The thing that had been hanging over the readers' heads since the first book was resolved in this book. That alone makes me eager for a second book.
Other than that, the mystery is compelling and draws you into the darker parts of Victorian society that don’t get enough attention in historical novels. The answer to the mystery might have been easy, but the read to find the culprit was enjoyable.

An excellent continuation of the series!! Mallory and the missing mummy were so fun to read about! The continued development of all of her relationships in the past worked well within the mystery.

4 1/2 stars. Who would have thought time travel and a historical mystery would blend so well together. Well, obviously Kelley Armstrong did and delivers a wonderful series in the process. Mallory, a modern day homicide detective found herself in the body of a young woman in Victorian Edinburgh when both are attacked in the same alley 150 years apart. Luckily she has found help in the form of Dr. Duncan Gray, undertaker/medical examiner and his sister. Together they solve some of the hardest mysteries in Victorian Edinburgh. In this latest installment, Mallory and others go to the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy only to discover the body isn't ancient at all.

Mallory is not the typical Victorian Edinburgh working class woman of the body she inhabits. But that's okay because she is a 21st century woman. She is trying to fit in as a maid at the Gray household. She doesn't want to be thrown into an insane asylum or worse but when she exhibits behaviors and attitudes not typical it isn't the end of the world because some of the Grays know the truth.

Yes the book is about Mallory adjust to life 150 years ago but it is also about good mysteries that need to be solved using the methods and forensic tools available at the time. It is also about found family, social inequalities, gender inequality and race issues. Some of this stuff is just as relevant today as 150 years ago. Armstrong has done a great job in creating believable characters, accurate historical details and attitudes.

Hey, this is probably the best time travelling mystery series out there. Pull out a chair and read or listen to this book (the narrator is great and gives it a special ummp to the story). You won't regret it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an aRC in exchange for an honest opinion.

3-5 stars—I was surprised and happy that Kelley Armstrong included not only the Victorian obsession with all things macabre, including the mummy unwrapping party element in this novel but also the Edinburgh Seven, who were the first matriculated undergraduate female students at any British university. They began studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh in 1869. It intrigued me, so I researched it further. Still, she also provided necessary discussion in the story around how disturbing and disrespectful this is and elaborated on how women who wanted to study to become doctors were ostracized.

Disturbing The Dead is the third title in the "A Rip Through Time" series. You could read it as a stand-alone, but I recommend reading the first book in the series to get the characters' backstories and see their growth.

It was a slow-burn whodunnit mystery with likeable, relatable, well-developed characters, humour, and witty banter between Mallory and the central characters. But it didn’t distract from my enjoyment; my patience paid off.

I was lucky enough to be granted the e-arc and the alc. It was my first time listening to Narrator Kate Handford; she did a fantastic job with the Scottish accents. I could distinguish between the various characters' voices, and she transported me to Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. I felt like I was there. It was a fully immersive experience. I could smell and taste the tea, biscuits, and clotted cream pastries. I could feel the emotion.

Six months have passed, and Mallory is still stuck in 1869 Edinburgh— trapped in the body of twenty-year-old Catriona Mitchell, a pretty buxom blonde but amoral con artist employed as a housemaid by the unconventional Gray family. Her relationships with Isla, Dr. Duncan, and Detective Hugh McCreadie have grown over time; she has become like family and has become his permanent personal assistant. There are a few staff members and family members who still do not know of Mallory trapped in Catriona’s body. Mallory Atkinson is a thirty-year-old from the twentieth century who was once a successful homicide detective in British Columbia—currently promoted to Dr. Duncan Gray’s assistant. This career change wasn’t a choice Atkinson consciously made. She had a near-death experience while visiting her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, Scotland. When she awoke, her consciousness was in the twenty-year-old body of Catriona Mitchell in mid-19th-century Edinburgh, Scotland.

