A Rip Through Time: A Novel (Rip Through Time Novels, 1)
In this series debut from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, a modern-day homicide detective finds herself in Victorian Scotland--in an unfamiliar body--with a killer on the loose.
"A great read." --Charlaine Harris MAY 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is in Edinburgh to be with her dying grandmother. While out on a jog one evening, Mallory hears a woman in distress. She's drawn to an alley, where she is attacked and loses consciousness. MAY 20, 1869: Housemaid Catriona Mitchell had been enjoying a half day off, only to be discovered that night strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one hundred and fifty years before Mallory is strangled in the same spot. When Mallory wakes up in Catriona's body in 1869, she must put aside her shock and adjust quickly to her new reality: life as a housemaid to an undertaker in Victorian Scotland. She soon discovers that her boss, Dr. Gray, also moonlights as a medical examiner and has just taken on an intriguing case, the strangulation of a young man, similar to the attack on herself. Her only hope is that catching the murderer can lead her back to her modern life . . . before it's too late. In A Rip Through Time, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong introduces a brand-new series mixing mystery, romance, and fantasy with thrilling results.BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
In 2019, Mallory Atkinson is a 30 years of age detective visiting her dying grandmother. She was visiting her grandmother in hospice and she went to get coffee for the nurses and herself at a nearby coffee house. As she held her tray of coffee, she bangs into a man who happened to be standing by too closely. Mallory just spilled a little bit of coffee on him but he was very perturbed by the incident. Later in the day, she felt the need to unwind and stretch her legs and get some exercise. She goes out for a jog. She suddenly hears a cry of a young girl in a dark alley so she goes to investigate. After all, sheâs a detective and she can take care of herself. As she drew closer, she sees a flicker of the image of a girl getting strangled. Next thing she doesnât see the girl but instead, feels the roughness of a rope on her neck and being choked by it. Just as she was losing consciousness she sees the girl again and then passes out. As she wakes up, she is now suddenly in 1869. Not only is she no longer in the 20th Century, but she is also now relegated to a 19-year-old housemaid. Correction, a conniving, thieving, double-crossing housemaid who has a face of an angel but one who would sell her loved oneâs soul for some trinkets. She has left many broken hearts and stolen and sold miscellaneous items, double-crossed friends, and outwardly uses her feminine wiles to get things her way. While that normally has nothing to do with Mallory, unfortunately when Mallory ripped through time and body swapped into Catriona Mitchellâs body, that means Cat is in Malloryâs body!
I enjoyed the setting of 1869 where a heroine from the 20th century travels back in time, she is unaccustomed to being relegated as âjust a womanâ and not being able to use her accustomed cell phone or have equal rights as men. As a housemaid for Dr. Duncan Gray, who is a doctor of science, because of his skin color, he is made to feel the obstacles of being taken as a doctor. His sister, Isla Gray is a brilliant chemist but is often not taken seriously unless by her brother, Duncan, and a family friend, Detective Hugh McCreadie. Even they at times, dismiss her theories.
Trapped in Catriona Thompsonâs body, Mallory has to figure out how to go back to her time period while stealthy assisting Dr. Gray and Detective McCreadie in solving the case of the dead bodies that are turning up. The first body seemed tortured and has a feather, representing he was a stool pigeon. The second body was of a young girl fitting the Jack the Ripper killing only in this case a decade too soon. This killer must have traded bodies with Catrionaâs killer and also time traveled back into this time period. Only this murderer wants to be noticed and recognized. So much so, that he is replicating the infamous Jack the Ripperâs murder.
I also loved the friendship and trust that grows between Mallory and Isla. It is two women who know they are more capable than society deems correct and they try to work around the parameters. You start sensing a sisterhood between the two.
The story is interesting as it continues but, to be honest, I figured out who the murderer was by 34% into the book. It truly sets up to be a series and I do look forward to reading the next one. My fault with this book is that has holes in the theories but it still is a good read. Just enjoy the ride.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Author Kelley Armstrong, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.
I enjoyed the setting of 1869 where a heroine from the 20th century travels back in time, she is unaccustomed to being relegated as âjust a womanâ and not being able to use her accustomed cell phone or have equal rights as men. As a housemaid for Dr. Duncan Gray, who is a doctor of science, because of his skin color, he is made to feel the obstacles of being taken as a doctor. His sister, Isla Gray is a brilliant chemist but is often not taken seriously unless by her brother, Duncan, and a family friend, Detective Hugh McCreadie. Even they at times, dismiss her theories.
Trapped in Catriona Thompsonâs body, Mallory has to figure out how to go back to her time period while stealthy assisting Dr. Gray and Detective McCreadie in solving the case of the dead bodies that are turning up. The first body seemed tortured and has a feather, representing he was a stool pigeon. The second body was of a young girl fitting the Jack the Ripper killing only in this case a decade too soon. This killer must have traded bodies with Catrionaâs killer and also time traveled back into this time period. Only this murderer wants to be noticed and recognized. So much so, that he is replicating the infamous Jack the Ripperâs murder.
I also loved the friendship and trust that grows between Mallory and Isla. It is two women who know they are more capable than society deems correct and they try to work around the parameters. You start sensing a sisterhood between the two.
The story is interesting as it continues but, to be honest, I figured out who the murderer was by 34% into the book. It truly sets up to be a series and I do look forward to reading the next one. My fault with this book is that has holes in the theories but it still is a good read. Just enjoy the ride.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley, Author Kelley Armstrong, and St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy to read and review.
I was on the fence of giving this a 3 or a 4 but ultimately gave it a 4 because I did enjoy reading this story and the supporting characters. This was outside my typical read, and was a very fun mix of genres including historical fiction, sci-fi/fantasy and murder mystery. I absolutely loved that this was fast paced, the story took off immediately in chapter one.
There’s a lot of comparison between the forensic science of the Victorian era and present day. I enjoyed this element woven into how their discoveries during that time set up modern policing protocols. Armstrong has clearly done her research pertaining to historical accuracies of the Victorian period.
I found myself more drawn to Dr.Grey and Isla than the main protagonist Mallory. I felt this first book focused on the background of the characters of the Victorian time period. The reader doesn’t uncover much about Mallory other than what was outlined in the first chapter. Personally, I enjoyed Catriona’s storyline the most throughout the book. She’s not your typical obedient housemaid. We learned so much through Mallory uncovering the truth of who she is inhabiting chapter by chapter.
I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series since book one did an excellent job of setting up the story. There’s definitely a lot more mystery and questions I’d like to see answered in upcoming novels.
Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and Kelley Armstrong for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There’s a lot of comparison between the forensic science of the Victorian era and present day. I enjoyed this element woven into how their discoveries during that time set up modern policing protocols. Armstrong has clearly done her research pertaining to historical accuracies of the Victorian period.
I found myself more drawn to Dr.Grey and Isla than the main protagonist Mallory. I felt this first book focused on the background of the characters of the Victorian time period. The reader doesn’t uncover much about Mallory other than what was outlined in the first chapter. Personally, I enjoyed Catriona’s storyline the most throughout the book. She’s not your typical obedient housemaid. We learned so much through Mallory uncovering the truth of who she is inhabiting chapter by chapter.
I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series since book one did an excellent job of setting up the story. There’s definitely a lot more mystery and questions I’d like to see answered in upcoming novels.
Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books, and Kelley Armstrong for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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