Theo had a tough childhood from becoming an orphan which led to a large memory gap to adoptive parents who ended up being abusive. When she hits 18 and escapes to LA, she feels that she has left the past behind her and can start anew, especially when she meets a young man at a party and they fall for each other instantly.

Theo & Connor head to the Dalton family Christmas retreat and, as a woman with a mysterious past, the family is hesitant to accept her and deeply questions her motivations. Upon her arrival, the childhood nightmares that have always haunted her start to resurface until one day she comes across a photograph…and it’s of her. When she combines this was the feeling that some of the Dalton’s are acting like they already know her, Theo can’t help but wonder if she has been to Idlewood before and if there is a reason why she shouldn’t have returned.

*^*^*^
Another great thriller from Kate Alice Marshall. I was absolutely hooked from the start as I listened to this audiobook. The narration from Karissa Vacker was beautifully done (as always) and helped build the suspense along the way.

A Killing Cold follows Theodora Scott as she visits her fiancé's family retreat. I enjoyed the setting and the pacing, but I guessed some of the twists early on. I also found one part to be completely unbelievable.

Narration by Karissa Vacker was well done as always.

I received and ARC and ALC from Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Some stories don’t just unfold—they envelop you completely, and this audiobook was one of them. Despite its slow pace and twisty plot, the narration elevated the experience to something truly captivating. The way the narrator brought the past to life, combined with the author’s beautifully crafted writing, made every moment feel rich and immersive.

Each twist was expertly delivered, allowing time to reflect on the characters and their journeys without ever feeling rushed. The perfect blend of a compelling narrative and a skilled narrator kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you love character-driven stories brought to life through exceptional narration, this audiobook is an absolute must-listen!

I have mixed feelings about this one. The parts of the book that where giving “ready or not” vibes I enjoyed (we all love a murderous family) but the rest of the plot I just found myself not so interested in.

I am a fan in general of Kate Alice Marshall and have enjoyed her other books, this was a medium 3⭐️ for me however there are still good aspects to the book that I’m sure the majority of readers will enjoy, I am likely the outlier here.

Read if you enjoy:
Cold weather, isolated settings
Meeting the family goes wrong
Secrets in the past
A quick engagement

Thank you to Macmillan audio and the author for the ALC!

Publish date: February 4th 2025

There was a lot going on with in this novel. Theo and Connor are newly engaged when they decided to spent the holidays with Connors uber rich family in a secluded property in the middle of the woods. The family isn't really welcoming to Theo and questions her motive to marry Connor.

Like Kate Alice Marshall's this was full of twists and fast-paced. So many clever twists, I still can't get over it.

Theo (Theodora) is going with her fiancé, Conner, to tell his very wealthy family that they are engaged and stay for a few weeks at their lodge in the woods. Theo starts to realize that her past is connected with this lodge and the family, but she only has snippets of random images that don't make sense. I loved this story because it's secluded and Theo is technically trapped thanks to the snow and the landscape. Connor's family also has a lot of secrets. I highly enjoy the rich people behaving badly trope, and this was no exception. Lots of twists and turns make this novel an exciting and fast paced read.

I’m a huge Kate Alice Marshall phone so I squealed when I received this ARC from @flatironbooks

A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret―and that she’s been there before.

This book is the perfect locked room mystery with all the wintery vibes. And can we just appreciate the wealthy family drama trope?!?! Here for it. The secrets were off the charts and I love how the story came together. Highly recommend A Killing Cold if you’re looking for a winter mystery read!

Kate Alice Marshall’s “A Killing Cold” is a gripping mystery with unexpected plot twists. A wealthy family’s desperate protection of their reputation keeps readers guessing until the end. Karissa Vacker did an excellent job, as always. If you enjoy mysteries, you’ll love this book!

A thriller? A love story? Who really knows?!

A Killing Cold is a masterfully done novel by Kate Alice Marshall, who is no stranger to thrillers that’ll lead you down one road just to change direction by the time you think you know where it’s going. There were no less than four times I thought I had the plot figured out, just to be fooled once again!

The story follows a oh-so-common theme- a couple in love, one rich and one poor, trying to prove to family how true their love is. Except Theo (Theodora) has a past she can’t fully recall after years with an abusive adoptive family, and Connor’s past isn’t as he recalls it at all. With everyone together on location at the wealthy family’s winter cabins, the truth will be revealed! Grab your pen and paper because you may need to draw a flow sheet to keep up!

I found, “A Killing Cold”, have the perfect balance of suspense and story reveal to keep the reader engaged without being bored or moving too fast. I audibly gasped a few times causing everyone around me to ask me what was happening. Overall, this book hit all the right spots at all the right times! Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ALC!

Theo is faced with the scrutiny of a lifetime when she meets the extremely wealthy family of her new fiancé at their isolated winter retreat. It’s clear they not only don’t think she’s good enough - but they’re also keeping some big secrets. Meanwhile, Theo has one of her own: she knows she had a different childhood than what she’s led others to believe, except she can’t remember any of it. When she finds a photo of herself as a child in one of the cabins, memories slowly begin to return and with that, comes the realization someone on the mountain knows and she’s in danger of the same fate as her mother.
I thought this was a great thriller and had so many twists that I never knew what was going to come next and was genuinely surprised. The narration really brought the sense of urgency and fear while reading the more intense parts.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

✨This has been one of my most anticipated books, but I forced myself to wait until it was cold here in Texas to read it. THIS TOOK FOREVER. Texas is hot, y’all. But oh…it was so worth the wait.

✨The pacing of this book was just superb. I was hooked from the beginning and fully invested – and then the plot took a turn. The TENSION ramped up into an absolute roller coaster ride, and I stayed up half the night reading because I COULD. NOT. STOP.

