A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

Description from Goodreads:

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.

May 20, 2019: Homicide detective Mallory 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 in a lane, where she’d been strangled and left for dead . . . exactly one-hundred-and-fifty years before Mallory was 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 the 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.

Outlander meets The Alienist in Kelley Armstrong's A Rip Through Time, the first book in this utterly compelling series, mixing romance, mystery, and fantasy with thrilling results.

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My Review:

I really liked Kelley Armstrong's books when I was younger so when I found out about this book, I made sure to request it from the library immediately. I was definitely not disappointed. I will admit the book started a little slow for me, but I could feel myself getting sucked in the more I read.

I liked Mallory a lot. I enjoyed how quick she was to catch on and that she didn't spend a lot of her time moping around. I mean I would be if I was taken to the past. I liked that she was determined and a woman of action. It was interesting seeing her trying to navigate Catriona's life. The only thing I really disliked was that she was put into a 19-year-olds body even though she was thirty in her time. I think it's a bit weird, especially when there is a hint at romance between her and Dr. Gray. I mean yeah you can try to excuse it because mentally she's older and technically she's an adult, but she's referenced to as a young girl throughout the book so it's a bit creepy for me. She couldn't have been at least in her mid-twenties? Otherwise, I have no complaints about Mallory.

I also really liked Dr. Gray. I enjoyed his personality and quirks. I also like that he tries to make up for his mistakes and that he notices he's messed up on his own without someone having to tell him. I am very excited to see how his relationship (professional and romantic) with Mallory progresses in the next book. Isla was also a really fun character. She made the book a little more lighthearted despite the serious topic. I enjoyed seeing her take part in the investigation and working with Mallory. I hope she has more of a role as well in the next book.

Overall, if you're looking for an interesting time-traveling mystery, then this is the book for you. I don't read a lot of mysteries but I loved this and plan on purchasing my own copy. I'm already sad that I cannot read the next book right away.