A Rip Through Time

First time reading anything by this author and I was not disappointed. The story gripped me from the beginning and it was difficult not to feel a knot in my stomach whenever the characters were in dangerous situations. The only downfall was when the narrator explains things to us that we should be seeing the other characters do--I wanted to know more about Duncan, and Isla through their actions, interactions, and so on. I am exciting this is the start of a series and I can't wait for the next one! A solid 4.5.

This is a solid book, and will be a good fit for folks who like intricate mysteries. The ‘whodunnit’ aspect of things is really well crafted, and was a surprise to me even though I’ve read nearly all of Armstrong’s back catalogue by this point. For those of us more invested in the character side of things, though, it takes a while to really find its footing. (So persevere if you like the story but find things to be slow character-wise in the first half of the book!) Some of that is from *being* true to the characters and the time period - the protagonist, Mallory, is someone who deals with problems by putting her head down and getting on with things without a ton of introspection. And residents of Edinburgh in 1869 wouldn’t be likely to open up terribly quickly. But that left me as a reader feeling a bit adrift until around the middle of the book, when things finally started to come together a bit more. I still feel like the book’s characterizations used distance too often, though. When we learn about people’s passions, it’s from 2 or 3 steps back, and is told to us, not shown. If Mallory is panicking, we hear about it only after she’s tamped it down. Armstrong’s characters are one of her greatest strengths as an author, and this book still shows that. I can definitely bring these folks to mind and easily imagine what they’d do if X or Y were to happen. But for all of the well-paced plot in the second half of the book, Armstrong doesn’t do enough to show how that action *affects* the characters emotionally. (The last chapter makes up for this a little bit. But while it makes me glad that this book seems to be the start of a series, it doesn’t address the lack of emotional resonance in this installment.) It’s absolutely worth reading, though, and will be something I’m sure I’ll re-read in the future.

A Rip Through Time A Novel by Kelley Armstrong is a time travel novel mystery thriller. A Time Traveling Detective posing as a maid. Murder Mysteries with interesting historical medical details. Exciting story with serial killers, unique characters and irresistible plot twists. Hope this will be a long series because I can’t wait for the next book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong Time travel mystery. Detective Mallory hears a cry and finds a half transparent women being strangled in the alley. As she attempts to help she finds herself fighting with the attacker and blacks out as he attempts to strangles her. She wakes up 150 years in the past in the body of a young house maid who has also been attacked. Suspenseful, intriguing and engrossing. The author pulls on heartstrings at the same time as describing roles in society. We feel Mallory’s frustration with the limitations of being trapped in the voluminous skirts while hunting for hidden killer. The mystery is solid and smart and I’m excited to read the next in the series. 🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Kate Hanford. The performance was engaging and told from the Detective’s POV. Emotions were clear and held the listener captive with anticipation of what would happen next. I listened to this at 1.3 which is my preferred speed for conversation.