Never trust a family with a dark history. A couple falls in love quickly and he brings her home to his family. His wealthy family. Who don't approve. But why? Every single one of his relatives has a reason to hide something, and as the secrets unfold, it's clearly an exaggeration of reality but oh so enticing to discover the true nefarious ones from the purely just selfish ones. I always enjoy these types of settings and this one didn't let down. I knew the culprit was not the first one identified, but why was always the big question. Good writing. Must love intense plots with a few headshaking moments. Will keep reading the author's work.

My favorite by this author so far! A more formal review is to come and will be posted on my IG feed.

I enjoyed this book overall, but I did think the shock factor relied to heavily on coincidence. It’s a fun easy book to read, entertaining and fast paced! 3.5 stars

I really enjoyed A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall. The author masterfully builds tension, weaving together a tale of suspense, small-town secrets, and a deeply personal quest for justice. Some of the chapters were a little longer than I prefer but the story was full of unexpected twists and kept me engaged the whole time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you #NetGalley for this #ARC!

Kate Alice Marshall continues to impress me with each book she releases. The characters have nuance and depth. The plot kept me guessing. I thought I’d have it all figured out and then I’d second-guess myself. At times, the story dragged and it felt repetitive with the actions but overall, I was engrossed from beginning to end.

Theo doesn’t know where she came from. At age 4, she was adopted, and she has no memories or information from before that. Now, as an adult, Theo accompanies her fiancé to his family’s remote mountain retreat for the Christmas holiday. She’s getting text messages warning her away, the family is asking her weird questions, and she stumbles upon an unused cabin that sparks some memories from her early childhood. Has she been here before?

This was a middle of the road thriller. There was nothing wrong with it, but there was nothing unique or exciting about it either. The isolated setting and ruthless rich people were predictable story elements. There were zero likeable characters. I guessed pretty early which of the family members were the most guilty (because, of course, everyone has something to hide). The premise of how Theo ended up here in the first place is also so farfetched.

If domestic suspense, isolation thrillers, and a winter setting are your jam, maybe you’ll really enjoy this one. If you read a lot of these, you may find it unsurprising. If you haven’t read anything by this author, I would recommend What Lies in the Woods instead.

A Killing Cold
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2025 only just begun, but I wouldn’t be surprised if A Killing Cold stays in my top 5 all year long. The way it captivated me and kept me fully immersed is exactly what I’m looking for in a great book.

Theo is newly engaged to Connor and invited to his wealthy family’s very private estate for their 2 week winter stay on the mountain. A family tradition. As if meeting the family for the first time isn’t stressful enough, Theo finds herself having nightmares as the area is sparking memories from her childhood. Which makes no sense whatsoever. She doesn’t remember anything prior to her placement with an abusive adoptive family. But she starts finding clues around the estate that make her question everything.

I loved the puzzle of it all and the suspense! I really liked the writing style for Theo’s flashbacks as memories come back in bits and pieces. During the parts where the dreams/memories got more crystal clear it felt like reality was melting away. I found myself holding my breath in suspense. This was everything I was looking for in a wintry psychological suspense!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date Feb 04 2025

I really liked this book. There were so many twists and turns.
The book kept me on the edge of my seat!

This one had me hooked from the beginning!! Theo it’s going to secluded Mountain to meet her new fiancé‘s family! The longer she’s there memory’s start coming back to her about her past. She keeps asking questions she might not should but lies and secrets start to unravel. This family does not want secrets about them out, will Theo make it off the mountain alive and will Connor stick by her side or choose his family?
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!!

What a perfect winter read! The setting was a house (and cabins) in the woods during winter. It added to the mystery of what was going on in the story. This one really flew by. It was engaging and fast paced. There were dual timelines and I was invested in both. There were lots of characters and any of them could have been good or bad with my mind switching back and forth. I like stories about family dramas and this one had plenty. The ending worked for me. A great book by an author who is definitely becoming a favorite of mine! Recommended read!

A Killing Cold is a fun, slow burn thriller that is perfect for the winter season, especially while in the middle of a snow storm! This book was instantly gripping from the last sentence of chapter one to the very end when the twist reveals itself. You get wealthy family, secluded mountain retreat with blizzard weather, secrets, even murder in this crafty thriller. Theodore and Conner instantly hit it off after meeting at a party and get engaged all within six months of their relationship. Sus? It’s time for her to meet his family on a secluded mountain getaway where everyone is not very welcoming to say the least. Theo has received anonymous texts warning her to stay away from conner, AND finds a photo of her as a child at conner family home? What is going on?! Theo is on a mission to try to gain back her memory of her childhood and unraveling the secrets conners family is trying so hard to protect.