By this novel's time, Dr. Gray and his younger widowed sister, Isla, are aware of Atkinson's unbelievable background. Detective Hugh McCreadie is Dr. Gray’s closest friend and knows Mallory’s story. Between her background in the 21st century and Dr. Gray’s work as an undertaker in the 19th, it is unsurprising that they all find themselves working together to solve murders and mysteries.

Dr. Gray’s older sister, Lady Annie Leslie, invites the four to accompany her to Sir Alastair Christie's home. They are going to witness the unwrapping of an Egyptian mummy. Mallory is intrigued by the idea of seeing a mummy but also uneasy with the ghoulish enjoyment she knows Edinburgh’s high society will take in this event. When it is time for Christie’s party guests to observe the unwrapping, he is nowhere to be found. Sir Alastair is late to his party, and his wife calls on Duncan and Mallory to unwrap the corpse to help the woman keep Alastair's patron, Lord Muir and their guests happy.

Imagine Mallory's and Duncan's surprise when they unwrap a dead body, not an Egyptian mummy, arousing shock and horror in the guests. Thankfully, Hugh quickly jumps into detective mode, ensuring that the constables will transport the dead body to Duncan's lab. Mallory and Duncan begin working to solve the case, examining physical evidence and getting a sense of the dead man's relationships, including those with his Egyptian brother-in-law Salim Awad and the complicated one Alastair had with Lord Muir, including a young woman who had demonstrated her displeasure and disgust at the mummy unwrapping party to guests outside Sir Alastair's earlier in the evening. She is among “The Seven” women permitted to study medicine at the local university.

Dr. Gray Mallory, Isla, and McCreadie endeavour to discover the who and why behind Sir Alister Christie’s death. Because of Mallory’s and Duncan's fondness for adventure, the two find themselves talking to people around town as they check out Alastair's connections. Soon, their inquiries do not go unnoticed, which puts them in peril.

A hiccup in the case that adds some humour is that someone has recently started chronicling their detecting adventures in a dramatic, vivid, and wildly sexist fashion. When pamphlets show details about their current investigative efforts, Mallory suspects someone they know is the writer. Isla deals conclusively with this mystery writer, while Mallory, Dr. Grey, and McCreedie can focus on exposing the killer.


A growing attraction between Mallory and Dr. Gray complicates the investigation. She is conflicted because of her time travel—can Mallory return to her time, and will she want to go if the opportunity arises? How far should she go in her new life—

Interestingly, Armstrong answers a question I've had from the series' outset in this book and ties up a thread, taking a situation that has troubled Mallory throughout her time in Victorian Edinburgh and answering it heartwarmingly. I am eager to know how this development will be further integrated into the series. Still, I also love the more settled, positive way Mallory feels after getting some questions answered by the ending. I can’t wait for the next adventures that await these characters.


I want to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Disturbing the Dead is now available

Disturbing the Dead is the third installment in Armstrong's genre bending A Rip Through Time series. Mallory is finding her footing in Victorian Scotland, and it is no longer evident if she belongs more in Victorian Scotland or the 21st century. It is quite evident that Mallory and Dr. Gray is developing deep feelings for each other, but to my surprise none of them acted on those feelings, and I wonder if we will see a fourth installment in this series.

This has become such a comfort series for me. I always enjoy falling back in with Gray and Mallory. This story was fast paced from the beginning and kept hooked the entire time. I’ve always been a fan of Egyptian culture so the unwrapping of a mummy was super intriguing. What ensued was nothing I ever expected. The twist with Mallory was so bittersweet and yet satisfying. I’m so excited to see what her decision leads to as she and Gray are still tiptoeing around each other. Ughhh, the ending. I wanted to know what Gray really wanted to say!! I can’t wait to see what mystery falls in their lap next!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

Kelley Armstrong's 'Disturbing the Dead' sweeps listeners back to Victorian Scotland in the third installment of the 'A Rip Through Time' series. Mallory, the protagonist, finds herself entangled in another intricate mystery alongside Dr. Duncan Gray, navigating the complexities of time travel and detective work with skill and suspense. Armstrong expertly blends historical atmosphere, tension, and character dynamics, offering a captivating narrative that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats.

