Disturbing the Dead is the third book in the Rip Through Time historical mystery/ time travel series by Kelley Armstrong and it is just as enjoyable as the previous two books. It’s been six months since Mallory, a police detective officer in present day Vancouver, woke up in another woman’s body in Victorian Edinburgh after an assault. She has become more accustomed to her new life especially now that she has become Dr Duncan Grey’s assistant in his work with the police. This time they have been invited to the unwrapping of a mummy, a prospect both Mallory and Duncan find disgusting but it is not an invitation that can be ignored. When they arrive, the host seems to be unavailable so Duncan is coerced into doing the unwrapping, only to find, not a mummy inside, but the missing host. The ensuing investigation will take them to some dark places including an underground market where almost anything can be acquired if you have the right item to barter.

This book is compelling, well-written and perhaps the most macabre addition to the series, touching on some of the stranger aspects of Victorian life, not just their fascination with Egyptology but some rather disturbing folk remedies and I have to say I loved every minute of it. There are hints of more to come in the series and I am so looking forward to Mallory’s continued sojourn in the past. I received both an ebook and audiobook and read along while I listened. The audiobook is narrated by Kate Handford who does an excellent job including recreating the atmospheric feel surrounding much of the tale.

Thanks to Netgalley, St Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to enjoy this book in exchange for an honest review

This is the best book on this series for sure ! I laughed a lot reading it and loved the overall development of the series

My fav character in this book in this Annis - just the first few pages alone are priceless 🤣I wish we got more of her in the rest of the book . Overall I loved the development of the side characters as well as the romance between Mallory and Duncan

I had forgotten that this series takes place in Edinburgh- which I will be visiting again over the summer - definitely adding the Vaults into my list of things to see after reading this book

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Time-travel or mystery thriller are not genres I usually read, but this is such a wonderful combination. I love the setting of the novel in Victorian era Edinburgh. The main story is about Mallory Atkinson, a modern day police detective, who travels back in time 150 years and wakes up in the body of young housemaid Catriona. Mallory is working as an assistant to Dr. Gray as they aid his detective friend in a murder investigation - this investigation is to find the murder of Sir Alastair, whose body was discovered during a mummy unwrapping. The are many interesting characters, including Dr. Gray's sisters: the outspoken and intimidating Annis and chemist Iris. I'm looking forward to more books in this series to catch up on Mallory and Gray's adventures.

DISTURBING THE DEAD is the third instalment in Kelley Armstrong’s adult A RIP THROUGH TIME time travel, mystery series focusing on thirty year old, Vancouver, Canada Police Detective Mallory Atkinson, and undertaker/investigator Dr. Duncan Gray. DISTURBING THE DEAD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading book one A RIP THROUGH TIME for back story and cohesion.

SOME BACKGROUND: In the spring of 2019 while visiting her ailing grandmother in Edinburgh Scotland, thirty year old, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada police detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked in an alley only to wake up as a nineteen year old housemaid in the year 1869, a housemaid who was also attacked and left for dead in the same alley where Mallory was found. Not only has our heroine time travelled back one-hundred and fifty years but she is no longer physically the same woman she was just minutes before. Working as a housemaid for Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister Isla, realizing life as she knew it was no longer under her control, Mallory must assume the position of nineteen year old Catriona Mitchell, a young woman whose history is questionable and dark. Working alongside Dr. Gray and Detective McCreadie, Mallory uses her abilities as a detective to help.

Told from first person perspective (Mallory) using two timelines, DISTURBING THE DEAD follows in the aftermath of the murder of Sir Alastair Christie. The unveiling of an Egyptian mummy finds the people of Victorian Scotland both curious and disturbed including several women who are trying to establish themselves as students at the local medical college but when Sir Alastair goes missing along with several Egyptian artifacts, and his body is discovered in the most unlikeliest of situations, fellow curiosity seekers Dr. Duncan Gray and Mallory Atkinson, with the help of Detective McCreadie, begin an investigation of their own. When fingers are pointed at several potential suspects, Mallory and Dr. Duncan Gray find themselves surveying secret tunnels and underground markets for answers, only for Mallory to be attacked, once again.

The secondary and supporting characters are numerous and colorful. We are once again introduced to Dr. Gray’s household, as well as his sisters Annis, and Isla, as well as Detective McCreadie. The requisite evil has many faces.


