A excellent follow up to the first book of the series. I enjoyed reading about Mallory, her employer and her investigations once again. I did guess for once, correctly who murdered whom. There were a few things I rolled my eyes at but it didn't take off of the main story-line. I am looking forward to seeing more in this series.

One of the best qualities of Armstrong's characters is that they are always strong, complex, intuitive, and very clever. The Poisoner's Ring doesn't fail to deliver on all accounts.
Stuck in Victorian Edinburgh in the 1860's Mallory Atkinson, (aka Catriona Mitchell), a modern day police detective has been transported into the smaller body of a house maid with a not so nice reputation. In the first novel, "A Rip Through Time", Mallory/Cationa both proves and helps solve a murder.. During that investigation she has to reveal her actual origins.

In this story, Catriona acts as an assistant to her undertaker boss. Dr. Gray. He hails from a prominent family but because he is a half brother and a black man he is not respected as much as he should be. He is an unofficial medical examiner because the current one is incompetent and uninterested in finding the real cause of death. Mallory's secret is known to only three people, Dr. Gray, his sister Isla who is a chemist, and officer McCreadie,
McCreadie calls on Dr. Gray to verify, or in this case find the real cause of death in murder victims.

This installment is unusual in that members of Gray's family are suspected to have a part in the poisoning murder of Gray's s older sister Annis' husband , Lord Leslie.

Poison is usually considered a woman's weapon and because various men throughout Edinburgh are systematically being poisoned it is thought that a so called "ring" of women are obtaining poison from a common source, and many signs point to Gray's family.

All of Armstrong's female characters are highly intelligent and sometimes a bit quirky. This second book in the Rip Through Time series delivers a fantastic mystery and a tiny hope of a romance and while Mallory would love to return to her era, I hope that the prospect of a partnership/love affair makes it impossible for her to go back. All of the main characters are well defined and I am really enjoying their development as this series continues. This is a 5 star read for me.

The Poisoner's Ring: Book Review | Author: Kelley Armstrong

As a reader and long-time fan of Kelley Armstrong's back catalogue, I was thrilled when I was approved by NetGalley to access a digital ARC of her forthcoming sequel to A Rip Through Time, and I eagerly dove into it.

In The Poisoner's Ring, Armstrong continues the thrilling adventures of Mallory Atkinson, the 21st-century, time-traveling homicide detective, as she remains stranded in time in Victorian Edinburgh (Scotland). While there, along with the three people who share her secret—Dr. Duncan Grey, along with his recently widowed sister (and talented chemist), Isla Ballantyne, and the intrepid Detective Hugh McCreadie, Mallory must work against time as she finds herself in the midst of yet another series of murders. This case hits close to home, Dr. Grey’s estranged half-sister, Lady Annis Leslie is suspected as being a member of a deadly conspiracy—a ring of poisoners.

While attempting to track down the poison’s source and gather evidence, Mallory learns more than she’d care to about the dark world of Victorian burial practices, including details about a criminal network who have been perpetrating an enormous financial fraud upon the inhabitants of Edinburgh—details of which include the predatory selling of non-existent burial plots and mausoleums, along with burial insurance—a scheme designed purely to take advantage of people’s grief and to fleece the working poor out of their hard-earned money.

One of the things I love about Armstrong's writing is her meticulous research and attention to detail—these shine through and provide rich cultural and historical contexts that add depth to the story. Another of the things I love, is her fearlessness in tackling sensitive topics, while also addressing social issues such as racism, classism, sexism, and gender and sexual identity. Her books always include a diverse array of characters, from a variety of backgrounds.
As with her previous works, Armstrong's character development is top-notch. Most of her protagonists are fearless, kick-ass, independent women who love nothing better than to solve a mystery and catch a killer. Mallory Atkinson continues this tradition; she is turning out to be a strong and complex protagonist who is navigating the challenges of her time-traveling and body-swapping situation with flair. Armstrong’s supporting characters are equally well-drawn, with their own unique motivations and struggles that add layers to the story.

