A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

Theodora (Theo) Scott is about to walk into a life she never thought she’d have—a world of money, power, and prestige that couldn’t be further from her lonely, small-town upbringing as the unwanted adopted daughter of a devoutly religious middle-class family. Her fiancé, Connor Dalton, is rich, charming, and completely smitten, but winning over his family is another story. When he takes her to Idlewood, the Daltons’ luxurious mountain retreat, Theo is prepared for some frosty receptions. What she isn’t prepared for are the memories that start to creep in—memories that make her realize she’s been to Idlewood before. And the deeper she digs into her own past, the more she realizes that someone here will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets buried.

At first, A Killing Cold has all the makings of a great mystery: the perfect setting, family drama, a dash of romance, and a hint of something darker lurking just out of view. It sets the stage for what should be a juicy mix of suspense and self-discovery. But somewhere along the way, it all falls apart.

Theo’s anxious inner monologue sets the tone early on, but instead of building tension, it quickly gets repetitive. She’s constantly second-guessing herself and overanalyzing everything, which makes her more exhausting than engaging. The story hints at big revelations, but they never quite land. Instead, we get a pile of clichés: rich people behaving badly, classist snobbery, and a heroine who keeps making baffling choices, like staying in a situation that screams get out now.

The book tries to explore some big questions—how well do we really know the people closest to us, and is the truth always worth the cost?—but it never follows through. Instead, it gets bogged down with far-fetched twists, too many red herrings, and dialogue that feels stiff and unnatural. By the end, the characters feel more like plot devices than real people, and it’s hard to care about what happens to any of them.

The most frustrating part is how much potential this book had. The premise is intriguing, and the opening chapters draw you in, but the story can’t keep up. What could have been a smart, thrilling mystery ends up feeling hollow and overcomplicated.

Final Thoughts: 1.5 Stars
A Killing Cold starts strong but loses its way fast. The moody setting and intriguing setup might pull you in, but the flat characters and over-the-top plotting will make you wish you hadn’t bothered. If you’re looking for a gripping mystery, this one might not be worth your time.

#Netgalley #AKillingCold

I was fully in this! I loved the setting and the characters. Everyone kinda sucks, and I liked all the tie ins and the twists were fun and not too over the top!
I really enjoy Kate Alice Marshall!

This was my first Marshall novel, but I already ordered another book from her! Definitely a really great thriller. I'll read more from her soon!

If you are a fan of a locked room mystery, a family full of dark and dangerous secrets, and a woman hell bent on getting to the truth then you need to grab A Killing Cold. What a bunch of truly awful characters! this was one wild and crazy ride and ai was there for it all. A read in a day story for me, I just could not stop reading.

Connor and Theodora have had a whirlwind romance and are now engaged to be married. Connor comes from a very wealthy family, Theo is adopted and alone. They travel to Connor’s family’s winter retreat which is cut off from the rest of the world. His family aren’t sure about Theo, and starts to notice strange things, while memories start to return.

A fun and emotional thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you so much to Flatiron on NetGalley for my advanced reading copy. Publishes on February 4th.

I do enjoy Kate Alice Marshall’s thrillers and A Killing Cold was no exception. The setting of a winter mountain compound was practically a character too. It had depth and added to this chilly, twisty thriller.

The characters were a hoot of dysfunction as only a family of rich entitled secret holders can be. The main character had her secrets too. The slowly recovering from amnesia set a nice tempo for this story.

The resolution was the weakest part but it still made for a fast paced and enjoyable read. KAM is an automatic read for me and will continue that way.

4.5/5
Thank you @flatiron_books #partner for the gifted copy of this eARC!

This one has all the makings of a great thriller and I enjoyed it immensely! A sketchy family history, an untrusting couple, a wealthy family, a beautiful estate and a mystery surrounding their past.

Theodora meets Connor and although they’ve not known each other for long, they get swept away in their budding romance and have plans to get married very quickly. It’s no surprise that Connor wants her to meet his family so when she makes it to their beautiful estate she’s a little nervous. Soon after she arrives she senses someone watching her and sees footprints outside her window. Something is niggling at her memory and she can’t put her finger on it. But then something crazy happens…she finds a picture of herself as a child where they are staying and she isn’t sure who she can trust. She doesn’t recall anything from her childhood and now wonders just who these people really are!

I have loved all of Kate’s books and this one was just as juicy and fast paced as her others! This book was very addicting because of Thor’s perplexing past and the cryptic clues she was stumbling upon! I always love when a book is written where the couple cannot trust each other because it adds a layer to the crazy! It was also set in a sprawling property set away from people which made it feel like locked room! (My fav!) I am so happy I have this bad boy preordered and can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on it! Sign me up for any and all of her books! I already need another one!

I absolutely devoured "A Killing Cold" and loved it! I definitely did not see the twists coming at the end and never would have guessed who did what. Loved the main character, Theo, and was co.pletely invested to.find out what happened during her childhood/backstory. Highly recommend to read during the winter, on a snowday, with a warm cup of coffee.

What a wild ride! I really enjoyed this book. Fast paced with tons of twist and turns along the way. I was captivated by Theo. While reading, I wasn’t sure how reliable of a narrator she was going to be, but I knew I had her back no matter what. I loved being inside her point of view and the way this story developed.

Kate Alice Marshall is a fantastic author and I’m going to read everything she writes!

This was a fantastic thriller! I devoured this story very quickly and I didn't figure it all out, which I really enjoyed! This is the story of Theo and Connor, who are recently engaged after a whirlwind romance. Theo brings a lot of secrets to the relationship from her past and Connor is from a very wealthy family. When Connor and Theo arrive his isolated family home, Theo starts to have flashes of memory she hadn't had before. This story had a lot of twists and turns, and it was had to put down! A great mystery by an author I have really been enjoying lately! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Arc review - pub date 02.04.25

Theo is newly engaged to Conner and they are spending time away at the family’s isolated winter retreat. She quickly realizes she is not welcome by the family, even receiving threatening texts/letters that she needs to get out asap.

