Death at a Highland Wedding, the fourth installment in Kelley Armstrong's superlative time travel mystery series, is a worthy successor to the first three. Mallory, a (30ish) former homicide detective in Canada, is now thoroughly invested in her role as assistant to Duncan Grey, an undertaker and medical examiner in Victorian Edinburgh, Scotland. How she traveled there in 2019, jumping into the body of a young, buxom housemaid, is covered in A Rip in Time, the first in the series.

Over time, Mallory has adapted her way of speaking and acting to Victorian standards, reverting to her sometimes profane natural speech pattern only when she is alone with those who know her real identity. She and Duncan often assist local detective Hugh McCreadie in his investigations, but this time they are all traveling to a country estate for the wedding of Hugh's younger sister, Fiona, to a wealthy landowner. But when a Scottish wildcat is killed in a mysterious way and one of the human guests is also found dead, the wedding is delayed and a new investigation is afoot.

There is so much to admire about this series. Mallory is the narrator and a fully-formed, very engaging character. I enjoy her explanations (to those in the know about her background) about medicine and customs in the 21st century as compared to the late 1800s, and chuckle when she is forced to be convincing in a body and role that is alien to her. Her insights in homicide investigations are very helpful to her colleagues, although she still has to struggle with what VIctorian women are supposed to be. There's also a slow-moving attraction between Mallory and Duncan which may or may not ever be fulfilled. I

f you haven't read this series, it's a good idea to start at the beginning in order to fully understand what has already transpired. But reading this book as a standalone can also be rewarding, as you will enjoy the author's accessible writing style, twisty plot, and characters--yes, even the lesser ones--that are beautifully drawn and fun to read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Rounding up from 3.5. This was honestly a bit disappointing. It's been over 6 months since we last saw Mallory in the Christmas novella and I feel as if 1. nothing happened in between that entire time after the ending of book 3 between certain characters?!?! and 2. this book took place over about 3 days, which I felt like was a bit of a rip-off. I wanted more time with these characters and more depth to their relationships, especially after 6+ months have passed.
Other than that I do feel like the story was still well-written, the mystery kept me guessing, and I did enjoy the Highlands setting. I will continue with the series, but again, a bit disappointed with this one unfortunately.

I read an ARC of Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong. I have not read any of the other books in the series, but enough information was given to follow the premise of the plot. I enjoyed this book. The mystery had intrigue, the clues were plentiful, and the murderer unexpected. The text was well written, and enjoyable to read.

Death At a Highland Wedding, the fourth book in Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time series. This installment is a blend of crime mystery, historical fiction, and a touch of time travel.

Mallory Atkinson, a modern-day homicide detective, finds herself transported back to 1870. Since her arrival in the first book, she has settled into her role as an assistant to Dr. Duncan Gray. Together with Detective Hugh McCreadie, Mallory uses her knowledge of modern criminology to tackle 19th-century mysteries.

In this book, the story takes us to the Scottish Highlands for Detective McCreadie's younger sister's wedding. As expected, things get complicated when a murder occurs, and Mallory and Duncan work to uncover the truth. It's interesting to see how they navigate the era's limitations while addressing sensitive topics in a way that's appropriate for the time.

While Death At a Highland Wedding can be read on its own, I recommend starting from the beginning to fully appreciate the characters and their development. Spending time with Mallory as she solves mysteries is always enjoyable, and I found the ending of this book particularly satisfying. Kelley Armstrong continues to deliver a series that keeps me engaged.

This is my favourite in the series! The Outlanderesque concept is no longer a main focus or needed to enjoy the book. It is very accessible to anyone jumping in partway through the series. This is a contained mystery away at a wedding and it's a delight. Especially if you are a shipper of the main relationships like me. They mystery had me guessing until the reveal at the end. It ended neatly, and I look forward to the next adventure with Mallory and Gray.

Thank you, St. MartIn's Press, for the ARC.

She did it again! Another fantastic read from Kelley Armstrong. Death at a Highland Wedding, book 4 in the Rip Through Time series, gives us another mystery to be solved filled with twists and turns. With a different setting for this book we are introduced to new characters and are given an opportunity to get some deeper insight into our mains. The Series has quickly become one of my absolute favourites. Between the mystery, the attention to detail, the banter between characters and the slowest of slow burns, I cannot wait for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this ARC.

