Title: An Ordinary Sort of Evil
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Published: May 19, 2026
Format: e-ARC
My Rating: 5 stars/5
Synopsis: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She’s built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.
Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray’s undertaking business, and they assume there’s been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray’s presence. The ghost is Lady Adler’s former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she’s dead or alive. But unsure if there’s been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling–and more dangerous–than it first seems
My thoughts from the Vault
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it.
I am obsessed with this series. No notes. This novel is book number five in the A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong. This series has an individual mystery to solve in each novel, but there is a wonderful story woven throughout each novel. I would highly recommend starting this series from the first book A Rip Through Time.
In this series, Mallory is transported back in time 150 years. She wakes up in Victorian Scotland as the maid of Dr. Duncan Gray. She quickly becomes his friend and assistant as they solve murders and mysteries together.
This series is a great blend of historical fiction, slow burn romance, and time-traveling fantasy. I really enjoy watching as Mallory navigates her way through Victorian Scotland while having spent most of her life living in modern day Canada. Witnessing her use her homicide detective knowledge from her old life while solving crimes in the 1800’s is so fun.
I can’t wait to see what is next for this series and I hope that you will check out this book (or series if you haven’t started it yet).
Alice's Book Vault 