3.8
I want you to know: This is more of a ferris wheel than it is a roller coaster. Every time there is a "twist" there is a flashback or a chapter from another character's perspective that explains how everything you just learned fits into the whole. Which, honestly, is somewhat reassuring even though it defeats the purpose of this sort of thing in a real way.

I was so excited to receive this one! I loved the setting, the creepy underlying vibe, and all of the characters. I will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

4/5 ⭐️ If you’re looking for a thriller novel full of deep rooted family secrets, twists, a little romance, and a eerie winter scenery, A Killing Cold is one you don’t want to miss! This story follows main character Theo who just got enagaged after a few short months to her wealthy fiancé Connor. The couple is invited up to Connor’s family retreat in the mountains for Theo to meet the rich and renowned Dalton family. Upon arrival, Theo gets a strange feeling that this isn’t her first time at this retreat. She is able to eventually piece together memories of her traumatic childhood and uncovers deep family secrets about what really happened on this mountain years ago.

I absolutely loved the winter setting of this book, it makes me wish I would have waited until winter to dive in! There were a lot of characters to keep straight throughout the book, however, they’re all well connected to the story line once you get them straight. I loved the ruthlessness of Theo especially; she is definitely a character you can’t help but root for!

Thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and author Kate Alice Marshall for this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 🩵

Pub date February 4, 2025

So many twists & turns in this thriller! Kept you wanting to read until the very last page.
Thanks ARC and NetGalley for the early read!

What a complex tale! When she agrees to accompany her fiance to the family compound, Theo is unprepared for the web of lies and secrets that are untangled, or the memories of a life she is not sure that she had.

This was absolutely a great read with a lot of twists and turns. You never really knew who the "suspect" was because of everyone's suspect behavior. Theo ultimately realizes that she has been here before and has a unique tie to the family and the family secrets.

She tries to navigate who to trust and also find out exactly what happened in the past, so that she can know if she can trust the future with Connor. As bodies start dropping and secrets are exposed, it is not clear if justice can be served.

I was kept guessing right until the very end. I highly recommend this book.

I am thankful to publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy to read.

Thank you NetGallery for this ARC!
This book was a suspense ride that never slowed down! Every time I thought I knew what was going on, there was another twist. I never truly had the mystery figured out- even toward the end when I thought I had it figured out! Great thriller/ suspense read, 4.5 out 5 stars!

I really enjoyed reading this one and I’m excited to read more books by Kate Alice Marshall.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
I absolutely devoured this book. My favorite by this author by far!
Theo and her fiancee Connor are headed to Idlewood, his wealthy family’s mountain retreat. The goal to win over his family’s approval. Only family is ever allowed there. Theo was adopted when she was 4 years old, she has no memories of her life before her adoptive parents and the memories with them are even worse.
At the retreat there is one cabin that is off limits, it sits abandoned at the back of the property. Out of curiosity she goes to investigate but it strangely starts to seem very familiar, then she finds a picture of herself as a child with Connor’s long deceased dad. She starts getting more and more glimpses of her past that she’s not quite sure she’s ready to face.
Run to get this book when it’s released, I believe it’s Kate Alice Marshall’s best work yet.

“A Killing Cold” by Kate Alice Marshall is an intriguing mystery that grabs you right from the start. A newly engaged couple spends the Christmas holidays with the boys rich and powerful family at their secluded mountain retreat. The young woman who is an orphan has no memory of who she really is, what her real name is or what happened to her birth mother. All she knows is what happened to her while she was living with her horribly abusive adoptive parents, and that story is a secret! Her fiancés family has secrets too, and she develops a gut feeling she has been at this estate before! When texts from an unknown number telling her to get away, and a photo from her childhood suddenly appear the chilling tale really kicks in!

I thought I had this suspense filled story all figured out but there were twists that kept me reading into the wee hours. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller with a warning to those who are sensitive to graphic descriptions of hunting scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In “A Killing Cold” by Kate Alice Marshall, readers are plunged into a chilling mystery that expertly intertwines suspense and vivid descriptions of a snowy landscape. The protagonist's gritty determination and complex backstory make for compelling reading, while the plot twists keep you guessing until the very end. Marshall's skillful writing vividly transports readers to the bleak, icy setting, evoking a palpable sense of dread and urgency. The secondary characters add depth to the story, each bringing their own unique perspectives to the unfolding drama. Although the pacing occasionally lags, it allows for deeper character development and richer atmospheric detail. Overall, "A Killing Cold" is a gripping, atmospheric thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is well worth the read for any mystery enthusiast. This was my first of her books and will not be my last.

Theo and Connor are newly engaged, head over heels couple heading up to the family  “cabin” for Christmas. There’s only one hitch.

Connor is extremely wealthy.

The cabin is a castle.

And everyone is keeping secrets.

I went into this story completely blind and I’m so glad for it. The way it starts off and I at once think of the royal family visiting their castle/estate in Scotland. That’s just the vibe that gave me at first. Cold, cozy, warm fires, big money ... you've seen the movie.

I thought I had the whole story figured out. I've read this before and most likely so have you. The story of an innocent, poor, down on her luck, girl meeting a rich man, that’s prince-like. He's perfect, handsome and she's jsut trying to fit in. She loves him for him and not his money. Yeah, know you know what I'm talking about. This story has been told many times before. I did my best not to roll my eyes as the author set the scene.