DISTURBING THE DEAD is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, jealousy and greed, time travel and acceptance. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the numerous characters are entertaining and charismatic.



THE READING CAFE: https://www.thereadingcafe.com/disturbing-the-dead-rip-through-time-3-by-kelley-armstrong/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5882129888


AMAZON CA: https://www.amazon.ca/review/R35SXXX4B92K5C/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1440324541


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe)https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disturbing-the-dead-kelley-armstrong/1143881714?ean=9781250321299&bvnotificationId=ef1bcd05-0e25-11ef-b684-12bbba09b383&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=hotmail.com#review/308974189

iBooks (Sandy Sch) posted

GOOGLE PLAY (Sandy Sch) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy@thereadingcafe) posted

It's been six months since homicide detective Mallory Atkinson woke up after an attack only to find she was occupying the body of Victorian era housemaid Catrina. While her employer, undertaker and detective consultant Duncan Gray, and his sister Isla know the truth of her identity, she must still play the part for everyone else. Isla has hired a new housemaid in order for Mallory to become a full-time assistant to Duncan and his best friend Detective Hugh McCreadie. In this latest adventure, they are invited to attend a mummy unwrapping in the name of science. When their host fails to appear, Mallory and Duncan are asked to take over, but the body they uncover isn't centuries old, but freshly murdered.
I'm enjoying these stories so much, both the unique Victorian mysteries they're solving and Mallory's adjustment to her new life as housemaid and undertaker's assistant. I'm also enjoying the developing relationship between Mallory and Duncan, with his oddly perfect gifts and his hilarious reaction to the "soft-core" accounts of his and Mallory's adventures. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In disturbing the dead, a rip through time number three by Kelly Armstrong Mallory Atkins is settling into life in Scotland during the 1800s. She is becoming quite well known it’s not only a woman assistant to Dr. Gray but for her and Dr. Gray’s adventures in solving mysteries. She was well aware that people talked about her and Dr. Gray in their mysteries but was not prepared when going to a mummy unwrapping party that the children of the host would not only know her but be enamored of her and the good doctor. Win professor sir Alistair doesn’t show up for his own get together and is soon found dead Mallory knows they have found the next case but is ill prepared for where the case will lead them. Just like the last book the cases victims and perpetrators are caught up in a situation that we will be familiar to most history fans and once again Kelly Armstrong does a great job enter twining a popular event with the events of Mallory and Dr. Gray. They also get a new housemaid but like always not for long but the next one they choose is quite surprising. This was a great book Mallory learned something new about the letters she sent Dr. Gray comes close to professing… Something to Mallory I DK and here we go again I have to anxiously wait for the next one. I want to say I listen to the audiobook in the first two audiobooks I thought the narrator did a superb job it seems now she barely even tries to do Scottish accents having said that I still listen to the audiobook instead of reading the Kindle because she has such a nice voice but wish she would go back to doing Dr. Gray and the good detectives accents. I thought Jack was a great addition to the family. I also once again want to say kudos to Kelly Armstrong for her great achievement in making this is historical Lee accurate as possible. I said it before and I’ll say it again these books are from my favorite series I love them and cannot get enough and also definitely recommend this book. I listen to the audio and read the beginning on Kindle and both are real winners but thought the narrator has a great voice as always just wish she would’ve stepped it up with the accent it’s as if she is getting tired of doing it and I really hope that’s not the case. I want to thank McMillan audio for my free arc copy via netGalley please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A Rip Through Time series is possibly one of my favorite series of all time. I love the characters and the world. In Disturbing the Dead, Mallory and Dr. Gray are off on another mystery, and this time, mummies are involved. The case was interesting, and I loved how everything was tied up at the end. This installment has some crazy stuff happen, and once I was past 50%, I couldn't stop flipping the pages. I'm so happy to hear that Kelley Armstrong already has book 4 done! Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-copy!

Growing up, I enjoyed time travel stories, but the books I read featured variations on H.G. Wells’s classic, “The Time Machine.” These stories featured a scientific gizmo that allowed a character to enter a different era. Sometimes, in a slight variation, the characters would go through a warp-like portal to the same effect. But I wasn’t a fan of stories in which characters found themselves inside other people’s bodies in the past. That is, until I read Kelley Armstrong’s charming novel, “Disturbing the Dead.” This book made me believe not in time travel but in the viability of the body swap story as an enjoyable subgenre.

