A Killing Cold is the ultimate thriller with all the ingredients for a compelling read: love, family drama, and a foreboding, remote setting that keeps you on edge. Theo and Conner are newly engaged, and Theo is about to meet Conner’s wealthy, powerful family for the first time. But the Daltons don’t just have money—they have secrets and an instinct to protect their own, no matter the cost.

Kate delivers a masterclass in atmospheric writing, crafting a chilling tale of love, longing, and the fear of what lurks within—and outside—the family. With its locked-room mystery vibes, wintery setting, and expertly placed red herrings, this novel pulls you into its icy grip and doesn’t let go.

The twists and turns come fast and furious, keeping you guessing and second-guessing with every page. While the book starts with the feel of a classic thriller, it quickly evolves into something much more intricate and satisfying. Kate’s attention to detail and believable yet unpredictable twists make this a standout read.

Fans of suspenseful stories will appreciate the carefully layered secrets, the sense of isolation, and the haunting childhood flashbacks that add depth to the narrative. By the end, everything ties together in a way that’s both surprising and satisfying.

If you’re looking for a wintry, edge-of-your-seat read with lies, murder, and twists galore, A Killing Cold is the perfect pick. Read it for the atmospheric tension, the whodunit intrigue, and the thrill of meeting a family whose skeletons are anything but metaphorical.

New love? Foreboding setting? Family drama? Enter the perfect exposition for a thriller. Theo and Conner are newly engaged, and Theo is about to meet his family for the first time. Did I mention that they're SUPER rich? Of course meeting your partner's family for the first time is nerve racking for anyone, but the Daltons have power. They are protected, and they are willing to protect their own.

There were so many twists and turns, and by the end I was having a hard time keeping track of them all. The beginning of the novel may have started out like your typical formulaic thriller, but by the end I was happy with the result.

A tale of love, longing, and fitting-in, A Killing Cold makes you wonder if what you should fear is natural or familial.

P.S. I loved the title and how it was incorporated throughout the novel.

This is the perfect thriller to read for winter! It was gripping, lots of twists and turns and literally made my jaw drop. I am a huge fan of isolated places so this isolated winter retreat was perfect for me. The characters in this book were great, the writing was great and I couldn’t have asked for anything better!

Theo and Connor are caught up in a whirlwind romance even if she's been getting myserious messages to leave Connor alone. She goes with him to meet his family at their vacation home on an isolated mountain to celebrate Christmas. Things quickly take a turn as the family is less than welcoming and seems to have many secrets of their own. To top it all off, Theo thinks she's been here before and no longer feels safe and has no idea who to trust.

Thoughts 💭
The creepy atmosphere is set from the first few pages and had me hooked. This is a perfect blend of Theo's uncertain past, Connor's mysterious family who is reluctant to allow anyone new in, and the hellish icescape that is their family's vacation home on a remote mountain. The drama unfolded piece by excruciating piece, leading you to believe one thing and then something completely different. We slowly learn that Theo has been here before based on her limited memories from her childhood slowly coming back. She struggles to put everything together and with whom to trust. Even Connor comes into question. I was guessing until the very end how this would unfold, and I wasn't disappointed! This is a chilly thriller perfect for the harsh winter months.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As usual Kate blew me away with her talent! This one was so good! So many twists and turns, lies, and secrets. I got whiplash from it all.

She nailed all the little details to make it a thrilling read: trapped setting, whodunit, and murder.

I can’t wait for what Kate comes up with next!

I’ve been in a terrible reading slump, but I just read this book within 2 days. Tons of twists that I didn’t see coming, I think I had whiplash by the end. If you like locked room mysteries and are looking for a wintry read, I’d recommend this one ❄️

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy for review.

