Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.

MY SYNOPSIS: A woman invited to her wealthy fiancé’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret- and that she’s been there before…

MY REVIEW: Kate Alice Marshall is the queen of atmospheric thrillers! A Killing Cold is set at The Dalton Family’s retreat atop a snowy mountain, complete with a spectacular lodge and an isolated ramshackle cabin… just perfect. The slow burn pace of the novel was flawlessly executed alongside of the decades-old story to be told. I was immediately taken by the FMC, Theodora Scott, and her story. She’s riddled by a past she cannot remember, but is slowly coming into focus. Conor, her wealthy fiancé, along with his family, bring a slew of characters, never knowing who to trust! The final twist was actually jaw dropping.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, brilliantly executed and captured the fear, drama, and vigor of our FMC and the story she had to tell.

4.5/5!!!!!

if you love a good: thriller, mystery, lost memories returning, wealthy secretive family, isolated cabin, snowed in, coverups, young love, threatening texts

5 Stars

I first discovered Kate Alice Marshall with What Lies in the Woods and really enjoyed it. Since then, I’ve been reading more of her books, and they’ve all been great. This one was no different.

The winter setting worked really well for the story. The isolation created by the snow added to the overall tension and sense of dread in the thriller. The decision to set the book in winter was a good one. The story also has dual timelines and mysteries, as we try to figure out what happened in the past while also uncovering what’s happening in the present.

The book gave me a bit of the same vibe as the movie Ready or Not. While it doesn’t have the same "killer games," it does feature a woman marrying into a rich, mysterious family with hidden secrets, and she has to survive the family’s strange dynamics.

The pacing of the book was just right for me, and I finished it in two days. I also liked how Kate Alice Marshall developed the characters. They’re not all meant to be likable, but they’re complex and flawed, which made them interesting.

I also enjoyed the audiobook version. The narrator did a great job of bringing the characters to life and adding to the overall atmosphere of the story.

Kate Alice Marshall has become an author I automatically buy from, and I would recommend this book, as well as her other works, to readers who enjoy mystery thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced listener copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I really enjoyed Kate Alice Marshall's previous two thrillers but A Killing Cold just fell slightly short for me. Theodora Scott is off to spend the holidays with her new fiancee family. Connor Dalton comes from a lot of money and has never missed a family Christmas at Idlewood, despite the fact that his father died there many years ago. Theo doesn't receive quite the warm welcome from the Dalton family that she hoped, and when she starts having nightmares again and receiving treating messages to stay away from Connor she's tempted to flee the retreat. There were just a bit too many twists and turns to the mystery and I felt slightly confused about what was actually happening in the flashbacks. This is not a usual issue for me so I think it took away from the story a bit. It's definitely a perfect winter thriller to get you through those cold months!

Story: 3/5
Pretty quick, enjoyable thriller. But honestly, nothing to write home about I'm afraid. I personally find the drip feeding / amnesia trope a little annoying, so that's what caused my somewhat sour taste for this book. BUT the audiobook version of this seriously kept me engaged because the narrator is straight up perfection.

Audiobook & Narration: 5/5
I LOVED Karissa Vacker's narration from beginning to end! I attribute finishing this book to her exceptional way of keeping me engaged with the story. It felt as if I was sitting down to coffee and listening to Theo tell her story. Exceptional use of different voices for the characters too. If you have a choice, I would highhhhhhly recommend listening to the audiobook instead of reading a physical copy.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Theo and Scott are engaged after only 6 months and they are heading to the family winter retreat to meet Connor's wealthy family. When Connor says "it's grandma you need to impress", Theo gets even more nervous about going. Once they arrive Theo gets the feeling she has been there before but can't place why. She has also been getting anonymous texts warning her to stay away from Connor. As the week progresses, Theo's memories start to resurface and she doesn't know how to open up to Connor about her secret past....but is he keeping secrets from her as well. Enjoy!!

No one's not lying in this high-stakes, high-drama thriller. That kept the story engaging, but the protagonist is written like a trade romance lead and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with trade romance, I just couldn’t get invested in her.