This was a great addition to a highly entertaining paranormal historical mystery series!

Loved that we got out of Edinburgh and into the Highlands for a wedding house party. Great character twists, getting more of Hugh's backstory, a family of Scottish wildcats, and two couples moving at a snails pace (with good and valid reasons, but dang it, kiss already!).

I would prefer less of Mallory's explanation of Victorian life and times. While it's fun witnessing her discover new (old) things, it does get a bit into the weeds at times pulling me out of the story.

I read the first three books via audio, and read this one with my eyes. Kate Handford does a fantastic job but I couldn't say no to an ARC! Looking forward to book five!

Big thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book.

I'm a huge fan of the A Rip Through Time series and was so excited to hear that there was a new book coming out in 2025.

Death at a Highland Wedding mixes up the series a bit by taking our main characters away from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands for a wedding, of course. This shift in location causes us to lose a few of the secondary characters that regularly pop up in the novels but also introduces us to some new characters including McCreadie's sister.

All in all, I found the novel to be more of what we love in this series. Mallory, Gray, Isla, and McCreadie are our constants and they continue to shine and grow in this novel. My only complaints are that the novel does drag in small sections and a few of the secondary characters are only given "screen time" for red herring purposes and that feel like cheating to me.

Final thoughts: Another great addition to a great series. I can't wait for the next one!

Love this series. A time slip between contemporary times and Victorian times are always on my to read list. I've been following Mallory and Gray since she first slipped into the time period, and love the mysteries she always seems to stumble upon. This one was no exception. Set in the gorgeous countryside of the Highlands, a hunting lodge of full of people with secrets. The only thing I didn't love, there should probably be a trigger warning about animal death. While I know it's a wild animal, I was big bummed out about the hunting "accident" that happened. Otherwise, a great installation in the series.

I really enjoyed this. I will say at times it felt a little wordy, but all in all it was very good. I’m yearning for so much more in the relationship departments. I do hope it’s coming. I love the characters in this series. And I thought the outcome was perfect. Looking forward to more. This author has such an incredibly unique way of weaving a story.

I love this series more and more with every book. Having Decided to settle in with Duncan and Isla, Mallory is so much more relaxed and confident. It’s like having made her decision lifted a weight from her shoulders. This mystery takes place at a country house party/wedding, and I adored the cast of characters. I hope we see some more of them in the future. And long time fans will still be pleased with the slowest ever burning romances. Thanks to Minotaur for the ARC.

I loved it! This is my favorite author! Every book in this series has been excellent. I especially enjoy it when a series takes a road trip. Mallory and Gray have no problem "making do" and MacGyvering their tools even though they are far from home. It was very interesting as they explained while setting up. The intuitiveness and kindness of Mallory in her methods keeps me drawn in and I never want the book to end. So good!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Mallory Atkinson remains 150 years in the past in Scotland. This book takes Mallory, Duncan, Hugh and Isla to the country to attend Hugh's sister's wedding. One of the guests is found murdered and its up to the group to figure out the culprit.

Another solid addition to the Rip Through Time series. I love the juxtaposition of Mallory's old and new worlds.

As expected from Kelley Armstrong, Death at a Highland Wedding delivers compelling storytelling that doesn’t disappoint. The fourth installment in the “A Rip Through Time” series takes Mallory, Gray, Hugh, and Isla to the Scottish Highlands for a wedding—Hugh’s younger sister Fiona is marrying Alex Cranston, a wealthy gentleman a decade her senior in an arranged marriage.
This novel shines a spotlight on family dynamics, particularly Hugh’s strained relationship with his parents. Their disapproval of his decision to become a police detective, coupled with his broken engagement to Violet (his ex-fiancée from an arranged match), adds tension to the story. Matters grow more complicated with Violet’s presence at the wedding and the budding feelings between Hugh and Isla, as well as Mallory and Gray.
As the title suggests, a death disrupts the festivities. The first mystery arises with the poisoning of a mother wildcat, whose body was concealed in a bear trap to mask the manner of her death. This incident leads to a deeper investigation involving a hostile estate game warden, two local children caught trespassing, and a slew of wedding guests, including Ezra, a close friend of Gray and Hugh. When Ezra is found murdered, Fiona’s fiancé is arrested by Ross, the young and inept local constable, the stakes are raised, and the team must work quickly to uncover the truth.
Armstrong expertly weaves twists and turns into the narrative, building to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of the series will find this latest entry as captivating as ever. It is highly recommended that you start this series with book one to get the full effect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

what a great book and that takes place in the highland. loved that there was a mystery to solve and that relationships changed for both isla and Mallory. love Duncan and Mallory and their relationship. loved that this takes place at a wedding. Friends aren't what they seem. This is such a good series and love reading about what happens with medicine in the past.

