I loved this book. The narrator did a great job of portraying the characters and keeping you on the edge of your seat seat. This is my second book by this author and it did not disappoint . It kept me guessing the whole time and did not except the turn it took at the end .
What happens when a family has money and cares more about reputation and has secrets to hide? This is where the book comes in and takes you on an unexpected ride

Such a creative locked-room style thriller! Theo, the main character finds herself in an impossible situation when she accompanies her fiancée, Conner to his wealthy family’s winter retreat. The plot line of her mysterious past being linked to the retreat complex was so intriguing and creative. I just had to keep reading to try and figure out how Theo was connected to this horrible and “easy to hate” family and I honestly enjoyed the aspect of wondering if she could even trust Conner. I understand that using the storyline technique of having the protagonist lie about her past adds to the mystery but I think it is being overused in current mysteries and thrillers and seems unrealistic. But this is really my only criticism of this book. Overall, the character development was good for a thriller in which the plot and unraveling the mystery is the main focus. And these characters were “something else” - they evoked a lot of negative emotions and it seemed that any of them could be the culprit. This aspect made the story so much more compelling and entertaining. I also enjoyed the heart-pounding scenes and narrow escapes. This book would make a great movie!
I listened to the audio version of this book and thought that the narrator did a good job. I sometimes had difficulty figuring out who was speaking, especially male vs. female voices but the inflections for the dramatic and suspenseful scenes were very well done.

Book Review: A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)

Kate Alice Marshall delivers a chilling thriller in A Killing Cold. ❄️🔍

Theo Scott is swept into a whirlwind romance with Connor Dalton and invited to Idlewood, his family's isolated winter retreat. But strange footprints in the snow 👣, threatening messages on her phone 📱, and a mysterious childhood photo 📸 make her question everything. As fragmented memories resurface, Theo must unravel the Daltons' dark secrets before it's too late.

While the premise is intriguing, it didn't grip me as much as What Lies in the Woods. The wintry setting and twists felt familiar, relying a bit too much on coincidence. Still, it's an enjoyable read for fans of atmospheric mysteries. 🌲✨

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, Kate Alice Marshall, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I had to bing the last third of it at 3x the speed because I needed to finish and know all of the secrets (much like the protagonist). The narrator did great, and she’s honestly one of my favorites for her way to bring the story to life. This story was beyond twisty and it was definitely one that kept me wondering who we could trust. A girl with an unknown past is engaged to a boy where family and legacy is entwined with wealth and everything. She goes home with him for the holidays to his family’s property high on the mountain but it isn’t the trip any of them were expecting. I don’t want to go into anymore detail about the story because there were so many twists I don’t want to risk giving anything away. This isn’t my first one by this author and the more I read the more I think she is a rising star in the thriller genre.

A killing cold is actually my first Kate Alice Marshall even though I have a few of her other books on my shelf. Will definitely try to get to what lies in the woods and no one can know! This book was twisty! Lots of unexpected twists! It’s got a great atmospheric setting in cabins with no cell service. This family is messed up.

I've become a big fan of Kate Alice Marshall's since she's moved into publishing adult mysteries and thrillers. I was ecstatic to get an early copy of A Killing Cold and there is honestly other season than winter to read or listen to this book.

Theodora Scott is set to meet her future in-laws at their elusive family retreat. They've only been together a short time and already engaged. It's no wonder Connor Dalton's, her fiancé family is leery of their relationship. When you come from wealth, you have to be careful who you let into the family. But it's not just the Dalton's that are hesitant about the meeting, Theo's nervous as well considering she's already been receiving threating messages warning her away from the family. As the messages continue and she gets to know the Dalton's, she's sure she's not the only one hiding things. With a family as powerful as the Dalton's there are bound to be secrets, and Theo will need to look back into her past to find which ones are still worth killing for.

If Karissa Vacker is narrating it, I'm 99% sure I'll listen to the book and love it. She has such a great voice, and while it's distinct, I think it's the perfect tone for mysteries and thrillers. Of course, when I saw she was narrating A Killing Cold, I knew I would be listening to this one; and it did not disappoint.

At first, I thought we were headed in a fairly common direction for a wintery mystery thriller; but ended up being pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns thrown at us. My suspect(s) and explanations of the events transpiring changed every few chapters. The Dalton's weren't exactly likable characters, add in Theo's constant references to her past, and I was suspicious of everyone at one time or another.