One of my favourite narrative elements, though the series isn’t a romance per se, is the sweetly developing, intimate friendship between Duncan and Mallory (and I don’t mean intimate in the 🌶️🌶️🌶️ spicy way of modern romance novels, I refer instead to intimacy in the traditional sense of a close, familiar, trusting, and affectionate friendship). Yet, this is also a friendship that has the heightened awareness & potential to develop in something…more. Early in the book, there is a moment where Mallory reflects upon the lack of touch in this time period:
***
“As I add a shot or two to his raised glass, his knuckles brush mine, and I suppress a shiver. That’s one thing about this world: the lack of touch. To greet someone with a hug is rare and reserved for close relationships. Casual touches are avoided, especially between men and women, and the accidental brush of Gray’s knuckles feels as intimate as if he ran his fingers up my arm.”
***
Mallory, when asked, rejects any thought or intimation that she and Gray might have anything more than a working relationship or friendship—she frequently reflects on ways that she can get back to her own time, life, and family. However, later, after the case is solved, Gray and Mallory are having a quiet drink in his office and reflecting on the details of what has occurred. He thanks her for supporting his sister, Annis, but then the scene morphs into a beautiful, intimate moment, one more swoon worthy than any I’ve read in any spicy novel. Now, to readers of spicy romance, this scene might not seem awfully titillating. But when you put these two scenes alongside each other, along with another where Duncan expresses his pleasure at hearing Mallory address him as ‘Gray’ for the first time, the finger to the lips and the handholding in the final scene are indeed wonderfully charged with significance. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait to find out anything further, as the book ends only a few short lines after this. I don’t know if Armstrong intends the relationship between Gray and Mallory to continue to develop as the series proceeds, or to become more central to the plot. After all, it’s already taken them 2 books to get to this point. This is as slow-burn as anything I’ve read before—but…I’m 💯 there for it!

As I said previously, though, the relationship between Mallory and Gray, whether romantic or business, is secondary to the primary thematic elements for which Armstrong’s writing is noted—strong female, crime solving protagonists. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you can rest assured that this is what you’ll get in this series.

The Poisoner's Ring is a worthy sequel to A Rip Through Time—Armstrong's writing is as captivating as ever!
I eagerly await the next installment in this thrilling series.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Minotaur Books for giving me the opportunity to access an e-galley of this book. The remarks above constitute my honest review.

I really enjoyed this second installment of A Rip Through Time! I talked about the first book on Book Fare Podcast episode #58 - the Time Travel episode. I loved the way it combined the time travel trope with a procedural mystery. Mysteries can bore me, and the time travel aspect of this one kept me going.
In this second book, we get more of the spunky heroine Mallory, and the strong, silent outsider doctor. This time, his sister is involved and accused of being part of a poisoning ring. This brings us deeper into all the family relationships and dynamics of the household. There are some fun twists and turns and just a little romance. Give this one a try! Start with the first one!

I had read book 1 of this series [book:A Rip Through Time|58724944] which I highly recommend doing before reading this book just to keep down confusion and improve your enjoyment of this exceptional story. Our heroine which has been tossed back to Victorian times is making her way as best as she can and hoping for a return trip to the future but meanwhile somebody is poisoning men and using a relatively unknown poison. The suspects are numerous and I was convinced that I was going to give this 3 or 4 stars because I knew who the murderer was at about the 75% mark .... wrong. The author does a wonderful job of very subtly inserting some red herrings that you don't realize until the actual murderer is revealed. I was so involved I almost wanted to tell the author "No, you have the wrong person!". So I lost sleep for 2 nights (it would have been 1 if real life would let me alone to read) and so this becomes an easy 5 Star story for me as book 1 was also. Highly recommended!

