The Poisoner's Ring is the second novel in A Rip Through Time series. It follows Mallory, a modern day homicide detective as she accidentally travels back in time to Victorian Scotland. In this book, Mallory moves from being a maid to working as her boss' assistant/investigator in his Undertaking business, trying to solve the mysterious poisonings happening in Edinburgh.

The characters are well developed and Armstrong does a great job bringing Edinburgh to life. I loved the tiny spark of romance as well. The mystery was well written too. I didn't know what was going to happen next and I was unable to solve the mystery myself until the end.

My only critique is that I found it just a touch too long. She could have removed one or two of the dramatic events in the book and it would have been the perfect length.

Otherwise, I highly recommend this book if you're into mysteries, time travel and the Victorian era.

I enjoyed this book a little more than the first one, I liked that the secrets were out in the open and we just got to enjoy the characters solving a mystery. The mystery in this book was really well done and I did not know for sure who the killer was until the end. I looked forward to all of the interactions between Mallory, Dr. Gray, McCreadie, and Isla. I hope their relationships progress some more in the next book.
I do wish Mallory would stop bringing up things from the future just to have the others not seem interested in it at all, as silly as it sounds this is what I have a hard time believing. I also would like Mallory not to seem so judgmental about people in the 1800's, it's like she thinks they are all bad people if they don't think like people do from her modern time.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the first in the series. This was a great mystery book, and if you haven't read A Rip Through Time yet you should get it now, and jump straight into The Poisoner's Ring when you are done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read and review this book. I had a wonderful time with this one. It combined all the elements I craved. A twisty murder mystery in a gothic setting with characters I can’t help but root for. I love all the budding/developing relationships in this one that the author continued from the first book. I loved watching Gray and Mallory skirt around one another more than I expected. A flirtation that fits so well in the time period the novel is set and even now. It was wonderful and I will happily read many many more books set in this universe. Exploring this world and its lovely characters.

1869, amateur-sleuth, class-consciousness, detective, Edinburgh Scotland, family, family-drama, family-dynamics, fiction, historical, historical-places-events, historical-research, historical-setting, historical-urban-fantasy, history-and-culture, law-enforcement, multiple-murder, murder-investigation, mystery, person-of-color, poisons, read, situational-humor, suspense, thriller, time-travel, unputdownable*****

The publisher's blurb is a marvelous hook. Mallory is a 21st-century Canadian detective living in the place of a 19th century housemaid in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is assistant to a local doctor whose half siblings are both moneyed and irascible. His eldest sister grudgingly asks for his help in clearing her of an impending charge of murdering her husband in a time where there seems to be someone providing some women with a poison to dispatch their husbands. But. Did this man die of poison or was it a possible locked-room murder. Wonderful twists, red herrings, and more!
This can't be an unbiased review because I love so much of this author's imaginative writing.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Canadian author

Still having mixed feelings about this series, mainly a few problems with Mallory’s superhuman perception, her constant need to describe things as “shitty,” and how accepting the other characters are of everything she says. But I thought the mystery was really good—I didn’t come close to figuring it out until I was almost at the end. It felt like there was more historical detail this time around too, and I liked that. The author mentioned in the acknowledgements that she had gotten some things wrong in the first book, and some folks had set her straight.

So, Mallory. I’m not sure I’m convinced about how quickly she’s got everyone’s number. I know reading people is supposed to be one of her strengths, but it comes across almost as a superpower. She also makes a lot of modern pronouncements about things that Duncan, Isla, and McCready just seem to accept, I guess because she’s from the future? The characters who are in on her secret are open-minded types, true, but they’re still products of another time and culture—I would expect a little more pushback against some of what Mallory says, even with that knowledge.

That said, I do like the characters, even Mallory when she’s not being obnoxious. I thought maybe there would be some love stuff in this one, but alas, there are still only hints. Let’s get some smoochies going already, lady! Except then Mallory would overthink them and then she’d force a very modern conversation on Duncan about them, and…I don’t know, never mind.

No, just kidding. I for sure want smoochies. And Isla and McCready need to get busy too.