This is a great book to go in blind to. There are a few things that are a bit far-fetched, there are plenty of red herrings, revelations, and secrets to make this a page turning thriller. I love a good rich people behaving badly story and paired with the chaos that is the Dalton family, and it's *chefs kiss*. While I haven't read all of Marshall's books, I definitely think this is my favorite book of hers so far.



A Killing Cold comes out February 4, 2025. Thank you to Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting
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Gripping, unexpected twists, suspenseful, and fast-paced, this book is the perfect winter thriller! Filled with truly detestable characters and a loveable protagonist, Great narrator. Captivating.

A Killing Cold is the third book I’ve read by Kate Alice Marshall and she continues to write thrillers that are binge worthy.

I will say, the plot had a lot of similar vibes to The Last One at the Wedding, but without the insanely annoying main character. (Sorry not sorry) Thankfully Marshall had her own ideas and twists to the story that I didn’t feel like I was reading the exact same book.

Definitely a thriller that I would recommend if you like wealthy family dramas with thriller twists. Audio was narrated well too.

I pressed play and didn't hit pause until I finished the audiobook of this cozy winter cabin read filled with wealthy family drama and lightly spiced with recollections of Christian trauma.

The plot tackles everything you learn in the description before you're a third of the way in. With recollections of the past interspersed with the tension in the present, I was pleased to be satisfied with elements of the narrative I accurately predicted and even more pleased to be a bit flummoxed by the multilayer twist. The ending was really well paced and left me pleasantly surprised with more than just the twist.

There was one moment I was worried the plot was going in a direction I would not be willing to follow, but Marshall weaves in clarification that's not what's about to unfold.

After this book, I'd read any psychological thriller Kate Alice Marshall publishes. With its fabulous twists, I'd recommend this slow burn to any psychological thriller fans and to anyone who enjoys mysteries and family dramas. If you're intrigued by the genre but would like to shy away from the darker and twistier side of things, this would be a great book to start with.

4.25 stars | I love the book, think it'd be an enjoyable reread, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.

Content disclosures: Descriptions of bruising, gun, arrow, and knife wounds, and killing of humans and deer; mentions of physical abuse; brief door ajar physical intimacy; recollection of suppressed traumatic memories; descriptions of child abuse and endangerment including exorcism, toxic family dynamics; infidelity; deer hunting

Thank you so much to MacMillion Audio for the ARC! It was a great addition to a chilly, grey day and a great kick-off to my 2025 fiction reads.

A perfect seasonal read with unexpected depth.

Theodora "Theo" Scott and her fiancé Connor Dalton could not be more different: Theo, who works at a bookstore, has practically no memories of her early childhood and grew up with abusive adoptive parents; Connor, on the other hand, was born into an extremely rich and powerful family and has had the world handed to him on a silver spoon. Despite their differences, the two are newly engaged six months into their relationship. When Theo is invited to the wealthy Dalton family's isolated winter retreat to meet her skeptical future in-laws, she starts receiving threats to stay away from Connor. But even more bizarrely, Theo starts to realize that she has been to the retreat before... just as a blizzard makes it impossible to leave.

Chances are the setup of this story are familiar to you: an outsider marrying into an uber-wealthy and powerful family, usually after a whirlwind romance, with either the first family meeting or even the wedding taking place at said family's remote estate / lodge, where secrets and potentially bodies are hidden (see 2024's "The Last One at the Wedding" for a recent example of the exact same setup).

"A Killing Cold" unabashedly leans into this setup, yet the author manages to make it very much her own, which is why this book surpassed my expectations. Much of the book's appeal is derived less from its central storyline (though the plot becomes more interesting and somewhat more original than some other works of fiction using the same setup) but from the author's splendid writing. Theo in particular is a richly developed, complex protagonist whose horrible childhood is handled tenderly and with unexpected depth (not me crying over chapter 20...).

Overall, the whole book was fast-paced and hard to put down. The suspense was heightened with the locked-room setting created by the blizzard, and the Dalton family with its many despicable members provided a plethora of suspects with potential ill will towards Theo and/or dark secrets to hide. Definitely the perfect seasonal read to dive into while cozied up to a warm fire, but with so much depth to its main protagonist that you can enjoy it year-round.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, which was flawlessly produced and had a splendid narrator in Karissa Vacker.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

"A Killing Cold" is slated to be released on February 4, 2025.

