Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

August 9, 2025

Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

With the dual Victorian fascination with death and Egypt, Mallory and Duncan are invited to a high society mummy unwrapping party. But when the time comes to unwrap the mummy, to their horror, they find not a preserved mummy but a recently murdered corpse. Not only that, the original mummy has vanished, possibly to be sold on the black market for occult medicinal purposes.

Third book in the Rip Through Time series with time traveling detective Mallory Atkinson, this time focusing on the Victorian fascination with death and Egyptology. Even in the 19th century, many scholars felt that artifacts looted from Egypt and other ancient cultures should be returned to their rightful countries. Mummia was an actual trade in Victorian times, based on the belief that medicines made from ground up mummies had magical properties, particularly for male erectile dysfunction (guys have been worrying about their wieners for centuries). Eventually mummia joined the pantheon of medical quackery. You probably want to read the first two books in the series before reading this one. Very enjoyable historical fiction.

A mummy unwrapping party - how weird is this?

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

July 26, 2025

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

Time traveling detective Mallory Armstrong has been stuck in 19th century Scotland for almost a year, working as the assistant to mortician Dr. Duncan Gray, the mixed race illegitimate son of an upper middle class family. She and Duncan are invited to the wedding of his best friend's sister at her fiance's highland hunting lodge. There is tension among the wedding guests and also with the locals, which only escalates when one of the guests is found murdered on the estate grounds. Instead of being a country holiday with friends, Mallory and Duncan find themselves tying to save the groom from the gallows.

The fourth book in the Rip Through Time series. The author gives enough background that this can be read as a standalone mystery if you haven't read the previous mysteries in the series, or if you're like me and it's been a while since you read the last book. Successfully evokes the customs, attitudes, and class distinctions, as well as police methods of the time. I loved how Mallory almost melted into a puddle when one of the characters finally shows up in a kilt. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers of historical mysteries like the Sebastian St. Cyr or the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, or the Outlander historical series.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands

Hard Time by Jodi Taylor

November 13, 2024

Hard Time by Jodi Taylor

The Time Police's three most unusual trainees, Luke, Jane and Matthew (aka Team 236, aka Team Weird) return for an adventure that requires their unique skill set. At least one corporation is running illegal time travel excursions for tourists, and the conventional methods used by the Time Police to apprehend the perpetrators have failed. So Commander Hays send out her unconventional team to do their thing.

As much as I enjoy the original Chronicles of St. Mary's series, I think I enjoy this spin-off series more. There is still the wacky humor and adventures of the disaster magnets of St. Mary's, but within a military setting. So far, not as dark as the original series became in later books, probably because of the three main characters here. Fans of sci fi with a strong shot of humor will enjoy the Time Police series.

The former Battersea Power Station, home base of the Time Police at some point in the future, silhouetted on the book cover

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

September 15, 2024

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

In a little coffee house on a Tokyo side street, there is an urban legend that visitors who sit in a certain chair can time travel and meet someone from another time in their life. But it's risky: there are rules and conditions, and the most important rule is that you only have as much time as it takes for a cup of coffee to grow cold. If you don't drink the coffee during that time period, there are dire consequences. Knowing this, a number of regulars at the cafe are still willing to take the risk.

A short book with an interesting concept about being able to time travel yet not change anything in the present. Slow moving, character driven with the characters' lives and stories being intertwined. All of the characters have some regret or something left undone that they want to correct if possible. Some readers have complained about the quality of the writing, but that may be due to the fact that the book is translated from the Japanese. There is a certain amount of repetition of the rules and limitations that wasn't necessary after the first time. Overall, I was left with a feeling of sweet sadness, which I didn't need at the time. I also felt disappointed - I thought the story could have been a lot more.

