Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall.

Talk about a great winter read! The atmosphere alone will chill your bones.

When Theodora goes to meet Connor's family at their winter property, she has no idea what is in store for her. Not only is his family dripping with wealth, they're also dripping with suspicion towards her. Dismayed, Theodora does what she can to win their favor, but something is niggling at her. She can't shake the feeling that she has somehow been at this place before, but that's impossible, especially given how random her meeting with Connor is. Are these memories fabricated, or is something more sinister going on...

This is a solid three star mystery in my book. It's easy to follow, great with the backdrop, compelling character development, and yet nothing especially out of the ordinary. It was a good winter mystery.

Thank you to Flatiron and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.

I am a big fan of Kate Alice Marshall, so I knew this would be good.

Talk about in laws from hell. Damn. This locked room mystery was so beautifully layered that it kept me guessing without getting confused.

It’s hard to keep locked room mysteries fresh, because they have been done a thousand times over a la Agatha Christie, but The Killing Cold managed this, and not only that, it perfects it.

I really loved to hate our despicable, questionable and unreliable cast of characters. Except for Theo. She was self deprecating enough to be relatable and endearing, and I kept rooting for her to get the hell out of there, snow and obstacles be damned. I couldn’t help rooting for her. Wanting her to get the long sought answers she desired.

This book was just a blast. I inhaled it in two sittings and it is the perfect read for a cold winters day.

3.75 stars. This is my second Kate Alice Marshall book and I'm so glad I gave her another try!

This snowed-in story is a bit predictable, and a little eye-rolling at times, but I really enjoyed the slow unveiling of the twists and truths and found the ending satisfying. I had no idea which characters I could trust!

Huge bonus to the audio is the fabulous narration by Karissa Vacker. If she's narrating a thriller, you know it won't be bad.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audiobook!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Auto for this ARC audiobook.
Theodora Scott is recently engaged to Connor Dalton whose family is extremely wealthy. Theo must win over his family but especially his Grandma in order to be welcomed into the family, which proves to be no easy task as they are hiding a terrible secret that could destroy them all.
Theo has no previous memory of her childhood prior to being adopted. While at the Daltons isolated mountain winter retreat Theo can't shake a feeling of familiarity. While exploring, Theo stumbles across a photo of herself as a child standing next to Connors Dad. Mix that with the threatening texts she has been receiving for a twisty thriller that will leave you guessing until the end. This is my second Kate Alice Marshall book and I'm hooked!

Buckle up folks, #katealicemarshall is about to have you thanking your lucky stars you weren't born wealthy and looking at your own family thinking "hmm I guess we are normal." This was a great book. The narrator for the audiobook had the perfect tones for this who done it - who is that - what the heck is happening wintery twisty tale. Definitely add this one to your TBR!

#netgalley #MacMillanAudio

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-audiobook.

A woman was invited to her fiancés private family retreat where there is a terrible secret that will bring light to the many mysteries that unravel throughout this title. It was a great audiobook, loved the narrator and enjoyed the story!

Theo and Connor were my favorites because they were right in the middle of the mysteries and the many twists had me gasping throughout. This is definitely a book to take hold and not let you go until the very end. Clear your schedule and prepare yourself for A Killing Cold.

Wow what a wild ride! This was my first Kate Alice Marshall book, but it will definitely not be my last! A Killing Cold is a thriller that follows Theodora (Theo) and her whirlwind romance with Connor. They're engaged and invited to his family's holiday estate for Christmas. We also get insight of flashbacks and nightmares from Theo's childhood - the trauma she endured and the bits and pieces that come back to her. While she is at the estate she sees a picture of a child and realizes it's her. Panic ensues and the family will do anything to keep their name clear. There were SO many twists and turns! I devoured this in a day. The audiobook narration was done so well. I highly recommend the audiobook. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio arc!

Theo met Connor and they immediately fell in love. Now they are engaged and it’s time to meet his family up at their secluded retreat. But when Theo gets there she has an uncanny feeling this isn’t her first time there. Between that and the threats she has been getting she is on edge. Theo doesn’t remember anything really from before she was adopted, but when she finds a picture of herself as a small child at the retreat she starts to try to piece together her past and keep herself safe.