-only thing i had a hard time with while reading was keeping some of the characters straight. There are a lot of family members, names thrown at you and i caught myself saying “wait who is this person to conner again?”

Thank you Netgalley and Flatiron books for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Theodora Scott has recently become engaged to Connor Dalton. His family is very wealthy, and spends every Christmas at the family's isolated retreat, Idlewood. Conner's family is dysfunctional, and will they accept Theodora? But Theodora has secrets of her own- these secrets actually involve the Dalton's. But Theodora doesn't know this yet!

Whew- what a fun, claustrophobic ride! The characters were fun- some a little crazier than others. There were many times that I couldn't decide who was behind everything, and who murdered Theodora's mother when she was younger. And why does everything feel familiar to Theodora? There are so many clues dropped in the story, and putting together Theodora's past was interesting. When the snowstorm comes, and they are stranded at Idlewood, that is when the pace quickens even more.

I was rooting for Theodora, and the story of what really happened to her mother, and to Theodora when she was adopted was heartbreaking. I don't want to get into too many details because I don't want to include spoilers- but if you like a twisty ride, with past and present mystery, with a little dysfunctional family mixed in, then this is for you!! I have never read this author before, but I am going to rectify that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC. THis is my honest and voluntary review.

I think I need to give up on this author. The premise always sounds good to me but the actual story leaves me bored. I can’t promise I’ll remember what this is about a week from now.

I’ve heard good things about this author. This is my first book by her, and it was such a twisty, intriguing, and fast-paced book. I could not put this down. It was so well done. The twist and turns were just spectacular. This was the perfect winter read and I’m hearing good things about the audiobook so I applied because I would love to start all over again. It’s just one of those books where as soon as it’s over, you want to start it again! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

A Killing Cold is a chilling psychological thriller by Kate Alice Marshall. This story is dark and eerie, layered and complex, with an incredibly toxic family who will go to any length to protect the family name. This disturbing novel can get pretty far-fetched, but it is entertaining nonetheless.

When Theodora is invited to her mega-wealthy fiancé’s family home after a whirlwind courtship, she’s nervous to say the least. That feeling intensifies as she receives a cold reception and rigorous interrogation from the family members. They are an odd lot and she is made even more uncomfortable when they make it clear that she does not meet their standards and is urged to leave. The longer Theodora is there, however, trapped by the winter weather, the more buried memories from her childhood arise, secrets that she has long forgotten. While there, certain events occur that tie her horrific flashbacks to this very home and family.

A Killing Cold is wintry, descriptive, and the classic “closed room” mystery set in a remote mountain estate. There are graphic hunting elements that are gory and hard to read, as well as despicable human behavior that is hard to fathom. While this story was a bit dark for me and left me feeling melancholic, it was also attention-grabbing and gruesomely captivating.

I was instantly sucked in by the suspense, and loved the snowy setting. No shocking twists, but it was still enjoyable.

Meeting her fiancé’s family for the first time, Theo is faced with questions she both doesn’t want to answer and doesn’t know, while also dealing with growing suspicions that someone at the retreat is actively trying to get rid of her and feelings that she’s been there before. As always, Kate Alice Marshall always does a great job of keeping things interesting. This had so many twists and turns that kept me curious the whole time. While some stuff was incredibly convenient, it was done on a way that it was believable and I liked how things ended.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced copy of A Killing Cold!

Kate Alice Marshall is quickly turning into an auto read author for me. Each one of her novels is better and better! I enjoyed this one- the story unfolded at a great pace and the characters were well developed. The twists and turns were also not completely obvious and I was kept guessing until the end

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I thought Karissa Vacker did a wonderful job with the narration on this book! She was clear and concise and I always knew exactly what was happening. I loved the whole premise of the story, as winter settings are my favorite. Some parts felt a little predictable to me but there were others that caught me completely off guard! I would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers and family drama, especially among the elite!

Such a creative locked-room style thriller! Theo, the main character finds herself in an impossible situation when she accompanies her fiancée, Conner to his wealthy family’s winter retreat. The plot line of her mysterious past being linked to the retreat complex was so intriguing and creative. I just had to keep reading to try and figure out how Theo was connected to this horrible and “easy to hate” family and I honestly enjoyed the aspect of wondering if she could even trust Conner. I understand that using the storyline technique of having the protagonist lie about her past adds to the mystery but I think it is being overused in current mysteries and thrillers and seems unrealistic. But this is really my only criticism of this book. Overall, the character development was good for a thriller in which the plot and unraveling the mystery is the main focus. And these characters were “something else” - they evoked a lot of negative emotions and it seemed that any of them could be the culprit. This aspect made the story so much more compelling and entertaining. I also enjoyed the heart-pounding scenes and narrow escapes. This book would make a great movie!