Thrilling until the end! This was a keep you guessing kind of book that was written! The flashbacks made the depth so much better! I enjoyed every minute of this one!

Thank you Net Galley, Macmillian Audio, and Kate Alice Marshall

Thank you so much to @macmillan.audio and @flatiron_books for the ALC!
#MacAudio2025

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: A Killing Cold
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Kate Alice Marshall
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: Karissa Vacker
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: February 4, 2025
4⭐️

❄️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ❄️
This story has suspense, a remote winter setting, and a past mystery that turns into present drama! There is a slow build suspense to the story that keeps you intrigued and doesn’t give away too much at once!

We have Theo, newly engaged to Connor, who is taking her to his family’s remote mountain cabin retreat for the holidays. Connor’s family is wealthy and is ready to find out all about Theo, where she’s from, and if she has any skeletons in her closet. We learn right away that Theo isn’t who she presents herself to be, but that she may be hiding her past for a good reason.

Theo almost seemed like an unreliable narrator to me at times, with how she wasn’t sure during her childhood flashbacks if what she was seeing was real. I think this allows to readers to be on the discovery journey with Theo as she dives into her past.

Connor’s family immediately gave me red flags. You feel like some of them are shady but you aren’t really sure. There was a suspenseful build up as you learn more about all of them, with unexpected twists!

This is a solid twisty winter thriller to dive into! See if you can guess what would happen at the end! 👀

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Karissa Vacker is always an amazing narrator to listen to! She brings emption and depth to her voice and also knows how to make the moment feel suspenseful. Top notch!

5 Stars - A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC of 'A Killing Cold' audiobook! This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. I’d heard great things going in, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to listen.

Kate masterfully maintained the suspense and mystery throughout, keeping me hooked from start to finish. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say—the Dalton family is seriously messed up. The sheer number of secrets and lies within one family made for a truly chilling read. I thought that I had figured out the "bad guy", but it turned out to be so much more twisted than my original thought. I loved how Kate unraveled Theo’s childhood bit by bit, keeping me on edge the entire time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to explore more of Kate Alice Marshall’s work!

whirlwind romance.

When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.

Stay away from Connor Dalton.
Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.

I’ve been here before.
Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.

This was a chilling, exciting, gripping and twisty read! There are family dark secrets with jaw dropping moments that will shock you. The twists kept coming with some surprises! Twist after twist! It was mind-blowing! There are lots of lies and the story gets intense.

There are some very unlikable characters and some very likable characters. My favorite character was Theo. I felt so sorry for her. The characters were very well done.
The family was a wealthy dysfunctional family. They lived in a mansion and I didn't know who to trust. I couldn't listen to the audiobook fast enough to find out what was going to happen next!

I was hooked straight from the beginning to the very end It was a fast-paced listen and I could not put it down. It was very atmospheric. It also is a domestic family drama and a psychological thriller. I really loved it! There also is a snowstorm in the story that makes it even more chilling.
I listened to the audiobook and it was fantastic.

I want to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Now Available!

❄️🔪 Secrets, lies, and a chilling mystery wrapped in an isolated winter retreat—𝗔 𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 is the perfect atmospheric thriller! From the moment Theodora (Theo) Scott arrives at Idlewood with her fiancé, Connor Dalton, the tension is palpable. His powerful and unwelcoming family, the eerie familiarity of the place, and the ominous warnings to stay away all build to an electrifying, edge-of-your-seat read. The setting is perfection—cold, remote, and unsettling, creating that trapped feeling I love in a thriller. The mystery of Theo’s past, combined with present-day threats, kept me guessing until the shocking, jaw-dropping reveal. I especially enjoyed the audiobook, which heightened the suspense even more.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The story follows a young woman, Theo, who is engaged to the man of her dreams, Connor. However, Connor's family is complicated, rich, and cold to Theo, and she is set to spend some time at their isolated winter retreat. This estate begins to give Theo a sense of eerie familiarity and she tries to find answers to solve past mysteries that have yet to be solved. The author captures the locked-door setting and builds an undeniable sense of dread. The wintry landscape plays a key role in the story, adding a layer of isolation and urgency that intensifies the plot.

A Killing Cold is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and those who love a good, twist-filled mystery. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @macmillian.audio for the gifted audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Audio was perfect by the popular narrator Karissa Vacker! I listened at 1.75x speed. This is my third novel by author Kate Alice Marshall. Like her previous books, A Killing Cold was just ok for me. It was an easy and fast read/listen that kept me entertained. The story was filled with secrets, family drama and a beautiful snowy cabin setting! If you enjoy popcorn thrillers, try this one for a twisty suspenseful reading experience. Audio is the best format for this one.

