I have to admit that even though I was eager for a time-travel mystery, I wasn't sure how well it would turn out. Execution is critical and time travel novels are tricky. But this was handled very well and the story was great fun. The idea that modern day Mallory ends up in the body of housemaid Catriona Mitchel in the 1870s worked perfectly the way it was presented and solved many problems that could have risen with a sudden stranger transferring to her body.

Although this is the 4th book and I hadn't read any of the prior in this series, everything was explained well and I had no trouble at all jumping into the series at this point. The relationships are established and Mallory being from the future is already accepted, so in many ways I liked jumping in at this point.

I like Detective Mallory Atkinson who is smart enough to realize she has to meld into the norms of the time for women. She is a well thought out character in extraordinary circumstances. Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie have accepted she isn't housemaid Catriona Mitchel and that she knows about forensics, advanced policing techniques, and even more important, they appreciate her. She has found more of a family in the past than she ever imagined. I like both Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie. I liked the bride, McCredie's sister even more through the book.

I love the setting woven throughout the story as not only a lovely area but simultaneously an atmospheric one. Great job in having the place set the tone in several scenes.

The investigation is done in spite of the young and inept constable insisting they butt-out and stop attempting to direct where he should give attention or how to investigate. This tension becomes key. It is very hard for our trio to figure out who did it until they start to piece together the "why." Why would a popular and well regarded man be murdered?

The killer confrontation isn't suspenseful. It is realistic, though, and well done. I typically love the action and tension filled reveal, but I have to say this time it was emotionally intense. For once I preferred it this way because it was written so well. Kudos!

Overall it is an absorbing mystery and well written with excellent characters that transports you to another time and place. Highly recommended. I'm already getting the first in the series.

When I selected this book to read, it was because I liked the cover and the Author. I read Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series when it came out and loved it. I did not realise this book would be the fourth book in the series. However, I still proceeded to read the book and was happy to see that you can read the book as a stand-alone and that there is a recap page of the previous books. The book had a nice pace and kept my attention, and I did not have it figured out who committed the crime until the end, and this does not happen very often for me. The relationship between the characters and their growth throughout the story is engaging and lifelike. I do hope to see Dr. Gray and Malroy get together; I think they are compatible. I'm happy that Isla and McCreadie were able to work through personal feelings and get together in the end. I'm excited to see where the next book will take the characters. I plan to pick up the other three books and get more of the story. I am very glad to have rediscovered this author. Thank you for allowing me to read an advance copy.

Gripping, interesting, chilling, shocking and hard to put down! I fell in love with the characters of Mallory Atkinson and Dr. Duncan Gray in the first book in the series, A Rip Through Time! I continue to adore them and the supporting characters in this book. If you have not read that book or this series, I highly recommend it. I find not only this book but the other books in the series to be captivating, wonderfully written, atmospheric, thrilling and mysterious.

A brief background on the characters - Mallory Atkinson was a detective in Vancouver in modern times but found herself being transported 150 years into the past to Victorian Scotland and into the body of Catriona Mitchel, a housemaid for Dr. Duncan Gray. Lucky for her she found herself being transported into Duncan's home as he is an undertaker and works closely with Detective Hugh McCreadie. She was able to confide in them and utilize her modern-day detective skills to assist them in solving crimes.

In Death at a Highland Wedding, sees Mallory/Catriona, Gray, and McCreadie traveling to the highlands for a wedding at the Cranston estate. The grounds are beautiful but immediately Mallory senses something isn't right when a cat found in a trap has injuries that do not match up with the trap. Something is afoot and the groom is acting in strange and odd fashion. When a dead body is found, the trio must work fast to kind the killer!

As with the other books, I loved the setting. I also loved the atmosphere that oozed from this book. The Scottish Highlands, the forest at night, the tension in the air, and the mystery surrounding the cat's injuries and the murdered guest, made for a gripping mystery. I also love the dynamic between the characters. Mallory continues to try to behave and fit in as a woman would in Victorian times. Plus, her interactions with Gray have me wanting to shove them together and say 'come on already' as their chemistry is off the charts!

I love Kelley Armstrong's writing and her use of place and time in this series. She nails the Victorian settings and feel of the book. I also love the dialogue and how Mallory can utilize her current detective skills with the skills of the investigators of that time. The mystery was intriguing and had me wondering whodunit the entire book. The final reveal was nicely done and well played out. While I enjoy the mysteries and crimes that are investigated in this series, it is the relationships and characters that keep me coming back. Kelley Armstrong has created characters that I care about and root for.

