Title: Disturbing the Dead
Series: A Rip Through Time #3
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Time Travel Mystery
Publisher: Saint Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 352

This is Book #3 in the series. If you missed the first two here is a quick recap.
Mallory Atkinson is a 21 Century modern day homicide detective but in this time-travel story she crossed over to 1869 Victorian Edinburgh into twenty-year old Catriona Mitchel who is Dr. Duncan Gray’s housemaid.
Dr. Duncan Gray is an undertaker/forensic scientist/medical examiner and he knows Mallory’s story. He is aware of when she crossed as she and Catriona both had ‘head injuries’. Catriona was left unconscious for days. Dr. Gray explains the personality change as ‘Peccadilloes- brain trauma and allows Mallory to be called Mallory and not Catriona. Mallory sometimes slips and mentions things from the 21 Century and excuses her misremembering as result of her damage to her brain.

She is embracing her new life m the Victorian. She has friends and likes her job. She is trying to understand the fascination with death and is looking forward to a ‘mummy unwrapping’ at the home of Sir Alastair Christie- a noted Egyptologist.
However, when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, the host is missing and the mummy has been replaced!
Gray and Mallory are asked to step in.

Aww love Mallory.- Should I stay or should I go? Yikes what a decision Mallory has to make when beloved Gran is on her death bed and wants to see Mallory.

This is only my fifth Kelley Armstrong story. Why it is took me so long to get on the Kelley train I have no idea. But I am there now .. looking forward to reading not only the next in this series and any of the other great options!!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 7, 2024

My Thoughts

Again, into the past with modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson whose unfortunate accidental inhabitation in a younger woman’s body has caused her a few problems in the past two books.

Mallory has managed to overcome her employers’ misgivings by telling both Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister Isla the truth of her unique time travel experience.

Others however are still going with a different explanation as to why former housemaid Catriona Mitchell now has been elevated as the assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr.Gray.

When eldest sister Lady Annis Leslie brings her siblings and Mallory as her guests to a mummy unwrapping party at the home of Sir Alastair Christie no one expected the events that take place thereafter.

Book 3 had just as much danger, excitement, humor, mystery and twists as the first two.

What I did not expect to happen for Mallory at first threw me for a loop and then it worked out exactly as was best for the series as well as her character.

By books end when all was revealed and story arc concluded I was perfectly satisfied and happily there will be more adventures in the future as indicated by how things were left.

Not a stand-alone but a worthy reentry into these characters lives [ Lady Annis Leslie, Isla Ballantyne, Dr. Duncan Gray, Hugh McCreadie, Alice, Simon and even Mrs. Wallace] that I enjoyed from start to finish!
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

I have always enjoyed Kelley Armstrong's writing and her ideas into a fine story line.

In this one, we are back in the past in Victorian Scotland. Mallory Atkinson is enjoying her time working as an assistant to Dr Duncan Grey as it fits her so well being a detective in modern times. The body switch took place between she and Catriona Mitchell in a dark alley as Catriona is being strangled. Mallory seemed to have stepped through a veil of time as she exchanges places with Catriona as both women are/were straggled in the same alley one hundred fifty years apart from each other.

She becomes accustomed to the times and is accepted in the household initially as a maid and then when her secret is out to the family becomes Duncan's assistant.

The fascination with mummies at this time begins this mystery as they are all invited to a mummy unwrapping and the identity of this mummy has resulted in a murder. Duncan and Mallory are asked to help with the case and their investigation brings many surprising results, as well as a trip into her own times for Mallory, and the developing closeness of both Mallory and Duncan.

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a cop of this book due out in May.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this copy of Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong! This is the third book in Armstrong's A Rip Through Time series and it's another brilliant story! It's so well-paced and that is something I really love when it comes to a mystery novel! After reading this latest installment, I have to say this is quickly becoming a favorite historical fiction & mystery series for me!

I am amazed with each book how well Victorian Edinburgh is brought to life. I can't imagine how much research is going into this series, but I hope Armstrong knows all her efforts are, in my opinion, well worth it!

Disturbing the Dead had me hooked from the opening line. I could not put it down at all, and when I finished I went and read it again (though this time with breaks). What a great mystery! I think the twists and turns were wonderful. I absolutely love the point that Mallory is at with Dr. Gray, Detective McCreadie, and Isla to start this book! The development of their friendship with Mallory from the previous books pays off and we see them at their best when they start working together on this new case. This especially true for the dynamic with Mallory and Dr. Gray, which I loved in this book!