Premise - You're about to meet your fiance's über-wealthy family at their remote estate in the woods. Your fiance, who you dated for approximately five minutes. Your fiance, who you're hiding a dark past from. Add to this that you were adopted into a religious cult family as a child and what could go wrong? After you find a photo of yourself with said fiance's dad when you were a child, the fancy estate starts to feel more like a gilded cage. What's going on here and, just as importantly, who are you?

It’s a super interesting premise and a well-written, well-paced story full of atmosphere and tension, but the reason it isn’t a 4 or 5 for me (though I’m sure it will be for many others) is that the protagonist felt too one-note, would-have-been-played-by-Jennifer-Love-Hewitt for me. That’s an interesting type for tons of people, but just not so much for me and I just didn’t get invested enough in her, which in turn made me less invested in her story.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karissa Vacker. Vacker did a great job with all of the different characters, pulling off different accents, genders, etc with ease. She delivered a varied, dynamic read and I can definitely recommend the audiobook version.

Thanks, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a HUGE Kate Alice Marshall fan!

This book did not disappoint as we knew it wouldn't!

It is a perfect Winter Read because the setting is perfect for this time of year.

Great Thriller, Great Plot and fantastic writing. Everyone needs to read this book just fantastic.

Was thrilled to be able to advance read this book ! Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

My first book by Kate Alice Marshall was What Lies in the Woods, and that was one of my favorite books of last year. I recommended that book to everyone. I was excited for her follow-up, which was No One Can Know, and I unfortunately didn’t like it anywhere near as much as What Lies in the Woods. With that, I went into A Killing Cold a little skeptical, but I left with a book I will be recommending to everyone.

After only a few months, Theo and Conor got engaged. Conor brings Theo to his family’s property for a winter retreat. Theo gets warnings to stay away from Conor and she ignores them and goes with him.

Theo’s past is a mystery that slowly comes out during the story. She finds her picture from when she was a child in one of the cottages, and it just brings up more questions. As the story went on, I just couldn’t put it down. I had to know more about Theo’s past and why her picture was there.

The last twenty percent of this book was just twist after twist, and they were all terrific. If you like mysteries, then you need to check this one out.

I am a Kate Alice Marshall fan and this book did not disappoint. It’s a perfect winter suspense read. In fact I read it on our first major snow of the year. Teddy and her story was immediately compelling and I wanted to understand what was happening. I did have to suspend some disbelief but overall a great thriller.

Wow, this was a messed up book. There were little hints here and there, but there was a lot of twists. I think I was told to stay away from my fiancé I would look a little more into before going into the woods in a no cell phone reception area. This was a twisted book, keep you guessing. I will say that if this was a true story it would have messed up a lot of people mentally.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book by an author I have enjoyed in the past. Thea is newly engaged to Connor, and she heads to his family's remote compound in the cold seclusion of the woods to meet the family. There is not wifi, no contact really with the outside world, and she is just getting to know everyone. She slowly starts discovering secrets about Connor and his family. The setting is a character in this book and is perfect for this winter time of year. My only thing about this book is it seems similar to others of recently read of newly engaged couples heading to the family's rich estate and secrets are revealed...most recently the Last One at the Wedding. But other than that this kept me turning the pages and it had a satisfying ending. 3.5 stars rounded up!

Trigger warning: Hunting with graphic descriptions of animal death and dressing. Easy to skip ahead, I ran it forward by 30 seconds a few times and listened until I passed the whole thing. It did come up a few times, so be prepared to skip ahead if this bothers you as it did me. Sometimes I will DNF a book that includes this, but the narrator is one of my favs and I knew this book might be really good. And it was!

Loads of mystery and that edge-of-your-seat feeling while reading! A cold, snowy setting that makes you want to get cozy at home in your favorite reading chair and dive right in! We have a rich family with loads of secrets from the world and each other. A young couple newly engaged is visiting on the isolated, family-owned mountain and this alone creates a sense of slow foreboding. Really don't want to give you all the details for spoiler reasons, but just know it's dark and twisty and keeps you guessing. Perfect winter reader for fans of psychological thrillers!

Many thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this enjoyable read!