“Disturbing the Dead” is the third novel featuring modern-day police detective Mallory Atkinson. While visiting Edinburgh, Scotland, she was transported 150 years in the past, inside the body of a housemaid, Catriona Mitchell. Fortunately, Catriona’s employer, Duncan Gray, was sophisticated enough to accept her story. Even more fortunately, Duncan was somewhat of an amateur detective with whom Mallory, in her new body, worked to solve cases.

In “Disturbing the Dead,” Duncan and Mallory attend a party at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. Despite my first hunch, Christie is not an ancestor of Agatha Christie’s first husband. Like Agatha’s second husband, he is an archaeologist who has just returned from Egypt with many artifacts, including a mummy. The party’s highlight is the unwrapping of the mummy to see what lies beneath the bandages. But when Duncan (who has a medical degree) and Mallory unwrap the mummy, instead of a long-dead Egyptian, they find a recently dead Christie.

Despite having one of the best corpse-discovery scenes in recent memory, the whodunit aspects of “Disturbing the Dead” are routine. There are only a few suspects, and the last chapters seem cribbed from an episode of “Moonlighting,” with Duncan and Mallory trying to trap the killer. But the mystery surrounding the mystery is much better. Christie’s murder isn’t the only crime which occurred that day. Someone absconded with the original mummy’s remains, and Mallory now searches for their whereabouts to see if they reveal a clue to the killer’s identity.

Mallory’s search for the mummy’s remains, perhaps to be used for medicinal purposes, is far more interesting than her search for the killer. Her journey takes her to a late-night occult flea market, appropriately called a goblin market. There, vendors peddle arcane herbs and common fakes to unwary buyers. I’ve read a lot of occult fantasy over the years, but this was my first encounter with a goblin market. I was utterly fascinated by Mallory’s trip and her bizarre companions.

Many historical novels feature archetypical characters that readers will immediately recognize. Nearly every character in “Disturbing the Dead” differs vastly from what readers might expect. The best example is Queen Mab, the local expert on preventing—and ending—pregnancies. She serves as Mallory’s “sponsor” on the trip to the goblin market, where Mab obtains some of the wares she uses. Either Queen Mab or the goblin market would be enough for me to recommend “Disturbing the Dead.” But the book contains at least a dozen similar characters and scenarios.

Mallory serves as the narrator of “Disturbing the Dead.” Her narration is an additional delight in the book. She provides insight from sources like the novel “Catch-22” and the movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” to befuddled 19th-century listeners. And Mallory wonders about the scientific and cultural differences between life in 1869 and 2019. A major subplot in the book involves the first handful of women admitted to medical school in Scotland. Not surprisingly, they do not receive a warm welcome from their fellow students and faculty. Several of them figure in the storyline. And when Duncan Gray’s exploits are published in local tabloids, Mallory immediately notices the similarities between Gray and a similar consulting detective who would enthrall the reading public a few years later.

“Disturbing the Dead” is a time travel mystery that readers who rarely like mysteries or time travel stories can enjoy. It’s the third novel in the author’s series about Mallory’s adventures. However, the author does an excellent job filling readers in on the book’s central premise and recurring characters. Those like me who haven’t read the earlier books won’t understand all the references to previous storylines, but that won’t diminish this book’s entertainment factor. “Disturbing the Dead” may disturb a few readers’ sleep patterns as they keep some enjoyable late hours finishing the book.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it.

Disturbing the Dead is book 3 in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. If you haven’t read any of this series yet and enjoy time travelling historical mysteries, I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series, A Rip Through Time.

This novel starts out with Duncan, Mallory and friends being invited to a ‘mummy unwrapping party’. When the host goes missing, Duncan and Mallory step up to unwrap the mummy and keep the party goers entertained. But when it’s discovered that the mummy wrappings contain a much fresher body than they anticipated, the real excitement begins.

I was so excited to receive an e-arc of this novel as I have a great love for this series. Now I know you’re all saying “but Alice, you just have a great love for Kelley Armstrong” and you aren’t wrong, but this series has been so fun and exciting and this instalment isn’t any different.

I found this novel to be so fun to read and I loved trying to solve the mystery before the characters could. Armstrong has such a way with words that I could almost pretend that I was in Victorian Scotland along with the characters from this novel and I was part of their team. I cannot speak on the accuracy as I am a Canadian who has not yet visited Scotland, but she paints a lovely photograph.