I’m curious where this will go with the time travel angle. I’m guessing something will happen in the next book that will clue us in to what happened in Mallory’s time after the switcheroo. I don’t know how many books are planned for this series, but I don’t think that aspect can be left hanging for much longer.

3.5 stars rounded up 🌟

Last year I read A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong, the first in this series, and I rather enjoyed it, so I was happy to be able to read the sequel, The Poisoner's Ring. The premise of this series is that a 21st-century homicide detective, Mallory Atkinson, finds herself transported back to Victorian-era Edinburgh, with no idea how to return to her time period. While trapped in the body of Catriona—the housemaid to the medical examiner, Dr. Duncan Gray, a proponent of early forensic methods—Mallory finds herself helping Dr. Gray solve murders as she tries to think of a way to return to her life.

I can't reveal too much, since this is a sequel, but I will say the central mystery in this second novel involves Dr. Gray's half-sister, Annis, who is suspected of murder after her husband dies of poisoning. The police believe this murder may be connected to other poisoning deaths around the city, so Mallory, Duncan, Duncan's chemist sister Isla, and their childhood friend Detective McCreadie must work together to figure out who is truly behind the recent murder spree. If not, Annis may be sent to the gallows.

The mystery of this novel was overall intriguing, and I enjoyed it. I love the characters of Dr. Gray, Isla, and Detective McCreadie, and I will probably continue this series to find out more about Duncan's past (I'm still hoping we might discover more about his mysterious biological mother, which was teased in the first novel) and see if Isla and McCreadie will ever become anything more than friends.

As for Mallory, she's the main character, but I don't connect with her like I think I should, and while reading this book, I spent a lot of time reflecting on why that was. I think the best way I can explain it is this: Mallory, to me, doesn't feel flawed enough. The author clearly wants us to view her as this intelligent and enlightened 21st-century woman, here to help these Victorian detectives with her courage, determination, and modern-day knowledge, but...what is she getting out of the deal? What have her experiences in the past taught her about herself?

In any story, the main character needs to have a goal they want to achieve, a flaw they need to overcome, or something missing in their life that they'll find over the course of their adventures. I don't think Mallory has that. Yes, she wants to get back to the 21st century, but, to be honest, she doesn't think about her 21st-century life all that much. We get occasional mentions of the family she's left behind, but she doesn't often get emotional missing them, and when she does, it passes quickly. I wish Mallory had a flaw she needed to overcome and her time in the past could help her with. This would make her feel more real and make me like her more.

There's one other thing about this book that bothered me, and it's something I noticed in the first book too. The author is clearly a progressive, and Duncan, Isla, and McCreadie are probably the most tolerant and socially-conscious people you'd ever met in Victorian Edinburgh. This, in itself, isn't really a problem. I think it's a delicate balance when writing historical fiction because you want to be true to the time period, but also if your main heroes held the same beliefs as many people in the 1800s, your modern readers would understandably not sympathize with them. The historical characters' sophisticated understanding of things like gender identity and sexuality doesn't bother me, because as a 21st-century liberal, I don't want to root for bigots, but Mallory's attitude towards people in the past does bother me.

Too often, I think there's a judgmental tone in her narration towards Victorian society and how "backward" it is, when in reality, people in the past had the same emotions and human experiences as us. It's easy to look on them with disapproval since we know more now, but if humanity is still around in a few centuries, they will probably look at us wondering why we didn't know better about certain things. The author also often inserts 21st-century progressive talking points into Mallory's narration when they're not relevant. I think it's because she wants the readers to think of Mallory as particularly enlightened and socially aware, but she's often inserting statements that have very little to do with the plot of the story to achieve that goal, so it feels like she's reaching for a moral "win."

I love it when historical fiction novels comment on the social issues present both in the past and today. These are important things to discuss and modern-day readers can relate to struggling against racism or the patriarchy. I love reading about Dr. Gray's experience being a mixed-race man in the 1860s, Isla's efforts to be taken seriously as a scientist despite her gender, and McCreadie's struggles being an honorable man working for an often corrupt institution, because those aspects are integral to the plot whilst also touching on important social issues. Mallory's sidebar comments aren't relevant to the plot, so it feels unnecessary.