✨ Just when you think you know where this one is going, you realize how wrong you are. The author’s misdirection game is on point to say the least.

✨This is a fabulous chilly thriller, and I really enjoyed it.

🎧I paired my print book with audio because anything @karissavacker narrates is something I want to listen to. As always, her performance was absolute perfection.

🌿Read if you like:
✨Chilly thrillers
✨Isolated locations
✨Winter, snowy settings
✨Toxic family drama
✨Secrets and lies
✨Twists and turns

Well well well, KAM does it again.
Wow. This story is addicting and dynamic. I’m currently under the impression that she can do no wrong.
Theo is engaged to Cameron, a wealthy guy she just so happened to meet at a party. She doesn’t believe in fate, so how on earth does she end up revisiting her past while she’s meeting her fiancés family for the first time? Y’all. This plot, it’s twisted. Somehow KAM pulls it off without making this story seem crazy impossible.
Loved this listen. So good.
Thank you netgalley for the AAC!

Call me a Hoover because I SUCKED THIS THING UP. I started this audiobook on my commute home yesterday and completely devoured it.

I love an intense thriller set in the winter and A Killing Cold did not disappoint. The writing will pull readers in right from the start and keep them on the edge of their seats the whole way through. So many juicy little secrets just waiting to be revealed from these characters whose flaws make them enjoyable to follow. It took me some time to build the Dalton family tree in my head as there were a lot of characters introduced in the beginning and I can see that being problematic for some readers.

As a seasoned thriller reader, some parts were predictable but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story as I moved through it. While the plot is one that I am likely to forget in a few months—I tend to have this problem with thrillers after reading so many—it was certainly entertaining. Overall, a winner from Marshall; I look forward to seeing what she does next.

The audiobook narration by Karissa Vacker is wonderful. I have listened to many audiobooks narrated by her and she always knocks it out of the park. Here, I found that she was the perfect voice for Theo. Thank you Macmillan Audio for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Available Feb. 4 2025

Kate Alice Marshall is an author who just doesn’t miss for me. I’ve loved everything she’s written, and this book is no exception. The plot and the characters were layered and complex, and the twists were unpredictable and beautifully done. The atmospheric setting was perfection, and I swear I actually doubled up on layers while reading this because I felt like I was right there in the snowy winter retreat. This novel kept me guessing the entire time with so much tension, suspense, and dark family secrets. I just couldn’t put it down!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker. She is one of my favorite narrators, and she was the perfect choice for Theo. Vacker did an amazing job building tension and suspense, which is so crucial in such an atmospheric thriller like this one. Highly recommend this one on audio!

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

This was a solid commercial thriller - it touched on all our familiar themes and tropes (marrying into a wealthy family, shady past kept secret, nightmares, family secrets, snowed in, etc) without getting swallowed up by them. I felt like I had been transported back to 2018 when I read mostly thrillers and they felt new and engaging, like Ruth Ware and Wendy Walker’s early BOTM books.

And we’re back to KAM’s casual queerness (would have loved more of Alexis and Paloma, but the focus was very much on Theo and that’s okay because that’s what the story needed). I loved that Theo’s story unfolded layer by layer, giving us deeper and deeper hints at what nestles in her core. Some of it even unknown to her.

Biggest pleasant surprise of the book was fiancé Connor, but saying why would be spoilers so I’ll leave it there.

Karissa Vacker is, as always, a delight to listen to, and she navigated the rather sizable cast very well.

Theo has a past that she keeps hidden. Even her fiancé does not know about it. Heck, she doesn't even remember some of it- like her birth mother. She didn't know Connor was wealthy when she met him and fell in love. He comes from a prominent family- one that cares about bloodlines and asks a lot of questions. The Dalton Family spends Christmas at their mountain retreat- as the date looms, she starts getting warnings to stay away from Connor. She ignores them, but upon arriving, things seem familiar. She feels like she's been there. Then she finds a picture of herself as a child- one with Connor's dad. Maybe there were more to the warnings.

I didn't love this one as much as the other books I've read by the author. I was annoyed for too much of it. There is too much in the unknown category for most of the book. I get that Theo doesn't remember a lot, either, but I found it especially annoying due to the very slow progression. I mean, it is still a decent read, just not as strong as some of her previous work.

Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook and is amazing, as always.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

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!

I loved What Lies in the Woods and was not a fan of No One Can Know, and this one fell right in the middle — I didn’t find it earth-shattering and it was kind of predictable once you got into it a bit, but I really loved the main character and thought this was a fun listen overall (great narration by Karissa Vacker, as always!) Already looking forward to another book by Marshall!

A sprawling mountain retreat. A family with dark secrets. A secluded setting.

A KILLING COLD seems to have a lot of things going for it. I loved the premise and how atmospheric the mountain setting was. The characters aren’t particularly likeable but I enjoyed that I never knew quite who to trust. My main issue with the book is that the entire plot hinges on one coincidence that felt very implausible to me. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief with this particular point and it impacted my enjoyment a bit.

If readers head into the story knowing that there are some instances of incredible coincidence then it may help their enjoyment. I’ve really liked Kate Alice Marshall’s previous novels and I’ll be excited to see what she does next.

I'm so glad I was able to experience Karissa Vacker's narration with this story. She is the queen of narrating atmospheric thrillers and she knocked it out of the park here.

Many thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good! Kate Alice Marshall has become a favorite thriller writer of mine, and The Killing Cold was no exception! This story had the perfect amount of creepy atmosphere, and while you might guess some of it, the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end. I also love how she chose to end this story for Theo. And as always, Karissa Vacker absolutely nailed the narration!