This was just not the kind of thriller for me. The who are your parents trope just isn’t my favorite. The cabin didn’t really feel that threatening or isolated outside of there being no cell phone service. There’s too much telling and not enough showing. The MC comes to, too many convulsions inorganically. At 30 percent in they are addressing red herrings that just feel weird like it’s hard to explain. I felt like even for a thriller we were finding out too much too quickly. There wasn’t a lot left up to the reader to piece together. I found the premise really interesting, a girl seeing a photo of herself in this cabin of her fiancées family. The characters were just meh, not likable or unlikeble. The dialogue felt off and the character interactions felt very forced. I felt like the “shock value” was coming too quickly., like every interaction was framed as shocking.

This just wasn’t for me. I think if you like Alice Feeneys older books you would like this. The writing and storytelling feel similar.

I’m going to write this off as a me problem because I think the majority of people will enjoy it. It’s quick and shocking, just not in the ways I find satisfying for my own taste.

Short synopsis: Theo is invited to meet her fiancés family at their remote winter retreat. Things start to go downhill quickly, between the menacing texts she keeps getting and the feeling she’s been there before.

My thoughts: What a great winter thriller! Perfect setting, remote location, fiancés family, and lost childhood memories.

I love how this author writes completely believable, but unexpected twists. Nothing I can guess immediately and lots of red herrings to keep me on my toes. But when everything wraps up, it does so nicely.

I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried there for a minute we were going to have a certain trope (that completely Gives me the icks) but luckily that worry cleared up fairly quickly.

Read if you love:
- Atmospheric writing
- Remote location
- Winter setting
- Red herrings
- Meeting the family
- Childhood flashbacks

I have read the last couple books from this author, so I was so excited when I was able to get this book. I loved the story the characters and the twists it keeps you guessing until the very end because once you think you know, then you don’t know and I always love that about a thriller. It has family secrets with some drama, and it has the perfect setting a winter setting who doesn’t love an isolated thriller such a good book. I recommend it and I cannot wait to see what her next book will be.

A Killing Cold follows Theo Scott, who after a whirlwind courtship, is engaged to Connor Dalton, one of the rich heirs to a massive fortune. Theo's first meeting with Connor's family takes place during the holidays at their mountain estate made up of multiple cabins. While there, Theo begins experiencing memories of a past that she has never been able to recall before and it becomes clear that she has a deeper connection to the Daltons than just through Connor.

Kate Alice Marshall is becoming one of my go to thriller authors between A Killing Cold and What Lies in the Woods. She writes with a sense of atmosphere that really grounds you in the terrifying locales that she places you in and the mysteries always are filled with twists and turns, as well as genuine human pain that her characters are experiencing.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent writing! This is the second book I've read by this author and I know I will be reading anything else she publishes from here on out! Great plot, character building, and lots of surprises that kept me on my toes!

I enjoyed both of Kate Alice Marshall's previous adult thrillers, so I was excited to dive into her latest. A Killing Cold introduces us to Theodora as she travels to a remote mountain lodge to meet her fiance's wealthy family for the first time over the winter holidays. It's clear that she has secrets, but they quickly appear to pale in comparison to what her new in-laws are hiding.

Overall, fans of Marshall will enjoy this book a lot and race through the pages as the twists and turns feel non-stop. Some of the types of reveals you would expect to come towards the end of the book come out so early on that I didn't know what else was to come (turns out it was quite a lot).

Highly recommend enjoying this book while cozy inside during a holiday, since it's hard to put this one down.

Easily my favorite of KAM's adult thrillers. I absolutely loved this one and could not put it down once I started. I have never rooted so hard for a couple in a thriller to make it as I did in this one. I loved the twists and reveals. I loved how every character was flawed and had secrets and I loved the setting.

I highly recommend this one as well as ALL of her other books. I will be thinking about this one for awhile and will likely reread it.

Talk about a book that has twist on mysterious twist. This book was gripping, enthralling and just all around a great read!

Theodora Scott (Theo) meets the wealthy and charming Connor Dalton. He falls immediately for Theo and asks her to be his bride. They decide to attend his family's beautiful estate in Idlewood during the winter months. Upon arrival at Idlewood Theo starts to receive menacing messages telling her to stay away from Connor.