Kate Alice Marshall does it again! This creepy thriller was cleverly executed, connecting past and present without utilizing a dual timeline. I found the characters intriguing, and I was desperate to learn all of their secrets. There was a bit in the middle where things got a little repetitive, but it was redeemed in the end with twist after twist. The conclusion was well designed and satisfying. Definitely worth adding to your TBR.

If you’re an audio listener, this narrator did a fantastic job. Characters had separate voices without any cliche attempts at sounding masculine. The quality throughout the production is high, and the narrators tone and voice fit with the novels setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I read and listened to the audiobook version of this and both were incredible. I have read all of this authors books and they continue to keep me intrigued. I look forward to her next title.

I'll read anything by Kate Alice Marshall and this new book of hers did not disappoint. It hooked me from the start and kept me guessing until the end. With many characters having shady pasts, it was a constant question of who was to blame. I enjoyed the various characters points of view and how the narrator was mildly unreliable but still dependable enough to throw me off course! I recommend this read to anyone who's a fan of KAM.

Very engaging read! I had no idea where the plot was going... Basically at all times. It was very enjoyable for me on my long drive to focus on Theo's problems instead of traffic.

The ending had my jaw on the FLOOR and this is why I will always sing Kate Alice Marshall's praises. Loved this book and I really enjoy her work in general.

I highly recommend this one.

Karissa Vackar did an amazing job with the narration as well!

When Theodora met Conner she didn’t think much of it. However she doesn’t remember much of her life especially her childhood. When she is invited to spend the holidays with him at the family compound she starts getting these odd text messages. She soon starts getting glimpses of her childhood and starts to remember that she has been there before but to what extent. This book was exciting with a lot of twists and turns and finding out the truth was great to find out. I highly recommend this read.

Rich people with secrets? Stranded at a mountain hideaway? Ominous messages? Threatening footprints in the snow? Lost childhood memories revealing mysterious deaths? Kate Alice Marshall gives us all that in her new psychological thriller.

Theodora Scott is meeting fiancé Connor Dalton’s family for the first time at their secluded mountain retreat. She wants them to accept her, but something isn’t right. When Theo finds a photo of herself as a child, lost memories resurface making her realize she’s been there before - and not everyone got out alive.

Twisty, twisty, twisty and chock full of wealthy people behaving badly, A KILLING COLD left me breathless. Karissa Vacker’s narration is perfection (as usual). She captures Theo’s building terror and had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

As a fan of Kate Alice Marshall, I was definitely drawn to the premise of her newest release. Theodora Scott and Connor Dalton are recently engaged after a whirlwind romance and Theo is meeting his wealthy family for the first time at their isolated winter retreat. Not all is happy for the couple as Theo receives threatening messages prior to arriving. Then there are footprints outside their cabin, the suspicious relatives, and why does this place feel familiar to her? What culminates are secrets, cover-ups, and a backstory for Theo that stretched my suspension of disbelief. This story was saved by the setting and characters. The hunting scene was memorable and well executed. The characters were a mix of likable and unlikable and the MC was not unreliable with a drinking problem which was a nice change from the usual thriller tropes. Also, the relationship between Theo and Connor felt healthier than the average despite all they were going through. The tension and pacing were strong and the ending felt satisfying when I had been skeptical about that possibility. Narration by Karissa Vacker worked well for this story. Great choice if you want a wintry thriller.

OMG - this book! I loved it! This is my first read from Kate Alice Marshall and I am hooked. The twists totally blew me away. This is a must-read!

4.5 * When I saw Kate Alice Marshall had another book coming out, I had to listen! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the advance copy. If you like books where you are trapped in a location with no where to run- this is for you! Just when I thought I knew what happened, plot twist... and they just kept coming! To say this book kept me on the edge of my seat, is an understatement. With this family poor Theo was marrying into, it was hard to know WHO it was she could trust. Lies, deceit, murder, and vengeance.... just a few highlights of the book!

Kept me listening until the end. I did not see the twists coming, which does not happen often! I always like the premise of an affluent family with secrets. The narrator of the audiobook was good as well. Bravo on this one!