I devoured the first of this series, delighted by a fresh take on time travel mashed up with a fun Victorian mystery. Book 2 follows the same path with fairly equal results. It's interesting seeing the relationships evolve now that some people know that Mallory is from the future. The mystery is fun and has some twists and turns. I loved the diversity that Armstrong brings into the story. All in all, a great follow-up to a 5-star first novel.

I have been a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, for as long as I can remember. I often read her novels with my dad, as he is a huge fan as well. This book did not disappoint. A dark serial killer novel that keeps you full of suspence until the very end.

This is a mystery first and foremost. It's about 50 pages too long and drags in parts. The romance between Mallory and Dr. Grey is SUPER slow burn, but I have hope. They are starting to get the feels for each other! By the third book maybe we'll get a kiss?

Mallory got on my nerves with her cursing and lack of awareness/appropriateness several times. I wanted her to just shut up several times. The beauty of a historical time-travel romances is the manners, and she has none. The mystery took a little too long to solve.

I liked this one better than the first and hope they just keep getting better and more romantic as we go.

Kelley Armstrong never disappoints! I was enthralled with this mystery and the growing tension between Mallory and Dr Gray. The setting is also absolutely fabulous and so well captured. It feels like Edinburgh but back in the day (it already feels a little back in the day here with the architecture). I can’t wait to see where this goes next.

I loved the first book so ofcourse I couldn't wait to read this one.

I liked The Poisoner's Ring but not as much as I did the first book. Don't get me wrong it was a good book but I had a bit of a hard time getting into this one at first.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I really love this series! i am so pumped for the next one!!

Mallory Atkinson is slowly adjusting to her life in 1869 Edinburgh. She's still stuck as Catriona Mitchell, but she's got her friendship with Isla Ballantyne, and though Duncan Gray, Isla's brother and the medical examiner, is a little frosty after Mallory's time travel revelation, Mallory is still important in the household.

A new case is brought to them after a few men die of poisoning. Their wives are immediately seen as the murderers, and Mallory and Duncan begin investigating. Everything becomes that much more serious when the latest death is the Grays' brother-in-law, the husband of the eldest Gray sibling, Annis.

Kelley Armstrong's work has always been brilliant at drawing me in and keeping me rapidly turning pages to find out what happens next with her well drawn characters. That's definitely the case again with this second "A Rip Through Time" installment. Mallory, though deeply missing her life, is trying to make the best of her situation, and she applies her insight, humour, toughness and intellect to the problems that arrive on the Gary doorstep. She also gains a much better picture of the attitudes and beliefs of the time with respect to women, diversity, same sex relationships, class, policing and medicine, sometimes confirming, but also challenging her understanding of the past.

Since 1969 lacks a lot of the conveniences and technologies of our time, Mallory must use and suggest basic police and forensic techniques, as we saw in book one, when she and Duncan investigate. Gray remains an interesting person; he's super focused and passionate about his work, respectful of others, curious, and able to handle himself in a brawl, which comes in handy during the course of he and Mallory are checking out a leads.

I tore through this book; the characters are terrifically portrayed, and Mallory's wry humour comes through so well, as well as her deep homesickness. At the same time that this is a fun mystery, it's also got a hint of romance, with plenty of action thrown in to keep the story moving at a fast pace to a satisfying conclusion. I was left wanting more sleuthing adventures with Mallory and the Gray siblings.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Book Review
The Poisoner's Ring
reviewed by Lou Jacobs

