. But it seems Catriona was attacked at the exact same time - 150 years prior to Mallory - in the exact same spot and from all appearances has now probably gone forward into the future and is occupying Mallory's body.

I loved this first book in a new series as Mallory adjusts to her new life in Victorian Edinburgh. I liked her character and the supporting characters, especially Grey and his sister. There are a lot of details about early police work and living in Victorian times and what that entails.

This was a fun, thought provoking book and I will be watching for future books in the series. Highly recommended.

I received this book from Minotaur Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Unprecedented, Engaging, and Intriguing

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong is a genre bending time travel historical crime fiction. It's a unique blend of Sherlock Holmes and Outlander. Mallory Atkinson, a Canadian detective, was visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland when she gets strangled while out jogging. When she wakes, she is in the body of Catriona, a housemaid in the year 1869. Her boss Dr. Gray is an undertaker discovering the basics of forensic science. Mallory/Catriona attempts to solve a grisly murder case with Dr. Gray in hopes that it will bring her back to her own time. This story is unrivaled with a thrilling murder mystery, time travel with no distinguishable anachronism, and a charming Scotland setting. The writing is enthralling and detailed with fantastic descriptions of victorian Scotland and gruesome accounts of the crime scenes. I appreciated how Mallory discreetly uses modern forensic science techniques without causing massive changes in history through the butterfly affect. The cast of characters is quirky, likable, and includes women in STEM. Social parallels are drawn between victorian Scotland and modern day involving topics such as racism, women's rights, and poverty. This is the debut for the A Rip Through Time series, so the romance element isn't quite there yet. However, this book is thrilling to read even without a bit of romance. This book is my Achilles heel with its amalgamation of all my favorite topics and genres. I'm invested in the series and suspect that lovers of Outlander or Sherlock Holmes will be too.

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong is no your typical time travel novel. 30-year-old Mallory, a Vancouver police detective, is taking a break from sitting vigil at her grandmother's deathbed in Edinburgh, is jogging when she hears a scream down and alley. She checks and sees a man and a projection (?) of a woman in historical dress. Before she knows it, the man has a rope around her neck and is strangling the life out of her. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in a totally unknown bedroom, and is thrown into the life of Catriona, a housemaid in a totally unusual home in Victorian Edinburgh. It is then she starts to try to figure out what happened, how she can get home, and how she can survive until then.

Mallory/Catriona is able to put her training to use in her new life as she is in the home of an early forensic scientist, Duncan Gray. At first she blames her changed personality on the bump on her head, but eventually is forced to tell the truth. Duncan's sister, Illa, is a chemist and befriends Mallory/Catriona and they work to solve the murder Duncan is working on as well as what happened to her. It is a wonderful read (listen) as Mallory attempts to adjust to her new situation, which could be worse. There are all kinds of subplots and twists and turns that make this book a must read. The transition between the language Mallory and Catriona when she forgets herself is very amusing.

I was invited to listen to a free e-ARC of A Rip Through Time by St Martin's Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #stmartinspress #aripthroughtime #kelleyarmstrong

This was just the book that I needed! There is mystery (there has been a murder and an attempted murder), there is suspense, thrills, medical drama, fantasy and TIME TRAVEL (fanning myself)!

Mallory is a present day police detective that has been attacked in an alley. When she wakes up, she is in Victorian Scotland and the story begins...I will impatiently await book number 2 in this series!

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this advanced readers copy. This book released on May 31, 2022.

3.5
In the first book in a new series, Kelley Armstrong transports a modern day detective to the Mid 1800s where a killer is on the loose:

Mallory is in Edinburgh visiting her dying grandmother, when the unthinkable happens, she is drawn into an alley where she believes a woman is being harmed only to be set upon by a serial killer, but things do not go as planned. Mallory wakes up, but she is not in her own body, and she soon discovers she is not in modern times either. Mallory must put aside shock quickly and adapt or she will be out on the street from her job as a maid in an undertakers house. Mallory discovers that Dr. Gray is a the beginning of forensic science and she is keen to help as she was a homicide detective in her time. Mallory is hoping that if she catches the killer in this time, it will lead her to getting home, before it is too late.