Another great read. Action, mystery, murder, a touch of romance. The further adventures of Mallory and Duncan, 21st century female detective in a late 19th century, Victorian era woman's body with a mixed race doctor who is interested in early forensic techniques. The adventures they go on while trying to solve the latest series of murders by poison, while trying to prove that those that are being arrested are innocent. It was good read with lots of twists to it.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Mallory is a modern day Canadian detective living in the body and time of a Victorian maid. In this second outing, she is adjusting to life as an undertakers assistant as her employers know her true identity. Someone is poisoning Edinburg men, and most blame the wives. Dr. Gray, as unofficial medical examiner, is soon involved, with Mallory at his side. Soon the case hits very close to home. Mallory, Gray and his sister, Isla work to discover what and who is killing, before one of their own is convicted.

The pacing is fast, the banter is fun and characters - including the new Jack - interesting. I enjoyed the developing relationships, insight into characters from the first book and information on Victorian life and death. I look forward to the next in this series. Highly recommended

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to #NetGalley & Kelley Armstrong for the ARC. I couldn’t wait to read the follow up and Ms. Armstrong did not disappoint. I love how she weaves in unexpected twists and gives glimpse into the coming and goings of the time period to keep the reader engaged. Building upon the 1st in the series with additional murders to solve and trying to find a way home. The crime spree evidence is pointing closer to her employer’s family. As Mallory is still trapped in a past and body that is not her own, with Duncan’s new awareness, she is now able to work somewhat more freely as his mortuary assistant. Victorian Scotland, poisonous murders begging to be solved & a slight bit of romance….just brilliant! I’m looking forward to the next in the series! I’d love to see this as a movie or miniseries too!

Book 20 for 2023 is The Poisoner's Ring, A Rip Through Time Novel, by Kelley Armstrong
I absolutely love Kelley Armstrong's books. She writes across many genres and is incapable of writing a book that doesn't immediately suck me in.
This is the second book in her A Rip Through Time series. While each story is a stand-alone, you will get much more out of the second if you read them in order.
This is a somewhat closed-door who-done-it. Victims are falling left and right seemingly orchestrated by a single perpetrator. One of the victims has ties to Dr. Grey and Isla, making this case personal.
Mallory works with Grey to solve the case bringing her futuristic detective skills to the 1800s murder case with twists and turns and heart stopping action throughout. A fantastic addition to this new series. 5 stars.

#bookreview #2023 #victoriancrime #timetravel #fivestars #poison #netgalley

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The Poisoner’s Ring is the second in a series about a time traveling modern detective. This novel takes off from the ending of the previous one and would probably be best read in order of the series. Modern day detective, Mallory Atkinson’s consciousness is still duck in Victorian maid, Catriona Mitchell’s body. Slacking on her maid responsibilities, Mallory is still pursuing cases with Dr. Gray, the latest being a set of poisonings that seem to link to a ring. The men’s wives are being charged and Gray’s own sister is accused of killing her husband. Mallory struggles to bring the knowledge from the twenty-first century to the investigation in Victorian Scotland but she’s just the woman for the job. The case will take Mallory and Gray through dark parts of the city on a case that has personal stakes for Gray and is way more complicated than it appeared. The characters are great and the mystery is riveting for another great read by Kelley Armstrong. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

The Poisoner’s Ring is a wonderfully fun, cozy historical mystery with a splash of time travel.  I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first book in this series, A Rip Through Time.

Mallory is a modern-day homicide detective from Canada who falls back in time to Victorian era Scotland, where she lands in the body of a maid.  Her employers, a doctor/undertaker named Grey and his sister Isla, a chemist, know Mallory’s secret, and the three of them solve mysteries together. 

The Poisoner’s Ring involves Mallory, Grey, and Isla investigating a possible poison ring, where women are accused of poisoning their husbands.  When Grey and Isla’s sister Annis’s husband is murdered, they have a personal connection to the case.