Riveting, chilling, atmospheric, gripping and hard to put down!

Oh, the flirty tones of this book. I loved it, characters on point, narration on point, and the murder mystery thrilling. Gray and Mallory just need to take it to the next level. I can understand why Gray does not see her fascination with him, but Mallory is supposedly good at reading people, so why is she oblivious to Gray's fascination.

Cannot wait for the next book.

#netgalley

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth book in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. This book follows Duncan, Mallory, Isla, and Hugh as they travel to the Scottish Highlands for Hugh’s sister’s wedding, where they encounter a mystery that needs to be solved.

The story brings us once again together with Isla and Hugh and wondering if they will admit that they have feelings for one another and will they or won’t they finally give in to them and become the couple they were meant to be many years ago. Of course, Duncan and Mallory are in a similar situation, Mallory clearly has deep feelings for Duncan but does he see her in the same light? Mallory is smart and knows she should not want or ask for more, Duncan’s friendship is enough for her, but this reader is begging Duncan to draw Mallory into his arms and kiss her like he is madly in love with her.

We shall see

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advance audiobook and reader copy of Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong and narrator Kate Hanford in exchange for an honest review. This book was so much fun to read. I started it as an ebook and when I got the audiobook, switched to it. I really enjoyed the narrator and found her accents and reading very pleasant to listen to. This book was like a modern Agatha Christie book, set in 1870 Highlands of Scotland. There was intrigue, romance, forensics and friendship in this book and I find myself anxiously waiting for the next one. There were new characters introduced, Hugh's sister, Fiona and his ex-fiancee, Violet. There were also childhood classmates of Hugh and Duncan, Archie and Ezra.
I really enjoyed how Armstrong gave us the first impressions of these new characters and then delved deeper and fleshed them out. It really felt like I was part of the group, getting to know the new people and how easy it is to jump to conclusions about people. I was suspicious of some at the beginning and then had to change my opinion as more was revealed.
This is what I love so much about Armstrong books. She drops you into the world and makes you part of it. She also has an uncanny ability to write any genre and it feels like that is her specialty, then you read a different genre by her and it's just as real and believable. Another great book by Kelley Armstrong, now I get to read a rom-com by her.

While this is a darker mystery than the previous ones, it does still retain the lighthearted and found family vibes from the previous books. The discussion of the differences between Victorian society and 'modern' society and how something have not changed continues to be a fascinating addition to the books as well as the slow burn between Mallory and Grey.

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth in the Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong, and it is just as fantastic as the rest of the series.
As I have pointed out many times, Armstrong is an amazing storyteller and can engage me in a genre—time travel—that I don’t generally enjoy. Mallory, a modern day Canadian detective is still in the body of a ten year younger woman in Victorian Scotland. In this adventure, we get to learn much more about important supporting character, Detective Hugh McCreadie, as the household goes to attend his younger sister’s wedding. One of the guests is found murdered and the local police do not seem inclined to find the correct killer.

Not only is the mystery twisty and laden with false assumptions, but what I really enjoy is watching Mallory try to navigate all of the social values and attitudes that exist in Victorian Scotland. Armstrong touched on DV previously but really looks at the interactions around women and dating, marriage, pregnancy, sex, consent, and how these inform the choices they can make. Even though that can lead to some dark places, it is balanced with being a fun, and funny, and intriguing mystery.

As always, the pacing was perfect, the characters very well written, and I could hardly put the book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

✨Book Review✨
Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I had the pleasure of reading Death at a Highland Wedding as an advanced reader copy, and I absolutely loved it! Kelley Armstrong once again delivers a fantastic mystery with rich character development, an atmospheric setting, and a twisty plot that kept me guessing—I truly didn’t see the culprit coming!

Mallory and Gray’s relationship continues to be a highlight for me, and while I’m eager to see their dynamic progress even further, I guess I’ll just have to pick up the next book to find out! The Scottish setting was especially exciting, as I’ll be traveling there this year, and Armstrong’s vivid descriptions made me feel like I was already there.

Honestly, I have no complaints—I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you love a well-crafted mystery with compelling characters and a stunning backdrop, this one is a must-read! Highly recommend! ✨

#Bookstagram #BookReview #DeathAtAHighlandWedding #KelleyArmstrong #MysteryBooks #CozyMystery #ScottishMystery #BookLover #ARCReview

I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Death At A Highland Wedding. The following review is a description of my own thoughts and feelings about the story.