I have never been one for historical novels but Kelley Armstrong has a style of writing that never fails to draw me in. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys mystery/thriller style novels with a hint of time travel. You will not be disappointed.

This is the third book in Kelley’s time-traveling detective series. I highly recommend reading the first two before starting this one. While it can be read as a standalone, I think some parts may be confusing without the backstory. That said, this installment is fantastic! Anyone who likes mysteries will love this series. The time-travel aspect takes it to another level! Thanks so much for the opportunity to read in advance!

This is the 3rd book in the series and I recommend that you read the first two books before reading this. I was very confused for first third of the book as I didn't have the basics of the story line. It took me about halfway through the book before I felt like I was enjoying the read. The book contains a time traveling detective from the present who is transported back to the 1800's, a detective in the 1800's, a Victorian household in Scotland of a sister and brother who is the undertaker, two murders and a mummy. The basic story is about a mummy unwrapping and what happens from that point forward. It is a very involved story line and you have a lot of characters to keep straight. Again, if I had read the first two books, it would have been an easier read.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Disturbing the Dead: A Rip Through Time Novel #3 by Kelley Armstrong from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…Fast-paced, well-written and filled with a wonderful cast of captivating characters, a touch of romance, quirky humor, heartwarming moments, and a thrilling mystery….…

A huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s work, I was thrilled to be given the honor of reading and reviewing Disturbing the Dead, the third entry in her “A Rip Through Time series”, and like the first two, I absolutely loved it!

We pick up the story of modern-day Canadian police detective, Mallory Atkinson, who is trapped in the body of Dr. Gray’s con-artist maid Catriona Mitchell in 1869 Edinburgh. Catriona/Mallory is now an assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker and medical examiner, she is doing what she can to cope until she can find a way back home to her own time to see her family and learn if the scheming Catrina is inhabiting her body, conning her family in the present day and she hopes to learn news about the fate of her beloved grandmother.

Dr. Gray and his sister, chemist Isla, are aware of Mallory’s secret and although extremely homesick, she is making the best of the situation by helping Dr. Gray with his cases as they arise, bringing modern day knowledge to help Duncan decipher crimes.

Whilst attending a high society function at the home of Sir Alastair Christie, a highly contested mummy unwrapping party goes very wrong when Mallory and Doctor Gray are enlisted to step in during the unwrapping when Sir Christie cannot be found anywhere. When the unwrapping reveals the dead body of Sir Christie and the authentic mummy and some of its grave goods are missing, they are called to assist Detective McCreadie unravel the clues and uncover Sir Christies murderer. Sir Christie’s children assist Dr. Gray and Mallory by revealing underground tunnels under their home and when Sir Christies unconscious brother-in-law is found in the tunnels it is discovered the mummy had been smuggled out through the tunnel by a cloaked figure. Determined to get to the bottom of things their investigation leads them into the seedy world of the black-market macabre antiquities scene in Victorian Edinburgh. Mallory used to investigating on her own puts herself in peril when she goes off by herself looking through the tunnels, possibly ending Mallory’s time in Victorian Edinburgh.

I love this series in particular the way the author creates such vivid and authentic characters. Mallory is an intelligent, strong, and independent female character but we also see her vulnerable, heartbroken and afraid. Armstrong’s prose feels authentic as she does not shy away from tough topics such as racism, transgender, homosexuality, and misogyny which has made her one of my favorite authors.

Fast-paced, well-written and filled with a wonderful cast of captivating characters, a touch of romance, quirky humor, heartwarming moments, and a thrilling mystery, Disturbing the Dead is a page-turning historical mystery that I highly recommend.

An excellent addition to the Rip Through Time series! The mystery/murder plot is terrific, with plenty of twists, suspects, and red herrings, and the character development is fantastic as well. This series is highly recommended.

Series Info/Source: This is third book in the A Rip Through Time series. I got an eGalley of this to review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: This is the third book in the A Rip Through Time series and I think it was the best book in this series by far.

Gray and Mallory are invited to a mummy unwrapping party hosted by Sir Alastair Christies, an Egyptian explorer. However, when Alastair doesn't show up, the crowd asks Gray to employ his skills as a surgeon and do the unwrapping. Unfortunately, the mummy that they unwrap is not nearly as old as they thought it was going to be. Suddenly, they are wrapped up (ha, ha) in yet another Victorian murder mystery.

