Eight stars
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Kelley Armstrong, and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Continuing this time travelling series by Kelley Armstrong, I was pleased to have been provided with an ARC of the latest novel. Mallory Atkinson is still stuck in 1869, but has become used to her surroundings. When she is invited to a mummy unwrapping alongside her employer, Mallory and Dr. Gray witness that their host has been murdered and wrapped in the mummy cloths. Now, with a killer on the loose, they will need to be identified and caught, allowing Mallory to use some of her skills. However, a major event derails this and Mallory is soon left outside the formal investigation. Armstrong does well to keep the story on point and the reader fully involved throughout.
After a freak accident in an Edinburgh alley one night, Mallory Atkinson has come to accept being trapped inside the body of a Victorian housemaid in 1869, as well as all the obstacles that brings along with it. While she still wishes to unite with her loved ones in 2019, Mallory has been able to made some headway in balancing her homicide detective profession and appearing to be young Catriona Mitchell. Few know her secret, which is likely for the best, but this forces her to be extra careful when engaging with those who knew the maid before the incident.
Working alongside Dr. Duncan Gray, the local undertaker and part-time medical examiner, Mallory is able to use her skills to help solve some local cases. She has assisted with some significant investigations that have garnered some great press, but this latest one tops them all. When Dr. Gray and his family are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie, Mallory is asked to accompany them. At the party, during the heightened main event, Sir Christie's body is found wrapped in the cloths. Who might have plotted and executed such a plan in short order?
While Mallory and Gray work to solve the case, they turn over some stones that yield highly controversial truths. It is during an attack one night that Mallory finds herself in a great deal of trouble, something that could exclude her from being able to participate in the investigation as effectively as she might like. Scrambling to ensure the wrong person is not fingered for the crime, Mallory will have to do all she can to resume participation in the investigation, no matter the cost. Armstrong continues this great series with a twist like no other to turn the series on its head.
This collection of books remains addictive, much like the other Kelley Armstrong novels I've read. There is something about her writing that has me wanting to know more without the need to wait. The narrative flows well, setting the tone from the outset, and briskly moving along effectively. The intensity is realised before long and the reader is pulled into the middle of the action. The characters help complement the strong storytelling offered. Those readers who have followed the series will have come to understand some of the major characters, though the minor ones are just as interesting in their interactions. Armstrong is able to use her keen knowledge of Victorian Scotland to paint a picture and does so with ease, while also contrasting things with 21st century Canada.
Plot points are key to the novel's success, which Kelley Armstrong has mastered up to this point. The twists and turns of the story help create a wonderful reading experience, which I am always eager to discover. I love that I cannot predict what is coming and how it will fit into the larger story. With the revelation in the latter part of this novel, no one can be entirely sure how Mallory Atkinson will use her new knowledge to her benefit and those around her!
Kudos, Madam Armstrong, for keeping things intense until the final page.
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