Narrated by Kate Handford, the audiobook breathes life into the story with skillful narration that brings the characters and setting vividly to life. Handford's adept portrayal of emotions and distinct character voices enhances the immersive experience, making 'Disturbing the Dead' a must-listen for fans of historical fiction and murder mysteries.

4.5 rounded up to 5

This is the third book in the Rip Through Time series, and I personally do not think that it can be read as a standalone book, you need to start with A Rip Through Time, this sets up not only how Mallory ends up in the past but also the relationships. I do not think you will appreciate this book without reading the previous two.

Kelley Armstrong is back with the next book in her Rip Through Time series and this time the victim comes all the way from Egypt:

Mallory is starting to adjust to Victorian Scotland, though inhabiting someone else's body is still extremely unsettling at times. Mallory and Dr. Gray have settled into a companionship of working together and as they deal in Death, it does not surprise Mallory that they are invited to a Mummy unwrapping Party. What they do not expect is when their host, Sir Alastair Christie, goes missing that Gray would be asked to perform the unwrapping. As Gray and Mallory unwrap the body, they make a gruesome discovering beneath.

This book is a fun ride from start to finish, and I think you will want to read this in one sitting as you sift through the evidence along with Gray and Mallory. For me this is the best book so far in the series. I loved the introduction of the Egyptian side of things, that Armstrong kept the body count low and the overall creativity that Armstrong has with this book.

Mallory is a highlight in this book, as well as the others, but in this one it seems like she got some time away from Gray and the ability to have some alone detective work. It also shows how far Gray has come in trusting her to be able to handle herself in Victorian Scotland.

You can tell that Armstrong did research for this book, not only about Egyptian culture, but also how this culture would have been perceived in the Victorian times. You can tell with the fascination of the mummy unwrapping party, that people want to know about it, but just going about it in a way that is not culturally sensitive. Though to be honest I think during the Victorian times they would use any excuse to have a party. I like the children in this book, with their vast knowledge of Egyptian culture, but I felt they were a little underutilized.

Lots of twists and turns along the way and Armstrong took the story in places that I did not expect her to go. I also feel like a learned a few things along the way, which is never a bad thing. I know that I did not guess who the killer was as Armstrong did a great job of not only having suspects but eliminating them as well.

I really appreciated that Armstrong answered some of the questions that I have had since really the beginning of the series, as to what has happened to Catriona.

This is a great series and I hope that Armstrong continues on in with it. While there are some questions answered in this book, I feel like we have so much more to see where Mallory and Gray go. Highly recommended series, especially if you like investigative novels.

Enjoy!!!

I read Books 1 & 2 to prepare for this ARC and I am so glad I did! I love all the characters and their personalities. I enjoyed watching Mallory grow into her own and decide what she truly wants in her life and go after it! This is such a fun series, I can't wait for the next book! Kelley Armstrong hits it out of the park again!

Ooh, I love Mallory's arc in this third installment of The Rip Through Time series. I am so happy she was able to find a solution to her problem and return to the correct timeline. I love that her parents were so understanding and accommodating and that Mallory was able to see her Nan before it was too late, I have a feeling we will see or hear from her body double in future novels, I think I may have figured out what happened there but we shall see.

Kate Handford did a great job narrating this novel and I could listen to her narrate a novel any day. I will definitely be looking for more books narrated by Kate in the future.

Each book gets better and better. I love the characters and the storyline . I love that we get factual tidbits of past history as well. I liked that Mallory has a chance to go back in time , only to have an impossible choice to make ,but the choice has to be made , giving me as the reader hope that there will be more books in this series .