This book’s pacing was perfection. It kept me wanting to continue reading and not stop until I knew what was going on. I really enjoyed Theo’s character and was happy the story was told from her POV. There so many great twists, both larger and smaller sprinkled throughout the book. Some say that it was far-fetched, but I feel like in the realm of the book it was good and made sense. Maybe compared to reality, but who wants that! This is the 3rd adult thriller by Marshall and I’ve read all and enjoyed all of them. But this one was my fav so far! She has quickly become an autobuy author for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book!

This was such a twisty audiobook!

The premise had me interested immediately. A woman who doesn’t remember her past, but goes to her rich fiancé’s family’s mountain house and has vague memories of being there before. Oh, and a snowstorm that doesn’t allow anyone to leave. What could go wrong?

Everyone has secrets in this book. Everyone! I enjoyed this because each one was revealed one by one throughout the story. They just kept coming! I enjoy stories that have more than one person complicit.

The narrator was great, I always enjoy her audiobooks. I listened at 1.75x. She is great at using different voices for different characters. Very entertaining.

I do recommend this book!

I’ve seen praise for Kate Alice Marshall’s thrillers, plus this is narrated by the brilliant Karissa Vacker so I was eager to listen.

Theodora Scott (Theo) has been invited to meet her fiancé’s family and stay at their grand mountainside retreat. Fiancé Connor comes from serious family while adopted Theo has a chequered past and mysteries in her history.

Theo was nervous enough, even before the threatening messages telling her to stay away.

The story unfolds nicely, the mysteries unfold and Theo’s unease grows.

There’s quite a lot of characters, I wish I had made a list.

I’m not usually a huge fan of thrillers with big chunks told through memories, and combined with Theo’s hidden secrets you have to pay close attention. It kept me entertained rather than thrilled. There’s plenty of plot, twists and reveals right to the end.

Karissa Vacker’s narration was excellent as always, I’m glad I listened and I enjoyed it overall.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio

A Killing Cold - Kate Alice Marshall
Pub Date - 4/4/25
Rating - 3.5/5 rounded up to 4
Page Count - 304
Media - Audio

Summary- After six months of dating, Conner Dalton proposes to his girlfriend Theodora (Theo) Scott and brings her to Idlewood for the Dalton annual winter retreat, to win over his family. Theo is incredibly nervous to meet the family, but also because she's been receiving texts telling her to stay away from Conner, claiming to know who she really is. Once she gets to the isolated town, Theo starts getting flashbacks from her childhood and gets this eerie feeling that she's been here before. Slowly memories start to come back and Theo realizes she might be in grave danger.

Thoughts - Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was such a whirlwind! First off, the narrator was incredible! She took me through the story and made me feel like I was watching this story unfold in front of me. The writer did a phenomenal job with all the descriptions and truly making the story heart pounding. With this author I have noticed a ton of what I call "pass the blame potato" in which the reader gets "she did it, no he did it, no she did it", which after the first few times can be very annoying.

Secrets, lies, twists, turns, and a shocking reveal that I did not see coming! Talk about a jaw dropping shocker! A Killing Cold was instantly gripping and had me fully invested wondering who I could trust, what would happen next, and what happened all those years ago!

Connor Dalton and Theodora (Theo)Scott fell head over heels when they met six months ago. Conner has brought Theo to Idlewood, his family's winter retreat, to introduce her to his family. They give her a cold questioning welcome while Theo can't help feeling that she has been to his family's retreat before. Plus, she is getting menacing messages telling her to stay away from Conner!

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration. I also loved the setting of this book. It hit all the bells and whistles for me. The isolated winter retreat provided that trapped feeling that I loved. The cottages made for a lovely setting but with skepticism and doubt hoovering around every corner, it was not as picture perfect or the winter wonderland as it first appeared.

I enjoyed the characters, even the unlikeable ones. Readers know that something terrible happened at the winter retreat years ago which added to the mystery, the tension, mounting sense of danger and kept my interest piqued throughout this gripping and fabulous book!

When Theo arrives at her fiancé's family's mountain escape,
things feel oddly familiar, even though there is no way she's ever
been there before. But the more she learns about her fiancé's
family and their exclusive retreat, the more puzzled she
becomes. They are clearly hiding secrets, and one of those,
she's coming to realize, has something to do with traumas from
her own childhood. A Killing Cold is dark, twisty, atmospheric,
and perfect for a wintertime read. l'm getting more persnicketty
about thrillers, and there were a few too many twists/reveals in
this one for my tastes, but 1 was still entertained throughout.
Audio was a great way to consume this book.

