Disturbing the Dead

Posted May 10, 2024 by Carole in Reviews / 8 Comments

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Disturbing the DeadDisturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
Narrator: Kate Handford
Series: A Rip Through Time #3
Published by Macmillan Audio, Minotaur Books on May 7, 2024
Genres: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / Historical
Length: 14 hours 22 minutes
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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four-stars

Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1860s and the other in the present day. The Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends—and feelings—in this century.

So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body.

This was fantastic! I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s writing and have had a lot of luck with this time travel series. This is the third installment in the Rip Through Time series, which really should be read in order since each book builds on the events from prior novels. I love a good time travel book, so I was surprised by just how original this series is. When Mallory went back in time, she found herself not only in a different time but in a different body. This story took a few turns that I did not expect which only added to my enjoyment.

Mallory, Dr. Grey, and their friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping. When the wrappings are removed, they find a very recent corpse instead of a mummy. They work to find out who is responsible for the man’s death and are feeling pressure from someone in a position of power. I always have a lot of fun watching Mallory, Dr. Grey, and the rest of the crew get to the bottom of a mystery; this was no expectation. I am starting to have hope that Mallory and Dr. Grey will soon be more than friends since they obviously have strong feelings for each other.

I listened to the audiobook and thought Kate Handford did an exceptional job with the narration. I liked the voices she used for the various characters and appreciated that it was always easy to know who was speaking in the story. I felt like she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading to bring this story to life. I am certain that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of this book.

I would recommend this book to others. The characters in the book are well-developed and very likable. I was invested in the story’s outcome and wanted to see good things happen. I can’t wait to read more of this wonderful series!

I received a review copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio.

8 responses to “Disturbing the Dead

  1. OOh nice! I can’t wait to read this one! It seems my preorder is once again being delayed so who knows when I will get it! Very aggravating, especially since I just read book 2! Lol. Glad to hear this one was entertaining! Great review!

  2. That cover is great! I’ve always wanted to read KA – maybe I will pick up the first book in this series. Thanks.

  3. This is a series very high on my summer reading list! All the books in it just sound so good. 😀

  4. I really need to get caught up on the Casey Duncan series so I can try this one. I normally avoid time travel books like the plague but this one sounds really fun!