I also really enjoyed the continuation of the plot line regarding Mallory being stuck in the past in Catriona's body. The previous books obviously really couldn't give us much development on that one without it feeling too soon, and so I was excited to get to that here. My jaw was on the floor a one point that dealt with this plot. I was so deeply in the moment with a conversation between characters that I was completely caught off guard by what happened next And then I started the following chapter and wow, again I was shocked, and the roller coaster of emotions I went through from that point on was so great. I don't think the stakes or the choices could've been done better! This was a riveting section of the story, and you couldn't have paid me to stop until I knew what would happen. I just loved every minute! I think anyone who has been following along with this series will be pleased with how it goes in this book!

I've always been so wary of books with time travel, but here I find the time travel aspect makes it all the more enjoyable and original! I love Mallory's 21st century perspective that she brings to 1869 Scotland. Especially when it comes to the differences in detective work! Mallory is definitely is making comparisons and trying to help her friends improve their efforts where they can, but she doesn't really ever think she or her time are better than the Victorians and their time just because she's from the future. It may seem silly to care about that, but too often people and characters seem to me to have disdain for the past. It's like they think progress and knowledge are linear and that by being from further on the timeline of human history they must automatically be better/smarter in all areas. It's an mean-spirited and disrespectful way to look at people from history that I'm so grateful isn't present in this book!

Mallory is such a great character, but truly there's no bad character in this ensemble. Dr. Gray is just wonderful as usual! He and Mallory make such a great team! I love where there relationship is at in this book and I definitely hope we get to see more of them. Isla is brilliant & kind and I just love seeing how much she's growing as a strong character. I was also pleased to see that Annis and Jack were both back! Detective McCreadie is still my favorite character I think. He is so fun & charming, and such a great friend to Dr. Gray. I love when he and Mallory get to talk because their friendship is really endearing! And I absolutely adore the growing relationship between him and Isla! They both deserve every happiness and I can't help but root for them. I will beg for more books just to find out what their future holds!

I can't recommend this book enough! If you've read the earlier books, you absolutely have to continue the series with this one. I think Disturbing the Dead will be enjoyed by all fans! I suppose it's possible that you could just pick up this book without reading the previous ones and be able to catch on to the main premise while enjoying the mystery, but I definitely don't think that is a good idea at all! There is so much from the previous two books (and the novella) that you'd be missing, like a lot of important world building & some necessary character and relationship information. This third book obviously can't give you everything that you'd learn from two books and a novella! If you're reading this review without having read anything from this series, please look at where I talked about the characters. If you see how much I care about them and want that for yourself, you have to understand that you can't get it from just jumping in at this book! I do 100% recommend giving this series a try though, and you absolutely have to get to Disturbing the Dead! It's so well-written and may actually be my favorite book in the series so far! If you like mysteries or historical fiction, I think you'll love how the two genres come together in this series!

K.A. is one of my favorite authors so I went into this book knowing I'd love the writing style and would very likely enjoy the book but still I was blown away. This was beyond anything I could've dreamed up.

Disturbing the Dead
by Kelley Armstrong
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1860s and the other in the present day. The Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.
Fans of time travel tales and murder mysteries set in the British Isles during the Victorian era will want to take a good look at Kelley Armstrong’s latest offering: “Disturbing the Dead," the third novel in her “A Rip Through Time” series.
This is the third in the series, and I’ve been lucky enough to read all three. I eagerly look forward to seeing the relationship between Mallory and Duncan progress as well as Isla and Hugh.
A definite must read for all mystery lovers!
4 stars

This latest novel is perfect for fans of time travel, mysteries, and all things related to Egypt. It's a continuation of the "A Rip Through Time" series, which starts with a murder that happens right under the nose of high society. Lady Annis Leslie invites Mallory, Dr. Duncan Gray, sister Ilsa, and the Edinburgh police detective Hugh McCreadie to a peculiar affair: an unwrapping mummy party. At the party, the host, an archaeologist, Sir Alastair, will be displaying and unwrapping a mummy from his latest Egyptian expedition. But the festivities take a sinister turn when the host goes missing, and the guests eagerly clamor for the unveiling of a mummy by any means necessary.