You will like this one if you love the tropes
❄️Marrying into wealth
❄️Secret Past
❄️Family Secrets
❄️Danger

⚠️Contains child abuse , miscarriage, and mentions of domestic abuse as

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

My Review
This was a crazy twisty ride. I did feel like there were a lot of characters to keep up with. That is the only downfall for me however, it all comes together in the end. I felt like this was the perfect book for this time of year. I loved the setting. I loved the whole snowed in aspect of it and the isolated location. She’s meeting the family for the first time because they got engaged very quickly. This book just proves that a wealthy family will do anything to keep their reputation clean. I felt like some of the twists were predictable, but there were some that kind of threw me for a loop. This is a new to the author and I think I would definitely read some more of her books. I highly recommend the audio for this. I felt like the narrator did a wonderful job.

Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for this ALC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“It’s important to follow wilderness rules 🌲 when you are mapping your way through a person’s life. 🧭 Leave no trace…”

I thoroughly enjoyed A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall! 🔪❄️🧣 This book delivered the perfect “whodunnit” vibes, keeping me on edge and guessing until the very end. 🤯 I didn’t know who to trust, and every twist had me second-guessing myself.

The atmosphere was spot on — think winter cabins deep in the woods 🏕️, no signal 📵, and a tense family dynamic 👀. The “poor girl dating the rich guy while trying to win over his narcissistic family” trope added so much tension 😬, especially on this high-stakes family vacation. It gave me major Get Out vibes 🧠🖤, so if you loved that movie, you’ll be a fan of this book!

Overall, it’s a solid mystery thriller 🔍 that’s hard to discuss without giving away spoilers 🤐. Just know that it’s worth the read! I’ll definitely be checking out more books by this author 📚✨!

Favorite Quotes:

“I almost prefer the dark now. 🌑 The light only blinds you to what might lie beyond it. 🌟”

“We all have violence inside of us. 💣 It needs only the right fuel. 🔥”

“Don’t let the cup rattle, ☕ even if your hands are shaking. 🤲”

“Secrets, I think. 🤫 The private things we live our lives pretending no one knows. 🕵️‍♀️”

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the ALC 🎧 and Flatiron Books for the ARC! 📖

I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator. I think her voice definitely brought the main character, Theodora, to life. I could feel her reasoning for the secrets she kept and the reasons why. Some parts of the books felt slow with her inner monologue, but then as I got towards the end there was so much happening and it was easy to get through quickly. Some of the plot points are very similar to other mystery/thrillers. But if you read too many of these types of books, you will see similarities. Overall, another great book from Kate Alice Marshall.

First, I’m going to warn you that I’m in the minority regarding thoughts on this book/audiobook, so read this as one reviewer's thoughts. It may be the perfect book for you.

It takes a special book or audiobook, to move at a slow pace and still hold my attention. In the case of A KILLING COLD, it plodded along extremely slowly, but I kept listening in the hopes that the last of the book would pick up. Not-so-much.

The dual timeline tended to bog down an already slow story. It didn't always move the story ahead and at times became repetitive.

Certain clues didn’t feel necessary to be given multiple ways, especially, when specific facts were easy to put together.

And the ending, well, that was a game of spin the bottle. He did it! No. Okay, that guy did it! No? Well, spin the bottle again. Seriously, you’ll have to read the book to understand what I’m talking about. Some might call these exciting twists, but I didn't.

WHAT I LIKED
The location: a gothic, isolated, winter setting
The Locked Room type of mystery
The occasional suspenseful scenes

The narrator did a decent job of trying to breathe life into this story, but it just didn’t work. I think I’ve become a bit spoiled by so many excellent narrators who can give each character a unique voice.

I had hoped this would be an audiobook that I’d fall in love with, but I’m sorry to say it just didn’t work for me.

This was a fun and pretty quick thriller. The narrator did a great job. I enjoyed the isolated snowy landscape. I guessed a few of the twists, but I kept reading because I wanted to see if I was right. There were tons of red herrings at the end. But for all the twists and turns, the ending was a little flat.

A classic story of a girl (Theodora) meets a boy (Connor), they fall in love, & he brings her home to meet his family. . . at a secluded over the top mountain retreat the family gathers at during the holidays. There is no cell service, there are locked cabins no one enters and everyone seems to be hiding something, including Theodora (aka Theo).

I flew through this novel! Kate Alice Marshall did an incredible job setting the scene and creating an atmosphere of tension, I could envision the remote mountain retreat clearly, the characters and the winter storm. It was especially fun to read this one in February in MN!