This book is just so much fun.  Mallory’s a witty, compassionate character and her fascination with police work in the Victorian age (and her modern commentary on it) is such a pleasure to get lost in.  The supporting characters are all memorable and interesting (I love Annis!) and the female characters in particular are all strong in different ways.

The poisoning mystery had me guessing throughout, and the atmosphere completely immersed me in Victorian-era Edinburgh.  This was such a great read on a cold, rainy evening.

Armstrong is one of my favourite writers and this is possibly my favourite series since her Otherworld books.  I love the mix of strong characters, humour, suspense, and historical trivia. There's also some social commentary woven in around gender and race in the historical and modern societies.

This book can stand alone (there’s enough explanation at the beginning that a new reader won’t be lost), but since book one is so fun, I do recommend starting there.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books / St. Martin’s Press for my review copy of this book.

Think Quantum Leap not Outlander and this time travel series is quite exciting!
Second in the series, A Rip Trough Time, set in Edinburg, Scotland. Mallory Mitchell has convinced most people the personality change in Catriona is a result of her head injury. Those is the household know it is because she is no longer Catriona living in the body of a 19 year old housemaid, but 30 year old Vancouver BC Police officer, Mallory, visiting Scotland in 2019 who has arrived through a rip in time.

Working with Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister Isla in their household is providing everyone a look at another time period. This time tracking the killer of 4 men who were poisoned with a new 'element', thallium, mistakenly labelled arsenic. The twists and turns combined with society's attitudes towards women and non-white people makes this a fascinating read. When Mallory uses modern terms and language it opens the reader to being able to chuckle at the responses. Getting herself out of trouble is a constant challenge.

I am looking forward to book 3! Will Mallory ever get home? Will she want to get home or is Duncan Gray too interesting to leave behind?

Mallory is back with this all new adventure. This book was everything I was hoping for. I loved being able to learn more about Duncan and his family and the development of Duncan and Mallory's relationship.

This is the second book in the series. Mallory and Duncan team up with the local police to try and find out who has murdered four people. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there's a twist I did not expect.

Is the posioners ring real, or is it just a myth?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this arc.

Anything by Kelley Armstrong is always incredible, and I have read and reviewed a number of her other books and series for my work, but the "Rip Through Time" series is truly a stand-out, an award-winning combination of historical fiction, mystery, and time travel, with the tiniest hint of romance that I foresee blooming into something larger later in the series.

This is a strong followup to the first book in the series, "A Rip Through Time," and my only complaint is that I wish it went longer, as I did not want it to end. I very much look forward to the next!

Told in first person by Mallory, this story picks up about a month after the events of the first book in the series. There’s a quick reminder of the events and characters from the former, but I recommend that you read A Rip Through Time first because the events that led to a modern Canadian detective investigating a murder in 1869 Scotland may give you a clearer vision into Mallory’s character and the various relationships between the characters, namely Gray and his household, family members, friends and foes.

We’re immediately thrown into an investigation involving a suspicious poison ring, women killing their loved ones with a provided poison, namely wives killing husbands and benefiting from their deaths. Gray’s older sister quickly gets caught up in the accusations.

I enjoyed the mystery and getting to know more of Gray’s immediate family. I love the repartee between Gray and Mallory as well as her relationship with his sister Isla. Adding the prickly Annis to the situation raised the stakes in Mallory’s precarious situation. Watching Mallory still learning to navigate all the differences between our time and theirs is still entertaining. Other than Mallory’s modern way of tackling things, there’s little to no progress on the time travel front in this installment.

Recommended to historical mystery lovers with a penchant for Victorian Scotland.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

I loved "A Rip in Time" and was thrilled to get an ARC of the sequel "The Poisoner's Ring" which continues the story of Mallory who has traveled back in time to victorian Scotland. I enjoyed all the period details as well as the well-crafted mystery. Well done. Given the ending, I assume there will be a third installment in this series. I can't wait!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series "A Rip through time" so was beyond excited to be able to read book #2.
The Poisoner's Ring is about present-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinsons who finds herself back in time 150 years in the body of a Victorian maid.

