This series has everything I love: historical setting, mystery, romance, and well-developed characters. This most recent installment finds Mallory, Duncan, Isla and Hugh traveling to the Scottish highlands for Hugh’s sister’s wedding. Everything is brought to a stumbling halt when one of the guests is murdered.

The new setting brought a fresh feel to the series, and I love all the little moments of developing romance between our main characters. I also enjoyed the additional difficulties of our heroes not having jurisdiction in the case, so they had to work around the overly eager, and totally green, local constable.

I thought the mystery was decently plotted but the resolution could have been better fleshed out. For how long it took to get to the real heart of the case, I would think the author could spend more than ten pages resolving it. I still enjoyed every minute, even though the author continues to mess with us with those will-they/won’t-they moments. The missing letter had me screaming, but I truly think the next in the series will be worth the wait.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this early arc. All opinions are my own.

Death at a Highland Wedding is the Death at a Highland Wedding is the 4th book in the Rip Through Time Series. Just like her other series, Kelley’s Rip Through Time only continues to grow in character and world development. I think out of all of the books in this series, this one is my favorite so far.

We return to the Victorian Era with Mallory, Duncan, Isla, and Hugh trying to solve another mystery. This time, the group of friends are traveling to an estate for a wedding. Hugh’s sister is getting married. It’s a bit of a complicated situation with Hugh, his family, and a broken engagement, but his sister really wants him there.

Along with a new cast of characters comes a new mystery, of course! This time, a man has been killed and it’s up to the group of friends to figure out what happened and who committed the crime. There are some interesting scenarios thrown in that throw everyone off, too, including an incompetent new constable. Everyone has to work around this individual while also trying to do their part in solving the mystery.

While this is going on, we still see growing romantic tension between Mallory and Duncan, and I can’t help but cheer them on and hope that eventually they will end up together. I want them both to be happy and not have to worry about Mallory jumping back through time to her own time.

I’m eager for the next installment and can’t for more adventures with the crew!

Thank you to Kelley Armstrong, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A misunderstanding knocks the friendship between Duncan and Mallory off course. 🙁

After being attacked in an alley while investigating the screams of a young woman, Det. Mallory Atkinson has body-swapped with a young Victorian housemaid named Catriona Mitchell in 1869 Scotland. Mallory was lucky enough to find herself in the household of Dr. Duncan Gray, a doctor at the beginning of criminal forensics and now moved up from housemaid to Dr.’s assistant.

In Death at a Highland Wedding, Mallory has been invited to attend the wedding of Fiona McCreadie, Hugh McCreadie’s sister along with Dr. Duncan Gray and his sister, Isla Ballantyne. It seems that McCreadie was once engaged to the groom’s sister, Violet, in a long term arrangement between the families. When McCreadie decided to leave his family and pursue an actual job in law enforcement (or more to the point, the first time he laid eyes on then Isla Gray), he broke the engagement. Now his younger sister is about to marry Violet’s older brother, Cranston, in order to join the families.

Our party is invited to partake in the festivities to take place in the days leading up to the rest of the guests arriving for the wedding. Which should have been fine except that Violet is still harboring feelings about the broken engagement which left her a jilted and undesirable bride, this makes everyone a bit uncomfortable.

When one of the guests winds up dead in the wee hours of the morning, Mallory, McCreadie and Duncan work to figure out what caused his death, but more importantly, whether or not the guest was actually mistaken for the groom. In a house full of possible suspects, all with possible motives, along with an entire Village who are not too happy with their new local Lord, Mallory first needs to determine who was the intended victim, before she can figure out who murdered him.

THOUGHTS:
I told you I was a little obsessed with this series. I like crime stories and I like historical romances and I love this character is looking at life in 1896 through the eyes of a modern female detective and not just our modern sensibilities reading about people living in the past, dealing with the issues of the past, such as what is inappropriate for a young unmarried woman.

As far as the mystery, we had a lot of suspects and as I said, they first had to figure out if the victim was the intended victim or was the groom the intended victim. So many theories were thrown around, if it was supposed to be the actual victim, this guy, this guy or this guy could have done it for these reasons…or if it was supposed to be the other guy, here’s a list of who and why someone wanted him dead. This is all complicated by the fact that McCreadie is out of his jurisdiction and the local village constable is pretty much a kid who has no idea what he is doing, especially with a murder and does not want help from the big city detective. This one was actually more a Mallory/McCreadie investigation rather than Mallory/Duncan since they easily figured out how he died, but looking at clues and interviewing witnesses came down to the two detectives.

Even things like why is Violet still so hung up on the broken arranged marriage to Hugh? They weren’t in love or was she? And why hasn’t she married yet, did her broken engagement really make her such a social pariah? And what’s with the creepy groundskeeper? Lots of mysteries to solve.

There is also that will they/won’t they spark between not only Mallory and Duncan but also McCreadie and Isla where everyone knows how everyone feels except the two people pretending they don’t have feelings. In this story, we do take a step forward with Isla and Hugh but maybe a giant step back for Mallory and Duncan. 🙁 If Isla and Hugh get together and obviously marry, then Mallory as an unmarried woman, but no longer a servant, cannot continue to live in a house alone with Duncan, an unmarried man.