This series is so much fun !!! It is so original and Mallory is a fantastic character. I really enjoyed the mystery and suspense in this one. I truly love Kelley's writing.

I remember reading the first book in this series and being like... Is there going to be a romance? And I am so delighted to tell you that I essentially still feel EXACTLY the same in this installment, except with more hope. I really loved this installment in this series and I feel like it provided me with a lot of content that I was really hoping to have. I also find it difficult to talk in any specifics about this book because of the fact that it is the fourth book in the series, so rather than telling you about the brilliant character development in this book, I'm instead going to focus on the mystery.
(view spoiler)

The mystery in this one is basically that someone wraps a fresh corpse in mummy wrappings and also there's a lot of danger and intrigue. Okay, so it turns out the mystery is actually not why I'm reading this series. I really just love the characters. That said, I thought the mystery was really well done!

I listened to this book (thank you, Netgalley) and I really enjoyed the narrator. I think the production quality of the audiobook is really well done and I'm extremely grateful I got to read the book in this format (mostly because reading with my eyeballs is so hit or miss). Anyway, if you haven't picked up this series, I highly recommend you remedy that, ASAP!

I'm the kind of person that can't jump into the middle of a series, so when I received this audiobook through NetGalley, I immediately went back to the beginning and started with [book:A Rip Through Time|58724944]. I was skeptical at first...the premise seemed like something that could go in some troubling directions. But as I kept going, I realized that if you can just take the Emperor's New Groove approach of not worrying about how the logistics work, it's a great ride.

Mallory's 21st Century sensibilities are the key - by making her our guide, we're not asked to ignore or excuse problematic aspects of Victorian culture, and we're not asked to forget everything we know about science and history that has occurred in the intervening centuries. Is it incredibly convenient that Mallory got dropped into a household positioned to believe her story and put her professional skills to use? Yep. Does the author acknowledge that? Also yes. And with that, we don't spend much of the story questioning it, we can just get into the mystery. And this is a good one, involving questions still being resolved today about the white gaze on Egyptian history, "nice guys" and their treatment of women, and a good old fashioned underground tunnel system.

This is also (and here's where the spoiler alert kicks in), the book where Mallory makes it back to 2019. Again, don't worry about how it works - but just know that it provides a nice amount of closure that will allow the series to continue without constant worry about her disappearing or Catriona repossessing her body.

I can't wait to see where the series goes from here - each book adds more characters to the colorful cast (learning that Jack will be more central to future installments is a lovely touch at the end), and builds our map of Mallory's Edinburgh, so I hope it continues long into the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I love this series, for a second i thought this series was ending and i almost cried! can't wait to read more

This is book 3 in the A Rip Through Time series and I'm obsessed with this series now! It keeps getting better with every new book and it combines all of my favorite elements - time travel, mystery and some hints of romance!

A few months have passed since Mallory Atkinson, a Canadian homicide detective ended up in Victorian Scotland in a housemaid's body. She has slowly begun to adjust to this new world while assisting her employer - Dr. Duncan Gray, his sister - Isla and their friend - Detective Hugh McCreadie as they work together on some cases. They know the truth about her now so it has definitely made things easier for her, but it doesn't stop her from thinking about her parents and her ailing grandmother in the 21st century.
And now that Duncan and Isla's other sister - Annis has been invited to a mummy unwrapping party by a prominent Egyptologist, she is determined to take them along for the shock value. But they end up getting a bigger surprise when the host - Sir Alistair seems to be missing and the unwrapping reveals his body instead of the mummy 💀 Mallory and her friends have now been pulled into the murder investigation and when some artifacts go missing, they're even more determined to solve this mystery.

Mallory is an amazing protagonist and I've loved watching her settle into her new life while battling some doubts at the same time. She's smart, tenacious and witty, and knows how to make the best out of any situation. The central plot and the murder mystery were just as engrossing as the previous books and I loved the turns that their investigation took us on along with some red herrings along the way. Mallory also gets some closure regarding her past and I was pleasantly surprised by some of the things and how they worked out in the end! It was a bit more emotional than the previous books but in a good way and I loved how the Gray siblings and some of their friends have accepted Mallory just as she is - a perfect found family!