This is the fourth book, in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. It follows Detective Mallory Mitchell who is a bright and curious woman in 2019. On a late night run, she finds herself investigating a strange scream of what sounds like a woman in distress. Only to be attacked and strangled a few moments later. She wakes up in a different woman’s body, of a housemaid to an undertaker in 1869. She now has to navigate her life as a maid, with her 21st century modern knowledge and mentality. In this story, the main character travels with her employers and family friend detective to a wedding for the detective’s sister. However, what starts out as a joyous event turns into a murderous reunion.

Kelley Armstrong delivers a thrilling mystery, set in the late 1800’s in the Scottish Highlands that is a mix of mystery, with a swoon worthy slow burn romance. She incorporates a mix of historical and modern murder elements, mixed with a time travel fantasy. The writing and flow of the plot is beautifully executed. She provides an engaging descriptive plot, that keeps the reader interested, and constantly surprised and guessing what will happen next. I always thoroughly enjoy and am blown away by the stories she tells.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kelley Armstrong for an ARC of Death At A Highland Wedding. I look forward to continuing the series.

This was another great addition to this series. This time everyone is in the Scottish Highlands for a wedding. The groom has set up traps for wild cats along his estate and one was found dead with its kittens nearby. It turns out that it is not so much the groom who did it but his newly hired game keeper. There is something odd and suspicious about the gamekeeper. It also comes to light that it wasn't the trap that killed the wild cat but the cat was poisoned. Soon after that someone is murdered. It turns out to be a very tangled web and a great mystery!

Mallory is a great character and I love that she is a modern woman in a Victorian woman's body. She absolutely makes this series. I love historical fiction and a good mystery. The fact that you add a strong modern woman to the mix makes this series stand out. My only complaint would be that I wish something more would happen with Gray. This is the fourth book and I am really hoping something happens soon. I highly recommend especially if you love mysteries, historical fiction, and time travel!!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
A Rip Through Time #4

In this fourth novel in the A Rip Through Time series, modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson continues to be sure that living 150 years in the past seems to be the place she wants to stay. She is now working as undertaker Dr. Duncan Gray's assistant and is working closely with Detective Hugh McCreadie, who can make use of Mallory's "in the future" knowledge when she deems that helping him with such knowledge won't set the world spinning off it's axis or some other horrible event that could come from messing with time shifts and future knowledge merging with the past.

Mallory, Gray, McCreadie, and Gray's sister are heading to the wedding of McCreadie's sister to McCreadie's and Gray's school friend. The estate where they will be staying is gorgeous but revolves around game hunting and the new owners have alienated the village people and the people who have lost their homes and jobs with the new owners taking over the estate. There is a lot of fighting and dissention under the surface and also out in the open. The estate is now covered with traps to hinder and greatly injure trespassers and the entire place is seething with bad vibes.

Then there is a murder. This is where Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie shine, trying to solve a crime when they have to keep so much hidden and not insult the people of that time, when they know so much more than they should know thanks to Mallory being from the future. This fourth book is my favorite of the series so far. It's nice that the trio is on the same page more often than not, now. Mallory and Gray are also inching closer to something between them. I want to give them a big shove but I'm on the other side of the pages so I'm totally hindered from interfering.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for both the ebook and the print book of this ARC.

4.5/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the A Rip Through Time series (there are also 2 novellas). This is a mystery time travel series set in 1870.

I love seeing modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson in Victorian Scotland. I am not a big historical fiction reader. But I am enjoying this series so much.

This book has Mallory and the gang going to the Scottish Highlands for a wedding. This was an amazing setting. And the mystery was fantastic.

I absolutely loved getting to see more of my favorite characters. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in this series.

This is the 4th book in the Rip Through Time Series, and I love the progression. Mallory, Gray, Hugh, and Isla are working better as a team, and have become close friends. Mallory has been entirely accepted as a time traveler from the future, and it gives her the freedom to be who she is, a feisty, strong, accomplished woman. Mallory and Gray, as well as Isla and Hugh, are moving closer romantically as well. We have an intriguing mystery too, which is well played out. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Armstrong will take us next. 4-1/2 stars

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

THis is my first tale with this band of detectives but I was able to jump in pretty easily. The story flowed along nicely and I enjoyed most of the characters

I love this series. This installment is more of a McCreadie and Mallory investigation than Duncan and Mallory, but the supporting cast is great and it was fun to see them in a closed door mystery and outside of Edinburgh. Some parts were convenient and rushed, but I’m so entertained I don’t care.