Any time that Armstrong is going to release a new series, I plan to be there to pick it up, especially if there is a mystery aspect to it. I like that Armstrong has switched it up from some of her other series but kept the elements that I like, for example the lack of modern forensic similar to her Rockton series.

This book starts out quite slow and this is due to the time period that Armstrong has decided to have Mallory time travel/body switch to, the Mid 1800s. In this era of time, women do not have rights, they are looked down upon by many, so having Mallory be part of murder investigations takes some time and work. Armstrong also has to take time to have Mallory adjust to her new way in life in this era, which means quite a bit of cleaning as a maid and learning who Catriona was to the people around her.

The book starts to pick up around the 50% mark and I really did not want to put the book down after that. It is around this mark that Mallory really becomes involved in the investigations the best that she can and it less about trying to adapt to the 1800s and more trying to figure out who the murderer is. I like the who-done-it aspect of the book and to good "old fashioned" detective work, with some modern thinking/theories thrown in as Mallory cannot deny who she is. Mallory has to be careful what she says and what she suggests as part of the investigation as she does not want to screw what is to come. This causes her to have to use more of a deduction skill in order to figure out who the murderer is.

I like Mallory as a character, as she has both whit and strength (though she does have to down play the whit at times due to the time period and people are unfamiliar with what she saying). I'm not sure any of us would adjust to waking up in someone else's body in a different time period half as well as Mallory did and this shows her strength. I like how Armstrong thought to put in how many times Mallory missed her phone from simple google searches to needing to use the map for directions to just wanting to kill some time. Mallory seemed more real that way as she was missing what many of us would in the convenience of our cell phones.

I did enjoy this book in the end, even though it was a slow start. I think that now that the leg work has been done with establishing Mallory as being able to participate in investigations the next books in the series will be faster paced and great read. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Enjoy!!!

I really liked this book! If you like fantasy, historical fiction, a splash of a budding romance, you will LOVE this.

I’ve followed Kelley for a bit now, devouring her Cainsville series, and this is such a genre bending release from her. It’s got the thriller piece - a detective trying to solve a murder - but SURPRISE that murder is happening in Victorian Scotland! Yes there’s time travel for all my Dr Who and Outlander lovers. The historical fiction pieces of this were well researched, thorough, and gave me quite a jolt when I realized one of the connections. I especially loved how Armstrong handled race, class, and police brutality in this book - quite subtle but poignant nonetheless.

And y’all know by now I’m a romance lover. There’s enough of a thread to get my slow burn loving heart invested and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Overall, a must read and Kelley - I need the next book STAT.

I have loved everything I have read by Kelley Armstrong and this book was no exception! I found it fascinating and I was pulled into the story more and more with each turn of the page. I am very excited to read more in this series. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC!
What a wonderful escape!

I loved Kelley Armstrong's "A Stitch in Time" and this one seemed to be along the same lines. Time-travel, mystery and romance - Yee Haw!

A single, 30-year-old detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked by a serial killer in an alley in Edinburgh, Scotland and wakes up in the body of a 19-year-old Victorian housemaid who was being attacked in that same alley 150 years before. Sounds great, I'm in. I totally didn't realize this was the start of a series until I finished the book and Mallory was still stuck in the past. Unfortunately, there is no romance in this book but there MAY be in future books, so I'll probably read the next installment in hopes of that.

Mallory soon realizes that her would-be murderer has also jumped into another's body and is recreating Jack the Ripper's murders. She must earn the trust of her employers - Dr. Duncan Gray (a forensic doctor before there was such a thing), his sister Isla (a widowed chemist) and their friend Det. Hugh Macreadie (an actual police detective) to work with them to find the killer before he strikes again.

This book dragged in parts because of all the set-up required in a creating the world of a new series. It took most of the book to make the concept of time-travel believable to all the characters who needed to be "in" on Mallory's secret. It's a promising start. I can't wait to see if Dr. Gray falls in love with Mallory, if Isla falls for Det. Macreadie, and if Mallory actually returns to her own time or stays with her new pals in the past. I'll take that next book ASAP with 100% more romance please.