readersremains.com | Goodreads

Step into Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland once more for a captivating cozy mystery featuring modern-day Canadian police detective Mallory Atkinson, who finds herself stranded in 1860s Scotland. She works alongside the unorthodox yet forward-thinking duo of criminal investigator Duncan Gray and his half-sister, Isla Ballantyne.
Duncan, a biracial individual, is the youngest member of the Gray family. Despite his medical training, societal constraints force him to work as a mortician, although he actually serves as a trusted consultant to Detective McCreadie. Duncan examines murder victims before the inept medical examiner has a chance to compromise the evidence. His methods are precursors to modern forensic science.
Isla, on the other hand, breaks the mold for women of her time. Highly educated, she’s compelled to work as a herbalist rather than a chemist due to prevailing gender bias. Unfortunately, Dr. Gray is often dismissed as insignificant and somewhat of a fraud. Despite his education, he faces discrimination due to his race.
Thirty-year-old Mallory, a police detective from Vancouver, is thrown into this scenario when she rushes to help a screaming woman in an alley. Suddenly, a noose is slipped around her neck. As she loses consciousness, the world darkens. When she awakens, she’s shocked to find herself in the body of an eighteen-year-old blonde girl. Through a “rip in time,” she has journeyed from May 20, 2019, to the same day in 1869. A resourceful character, Mallory navigates this new time period and unfamiliar body with wit and determination.
This is the second in a series of enjoyable historical mysteries, merging a police procedural with a time-travel narrative set in the vivid backdrop of the Victorian era. This novel works perfectly as a standalone, thanks to the writer’s skillful interweaving of necessary backstory into the current plot. Mallory’s employers are aware of her predicament and allow her to assume the role of Duncan’s assistant. The trio harness each other’s talents to solve mysteries together, although Mallory is unsure if she will ever return to her own time.
Witnessing Mallory’s attempts to mimic Victorian speech, based on her understanding of modern Victorian romance novels, is amusing. She continuously reminds herself of the “butterfly effect,” the idea that a single action in the past can have a profound impact on the future.
The trio’s latest investigative challenge involves a suspected ring of poisoners, where women are allegedly murdering their husbands. Initial evidence suggests that the victims might have deserved their fate. Wives are promptly arrested without thorough investigation. When Duncan’s older sister, Annis, becomes a suspect following the murder of her unfaithful husband Lord Leslie, Duncan is compelled to join the investigation. Poison is considered a woman’s murder weapon, but it couldn’t possibly be that simple. The poison used seems to be a traceless toxin that Mallory identifies as thallium, a heavy metal virtually unheard of in 1860s Scotland. Even Isla is unfamiliar with its use as a poison.
Kelley Armstrong proves herself to be an expert storyteller, spinning an enchanting tale packed with numerous plot twists. As the story escalates, it culminates in a thrilling and unexpected climax that leaves some questions unanswered, hinting at more adventures to come. Armstrong skillfully incorporates themes such as women’s equality, racism, immigration, and gender dysphoria into her work. These social issues are relevant to both time periods.
I alternated between reading this book on my Kindle and listening to the audio version. The narration was provided by professional actress and voice personality, Kate Hanford. Her incredible voice and tonal variations brought the characters to life in the “theatre of my mind.”
Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing an Uncorrected Proof and an Advanced Audio version of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read A RIP THROUGH TIME which is the first in this series and enjoyed it very much.
This one continues with Mallory still stuck in Catriona's body back in 1869. She still lives with Dr Gray and his sister Isla.

Catriona goes with Gray to somewhat investigate what could be a poisoner's ring. Men have died under mysterious circumstances. Possibly murder by poisonous means. Detective McCreadie is also along with these two trying to find information about who could possibly be giving the wives poison. It's possible these wives are murdering their husbands and one is Gray's own sister Annis. Annis is the oldest sister. Her husband died in what appears to be unusual means.

There are several deaths believed to be from poisoning but what is it really? Who would be supplying women with this and why. Though there are many reasons why in most of the cases. Some of these men may have met the fate they deserve for the nefarious things they have done we can't just jump to conclusions and start hanging the wives. Isla is a chemist and works hard to prove what really killed the men. What killed her sister's husband. If the wives didn't do it then who did? Or was it really even poison? Even back in this era the science they use is pretty good. Mallory is invaluable in her help to both Gray and Isla. Not only does she do housework, she helps solve the nefarious cases of murder.

As this author takes us on another journey to Edinburgh in 1869 you get to know more about the Gray family and Mallory/Catriona. You meet the oldest sibling Annis and get another side of how women lived in this era. Some married for money. Other's for love. Some for a forbidden love where money may have helped. The clothes women were expected to wear in this time were a bit crazy if you think about it. How things are now anyway. All the many layers. What was their purpose? I have no idea truly but did find that fascinating in this story. Just trying to imagine a woman having to run. Or be in any kind of a hurry. Even the lowly maids had to wear the corsets and layers of clothing during their daily chores. I love how the author captured these things in this story. She makes you feel like you are right there in 1869 Edinburgh. In the middle of a Poisoner's Ring.