I don’t usually mind Duncan’s abrasive manner because we see his charm through his single-mindedness. But here he was so obtuse it was disappointing. The slow burn is now frustratingly glacial. I’m glad for Hugh and Isla’s progress, though.

810640 Kelley Armstrong is one of those authors that consistently delivers books that are exactly to my taste, across genres. In her Rip Through Time series, Mallory Atkinson is a modern day detective visiting family in Edinburgh when she’s violently attacked in an alley. When she wakes up, she’s in Victorian Scotland in the body of a young housemaid, working for the local undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Gray. Hijinks ensue.

This is the 4th book in the series, so we’ve had time to settle in with these characters. Oh, they’re all going to a country house for a wedding? They’ll be staying at the estate? Look, I’ve read plenty of regency romance, I know what happens at these house parties! Ok, maybe it’s not usually MURDER, but what more could you ask for? Mallory and Gray at a beautiful country estate, a wedding, a body to examine together and a murder to solve, come on.

There’s definitely progression on the romance front for several couples, but this is a slow burn –and thank GOD, why aren’t there more slow burn romances lately, I need a serious break from insta-love. Look y’all, the slower the burn, the hotter the fire, ok? The payoff is going to be so worth it.

As far as the murder mystery goes, I was engaged and surprised by several of the reveals. (I do want to be upfront about this, a trigger warning for SA.) I feel like Armstrong’s mysteries are always well done, never over the top and always believable, but still well constructed and a complete surprise.

You should really start at the beginning of this series to get the full effect, but if time-travel-romance, fish-out-of-water, Sherlock-esque characters appeals to you, then I think you’ll like this one. It’s not out till May so you’ve got some time, but make sure to put it on the TBR!

As always, thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! My opinions are, for better or for worse, my own.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book! I had been anxiously awaiting this book coming out and was so excited to receive a free, advanced copy of it. My opinions are my own and are freely given.

I love this series so much. I have always loved the time-travel genre. This has quickly become my favorite time travel series. The plot and characters are amazing, and I love a slow burn.

This can be read as a stand-alone book (and even includes a 'what you missed' blurb at the beginning of the book), but the series is so amazing that I would recommend reading all of the books! If you start with this one, I can't imagine anyone not going back and reading the previous three. Although there are not spoilers for who the murderer is in the previous books, you will definitely miss tons plot-wise.

This book hasn't been published yet, and I have already marked on my calendar to look for the next book, to make sure I don't forget about the series. It's so hard to wait sometimes!!!

Definitely recommend this entire series!

Triggers: rape

My Thoughts

Life in 1870’s Victorian Scotland after being transported back in time has become easier in many ways for modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson as her employers have become friends as well as her confidants.

This story starts with a road trip to the Scottish Highlands where Hugh McCreadie’s younger sister Fiona is marrying his friend Archie.

The trip itself is fairly uneventful but upon arrival at the Cranston estate that changes quickly and readers are embroiled in not only a murder investigation but uncovering damaging personal secrets right along with our characters.

To make things even more interesting Hugh and Isla seem to finally be acknowledging their feelings for each other, now if only Duncan and Mallory find a way to do so my heart would be happier.

As have the three full length books before it book four only made me want more adventures with this group of fictional people that I have grown quite fond of.
[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.

“There’s nothing quite like a Highland Wedding”

Oh how I adore this series.

This is the fourth installment in the Rip through time series, however it can be read as a stand alone. Kelley Armstrong has a quick synopsis at the beginning of the book that makes it easy to jump right into this world.

In this story, what is quickly becoming my favorite foursome of Mallory, Dr. Gray, Isla, and Hugh McCreadie embark on a road trip (or more accurately for this time period a carriage ride) to the Scottish Highlands for a wedding!

This is not just any wedding, Hugh’s little sister is getting married! But what’s a wedding without a murder and secrets to uncover. That’s where our team thrives, working their magic to solve this strange case of “whodunit”.

The mystery in this book, the banter between characters, ideas of time travel, historical references, and the slow burn possible romance I’m still holding out for are top notch. Kelley Armstrong has masterfully tied so many different genres together into one amazing tension-filled adventure. I was invested after the first chapter and this story did not disappoint.

Pick it up, try something a little different. This one is a keeper.

*Also sending out an honorable mention for the lost letter*