Review: An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong

 

An Ordinary Sort of Evil (A Rip Through Time #5) by Kelley Armstrong

Publication Date: May 19th 2026 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 52min

Narrator: Kate Handford

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

An Ordinary Sort of Evil is the fifth entry in this excellent mystery/time‑travel series, one that’s best read in order, though the helpful introduction here makes it possible to jump in without feeling lost.

 

Detective Mallory Atkinson, attacked in modern‑day Scotland, inexplicably wakes up 150 years in the past in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a Victorian housemaid. Over the course of the series, she’s built a life in this new era, forging deep friendships with Duncan Gray and his sister Isla, assisting Duncan with autopsies for the police, and helping solve murders with the aid of her twenty‑first‑century know‑how. And yes, the slow‑burn romance between Mallory and Duncan continues to simmer, this installment delivers some very satisfying developments.

 

This time, Duncan and Mallory are summoned by the Adlers, wealthy patrons of Duncan’s business. A séance has revealed that their missing housemaid, Nellie, didn’t run off as assumed, she was murdered, and her spirit is demanding justice. Duncan and Mallory dismiss the séance as nonsense, but they agree to look into Nellie’s disappearance, only to discover that the claim of murder may not be so far‑fetched after all.

 

As in the previous books, the investigation unfolds through careful interviews, motive‑hunting, and forensic work, albeit limited by the science of the time. Mallory’s modern knowledge continues to give them an edge. The case itself is layered, tragic, and full of unexpected turns.

 

Mallory and Duncan find they have a surprising fan in the mix, and there’s a fun reveal at the end!

 

I alternated between reading and listening and can wholeheartedly recommend either format. Kate Handford once again delivers a standout performance, bringing every character, young and old, male and female. Her Scottish accents are pitch‑perfect, and she continues to be a highlight of the series.

5 Stars

Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Victorian Scotland in the latest in the genre-blending Rip Through Time series.

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.