I look forward to the next book in this series and have no doubt there will be another as you do have to allow Mallory find her way back home. At least I hope so.

Thank you #NetGalley, #KellyArmstrong, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Four stars and I recommend it. It's quite good.

I want to love this worries because the author has previously written so many that I enjoy, but I just can't connect with the time period or characters. Just not a right fit.

I love this series and I cannot wait for more installments. While there's obviously differences, this series puts me in the mind of Miss Scarlet and the Duke (great Masterpiece TV show) I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first. It was great since Mallory was established and you get thrown right into the mystery. I love all the characters, the banter, the time. This is a great series that I would highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital review copy.

This is the second book in a trilogy about Canadian police officer Mallery Mitchell, who, after an assault, wakes up in Victorian times Scotland, inhabiting a young housemaid's body. However, her new employer is perfectly happy accepting this premise, and she will help them solve crimes, in part with help of the procedures she knows is yet to come. It is obvious that Kelley Armstrong has done quite a bit of research into the period and area, and even though it is necessary to park your disbelief that a modern policewomen could pose as a Victorian without changing her behavior drastically, this is a very entertaining and enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read/listen to this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To be fully transparent, I would count Kelley Armstrong in my top 3 or 4 authors. Whether writing adult or YA books, I find that she always tells an engaging story. However, I have never been into reading about time travel but I did read and enjoy last year’s “A Rip Through Time”. I was very excited to get the follow up story “The Poisoner’s Ring”. I was still very invested in the book and finished it quite quickly once I started it. However, I don’t know that the actual mystery or case was as intriguing as in the first book. I do absolutely love the setting and the characters. From Mallory who is pretending to be Catriona (since she fell into her body in Book 1) to Dr Duncan Gray and his sister, I just love the time spent on the pages with these characters. There are so many places this story could go, and I feel like we will start working through getting Mallory back to her timeline at some point, but I hope it takes awhile because of how much fun I have visiting the past in this series. Now I’m counting down to Book 3 and I only can hope the mystery is a bit stronger for the next one.

https://historicWhile on a visit to Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother, Canadian homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked. She wakens in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchell, who was strangled 150 years earlier in the same spot. In this sequel to A Rip Through Time, Mallory is still adjusting to conditions for women in service during the Victorian age. But she has been accepted as an assistant by her employer, Dr. Duncan Gray, who is a medical examiner and undertaker. In this novel, men are being poisoned, and the prime suspects are their wives, one of whom is Duncan’s older sister.

This is an involving novel for several reasons. The mystery is satisfying, and though the protagonists display impressive stamina, their urgency is explained by the need to save the innocent wives, which moves the plot along at a brisk pace. The characters are well drawn, and though the attitudes of Mallory’s close friends may seem conveniently helpful and progressive, that like-minded people should find one another is unsurprising. Mallory herself is the narrator, and she provides a lively, and at times rueful, commentary on the action in general and her own problems in particular.

The historical setting of Edinburgh in 1869 is convincing. Armstrong has done her research, and sending a modern character into the past allows her to draw attention to the changes that have taken place. The absence of modern conveniences like cell phones is frustrating; lighting, whether by candle, oil lamp, or gas, is dim; women’s clothing is restrictive, as Mallory discovers when her pursuit of a suspect is hindered by her copious petticoats and a tight corset. And, of course, class distinctions and condescending attitudes towards women raise further obstacles. An absorbing read. Highly recommended.
HNR Issue 104 (May 2023)
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-poisoners-ring-rip-through-time-novels-2/

This is the second installment in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong.

If you have not read the first in the series, A Rip Through Time, GO DO IT NOW!

This story picks up after the events of A Rip Through Time. Mallory‘s secret is out to those she is working closely with and she is adjusting to life in Victorian Scotland. Now that Dr. Duncan Gray knows she is modern day detective she is now officially the undertakers assistant, and helps when he is called for assistance to crime scenes to be a medical examiner. After a series of deaths – several men in Edenburgh – Duncan and Mallory start question if all are connected. A possible poison ring? Women poisoning their not so faithful or upstanding husbands? The case becomes too close to home when Annis, Duncan’s older sister, calls for their help when her husband is dying. By the time they get there, the house is in an uproar and Annis’s husband dies. It is up to Mallory with the help of Duncan and Isla to figure out who’s behind the poison ring.