Would I keep reading this series? Probably, yes, but it's the side characters' storylines I want to keep reading about. They're the ones I'm genuinely invested in and their stories are the highlights of these books for me.

This continues the store of Mallory and Dr Grey as they explore their new situation of the knowledge she is from the future. With a new murder spree and the possibility that it might hit closer to home than they expected, this novel has many great twists and turns. Kelley Armstrong once again creates a story where the characters keep pulling you in and you become invested in their progress and relationships. I hope there will be another installment of this series as it is becoming a new favourite of mine!

When I first started this series I didn’t know what to expect but I should have know it would be fantastic just because Kelley Armstrong is a wonderful author.
I’ve read almost all her series and never read anything I didn’t love.

Mallory Atkinson was somehow transported back in time into the body of a young housemaid in Victorian Scotland. This modern day detective is now the undertaker’s assistant.

Dr. Duncan Gray is aware of who she really is. He helps the police solve crimes with his science. I love the way Duncan and Mallory’s relationship is growing.

The mystery was suspenseful and had me shocked at the culprit.
This is a unique historical mystery with a modern flair. I can’t wait to see where this series takes us next.

Last year, I really enjoyed author Kelley Armstrong's "A Rip in Time" as I am usually interested in time travel stories and thought that it was well done. Really happy to get a DRC of the next installment "The Poisoner's Ring" and see where the journey takes us next. This one finds homicide detective Mallory/Victorian maid Catriona investigating a string of poisonings of men - did a lady do it? We also see more of her relationship with employer/medical examiner, Duncan, with the beginnings of a romance. Checked all the boxes for me & I recommend to any who might enjoy time travel mysteries, but read in order, please. My sincere thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary copy - review/opinions are my own.

A really good second entry to this series, some good filling out of the characters. I wish there had been some time travel happening but hopefully book 3 will.have some good surprises.

love this continuation of the series, and can't wait for more. look forward to learning more about the history of all the characters. i really like the glimpses into the daily life of the household, and the interactions between the domestic staff and "Catriona". [**spoiler**] i'd like to see the housekeeper warm up to her. and i wonder if there will be a definite resolution about whether she can return back to her time. because until she knows she definitely can't, all relationships are in limbo. but i guess that's part of the tension of the continuing series. anyway a great read and awesome attention to historical and scientific detail! a skilled and fun writer

Thanks to Kelley Armstrong and NetGalley for this digital ARC.

I was eagerly awaiting this title, thanks to reading A Rip Through Time. Our story starts off with Mallory trying to get used to life in 1869 Scotland. Considering she is a modern-day police officer, this is a tall order. She is still in limbo and working as Dr. Gray's mortuary assistant. This allows her to apply her modern methods to try and locate a serial poisoner who seems to be pinning their work on Dr. Gray's sister.

Great conclusion, and looking forward to seeing how the rest of Mallory's story develops!

I received this from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I should preface this by saying I’d probably give Kelley Armstrong 5 stars for a shopping list she wrote, I’m a huge fan of hers.

But I really am enjoying this series so far. This book, the second, gave us more insight into Mallory and her “employers” and how they all feel about the fact that she’s traveled back in time. I thought the mystery was really intriguing, and seeing the solving through a combination of historical practice, combined with modern insight was great. I really liked that it was personal for Duncan and Isla due to their sister - I thought that was a good way to make sure interest was kept up on not just the relationships between the characters, but the mystery as well.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more in this series and seeing how/if Mallory ends up going back to her time, and how the knowledge of that is hanging over everyone and how it affects their relationships. Especially Mallory and Duncan, because there’s definitely relationship like tension between them!

I was excited to see the next installment in this series. It was a pleasant read and I enjoyed the mystery in this book more than the first one.