Tokyo

Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lee Child

May 28, 2024

Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lee Child

The continuation of the previous Agent Pendergast book, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng. Quick synopsis: Constance Greene, Pendergast's ward (and possible love interest), has time-traveled and crossed into a parallel universe in the year 1880, to save her brother and sister from the clutches of evil Dr. Leng. Unbeknownst to Constance, Pendergast and New York homicide detective Vincent D'Agosta followed her; unbeknownst to all of them, Pendergast's brother Diogenes has also time-traveled back to 1880 (even though he supposedly is dead). Diogenes was following a man named Gaspard Ferenc, time travel scientist, who was planning on buying 20 $1.00 gold coins, then returning to the 21st century and selling the rare coins for a fotune. But even if they are able to rescue Constance's siblings, the time machine has been destroyed, and if Pendergast's associate Proctor can't fix it, they may all be trapped in 1881.

Well, Preston and Child, it took you long enough. I waited over a year for the conclusion to the previous Pendergast novel. Fortunately it does not disappoint. We still don't know for sure if Pendergast and Constance are an item, but there are signs that they are getting it on. Highly recommended, but read the previous book first. Really, start and the beginning and read the whole series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Longacre, now known as Times Square, where much of the action in the novel takes place

Long Story Short by Jodi Taylor

September 16, 2023

Long Story Short by Jodi Taylor

The second collection of short stories about the disaster magnets at St. Mary's Institute for Historical Research. Like most short story collections, some stories are better than others, and some you can just skip if they don't interest you. A couple of the stories fill in the blanks or gaps between some of the novels in the series, including a story that give us more background on Leon Farrell and how he got to St. Mary's. But we still don't know for sure if Markham and Hunter are married (although they do have a child together in a later novel).

Another Place, Another Time by Jodi Taylor

June 7, 2023

Another Place, Another Time by Jodi Taylor

Just when things seem to be settling down at St. Mary's, things go balls up again, this time in a big way. There's a marriage, a birth and a death (maybe). Markham and his family (nurse Diana Hunter and baby daughter Flora) are off on "family leave," Leon has take St. Mary's young people (his son Matthew, and Adrian and Mikey) off to scout a new location for a safe haven for St. Mary's people and the archives should the need ever arise (again), and Max and the others take the new head of security on her first jump to investigate the death of Amy Robsart, wife of Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I's favorite favorite. Was it accidental or homicide? With the new security staff, the historian visit Babylon in 565BC with disastrous results when two of the team are left behind. But the new security chief is just the beginning of the changes, leaving Max and Markham to wonder if the place will survive.

Although I love the Chronicles of St. Mary's series, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this one based on the description and reviews left by other readers. But I started it and immediately got sucked in. There are a lot of changes and St. Mary's isn't the same place we've come to know. And what's up with Max and Peterson? Already ordered the next one from the library to find out what happens next.

Ishtar Gate, ancient Babylon

The Long and Short of It by Jodi Taylor

May 22, 2023

The Long and Short of It by Jodi Taylor

The disaster magnets from St. Mary's Institute for Historical Research (aka historians) are back for a collection of short stories previously published in ebook form. I'm not usually a fan of short stories (not enough time for character development, truncated plots, etc.), but I've read most of the books in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. This collection of short stories fills in some of the blanks and hanging plot lines from previous books.

We learn how Dr. Bairstow founded St. Mary's, discover more about Markham, and learn how Mr. Bashford met Angus the chicken (who is actually a hen). Many of the stories are holiday themed. Unlike most short story collections, all of these stories are good. Great fun.

Angus the chicken, who is actually female

Plan for the Worst by Jodi Taylor

May 11, 2023

Plan for the Worst by Jodi Taylor

The good people from St. Mary's Institute for Historic Research are back for another wild adventure. Max and her family visit Iron Age America, where they unexpectedly encounter a group of lost Vikings. Then, when a government official expresses a desire to find out what really happened to the princes in the tower, Max and director Bairstow jump to 15th century London, timed for the last known date that the princes were seen. Finally, her team jumps to Bronze Age Crete to witness the bull jumpers, King Minos, and the earthquake that destroyed the city of Knossos. But events from the past and future shake the foundations of Max's world, causing her to question what is true and who she can trust.

