Ahoy there me mateys!  I received an eArc of this historical fantasy through NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .

I love Kelley Armstrong.  This be me 18th book by the author.  I really wish I could say that I loved this one but alas it must walk the plank!  No one is more surprised then me that I found this book to be so difficult to read, enjoy, and finish.

The book follows Mallory, a cop, who is transported from 2019 to 1869 and lands in another person's body.  That person happens to be Catriona, a housemaid for a funeral director whose side hobby happens to be the study of forensics.  In a series of truly silly circumstances, Catriona (Mallory), ends up helping her employer try to solve the mystery of a serial killer.

Now often in Kelley Armstrong books, ye have to suspend disbelief and realize there are some over-the-top plot points.  This book just had too much.  Mallory is said to be intelligent but is constantly using modern language and reacting without thought.  The time travel element makes no sense and the ending of the book only confuses things further.  Too much time is spent in Mallory's wishy-washy noggin.  The characters in 1869 accept she is from the future so easily I actually laughed out-loud.  And not in a good way.  The pacing was uneven and sort of boring at times.  Mallory helping with the police investigations was just plain ridiculous for the time period.  Seriously I had trouble with the whole plot.

Good things? Umm I liked the character of Isla and wished I could have been reading a historical fiction about her helping her brother with his cases instead.  In a time period appropriate-ish way of course.

I wish I could say I wanted to read more of this series but I cannot.  Arrrr!