I will never not read. Kate Alice Marshall book! This was everything I expected and exactly what I needed. The chaotic family drama, the frigid cold, and the twists and turns made for a perfect winter read.
Karissa Vacker continues to be THE voice of thrillers for me. She is perfection.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "A Killing Cold" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. Overall it was ok. It had twists and turns and the ending was good.

Very new couple, Theo Scott & Connor Dalton, were in a whirlwind romance and got quickly engaged after just six months. Now, they’re ready for the next step, meeting families. The Dalton family is beyond wealthy and highly powerful, and Connor brings Theo to meet them at Idlewood, his family’s secluded property. Theo, an orphan with a rough past and a lot of missing memories, is clearly wracked with nerves wanting to impress this influential family. Shortly after arriving at Idlewood, things start to look a little too familiar, and she wonders if she’s been here before.

Going into this book, I got Get Out vibes but instead of race, it was about class and Theo’s history, and I was all about it. But after a while of listening to this, I just felt the plot going in circles over and over again and I lost the initial intrigue. Theo is constantly trying to retrieve the familiarity of this place and find out how she’s tied to this place, and I just found all of that quite dull, making me lose excitement in the plot. I didn’t care for any of the characters at all, I started to not care how it wrapped up, and I was kind of considering not finishing it out. It was just such a bummer since it started out so suspenseful with a sense of something darker looming, but instead of building on the thrill, it became repetitive, unnecessarily convoluted, and boring. I think this book had definite potential had the plot gone a different way, but it fell flat for me overall.

The audiobook was performed by Karissa Vacker, who is one of my favorite audiobook narrators in the game. She truly made this audiobook worthwhile.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a mysterious and intriguing novel about family secrets. I enjoyed this one and thought the narration was great - kept pace with the book well and brought the tension to life. In some ways this reminded me of Real Americans - a story about family secrets and how far they will go to protect each other. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ARC. This will be our 2/4/25 - preorder now!

Kate Alice Marshall books should automatically go to the Top of your TBR list! This one is a drop what book your reading and listen/read now!! Wow. I wish I had waited to have this book as my last read of the year because I honestly not sure I can get it out of my head anytime soon to pick up another book.
From the first chapter you will not want to put the book down. The perfect romance until she meets the family. His family. Her past. Never seen that coming. No spoilers just do yourself a favor and preorder a copy today.


Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for sending me this audio book my way! I will be adding a physical copy to my own shelf and recommending it every chance I get! I truly enjoyed the ride!

Kate Alice Marshall is probably my favorite thriller author at this point. And when she pairs her audiobooks with a Karissa Vacker narration, then you know you’re getting perfection.

Short Synopsis:
Theo fell fast and hard for her boyfriend, now fiancé, Connor. So when he brings her home to meet his outrageous wealthy family, Theo is met with scrutiny. But Theo is more concerned with things she finds there.

My Thoughts:
I LOVED this one. This was such a bingeable and enticing thriller. I didn’t want to ever stop it once I started reading. With its family drama and hidden secrets, remote snowy location, and mysteries galore, A KILLING COLD makes for the perfect winter thriller. And the twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat.

What You’ll Find:
- Rich family
- Winter thriller
- Whodunit
- Locked in
- Twists

I will read anything by Kate Alice Marshall, and A Killing Cold is no exception. I really enjoyed the pacing and story as well as the setting. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, well-written thriller with some unexpected twists and turns.

Theo has a troubled past and huge gaps in her early childhood memory when she and Connor Dalton, her wealthy finance, arrive at his family’s winter residence to celebrate Christmas. The lodge in the woods is daunting, but even more concerning are the text messages she has been receiving telling her to stay away. Could a member of the family be sending them? And why has she started to remember these cabins, a place she has never been before? It seems the Dalton’s have secrets, and they will do anything to keep them hidden.

I listened to this story via audiobook. Karissa Vacker’s narration was wonderful and absolutely enhanced this story. The action was absolutely non-stop and went places I never expected. A thrilling, edge-of-your
-seat book. I give A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall a 4.25 stars and a definite recommendation to pick this one up.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.