This is really Mr. Markham's book. We get his backstory but he also becomes a father (although we still don't know if he and Hunter are married) when Nurse Hunter's baby is born. The Time Police make several appearances and Max works to restore goodwill between them and St. Mary's. And Clive Ronan finally takes things too far and destroys himself. Good. I was tired of Clive a few books back.

And if you're going to test whether your windows, walls, or pods can withstand being hit by a bird, remember (and I'm quoting NASA here): "Gentlemen, thaw your chickens." Read the book and you'll get the reference.

Ancient city of Knossos

Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor

April 30, 2023

Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor

The historians from St. Mary's are back for another adventure, this time working in conjunction with the Time Police. Somehow, 16th century England has gone completely off the rails. There is a Tudor queen on the throne but it's the wrong one - it's Jane Grey rather than Elizabeth. Drake lost to the Spanish Armada, France and Scotland are both invading, and evil Queen Jane has fled to the Continent. Meanwhile, arch-villain Clive Ronan continues to evade the Time Police, traveling up and down the time map. Which, incidentally, Max's son Matthew broke. Completely by accident. Meanwhile, nasty Malcolm Halcombe has taken over St. Mary's and is trying to figure out where everyone is (they're in hiding in some prehistoric time somewhere in the western U.S., probably Wyoming or Montana). 

Another entertaining entry in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. Most of the regulars appear, including Adrian and Mikey and their teapot time travel pod, still just two hours ahead of the Time Police. The Time Police prove they are just as unprincipled as ever, even if they are supposed to be allied with St. Mary's. And Max travels to the lost kingdom of Kush with a couple of gangsters, who do the usual gangster double-cross. Great fun, looking forward to getting the next book, where I seriously hope they will finally catch Clive Ronan, since I'm a little tired of him.

The Lost Kingdom of Kush, where Max and two mobsters cause a riot during a religious festival

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

April 10, 2023

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Constance Green, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's ward, has traveled back in time to 19th century New York City, to save her siblings Joe and Mary, and also her younger self. Not only has Constance gone back in time, she is in a parallel universe, so she is able to encounter herself as a child. When Pendergast realizes what Constance has done, he has the time machine reassembled (it was destroyed at the end of the previous book) by an eccentric scientist named Gaspard Ferenc. Enlisting the help of his old friend Vincent D'Agosta of the NYPD, Pendy follows Constance back to 19th c. New York, because although he knows Constance is deadly, he also knows that his ancestor Dr. Leng is absolutely a match for her.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon, Pendy's sometime partner, is tracking down a killer who has been trafficking in Native American artifacts, substituting fakes for the real thing (like Sitting Bull's peace pipe). His investigation takes him to New York, where he learns that his case is tied to a murder case that Vincent is working on. He traces the artifacts to a Colombian drug lord living in Ecuador and sets up a sting operation to draw the man back to the U.S. The sting goes off without a hitch, but there's something not sitting right with Coldmoon. 

And then the book ended.

Damn. So this is only the first half of the story, and the conclusion will be another book (this one was close to 600 pages). I was really irritated when I got to the end, and there's this semi-apology from Douglas saying they're writing the conclusion as fast as they can. Not nice, Douglas and Lincoln. I put that in my Goodreads review so that other readers are aware that they're going to be left hanging, probably for another year. Also, Pendy still hasn't gotten around to telling Constance that he loves her - maybe at the end of the next book. Although considering that Constance has killed several people, it might be prudent to review the situation first.

Blackwell Island, New York, now Roosevelt Island - prison, workhouse, and insane asylum

An Argumentation of Historians by Jodi Taylor

April 2, 2023

An Argumentation of Historians by Jodi Taylor

The historians of St. Mary's (aka disaster magnets) are back. Hawking Hanger has been repaired after villain Clive Ronan nearly destroyed it (see And the Rest is History), young Matthew Farrell is safely in the future with the Time Police, and Max's husband Leon is slowly recovering from injuries sustained at the destruction of Constantinople. With their pods repaired and ready for service, Max and her fellow historians are off to observe Henry VIII's disastrous joust in January 1536, then on to Persepolis while setting a trap for Ronan. But things go disastrously wrong (no surprise there) and Max finds herself separated from her people by several centuries.

