Review of Disturbing the Dead
The time travelling heroine, Mallory Atkinson, is a 21st century cop trapped in a body of a late 19th century maid. The maid’s less than stellar reputation has been difficult to overcome, but by book 3 in the A Rip in Time series, Mallory is starting to get somewhat comfortable in Victorian Scotland.
As the title suggests, this one is about grave robbing. The graves being robbed are in Egypt, done for the sake of preserving history – or so they say. One particular mummy will be disturbed twice. Once when it is removed from it’s tomb in Egypt and brought to Edinburgh. And a second time when it is removed from its wrappings to be replaced with another, more contemporary body.
Mallory and Gray jump into the mystery that is complex and full unexpected twists. Each chapter brings new evidence into the story, along with several likely suspects.
Mallory’s 21st century perspective, language and sense of humor baffle, frustrate, and entertain the Victorians. Gray and his sister are aware of her origin, but the rest are in the dark (for now). Gray’s sister Annis, is one of my favorite annoying characters to butt heads with Mallory, while they solve the mystery.
The author includes real life figures The Edinburg Seven, the first women to study medicine at the University of Edinburg. Their actions helped to pave the way for future female scholars, but they never stopped struggling for acceptance. Adding a bit of realness to this historical novel, Armstrong deftly adds depth and even suspects to Mallory’s mystery.
Followers of this series will absolutely want to read this one. Readers new to this series can jump in here and still appreciate solving a mystery without needing to know the background. (But read the entire series – they are all great!)
Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.
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About Disturbing the Dead by 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.
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