The obvious issues between a romance with Mallory and Duncan are Doctor and assistant (although everyone makes comments presuming they must be sleeping together). Neither one wants to blur that line between them, and of course, each believes that they are only one interested in something more. Not to be a spoiler but suddenly, after having to jump through hoops just to discuss the case in a way that does not appear inappropriate, Duncan seems to suggest that if they were married they could have a simple conversation without concerns for propriety. Things get very awkward and very angry very quickly. As I said, they each believe they are the only one with romantic feelings, and I had to re-read to see why things suddenly go wrong. Obviously, Duncan comes off very practical about the idea and Mallory is hurt as a modern woman, she wants to marry for love not practicality, especially because she has romantic feelings. It took me awhile to figure out why Duncan was suddenly so hurt? His suggestion was that feelings might blossom somewhere down the road, while he was thinking Mallory might someday develop feelings for him, Mallory misunderstands and her response is worded in such a way that comes off as “never gonna happen.” So where this could have fast-forwarded the romance between them, they are now both a little hurt and awkward with each other and it is going to negatively effect future stories for awhile. I’m so sad I want to cry. Of course they both seemed to have forgotten one basic fact, that if something happens and Mallory is returned to her own time, leaving Catrina to return to her body, Duncan would suddenly find himself married to a thief and con-artist with no possible divorce.

I do enjoy the audiobook version of this series. While I am happy to get my hands on an ARC, I do miss the narrator and her characterizations.

I want more stories please. And can we (pretty please) fix this issue between Mallory and Duncan!

arranged-marriage, class-consciousness, contentious, cultural-differences, detective, historical-novel, historical-places-events, historical-setting, historical-urban-fantasy, history-and-culture, local-law-enforcement, mystery-fiction, read, rural, Scotland, situational-humor, snarky, suspense, thriller, time-travel, unpleasant-employee, unpleasant-victims*****

Take a contemporary 31 y/o police detective with relatives in Scotland and transform her into a 20 y/o housemaid in 1870 working/collaborating with an MD/undertaker/early forensic scientist and let your imagination loose. Add in the culture disparities, an arranged marriage with complications, and a murder that seems to be of the mistaken identity variety and you have the basis for this unputdownable addition to an inventive series.
This can't be an unbiased review because I love so much of this author's amazing writing.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Pub Date May 20, 2025
#DeathataHighlandWedding by @kelleyarmstrongauthor #ARipThroughTimeBk4 @stmartinspress @minotaur_books #canadianauthor #timeslipseries #netgalleyreview #cozymystery #murdermystery #NetGalley @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble **** Review #booksamillion #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk #kobo #Waterstones #England #MurderInvestigations #timeslip #Scotland #historicalUrbanFantasy #earlyForensics

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth novel in Kelley Armstrong’s A Rip Through Time series, a mix of historical fiction, police procedural mystery, paranormal time travel (to 1869 Scotland) and hints at romance. It combines Mallory Mitchell's knowledge of 21st Century detecting skills with Dr. Duncan Grey's eagerness to explore new (for 1869) crime solving techniques. The main characters keep developing and growing over the course of this series.

Best read from the beginning of the series to fully understand the uniqueness of the characters and Mallory's unusual circumstances. I'm looking forward to watching Mallory and Duncan combine their skills as they solve many more mysteries as well as seeing how their relationship develops. Another winner by Kelley Armstrong, one of my favorite authors.

This is the fourth in the Rip through Time series, if you're not familiar with this series, a modern day detective, Mallory, while trying to stop a mugging is transported back in time 150 years and into the body of a maid, Catriona Mitchel, who is much younger than her. I would recommend reading the other three before this one as the groundwork is set during those. Mallory and her employer, Duncan Gray and his friend Hugh McCreadie (a Victorian era policeman) are off to the Scottish Highlands for the wedding of Hugh's sister. Hugh has a bit of history with the family of the groom, he had once proposed to a woman of the family then broke it off, upsetting her quite a bit. Tension is a little high when they arrive, but they manage to get settled in their rooms, they are at a castle with a lot of rooms and servants. Mallory is with their maid, Alice in an upper floor and when they get in the room they see a door that has a note to not open, of course they open it and a ton of linen falls out, which they have to put back. Mallory and Duncan set out one night to escape the castle and heat and come across a (now) extinct Scottish wildcat that had been killed, and had kittens, one kitten was injured so they decide to nurse it and take the female to look closer at what caused her death. Things speed up very quickly with the death of a prominent attendee and Mallory, McCreadie and Gray step into investigate the death, and quickly determine the person was murdered. The interesting part of this series Mallory having to deal with no modern amenities, no indoor plumbing, no cell phones, no cars, etc and how she adapts to still get the job done. Overall a very good book and I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This series is the perfect blend of mystery and time travel. I have missed a few books in this series, but didn't feel confused jumping into this book because the author did a good job of giving history from past books. I'm looking forward to going back and catching up with this series.

I haven’t read the previous books in this series but I think enough is explained to enjoy this book as a standalone. Mallory is a 21st century Vancouver detective visiting her grandmother in Scotland when she’s attacked in an alley and wakes up in the 1860’s. She becomes the assistant to a forensic scientist/doctor/funeral embalmer and works with his childhood friend who is a detective in Edinburgh. These 2 men and the doctor’s sister know Mallory’s secret and include her in their investigations. These 4 travel to a country wedding of the detective’s sister. There are various side stories for each of these characters and, of course, they get caught up in investigating a murder of one of the wedding guests. There are sinister doing by some of the characters, even one who is a surprise. It’s fun to see Mallory navigate her way through Victorian society and its many limitations for women. Plus, there seems to be some sparks between her and the doctor but they dance around their feelings, not the least of which is…will the time travel episode happen again and Mallory is lost to her 1850’s friends? I will definitely read the next book in this series.

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!