Kate Alice Marshall is in my "list of authors I look for". And just I wanted to write this off as a lazy story that’s already been told, insert a twist here. Then we find out a secret. And then another. And then another. And every time I think I have it figured out there’s yet another twist and turn.

There is a reason I look out for KAM. Her writing style is easy to digest yet still interesting and not watered down. Her descriptions are to the point, easy imaginable, without being over the top. Her characters are well built. She's simply really, really good a that she does.

My only real criticism is some of the connections were too obvious. And without giving away too much ... if I were an editor I'd say, let go of the “red scarf”. It was overplayed. It was mentioned too many times. I started finding it annoying. The loss of memory is always a cop out, be more clever. Okay, stopping to avoid spoilers.

Other than that, I think the author has some authoring to do and the editor has some editing to do, but this book is absolutely wonderful. Thrilling. Exactly what all Kate Alice Marshall fans are hoping for. I would 100% recommend this chilly, winter thriller to all my reader friends with a cup of tea.

Amazon Link - A Killing Cold By: Kate Alice Marshall

Stats: 304 pages - Expected publication February 4, 2025

***Thank you to Flatiron Books, NetGalley and of course, the author Kate Alice Marshall, for a  copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publishing February 4, 2025.

This author is fast becoming one of my favorites. She writes good bingeable thrillers that are twisty , engaging and atmospheric. This one was very good
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

Was very excited to read this book. So good. It was little slow at certain points in the story, but a fun thriller that wrapped up nicely. The characters had just enough history about them so I felt I knew them. Can't wait for Kate Alice Marshall's next book!

Theo, a young, traumatized woman finds love with Connor. Connor takes her to his family’s mountain cabins for Christmas. While Theo is there she starts having memories of when she was a little girl in that location. Connor’s family has secrets and does not welcome Theo into the family. She starts getting mysterious warning texts. Memories start returning which puts her in danger. This book had so many twists and turns that kept me guessing. I felt more invested in Theo as each bit of her past was revealed. This was a great read!

This is one of those books that will stay with me for a while.

It starts off very strong with the sweet story of Theo and Connor. Theo sets out on a Christmas vacation to the remote mountain villa of Connor's extremely rich family. Then she discovers... She's been here before.

The story that unwinds as this book goes on is insanely captivating, to say the least. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something 10 times crazier actually took place. Not only that, it just KEEPS. GOING. Like half this book was me thinking "No way it can get more nuts than this" and thinking the end was coming soon.

This was my first book by this author and I feel compelled to devour her library now. I HIGHLY recommend this. HIGHLY.

This is the second book I've read from this author. The plot was interesting and I enjoyed the setting. It was paced well and very twisty. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

While Kate Alice Marshall’s books never fail to keep me guessing, the pacing of this one threw me off. It felt like she was really trying to emphasize the scenery as its own character and set the scene so well, but it ended up taking away from the twists and the overall thrill of the story.

The characters were strong, but not as well flushed out as you’d expect from Marshall’s writing. However, once I reached about 60% of the book, I couldn’t put it down and it really picked up. It was a unique read and this one will be well liked among mystery readers, especially with a perfect winter backdrop to set the scene. 4 stars for me, mainly because the pacing in the first half really made me struggle.

3.5 overall! This is the third adult thriller I’ve read from this author & I’ve found this is my favorite so far. The story started off rather confusing for me, but as it progressed and the mysteries started unraveling, I found it to be a lot more fun to follow. Loved the setting of a secluded winter cabin & every character being unreliable until the big reveal(s) at the end. Thank you Flatiron Books & NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Thanks to.Netaglley and Flatiron for providing me.an ARC!!
Where do I start?
The story didn't take any time drawing me in. It started with its mystery and intrigue right from the start. Theo's Fiance Connor takes her to meet his family and spend a few weeks with them. This is the first time Theo is coming face to face with the rich and powerful Daltons. Daltons who might not approve of her, who protect their own. Theo not only wants to impress his family but also keep all her secrets a secret. Which might be tough since she's been getting texts and messages to stay away from Connor..someone on the mountain knows her secret.
But she isn't the only one keeping secrets. The Daltons are hiding something far more heinous.
Unable to remember much of her past due to trauma, Theo begins to remember her life before she was adopted. And all of it is connected to the very mountain she is now on.
This book had me turning the pages well into the night. I'm not joking when I say that I devoured this book whole. I stayed up all night waiting to find out what happens next. There wasn't a slow point in the story. It never dragged on. I wish the characters were a bit more defined, but I've come to notice that in suspense/thrillers the story is more about the outside picture. I didn't want to put this book down. The twists and turns and all the family secrets had me on my toes. Just when I make up my mind about someone they do something that leaves me shocked. I'm so grateful I was able to receive and ARC for thus. It was truly a great read. A mystery where I couldn't figure out exactly what happened until it was actually revealed.

Will be posting full review on my Blog / Instagram and Tiktok Feb 4th 2025.

Kate Alice Marshall's A Killing Cold is her windiest thriller yet. I was on the edge of my seat throughout, the mystery truly unfolding for me alongside the main character, Theo. This was a really fun but impactful read, and I can't wait to see what Marshall does next.

This is a new to me author so I wanted to give this book a try!
It could have been a 5 star rating in my opinion had it not been for the unnecessary language and graphic descriptions.
The plot I thought was good and the twists at the end were great! I enjoyed the characters and thought they were relatable.
I’m not sure if I will read another by this author simply because of the language used. It was rather crude, not just mild profanity.
I really wish there were a way to screen books better through NetGalley to filter better.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity.