The Poisoner's Ring: A Rip Through Time Novel

by Kelley Armstrong

Overview

A modern-day homicide detective is working as an undertaker's assistant in Victorian Scotland when a serial poisoner attacks the men of Edinburgh and leaves their widows under suspicion.

Edinburgh, 1869: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is adjusting to her new life in Victorian Scotland. Her employers know she’s not housemaid Catriona Mitchell—even though Mallory is in Catriona’s body—and Mallory is now officially an undertaker’s assistant. Dr. Duncan Gray moonlights as a medical examiner, and their latest case hits close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs point to the grieving widows… the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister.

Poison is said to be a woman’s weapon, though Mallory has to wonder if it’s as simple as that. But she must tread carefully. Every move the household makes is being watched, and who knows where the investigation will lead.

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong is known for her exquisite world building, and this latest series is no exception. The Poisoner's Ring brings the intricacies of Victorian Scotland alive as Mallory again searches for a 19th-century killer as well as a way home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250820037
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/23/2023
Series:	Rip Through Time Novels , #2
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Kelley Armstrong is the author of over fifty novels, including the Rip Through Time mysteries and the horror novel, Hemlock Island. She lives with her family in Canada.

Editorial Reviews

2023-04-24
A time traveler solves a string of grisly murders.

While in Edinburgh attending her dying grandmother, Canadian police detective Mallory Mitchell found herself inexplicably inserted into the body of a Victorian housemaid. Fortunately, the Gray family, whom she now serves, is just unconventional enough to accept her account of the transposition at face value, even to the point of calling her by her modern-day name rather than Catriona, the name of the now-missing maid. In return for their generosity, Mallory agrees to help youngest child Duncan Gray in his criminal investigations, which he undertakes alongside his day job as a mortician. Their latest challenge is to track down a purported ring of homicidal wives who do away with their unwanted spouses through an untraceable toxin that Mallory recognizes as thallium, which is so little known in 1860s Scotland that even Duncan’s chemist sister, Isla, is unaware of it. Their search for the killers becomes all the more urgent when Duncan’s oldest sister, Annis, is suspected of poisoning her own husband, the philandering Lord Leslie. Armstrong embellishes her already elaborate mise-en-scène with enough steampunk trappings—dimly lit bars, knife fights, and secret laboratories chock full of poisons—to satisfy die-hard fans of Victoriana. But the real interest lies in observing the offbeat Gray family and seeing how the involuntary time traveler integrates into their equally loopy world.

Highly niche but effective.

Kirkus Reviews

"Armstrong’s intriguing and atmospheric time-travel mystery will appeal to readers who enjoy historical detail." –Library Journal (starred review)

"Armstrong fashions a satisfying narrative out of familiar parts and nails her lead’s cheeky, anachronistic narration. This is winningly silly and satisfying." –Publishers Weekly

“An absorbing read. Highly recommended.”—Historical Novel Society

"Between the setting, the strong and likable characters, and Armstrong's ability to create a solid mystery, this series is one that will continue to delight."—Book Reporter

“The Poisoner’s Ring is great fun from beginning to end…Challenges her stalwart hero with obstacle after obstacle in fashioning a character of rare depth and likeability. Not to be missed!”—Book Trib

“Kelley Armstrong proves herself to be an expert storyteller, spinning an enchanting tale packed with numerous plot twists. As the story escalates, it culminates in a thrilling and unexpected climax that leaves some questions unanswered, hinting at more adventures to come.”—Mystery and Suspense

From the Publisher