What follows is a nightmarish sequence of events, with Mallory and her friends navigating a labyrinth of deceit and danger to unravel the truth behind a murder and various kidnappings. The author skillfully peppers the narrative with tantalizing red herrings, keeping me on edge and craving more.

The strength of this novel lies in its meticulously crafted characters, each of whom draws readers into their world with a palpable sense of connection. Amidst the thrilling plot, profound themes of love and sacrifice resonate through the journeys of Mallory, Isla, Dr. Gray, and others, adding depth to the narrative.

Moreover, the elusive figure of the White Lady adds an extra layer of intrigue, leaving readers eagerly anticipating future revelations in the series. For me, as a loyal follower, the resolution of Mallory's time-traveling conundrum brings a poignant closure, tinged with heartbreak yet satisfying in its resolution.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and eagerly await the next installment, brimming with anticipation for what lies ahead in this captivating series.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of time travel tales and murder mysteries set in the British Isles during the Victorian era will want to take a good look at Kelley Armstrong’s latest offering: “Disturbing the Dead," the third novel in her “A Rip Through Time” series.

Past novels have established the following (recapped in “Disturbing the Dead”): Mallory Atkinson is a modern-day, Canadian police detective. While visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland, she is sent back in time to 1869 to inhabit the body of a housemaid to Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister Ilsa. Scion to a family that made its fortune in undertaking, Duncan is a medical school graduate and expert in forensics. Ilsa is a scientist. Mallory has not hidden her true identity from the Grays but has continued as their housemaid while using her experience to help them, and Edinburgh police detective Hugh McCreadie, solve various murders.

By the opening of “Disturbing the Dead,” Mallory, Duncan, Ilsa, and McCreadie are fast friends. Mallory has been promoted from housemaid to Duncan’s assistant. She and the Grays are invited to a reception at the home of highly respected physician and Egyptologist, Sir Alastair Christie, who has just returned from a “dig” in Egypt, bringing two mummies with him. His patron and financial backer insists that Sir Alastair unwrap one of the mummies before his many guests. Sir Alastair resents having to engage in such a spectacle, but he needs his patron’s funding if he is to continue his work and so has little choice.

Surprisingly, Sir Alastair completely fails to appear at his own reception. Nevertheless, the crowd demands the mummy be revealed. Duncan and Mallory undertake the task. Unwinding yards and yards of ancient materials, instead of a desiccated Egyptian corpse, they discover Sir Alastair’s body. Who has killed him and why? And what has happened to the mummified corpse and other missing artifacts? These are the questions Mallory, Duncan, Ilsa, and McCreadie must chase around 1869 Edinburgh attempting to answer—visiting some very interesting places along the way.

Ms. Armstrong has done a first-rate job with her research. We are given a very good sense of what 1869 Edinburgh was like, how Victorians behaved, and the limits on that behavior. Ms. Armstrong excels at imagining and describing the many challenges a modern-day woman caught in that time would have to deal with. That Mallory makes few concessions to Victorian sensibilities often makes for amusing results, as does her dry, sometimes acerbic wit.

I found the plot, pacing, and level of suspense not as compelling as they might have been. The hunt for the murderer and missing artifacts reveals many suspects, none of whom we get to know all that well. Nor do we get to know Sir Alastair all that well. And there’s no tremendous importance attached to the artifacts, beyond their antiquity. Indeed, I was never quite sure what, or how important, the stakes were. And I rarely, if ever, found myself on the edge of my chair. There’s also a fair amount of internal rumination by Mallory, some of it repetitive, that, for me, made the novel drag in places.

Of course, not every novel is, or is intended to be, a “nail-biter.” This novel excels at giving readers likable, interesting, and sometimes amusing characters set in a fascinating, well-described time and place.
My thanks to Net Galley, author Kelley Armstrong, and publisher St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for providing me with a complimentary ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

This marks the third installment in Kelley Armstrong's "A Rip in Time" series, blending historical mystery with elements of time travel.
I love how different this story is, right now its seems there are a lot of new books coming out that have similar plots or tropes. I loved a change of pace.

I absolutely adored it! This book left me with a bittersweet longing that still lingers. Mallory and Gray shine with intelligence and competence, even amidst challenging circumstances. Their interactions are utterly captivating, exuding charm as they blend their unique insights and backgrounds to navigate their journey together.