It did take me a bit to get into the story, but once it picked up I was intrigued. Lots of twists, especially at the end. I’ve loved all of her other books and this one was a win as well. Perfect snowy/locked in mystery to read this winter!

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and FlatIron books for my ARC!

This one was great! The main female character is an on reliable narrator… She doesn’t even know who she really is. She and her fiancé Connor go to spend Christmas in the woods with Connors. Very wealthy family. But there are so many secrets as we untangle who, Theo is. And who her birth parents are… She remembers her adopted family and nothing before that. But while she is on the mountain in the snow, she starts to remember. As the secrets start to unravel, Theo is in danger. No one is who they say they are. She’s not even sure if she can trust her fiancé when someone dies the truth starts to come out. This book had me guessing through all the twists and turns. I loved the setting and the characters were wonderfully unlikable. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. 4 1/2 rounded up.

I couldn’t put this book down! From the very first page, it had me hooked. The tension builds so naturally as Theodora Scott, a woman on a whirlwind romance with her fiancé, Connor, is brought to his family’s remote winter retreat, where strange things start happening. The eerie sense of déjà vu and the discovery of a childhood photo at Idlewood had me on edge, wondering what dark secrets the Dalton family is hiding. The twisty plot kept me fully engaged until the very end, and the suspense never let up. A truly thrilling ride that I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good mystery with plenty of twists and turns!

I enjoyed A Killing Cold. On the surface, Kate Alice Marshall's novel would normally be described as death and danger in isolation, with lots of snow and cold weather, while trapped on a mountain top. However, there are far too many character's plotting and maneuvering in that cold winter snow to be isolating. The plotting is well done, with the secrets slowly being unwrapped. The danger seems to suggest who is providing the risk to protagonist, Theo, but given the layering of plots, it turns out to be more difficult to identify the villain(s) than normal.

I will not be summarizing A Killing Cold or providing spoilers. Some characters have real depth, especially Theo, but others seem more superficial, a characterization with only name and family position. There are plenty of characters, but they are different enough to make them easily identifiable. The thriller aspects of A Killing Cold work well. Cold, snow, Christmas, secrets, death, murder--they all work to create a solid mystery, with some scary scenes that work nicely. I can assure readers that Marshall's novel will not likely show up as a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I liked this novel and have added Marshall to my list of writers whose work I enjoy. I am recommending A Killing Cold.

A Killing Cold was an interesting thriller, set in a wealthy family’s mountain retreat during the winter holidays. The main character Theo is meeting her fiancée’s relatives for the first time and there are plenty of secrets to go around.

The setting was a highlight for me. Reading this during the winter months is a treat. Unfortunately, I found some of the plot twists to be pretty predictable. Some of the characters’ decisions also had me baffled. Along with that, some of the flashbacks were written oddly so they became a bit confusing who was being talked about.

Ultimately, this was a quick, fast paced read that was a lot of fun. But not one that will leave a lasting impression.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! A cold, snowy setting, a main character with a piece of her childhood she can't recall, the fear of not knowing if there's unknown danger hiding close to her, and a wealthy family determined to keep their secrets hidden. This story held so many of my favorite thriller elements, and I flew thru it in a day.

I love a thriller that keeps me constantly changing my opinion about the who and why of the mystery and has me glued to the pages with a steady pace and well-timed reveals. A Killing Cold delivers all those things and is another entertaining rollercoaster of a thriller from Kate Alice Marshall.

**A Killing Cold** is filled with chilling twists and turns. Theo Scott travels to a remote mountain estate with her fiancé, Connor, to spend the holidays with his affluent family. Adopted at the age of four, Theo has no recollection of her life or parents prior to that time. However, she is plagued by nightmares that could hold the key to her mysterious past. It appears that Connor’s family harbors numerous secrets. The Dalton family embodies the type of family one loves to despise. So, grab a cozy blanket and settle in with **A Killing Cold**!

This is an amazing well-developed story with many twists and turns!! Theodora Scott has a whirlwind romance to Conner Dalton that leads to an engagement in just six months. Conner is from a wealthy family that has much clout in the community; and before they can get married, Theo must get approval from his entire family. Luckily the family gets together every year for Christmas at their mountain retreat. Theo frets over whether the family will like her. Before they set off for the mountains, Theo has a reoccurring dream that a man with antlers is chasing her. She has wondered what the dream means. When they arrive, Theo has an unsettling feeling about the place. Memories from her past start to haunt her and she wants answers. Once she starts searching about her past she can't stop. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Mystery/Thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the early release. Truly an amazing read.

Kate Alice Marshall is a must read for me. Her character development and atmospheric settings are top notch. I found “A Killing Cold” to be a fun a super twisty thriller. I suspected every character at least once in the novel.

Thank you Flatiron Books for the gifted digital ARC!

This was a really twisty and fast-paced thriller, pretty much what we've all come to expect and love from Kate Alice Marshall.

There were sooo many twists and turns, I have to say I didn't accurately predict much of anything.

I won't say much else for fear of spoiling, but fans of Marshall's previous novels will likely enjoy this one as well.

A Killing Cold pub date is February 4, 2025.

Kate Alice Marshall has become one of my biggest disappointments as an author. Her first few YA thrillers felt exciting and fresh, but as she transitioned to adult thrillers, her books became much more meh. Unfortunately, A Killing Cold continues this trend. It was soooo slow and the plot felt very thin. The characters and their relationships also could have been developed more as well. This just felt like a run-of-mill, unexceptional thriller.

ARC provided by NetGalley