I devour just about everything that Kelley Armstrong writes. This is the fourth book in the A Rip Through Time series and it was great. I would say this is as good as the first!

I would recommend reading them from the start to completely understand the series and characters.

❤️ the change of scenery
❤️ the sarcasm from most of the characters
❤️ this book in the series was based on Hugh and his family and background
❤️ always love the history references in all of these books
❤️ the will they or won’t they (start from the beginning and you will understand)
❤️ the mystery and suspense that keeps you from putting the book down. I absolutely needed to know the entire story.
❤️ I loved the non traditional ending

I would call this a cozy mystery but it's not really. It's quite dark in some points. These books that mesh the modern world with the Victorian one keep me interested and I very much enjoy the main characters and how they've embraced their eccentric ways. This book provides more background on the Victorian characters, their histories and is hopefully setting up for more interesting tales back in Edinburgh.

When asked about the type of books that I enjoy, my standard answer is, "I read everything except time travel." So what made me start this series to begin with is truly a mystery, but I'm so happy I did. I love Kelley Armstrong's writing for one thing, but it goes further than that. This series is the perfect blend of likable characters, a fascinating historical setting, and fantastic mysteries. In the current installment, Mallory and Duncan investigate the death of a guest at a Scottish hunting lodge where they are all gathered to celebrate the wedding of Detective McCreadie's younger sister.

As I said before, the characters in this series are so charming and relatable. I love the developing relationships between Mallory and Duncan and Isla and Hugh. They are moving so slowly, and that works because it doesn't detract from the mysteries in these novels, but it does keep me hoping for more. Without spoiling anything, I can only say that I love the advancement of those relationships in this book. The side characters are also great. Alice is endearing, and I can't wait to see how her character arc further develops. I did miss the housekeeper and Jack in this one, but I'm sure they'll be back in future books.

I loved the addition of Fiona to the cast. I hope we get the chance to catch up with her in the future. The addition of the tension in McCreadie's family is also intriguing, and although by the end of this one, we know a bit about what caused it, I would still love to see more happen in this story line.

Finally, the mystery. I did not guess the ending of this one, and I was very surprised, but I thought it was perfect. Although this was a difficult one to read about, it was done with tact and not a lot of graphic content which I very much appreciated. We get enough details to understand what happened, but we are spared some of the horificness, (not a word, I know) of the crime that led to the guests death.

If you, like me, are not a fan of time travel, read this anyway. The time travel element is minimal yet crucial to the plot, but it's done really well, and in this case, I don't mind it at all. If you are a mystery fan, read this. You'll love the way that Mallory, a 21st century homicide detective, adapts to solving crimes in Victorian Scotland. If you like historical fiction, read this. You'll enjoy the vivid descriptions of Scottish life in the 1800's and appreciate the comparisons drawn between then and now. Okay, basically, if you like books at all, read this. You'll be glad you did.

This book was an absolute delight to read—well crafted plot, interesting and endearing characters, twisty mystery and Highland based action! I look forward to more featuring Mallory, Duncan and McCreadie.

Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and author for this arc ebook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the arc.

A Rip Through Time is fast becoming one of my favourite series so I was very excited to be able to read this one early and it did not disappoint!

In Death at a Highland Wedding Mallory and co head off to the Scottish Highlands for the wedding of McCreadie’s sister. We get to spend time with some much loved faces as well as meeting some new ones, and, of course, there is a new murder to investigate.

It has the witty banter, strong characters and intriguing mystery that I’ve come to expect from this series. As well as the slowest of slow burns that made me devour this book and immediately eager for the next.

If you loved the rest of the series then I would highly recommend checking out this one too!