Mallory Atkinson, our formidable protagonist, is a skilled homicide detective unexpectedly thrust into Victorian Scotland. In a peculiar twist of fate, she inhabits another person's body, serving as an assistant to the esteemed medical examiner, Dr. Duncan Gray. Their journey leads them to an intriguing event—an invitation to a peculiar mummy unwrapping party? Sounds odd but it really works for the story.

Highly recommend and if you haven't started this series, please do!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kelley Armstrong for the eARC!

Mallory is a 30 year-old 21st century police detective who has been transported to 1869 Edinburgh and into the body of an 18 year-old housemaid with an unsavory past named Catriona. Her employers, Dr Gray and his sister Isla, now know Mallory is displaced in time and she is more of an assistant to Dr Gray in his work for the police in solving murders than she is a housemaid. They are invited to a mummy unwrapping party which is interrupted when the unwrapped mummy turns out to be their missing host. As they investigate along with Detective McCreadie the trail leads them to several suspects and an unexpected choice confronts Mallory.
It is hard to discuss the major points of this entry without giving huge spoilers. To a degree this reads like a series conclusion though I sincerely hope there are more stories to come. There are resolutions to some ongoing arcs but there are hints of other things to investigate. The series is highly recommended, I only hope we see more mysteries for Mallory and Duncan to solve. - Addendum: Per Ms Armstrong book 4 and another novella are written and book 5 is on the schedule for fall. I can hardly wait.

Time travel, ancient history and murder grouped up in one book? Call me intrigued.

I closed this book wanting more. The authors writing is too notch, from the way she brought these ideas together to how she crafted the twists and turns in the middle and beyond. The main character waking up in a different body and time? Unique and different than what I’ve read lately. Eye catching.

I will say the main character in the book loves to go above and beyond with explaining things. Which, in turn, made the character significantly more relatable for me. Catch me excited, I’ll explain a single point for the longest time.

The pacing was great, and the slow burn of romance is there! Mallory is absolutely feeling a certain kind of way about Gray. I loved all the characters and I feel like they all had a great deal of depth and personality that was starkly different from one another.

Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, Kelley Armstrong, and At Martin’s Press for the eARC!

Disturbing the Dead was spot on with Kelley Armstrong's books of late. A riveting story of time travel and murder. I was really looking forward to the Egyptian story plot in this book. I was even more pleasantly surprised by the twist in the middle. It was interesting the author went there so soon. I'm glad she did because the MC needed it.
I noticed the MC is a bit long winded in explaining EVERYTHING! I got so distracted by the need to explain every situation that I almost didn't finish the book. The twist in the middle had me back on track in no time. All in all a very good read.

Disturbing the Dead is the third book in a time traveling mystery series set in Victorian Scotland. Mallory Atkinson is a modern day cop, but a murderous encounter in a dark alleyway leaves her somehow stranded in another time and another woman’s body. While she struggles to find a way home she also has to survive in 1860s Scotland, and she becomes entangled in the life of Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker and medical examiner. She’s soon assisting him in solving cases, forming friendships, and finding herself wondering – does she really want to go home?

In this book Mallory and Gray are invited to a mummy unwrapping, only to discover the body under the wraps is no ancient Egyptian, but their absent host. There’s no shortage of possible suspects and motives, and they race to find the killer before it’s too late and an innocent accused instead.

Armstrong is one of my must-buy authors and I enjoy all her books. The plot is always twisty and entertaining, and the pacing is just right. In this book we get a little bit more growth in Mallory’s feelings for Gray. It’s obvious they’re the end game pairing, but I love when there’s a slow burn, will-they-won’t-they dynamic to the romance over several books. I don’t want them to hook up immediately, I want some denial, angst, longing. Earn the inevitable romance! Armstrong is a master of that dynamic and this book doesn’t disappoint.

We get more in the ‘will she get home’ plot as well, which is good; there’s only so long I think you can have that tension strung out before it gets old, and I think we’ve walked the line just right.

Plot is important, but as always it’s the characters that really make or break a book. I love the relationships and connection between all the characters, and I feel like they have real depth and uniqueness. They’re all fun to read, and I love Mallory as the POV character.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A very exciting new installment in the Rip Through Time series. Many characters, red herrings, character development, and twist I really did not expect in a million years! I hope this isn’t the last time we meet with Mallory, Grey, Isla, McCreadie, and their Edinburgh crew.

I received a copy of this book from Minotaur Books.