I really really enjoyed this one. It met my expectations as far as KAM books go and I’m thrilled to have another in her bibliography to recommend!

The story immediately hooked me with the claustrophobic atmosphere and isolated mountain top setting. The tension of bringing a new partner home to meet the family already makes for an interesting story but gets even more tense when the family clearly has secrets to keep and a bone to pick with anyone who might infiltrate their domain.

The plot is ever moving and the mysteries and revelations unfold at a breakneck speed - I think I considered everyone suspect at one point.

I do wish that there was a little less coincidence (or fate as the characters called it) that led to these particular events occurring but besides that the plot felt so well constructed and the characters kept me guessing the whole way through.

Karissa Vacker once again gives a wonderful performance.

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

The narration is fine! No complaints or specific praises.

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.

The audio is narrated by Karissa Vacker, one of my favorites, and like always the audio was so well done!

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

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of this audiobook for review.

I have been chasing the rush that I felt reading What Lies in the Woods with every other book by Kate Alice Marshall. It was the first book of hers that I ever read, and I have been hoping that other works by her are just as brilliant. One of the things I love most about her work is how she writes complicated and unapologetic women. Her heroines are damaged, with wounds inflicted upon them by other people. These issues aren’t explained away, or inexplicably disappear when Mr. Right walks in. These characters are also not coddled or “woobiefied;” instead, Kate Alice Marshall shows people with emotional scars who are adapting, while also finding love and acceptance in the people around them. There’s a realness and rawness in this portrayal. Theo is a perfect example of this type of character. I found her realistically flawed, but still strong and capable. The relationship between her and Connor was also so sweet in a way I was surprised by.

However, I also felt that the plot was convoluted. Towards the end, there were enough twists to take the story from intriguing to frustrating. There were also pauses in the action so Theo could remember her past; this was especially annoying, because the tension in the story was interrupted just for Theo’s revelation to be contradicted later.

There was a lot I still enjoyed with this book. It was perfect for me today, where I’m at home sick and needed something to listen to. However, I still feel this was a weaker book from this author.

Also, kudos to the narrator Karissa Vacker. I thought she did a great job with the narration, and she created unique voices for the different characters in a way that made dialogue more distinct and easier to follow in group dialogue moments.

4.5 stars - rounded up!

When a whirlwind romance brings Theo and Connor to Idlewood, Connor's ancestral home, for the holidays, Theo uncovers deep and dark secrets about her past - and his. In this secluded and cold thriller, Theo searches for answers about herself while untangling generations of lies.

What a crazy and fast paced ride! Kate Alice Marshall has once again totally reeled me in with her immersive and detailed story telling. I enjoyed her past book, No One Can Know but A Killing Cold blows that out of the water. This book was the perfect read for the start of winter with suspense sequences that chilled me to the bone. The characters and the plot were so well thought out, it all connected perfectly... and the twists literally had my jaw on the floor.

I would definitely recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this audiobook arc.

A Killing Cold is another great mystery by Kate Alice Marshall. I loved the main character and her mysterious past. I liked the cold, snowy setting. Five Stars!

I have never been let down by a Kate Alice Marshall book and I don't think I ever will be.

Our novel centers around Theodora Scott on her trip to visit Connor Dalton. The Daltons are a rich and powerful family. As such, the couple is headed off to the family's sprawling estate, fit with a lodge and several cabins. Despite the estate's size, during the winter months, only family, very soon to be family (i.e. Theo), and the staff are present.

Before she even steps on the grounds, Theo is on edge. She's been receiving text messages threatening her to stay away from Connor. The threats even go so far as to receive a letter at her cabin, and Theo's convinced it's someone in the family who wants her to stay away.

The pacing of this work is incredible. I genuinely could not get enough and listened to the audiobook in its entirety during a single work day. In typical Kate Alice Marshall fashion, the last third of the book was twisty and dark. I, personally, love reading books about the obscenely rich and the drastic things they'll do.

I've listened to the audiobook version of all three of Kate Alice Marshall's adult thrillers. A big part of that is the narrator, Karissa Vacker. She is hands down my favorite narrator, and I would listen to her read a Sherwin Williams catalog. (Not to be dramatic.)

I highly recommend this book!! I have to say, though, What Lies in the Woods remains my favorite of her works, thus far.

Thank you to Kate Alice Marshall & Macmillan Audio for providing me a copy of the book!