Oh, I love this series so much! I hate to have to wait for the next installment but, I couldn’t help myself when I saw this pop up on NetGalley!

These are such fun historical mysteries. One thing I loved about this story was we really got to see Mallory’s personality come out. In the first book she is reserved so she can hide that she isn’t truly Catriona but here she gets to be herself.

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy historical mysteries and time travel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a eARC of the story! As always all opinions are my own.

The second book in the "Rip through Time" series continues Mallory's reality of time travel and Dr. Duncan Gray and his family's acceptance without much fuss.

The story combines Mallory's present-day investigative knowledge with Edinburgh in 1869, resulting in amusing conversations and adventures between her and Gray. Mallory, who poses as a housemaid and assistant to an undertaker, works with Gray, who moonlights as a medical examiner. Together, they find themselves entangled in twisty investigations that require modern-day skills and Victorian-era methods.

What's interesting about "The Poisoner's Ring" is how it combines modern-day acceptances into the storyline and makes readers wonder how Edinburgh, in Victorian Times, would have treated those who lived outside the norms of the time.

As a fan of Kelley Armstrong, I'm glad she unknotted the twisty plot and tied it up neatly, as some situations and relationships confused me. I enjoyed the ending and felt for Duncan when he expressed his feelings for Mallory and how he will miss her when their time together comes to an end.

A time travelling kick ass Canadian detective who ends up in a body of a 19 year old maid in Victoria era Edinburgh! That alone had me sold on this series. Beautiful writing and captivating characters in A Rip Through Time made me a fan and so excited to get my hands on book 2 in this historical mystery series.

Mallory is such a fun main characters. I love following her journey and finding her bearings not only in someone else's body but in a different time and cultural context. Like many readers I often day dream of time travel but I love that this book reminds me of many challenges that would involve. Mallory's Scottish boss and crime solving partner is dreamy Dr. Duncan Gray and the dynamic between these two makes me all warm and fuzzy.

This time around Mallory and Gray found themselves investigating a serious of poisoning's in which wives' of the deceased stand accused of the crime. Of course when one of the accused ends up being Duncan's standoffish older sister, stakes get all the much higher.

I love everything about this series. The fact that I can lose myself in the story and writing. The fact that the story manages to entertain while also exploring topics of gender and race in the context of 1800s. I know this The Poisoner's Ring just published but I'm already buzzing with excitement, anticipating what kind of trouble awaits Mallory and Gray in book 3. Highly recommend this series!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I am a total fan of Kelley Armstrong! I thought nothing could surpass her Rockton books, but this book two of her newest time travel series is completely solid and left me utterly enthralled. This is set in Victorian times, which is where Mallory (a detective in current day) has gone back in time and is living in the body of a 19-year-old maid. The premise is clever, filled with suspense and mystery with an interesting cast of characters. I am so pulling for a Duncan/Mallory romance that can allow them to be together in whatever timeline is needed. Pretty please! The last line of the book...deep sigh. I can hardly wait for book three!

4.5 stars

I was thrilled to receive a copy of The Poisoners Ring by Kelley Armstrong. I enjoyed the 1st book in the series (A Rip Through Time). I think I enjoyed the 2nd book even more. In this continuation, Mallory is still stuck in Catriona's body after falling through a time warp in the previous book. She is now adjusting to her new life and body. She has taken a position as Dr. Gray's assistant in his undertaking business. When women of Edinburgh start being accused of participating in a poisoner's ring where they kill their husband's Dr. Gray & Mallory set off to assist Dectective McCreadie in the investigation. Soon, the investigation gets a bit too close to Gray's family, and things become serious when Gray's sister is accused of being involved. The mystery takes many twists and turns throughout the book. This book had many interesting characters that keep you guessing who did it to the very end. One thing that I absolutely loved about this book is the development of Mallorys friendship with Dr. Gray. They seem to really compliment each other and have great chemistry. I found this book very enjoyable and truly hope there is a 3rd book in the future.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

This is the second book in the Rip Through Time series and was even better than the first. Mallory and Dr Gray are back, looking into the mystery of four men who have been poisoned, and their wives blamed for the deaths. Their relationship is even better this time, and the slow burn is absolutely perfect. For anyone looking for a great mystery with a side of slow-burn romance, then this is the book for you. I give this book 5/5 stars.