I love that we get a bit more information around the time travel story line. I also really enjoyed the mummy mystery. I didn't rate this 5 stars because I do still find some portions of the story to be slow. At times there is just a bit too much police procedural type data for me.

I continue to really love the characters in this series. I was excited by the events that happened to Mallory and hope that we can get a bit more explanation around why they happened and also hope that Mallory can start to move past some of the uncertainty in her Victorian life now.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this installment in this series much more than previous installments in the series. I loved that the time travel storyline makes more progress here. I also enjoyed the mummy themed murder mystery a lot more than previous mysteries. I do feel like parts of the story still move a bit slow for me. Sometimes there is just too much police procedural detail and I end up skimming those parts. However, I do feel like this book in the series had much more consistent pacing than previous books in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. Like the plot involving time travel, the adventure transported me back to my days in Edinburgh. The description of the town was quite accurate. The character MS Mallory investigates a crime. As a detective in the modern day 21st century, she is faced with the challenges of being thrown in the past. She faces many challenges involving, cultural, what women can not do, and technology to solve the death of Mr. Alistair.

I have read the first and third book in the series. References made about what happened in book two were nicely done without the reader been confused. Got me interested enough to grab book two when I noticed it on sale. I really enjoyed the interactions between the various characters. In this book Mallory must make a challenging decision. If the force of time allows, which century will she decide to stay in? Will she, together with her employer and friends been able to safe an innocent man from hanging. Together with Mallory we learn about Victorian era attitudes towards Egyptian artifacts, the male doctors towards the woman wanting to study medicine, the class divides between the gentry and servants. In general, I am not a great fan of time travel, but Kelley Armstrong makes this story feel real to a point that I got a bit emotionally involved. Hoping for a book four in the series.

4.5 Stars
Disturbing the Dead is book 3 in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series which follows a modern-day homicide detective trapped in the body of a 20 year old housemaid 150 years in the past. If you haven’t read the first 2 books yet, I highly recommend you do!

Mallory is now officially the assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray and this time around, they are invited to a mummy unwrapping party. When the host disappears they are asked to step in and soon discover it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped but a fresh corpse.

It was wonderful being back in Victorian Scotland with Mallory, Gray, Isla and McCreadie! I absolutely adore all of these characters and their mystery solving skills. It’s always so much fun following along as they investigate and their banter is truly top notch!

If you’re familiar with this series, this installment resolves a specific plot point regarding Mallory’s time-travel and I couldn’t be happier with the way it was handled.

I love this series and I’m so excited to know there are at least 2 more books on the way. Here’s hoping for many more!

Mallory Atkinsion modern day police investigator has found a home with the Victorian "Gray" family. Transported back when she is strangled in the same place as Catroina Mitchell a housemaid of the Gray family has been, Mallory inhabits her body but retains her scruples and eye for detail.
Each book has an investigation into a murder and this one is quite literally revealed by Dr Gray and Mallory at a mummy unwrapping.
The side characters of Isla, Gray's chemist sister and of Inspector McCreadie enrich these novels with clever conversation and playful banter.
Mallory likes her place in Victorian Scotland and in her ability to make a difference. Her character faces tough choices and vows to stay with Dr Gray for personal and professional reasons. The introduction of forensic details into police investigation is in it's beginning stages at this time, and Mallory tries not to interfere with it's progression.
In this story we are introduced to various women characters who are clearly making their mark in the world.
I love Armstrong's ability to blend facts, humor, insight, and tradition into her books.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for this ARC. Opinions expressed are strictly my own.

I love this series and this installment was no exception! There was a resolution of a big, ongoing plot point here. I love how it resolved and that it left some questions open for the future. The crime here was creative and appropriately mysterious. I always love the cast of characters and the witty banter. I’m looking forward to future installments!

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I started this without reading the first two books in the series. After consulting other readers, I stopped, and read the first two and came back to this one. The Rip Through Time crime novels are fantastic! Its blend of fantasy and thriller that I have come to love.
Mallory Atkinson, a time traveling detective, living in someone elses body is between the present day and the Victorian Scotland. This is so well written that the characters jump off the page in this cinematic third installment. Armstrong’s attention to detail should be applauded.