Disturbing the Dead is the third book in the A Rip Through Time series which is a historical mystery/time travel combo and I absolutely love the series!

I love the FMC, who is a 21st Century detective. Mallory is finding her footing and her place in Victorian Scotland, and I loved the revisit of ti6 travel with a short body swap allowing Mallory to find peace from her past and choose her future. I loved the easy banter and whit between characters as her and Dr. Grey have formed a fun lighthearted closer relationship. And Isja well I simply love her grit in an era not yet on par with woman and equality in the workplace or society as a whole. And oh my Detective McCreadie well isn’t he a vigorous man (laughing so hard over that) we are starting to see how he feels about Isla and I hope that is further explored they both deserve happiness.

We get a brief peak at miss Jeks-Blake and the seven which starts off our current mystery with a "unwrapping" of a mummy, Victorians were fascinated by death and the macabre and I found myself laughing quite often as our sleuths try to figure out who killed the dead man and stoke the mummy remains. The team soon discover their actions and cases are being penned and sold as an early detective ongoing broadsheet being sold to the upper middle class in an early style reminiscent of a Sherlock Holmes and Watson kind of tail, only it seems overly dramatic and poorly written. I must say that really ties up nicely in the end and I’m dying to see how it moves forward in future books. And Jack wow! I did not see that coming and I’m dying to see it happening in the next books. And pants can’t ruin it but I’m excited for that as well 😂 go house Grey! Eccentric household no doubt.

I can’t say enough how much I enjoy this series! Please read it you won’t be disappointed.

I absolutely love the freshly blooming slow burn romance starting to move to the forefront with Mallory and Dr Duncan Gray. I'm excited and anxiously waiting for them to finally admit their true feelings. Hurry book 4 I can’t wait to read it. This series is truly the best and I highly recommend it! If you love time travel, the Victorian Era, a very good police procedural and a slow burn romance this is the series for you! It has the best of all the great things!

I loved it! This book left me with a good kind of ache that I'm still reeling from. Mallory and Gray are smart and capable at whatever they encounter even during such a restrictive time period. Their interactions are captivating - and charming - as they combine each other's knowledge and experiences to decide their next move. Mysteries involving Egyptian artifacts always thrill me but especially so in one of my favorite series by my favorite author! I pre-ordered this without pause. Excellent!

If you are into time travel and mysteries, then this is the book for you.

If you like fully realized, witty characters, then this book is for you.

If you enjoy witty dialogue and learning about Victorian Scotland, then this book is for you.

I was so happy to get the chance to read the third in this series. I anxiously await further installments of this most enjoyable series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. Many thanks to Kelley Armstrong for being an excellent author.

This is the third book in author Kelley Armstrong's "A Rip in Time" series which is a historical mystery and time travel mash-up. I loved the first title one a lot, felt #2 (Poisoner's Ring) was weaker, but this installment "Disturbing the Dead" is very, very good & more of a return to what initially drew me to them. I love how our FMC, 21st Century detective Mallory is finding herself & her place/feelings in Victorian Scotland, and I liked that we got a bit more time travel in this one (wrapping up loose ends). Speaking of which - this mystery starts with an "unwrapping" of a mummy, which was a thing back then - Victorians were fascinated by death. Also enjoyed the romance starting to really ramp up with Dr Duncan Gray. I'm in for more!! My thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC - my pleasure to review it.

If you like historical fiction and time travel this 3rd book in the series A Rip Through Time is a must read. 21st century detective Mallory Atkinson continues with her detective work in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1869. Now working alongside Dr. Duncan Gray as his assistant, she is in the thick of things when they are invited to a mummy unwrapping party at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. But alas, when the mummy is unwrapped, the body is not what they expected. Dr. Gray, Mallory, Dr. Gray's sister Isla and Detective McCreadie encounter many interesting characters as they try to find out what happened to the mummy and the person who was wrapped up instead. The action is fast paced and as the story progresses Mallory realizes that she has some choices to make in what she wants to do in her life.

I highly recommend series and look forward to Duncan and Mallory's future adventures.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur for an ARC of this book.

loved this 3rd book of mallory and duncan. I loved that she was able to visit home and made a choice to come back. Loved the rest of the team and solving another mystery . I think that she somewhere in time herself back to see duncan. I hope that there is another book in the series and more forward movement with their relationship. Loved seeing jack again.