Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong Narrator: Kate Hanford
Series: A Rip Through Time #3
Published by MacMillan Audio, Minotaur Books on May 7, 2024
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 352
Length: 14 hours, 23 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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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.
I have not always been a fan of time travel but this author has two series where it is an element and I love them. A Rip Through Time series is where a modern day police detective ends up 150 years earlier. So the story is primarily set historically.
I would read this story in order for the development in the characters and the situations. Mallory has grown comfortable with her household and life in the past. She does worry about her grandmother and parents. She wonders if Catriona is in her time, torturing them. Finally, we get some information about time travel and what is going on in Mallory’s actual life.
There is a new murder case of a doctor and Egyptologist. There was a mummy unwrapping at his home where the body turned out to be modern. Disturbing the Dead has a background theme of Egyptology and artifacts.  The whole episode highlights the plight of woman and the class system having unfair advantages.
Mallory continues to be a great help to Gray and McCreadie with the investigating of cases.  I enjoy the fact the household has such diversity and scientific interests.  Mallory does have her detractors and she is slowly working through or around them. Someone is writing racy chronicles of her adventures with Dr. Gray, which are inaccurate and embarrassing.
I look forward to seeing how things go from here. Historical mysteries have become a favorite of mine, and this series is one of the best.
Narration:
I have become very comfortable with the narrator. I really appreciate her performance. The male and female voices feel appropriate and some characters are recognizable to me now. I’ve no idea if the accents are accurate but they sounded fine to me. I was able to enjoy the performance easily at 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Kelley Armstrong
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could
write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a
story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls
and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. Today, she continues to
spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked
away in her basement writing dungeon. She lives in southwestern
Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 24-COYER
I’ve read some of her series but not this one, I think I may have to change that
Thanks
I love this series SO much. It’s got everything historical mysteries, a little romance, some scifi/pnr time travel (very little). This author has really been doing amazing work on all her series the past few years.
I didn’t think I would be interested in this series but you’re “serie-ously” tempting me, Anne💜
It’s so amazing. I think you would love it.
I’m not a fan of time travel, but I’ve read good reviews on this series. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
There is extremely little on the time travel part.
I got distracted for some reason for the series after I listened to book one. I really need to get on the stick and keep going. Funny about the inaccurate stories being told about her cases.
The stories are sensationalized. The second book was amazing and this was is near perfect too.
I can never wait for the audio..lol I read it and enjoyed it as well. Great review!
I’m sure it’s amazing in any format
Aww love a good time travel if done right.
I usually don’t but this is minimal and I guess I think it is well done.
This one is waiting on my Netgalley. I’ve been enjoying this series, but I still feel a bit weird about the fact the Mallory and Catriona had exchanged bodies as well as time periods.
yes that is an unusual aspect. You’ll get more interesting information in this one.
I also sometimes avoid time travel series books but I really have enjoyed the other series Kelley Armstrong has done involving time and so this is on my short list of series to start.
Kelley Armstrong is a star. I highly recommend it.