Very entertaining series, just what I needed after finishing a really depressing lit fic title. This is book #9, and one of the differences from previous books is that while the historians are usually in and out quickly, Max has an adventure that lasts much longer. They still haven't captured Ronan and we still don't know if Markham and Hunter are married and/or if they are pregnant. I guess I'll have to get the next book.

Life in a medieval town

And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor

March 19, 2023

And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor

The historians of St. Mary's are back for another adventure. Max, her husband Leon, and their baby son Matthew are together as a happy family, with the historians planning a trip back to 1066 to observe the battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it. Until arch-villain Clive Ronan shows up, that is, and throws a major spanner into the works, with the Time Police in hot pursuit of Ronan up and down the timeline. We lose a beloved character but several new characters are introduced, including a taxidermied dog named Colin.

This is book #8 in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series. Book #7 was really dark, so I took a break from the series (for several years, as it turns out). Taylor has no qualms about dragging her readers through the emotional wringer and book #8 is pretty dark, too, but there is hope and humor at the end (are Markham and Hunter really having a baby?? Are they really married??).

The Bayeux Tapestry, depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Doing Time by Jodi Taylor

March 9, 2023

Doing Time by Jodi Taylor

Three misfits find themselves as Time Police trainees, seemingly doomed to failure. They resolve to succeed in spite of the obstacles thrown in their path and the poor assignments they receive. But when another officer is found murdered, one of the team members is accused of being the murderer and the other two trainees resolve to rescue their partner.

A spin-off series from the author's Chronicles of St. Mary's series. Characters from St. Mary's make appearances with the usual resulting mayhem (if the bells are ringing, the dogs are barking, and a mob is chasing a group of people, you know St. Mary's is in town). The first book in a new series. Great fun, as always.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

May 29, 2022

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

Several seemingly unrelated characters and events, beginning in 1912 and moving forward 300 years, and set in places from a forest to the moon, come together to form a narrative. Time corruption occurs at various points, when characters hear the same music and experience the same forest while they are in totally different places. What happens when someone makes a tiny shift in history (or the future)? Does it change how the future spools out? Does it really change anything?

Loved this one. The plot of this book is very hard to describe, just like the author's previous book Station Eleven, to which it is similar in style. Characters from the author's previous two novels (Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel) appear here and figure in each others' past and future stories. I loved Station Eleven, but The Glass Hotel not so much. Mandel's style isn't for everyone, but I really enjoy her stuff.

Sea of Tranquility on the moon

Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

September 18, 2022

Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs

On their way back to New York following the successful completion of a case, FBI Special Agents Aloysius Pendergast and Armstrong Coldmoon are diverted to Savannah to investigate an unusual death. The body of a hotel manager has been found completely drained of blood with no rational explanation how it was done. When a second body, a college student, is found a short time later in the same condition, the media quickly dub the killer The Savannah Vampire. Yet there seems to be a connection to the FBI's oldest unsolved case. The investigation takes the two agents and Constance Green, Pendergast's mysterious ward, on a desperate hunt through Savannah's landmark buildings and cemeteries.

This is the 20th book in the Agent Pendergast series (I missed #19 somehow and have it on order at the library). I always enjoy the Pendergast novels, especially the audiobooks. The narrator gets Pendergast's intonations just right. Although the books are classified as mysteries, there are frequently supernatural overtones, and this one leans pretty far into the paranormal. It sounds like the next book may involve time trave back to the 19th century.

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, where some of the action takes place

The statue of the girl with the birds that two of the characters are trying to find at Bonaventure. The statue graced the cover of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. The statue was moved out of Bonaventure over 20 years ago.