Theo quickly realizes the Dalton clan has many deep secrets they are willing to keep at all costs. One night during a snooping adventure Theo finds a picture of a man and herself when she was a small child, turning her whole world upside down. Which shouldn't be possible as she has never been to Idlewood. She is now in fight or flight mode trying to decide if she keeps digging to uncover this mysterious photo or leave. Let me tell you, Theo is a fighter and dang good at it.

This book was such a great read. Just when I thought I had all the twists figured out Kate Alice Marshall threw in 3 more!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc!
This is the perfect wintry thriller. ❄️ Kate Alice Marshall does it again!
I found this book to be intriguing, fast-paced, and the writing was superb. I truly cannot find fault with this one…so it may just be my favorite of the winter season! 5 stars

Theo is engaged to Connor Dalton, visiting his family’s winter estate for the first time. But Theo has a secret, she cannot remember her childhood up until the point she was adopted. A few mysterious texts sent to her phone weave doubt into Connor. But why does the cabin spark slivers of memory like she’s been there before? Why does she recognize members of Connor’s family? There are a lot more secrets to unravel along Theo’s memory, but can she stay alive that long?

I completely binged this book. Kate Alice Marshall will be my do-not-miss author, this is my third mystery of hers and I’m loving them!

Theo is an unreliable protagonist, her childhood recollections slowly reveal the shocking history. While I predicted some events, I loved all the twists I didn’t see coming. It made the whole book hugely satisfying. I really enjoy Marshall’s female characters, I found myself drawn to Theo and rooting for her throughout the whole ordeal. I highly recommend this wintry mystery!

3.75 stars

Incoming fans and newbies alike will mostly be satisfied with this newest thriller from Marshall.

Teddy, the m.c., has a tough upbringing that includes a lot of trauma-related memory gaps. She knows she had a very different life as an extremely young child versus the ways her life evolved once she was adopted by a not-so-delightful second family. All of the memories, gaps, and worries from her early life really start to haunt her when she falls in love and gets engaged to Connor, a wildly wealthy individual whose attachment to his family and money have Teddy worried about her own perceived shortcomings.

The vast majority of this novel takes place at Connor's family's estate, and for me, it was a surprisingly engaging affair. I have to assume that some of this is due to Karissa Vacker's stellar narration of the audiobook; she's constantly employed for good reason, IMO. As far as the actual events are concerned, I found myself frustrated with the level of coincidence readers are supposed to accept and with the strangely limited number of surprises and thrills (relative to the genre). I was an engaged listener, but I can't say this is a strong standout for me.

I continue to enjoy Marshall's books and am already looking forward to the next.

Thank you, NetGalley and Flatiron books for this ARC for review. This thriller was fantastic! I have read nearly every book this author has written and this one is by far my favorite!! ❤️ A little coincidental, but ah, sometimes life can be that way. Theodora met rich Connor Dalton at an LA party. After a whirlwind romance, they get engaged and Connor brings Theo to meet the fam at their private winter resort. Of course, there’s a hitch, Theo is getting threatening messages to stay away from Connor. Oh, and Theo has no memories of her past as she was adopted. So how does this all tie together and who is threatening Theo and May want to hurt her? This book has some great rich family drama, reads like a soap opera in the very best way and has some fun twisty endings. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in two days as I had to find out how everything fit together. Kate Alice Marshall will continue to be on my must read thriller list!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Kate Alice Marshall’s newest thriller! I really enjoyed the isolated setting, and the family dysfunction. There were so many twists throughout the story and they all worked so well! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book.
This is the perfect winter read!

A Killing Cold follows Theodora Scott as she visits her fiancé's family retreat. I enjoyed the setting and the pacing, but I guessed some of the twists early on. I also found one part to be completely unbelievable.

Narration by Karissa Vacker was well done as always.

I received and ARC and ALC from Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.