However, the time-traveling aspect was only briefly touched on other than causing Gray distress. While that was gratifying to someone who likes a slow burn, it did leave me to wonder where this series is going. Is there a planned end or will it drag on? Should I let myself be invested in the series or am I looking at ten books with no resolution? I hope it’s the former but it would be good if marketing addresses this.

The Poisoner’s Ring is the second novel in Kelley Armstrong’s newest series, A Rip Through Time. Modern day detective Mallory Atkinson is adapting to her situation of being stuck in 1869 Victorian Scotland. She continues to work with Dr. Duncan Gray, Detective Hugh McCreadie, and Duncan's sister and chemist, Isla Ballantyne.

In The Poisoner’s Ring they are trying to determine what is going on with the recent mounting number of people being poisoned. There is the mystery of figuring out who is responsible for these deaths as well as what is their motive. As Mallory’s friendship with Duncan, Hugh, and Isla grows, it makes her realize that she truly enjoys the challenges of being a detective in 1869 with all its limitations. She also becomes aware of how much she will miss Duncan, and that he will miss her, if and when she can return to the present.

This is a very engrossing mystery/time travel series with a hint of romance. I’m looking forward to reading more about Mallory’s adventures as a detective in 1869 and about her and Duncan’s mutual attraction.

I absolutely adored the first book, it was just so much fun, so interesting, and completely hard to put down. I have been eagerly awaiting book two and I am so happy to report that it didn't disappoint. If possible, it was even better than the first. It was filled with action. adventure, a tiny hint of romance, and an amazing setting and time that I just adore. This really did have a bit of it all and I am so glad too because I can quickly see this series, these characters, and this storyline, becoming a fast favorite.

The second installment of the Rip in Time series does not disappoint Duncan, Isla and Mallory must find a poisoner and prove the innocence of their older sister Annis. As the regulars in the series reveal more of themselves we become a part of their problems and adventures. How the growing attachment between Duncan and Mallory will resolve and whether she gets back to the 21st century makes the third book of this series anxiously anticipated.

Before I even started this book, I thought I had a solid grasp on what was going to happen from the description, the title and the previous stories in this series. However, I was pleasantly surprised when just a few pages in I discovered the poisoner’s ring was a piece of jewelry and not a ring of people, it really changed the story for me in a much better way. This is book two in the Rip Through Time series and follows our main character Mallory as she finds herself still stuck in Victorian times. She struggles to find a way to get back home but at the same time there is a murder happening and her friends Duncan needs her help and all her knowledge to solve the case. I really liked how this time the book was set in Victorian times because it put a spin on the series that I wasn’t expecting. It was very interesting to read about our modern-day characters as they rushed to solve a crime and deal with all the problems that came with the 1800s such as no technology, diseases that haven’t even been heard of yet let alone solved, and killers that are now alive again. This book has everything that we have come to expect from a Kelley Armstrong book, characters with lots of depth, and a plot that you just can’t get enough of. The best part about this book was it goes to show the world that Kelley Armstrong can tackle any plot that comes to her mind, and she is not stuck to certain genres. This was a great read, and I was so glad to get the chance to check it out. Be prepared if you check out this book however to fall in love hard with Kelley Armstrong’s work and no other author can live up to her talent.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I am totally and utterly in love with this series and can’t wait to see where this goes. This book introduces us to another sibling of Duncan and Isla. She is not what you expect and I didn’t think I’d like her at first. She grew in me the more I read. In this book husbands seem to be dropping dead. The father you get in the book the less things are as they seem. I would recommend this book to anyone. Actually I just recommended this to a coworker of mine and I will also probably make my sister read this one.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was so excited when I saw the second available on Netgalley. These are my first books by Kelley Armstrong and I am super impressed! It was great to see the characters again, and I love the dynamic with Mallory and Duncan and can't wait to see what happens further with that.
This second novel focuses on a poison ring that is slowly killing off men, with widows often being the primary suspect. A few new characters are introduced that will hopefully continue into future books.
I really enjoyed in the previous novel how Mallory's modern day expressions and tendancies pop up during conversations and there weren't as many in this second book. Hopefully we see more of these situations in future books, it definitely is what makes this series super unique!