The suspense and tension of this psychological thriller kept me engaged throughout the novel. I found the complicated family dynamics to be believable and grabbed my attention 👀🍿 I enjoyed the snipers of Theo's memory mixed into the storyline of present day, it built the tension more. I did guess the ending but I've also read a lot of thriller/suspense lately but that did not take away from how well written the novel is and the well developed characters and plot line.

Kate Alice Marshall had written another engrossing thriller. This was super suspenseful and moved quickly. I was very emersed while reading and felt like I was on the estate with the characters. I went between listening and reading and would recommend either format but the audio is narrated by the fabulous Karissa Vacker. While I did guess many of the ending surprises, I found this to be an enjoyable read.

Theodora Scott invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat, realizes they are hiding a terrible secret. She receives a note telling her to stay away from Connor, her fiance. But secrets come to the surface, and she realizes she has been here before.

Faced-paced, twisty, and interesting, A Killing Cold is Kate Alice Marshall at her best.

This book kept me wanting more!

Listening through the book there were so many ups and downs and moments of frustration. The suspense kept me wanting more and I rushed to finish it!

From the second Theo finds a childhood photo of herself and Liam, I knew it was going to be bad and I wanted nothing more than her to tell Connor. Of course that didn’t happen and the moment passed. As we carry on through the story line I was surprised at a few twists and turns. The biggest being Alexis was the one to shoot Mallory, but also that Magnus was the one who actually killed her! I was also pretty surprised that Connor really didn’t know who Theo was as he pursued her.

It enjoyed the storyline that they found each other naturally and that they had rekindled something that started back when they were both kids. The character building around Trevor also had me pegging her for the bad guy, but instead he’s just misunderstood.

The only thing I wish we would’ve gotten was a bit more clarity on what exactly was Theo’s decision in the end. We know she didn’t accept Magnus’ deal, but we don’t know exactly what she did decide to do. Also what happened to Vance? Questions I would’ve liked to have had more insight, but nevertheless a good ending! I’d definitely read more by this author.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a tense and atmospheric thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The story follows Theodora Scott, who, after falling for the wealthy and charming Connor Dalton, is invited to his family’s isolated winter retreat, Idlewood. However, what should have been a chance to win over Connor’s skeptical relatives quickly turns into a chilling nightmare.

As Theo becomes increasingly unsettled by the strange messages and the haunting feeling that she has been at Idlewood before, her discovery of an old photo of herself as a child at the retreat shatters her sense of reality. With fragmented memories starting to resurface, Theo uncovers shocking secrets about her past—and the dangerous lengths the Dalton family will go to keep those secrets buried.

The author skillfully blends psychological suspense with a haunting setting, creating an atmosphere of isolation and dread. Theo’s journey of self-discovery and the growing sense of danger make this a captivating and fast-paced read. With its dark secrets, twisted family dynamics, and unexpected twists, A Killing Cold is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a winter thriller to read or listen to somewhere cozy. I received an advanced reader copy of the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker through NetGalley. Theo Scott is accompanying her recent fiance Connor Dalton to his family’s winter retreat. Connor comes from a privileged background while Theo has grown up as an adopted daughter to a frugal, fundamentalist family. She has no clear memories before the age of four, but has a recurring nightmare that haunts her regularly. Soon after arriving to Idlewood, the Dalton family’s winter retreat, memories begin to surface and the puzzle pieces of her past start to come together. The narration and pacing of the story make this a quick read as you discover the Dalton family secrets along with Theo. I guessed some of the twists, but there was one at the end I was not expecting. I rate it a 3.5 as a solid thriller that kept me listening. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen and give my honest review.

Excellent audiobook! The story was never boring and it rarely slowed down. I had no idea where the next twist came from. That’s what I enjoy about a thriller, when it keeps me guessing…. A very rare feat, because I’m that reader who figure things out way before the ending. Not this time. A Killing Cold is a fantastic read for lovers of a well done thriller.

I have to start by saying I'm having very mixed thoughts on this audiobook. There is a scene in the first few pages that just gutted me and changed my entire listening experience.

I will be completely honest I almost stopped listening. When it comes to animals in pain, or that are needlessly hurt in books or audiobooks.

Now I realize this is totally my issue, but it did change my experience, and I couldn't get some of the phrases out of my head no matter how much I tried.

All of that being said, this audiobook is really, really good; the story is phenomenal, and the characters are engaging and make you root for them. Theo, not knowing who she really is or where she comes from, made for a truly fascinating character that I enjoyed reading.

The Narrator was really great to listen to, and she almost made me forget the parts of this story that took my breath away (in a not-so-great way) and somehow still made me want to listen to more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advance copy of this Audio Book. I have voluntarily listened to it, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.