I did really like the first book of the series, but found it slow at times since so much of the setting, the characters, and the fact of time travel needed to be introduced. With all of this set-up out in book 1, the plot and the story in The Poisoner's Ring moved much quicker and I could not put this book down! There's a new murder to be investigated, that of men being poisoned and many of their wives being blamed, including Dr. Duncan Gray's sister, and many new and old characters to get to know!

Mallory was just as funny and relatable in this book as she was in the first. Her struggles to adapting to life in the 1860's and acting "normal" felt realistic and always so much fun to read. Duncan was once again a delight and I love seeing him and Mallory interact and work together to solve the case. I loved all the witty and intelligent characters and the mystery that kept me guessing! I can't wait to see what happens next in book 3!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books. & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book

Man, was I excited to receive this! (Not a big fan of the cover, though.)

I STILL love this series--just know it's still 90% mystery, not even 10% romance--what's developing between Mallory and Gray is a VERY slow build. We'll see what happens in a third book. (Please tell me there will be a third book.)

You can say that Gray, Isla, and Duncan still accepting that Catriona (who previously was known as the conniving little bitch of a housemaid) is now time-traveling Mallory to be a little far-fetched, but I still feel it's possible since they are a little more open-minded, being judged by society themselves. Also--they genuinely want to solve crimes, and they'll use all the help they can get. Still, I appreciate Mallory not being infallible despite all her knowledge and experience.

The world-building details are rich, the mystery keeps you guessing till the end. A few more characters have been added and have started their development (like Gray and Isla's sister, Annis), while Gray, Isla and Duncan are more and more rendered.

Can't wait for the next one!

The second book in the series A Rip Through Time by Kelly Armstrong, this book delivered just as strongly as the first in the series. The characters are well thought out, and even though there are quite a few characters added throughout the story, they're each written well with their own distinct personalities. I loved how Mallory, even though from the future so to speak, is fitting in well with the people around her. I especially love the relationship she and Duncan are forming, both personally and professionally. Her relationship with Isla is strongly firming up to be a 'best friends' scenario. The world building in this series is fabulous! I love how Mallory tells what the scene looks like in the future as she's seeing it in her time lapse form, 150 years earlier. I am hoping there's a third book coming along at some time in the near future. I loved the cover, it spoke exactly of what the book genre represents. Mysterious! I am giving this 4 stars. The only little, teeny tiny con I can think of is that sometimes Mallory seems to be pushing the thoughts and feelings of the people of her time era instead of allowing the era she's in to have it's own special place. Otherwise, my enjoyment level is high and Kelley Armstrong is fast becoming a favorite author!
Thank you to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong and Minotaur books for this arc version in exchange for my honest opinion.

My overall thoughts:

The Poisoner's Ring is not as good as A Rip Through Time for a few reasons. The first being that the subplot of time travel/going back home is only briefly touched upon, which given the role it played in the first book is unfortunate and kind of odd when you think about it. The second reason is that the pacing is uneven and there are certain sections that are just really slow moving. I felt like it could have definitely been edited down. Additionally the murder mystery wasn't super exciting to me and the big reveal felt just kind of meh. Lastly, as another reviewer mentioned, Mallory's increased usage of contemporary slang, especially in front of people, was odd.

Despite these issues, there were aspects of the book that I loved. The main characters, of course, are number one. Mallory, Duncan, and basically everyone.... I loved them and I even enjoyed the newcomers as well. I also think the scenes with Mallory and Duncan are great and definitely wanted more of those. The writing itself was great as well.

All in all, it was an entertaining read and I overall was excited to return to the main characters from A Rip Through Time. While not as good as the first book, it was engaging enough that I will definitely make an effort to read the next book in the series.