I loved both reading and listening to this one! Kate Hanford has now become one of my favorite narrators after listening to this series! The way she voices Mallory and all the other characters in very distinctive ways is superb - and I love how she has a standard accent for Mallory when she's conversing normally and a more Scottish one when Mallory is talking to others as Catriona. It was so much fun listening to their humorous conversations and Mallory's witty quips. I feel like noone else can bring Mallory to life this way!

Also, the slow burn romance between her and Duncan has me wanting so much more 😩😂 But I'm hopeful we'll get more of that in the upcoming books! Can't wait to read them soon!

"Disturbing the Dead" by Kelley Armstrong is a historical fiction and a murder mystery. It's set in 1890s Victorian Scotland. This is Book 3 in the Rip Through Time series, but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story. I had not read either of the first two books, but I really enjoyed this book anyway.

There is a time travel element in this - the main character, Mallory, is a police detective from modern times and has gone back in time via a near death experience. She ends up with her mind and spirit in the body of a maid at the home of Dr. Duncan Gray, an undertaker and medical examiner.

Apparently, in the last 2 books, they figured out Mallory wasn't Catriona Mitchell, the maid, despite being in her body. They know Mallory's secret, and she's been upgraded to Dr. Gray's assistant. She also assists the police detective, Hugh McCreadie. Isla is Gray's sister, and she is a chemist.

All four of them get invited to a mummy unwrapping party at Sir Alastair's mansion. At the time of the main event, the host, Sir Alastair, is missing. Dr. Gray and Mallory are requested to unwrap the mummy. They do so, and it's not an ancient Egyptian. Someone from the present time (1890s) has been murdered!

I found Mallory to be quite likable. She is intelligent and independent, and she speaks her mind. She is pretty snarky. Dr. Gray is kind and intelligent and rather stoic. The plot is intriguing. The story moved right along. I enjoyed it a lot. There are many humorous moments that amused me.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5 by Kate Handford
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 4.6/5

If you like time travel, historical fiction, and murder mysteries, check out this series! I look forward to reading more of them.

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan Audio, and Kelley Armstrong for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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! The narrator was spot on and made this book so fun!

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 time travel in this installment 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 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 am such a fan of Kelley Armstrong's Rip Through TIme series. I found her when she was writing her Pack series books and cannot wait for her next books, regardless of which series she is writing. In A Rip Through Time, we get another book about Detective Mallory Atkinson who is living in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a house maid in Victorian Scotland. Mallory's fascination with Sherlock Holms plus her own skills as a detective, lead her down some odd paths for what is a house maid on the surface. It doesn't hurt that Dr. Duncan Grey has taken her on as an assistant and feelings between the two are slowly developing further.

Mallory's newest case involves mummies and murder, with a host of complications. We also get to see more of the Edinburgh Seven, women that fought to be allowed to attend medical school.

I really like the way that Kelley Armstrong structures her books. There are several supporting subplots that weave together to bring surpising events to the main plot, and mummies in Victorian times certainly lend themselves to an engaging read. I can't wait to see what she does next with this series!

Kate Handford did a great job with the narration of this book. Her ability to bring a story to life through audio is on par with the best audio book you have ever listened to. I enjoyed her voice acting and was impressed that even listening to her at 2x speed was still an immersive experience.

Thank You St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the chance to review this wonderful book.

Mallory Atkinson was sucked back into time in someone else’s body. A homicide detective now a maid 150 years back in time. Her new case is who killed Sir Alastair Christie. Full of adventure she I just about solved the case when she was swept back to her own time. From help from her dying grandmother she was able to go back and help Mr. Gray solve the case and start to make a life with her new family.