Despite possessing both tropes and themes that decidedly aren't my favorite, I really enjoyed myself with this one. No, I don't usually like it when a character has amnesia that lifts miraculously at convenient plot points and yes, I do struggle to enjoy books with themes of religious trauma. A Killing Cold gets a pass from me in being wildly entertaining, keeping me on the edge of my seat to the bitter end.
Though I did guess some of the novel's twists, I was surprised by plenty, which is a big part of my enjoyment in thrillers. The atmosphere was top-tier—I felt the cold temperature and sense of isolation in equal measure. It presented many familiar ingredients that may feel a little overdone to some, but may be tried and true for a reason.
I'm very eager to read more from this author, as I've heard lots of good things about her previous books.
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Kate Alice Marshall is quickly establishing herself as a connoisseur of dark family dramas. If you enjoy unlikable characters, moral gray areas, rich people behaving badly, and a gothic winter setting-then this book is for you. Marshall once again asks "How far would you go to protect your family?"
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was suspenseful at times. The eerie images created by the isolated setting along with the locked room mystery lent itself to a atmospheric read. I enjoyed the narrator. And even though most of the characters were highly unlikable, I enjoyed not liking them.

Why this was only a three star then (perhaps a 3.5 if I'm being generous)? The dual timeline between now and the past was a bit overdone. It felt at times that neither that nor the present was really advancing the plot overly much, especially since I realized VERY early on who the little girl in the narration was (I don't think it was meant to be a total surprise to the reader?). Then it just became a bit redundant and self-serving. We got the same memory/dream/snippets of images over and over and over. We get it - red scarf, dragonfly, teddy bear. I've also been feeling lately that thrillers are choosing a trauma and really, really leaning into that trauma -- meaning basically every character experiences that trauma. In this one, it is physical abuse. So much physical abuse.

Another thing that bothered me was the ending. **SPOILER INCOMING** - how many different endings/twists do we need? It's this person - no wait, it's this person - just kidding, its this other person - although maybe it's a few different people. Too much. And unnecessary.

But the journey along the way was enjoyable overall. It was a fast, easy listen. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC copy.

I enjoyed how fast paced this book was. Once I got the audio for it (thank you NetGalley), it was hard putting it down! Rich people, family drama, secrets, & lies- pretty much sums this book up! I did find parts to be predictable and a bit blah imo. 3.5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for the audio!

I have a love-hate relationship with Kate Alice Marshall's books. I'm always intrigued by the concepts and engaged while reading, but by the end the book is always just okay. I enjoyed the setting of this book but wanted the snowy, isolated atmosphere to be stronger. I also didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have wanted. I can always count on Kate Alice Marshall for a reliable and bingeable thriller, though it is never earth shattering for me.

Thank you to Flatiron Books, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an audio arc copy in exchange for an honest review. A Killing Cold will be out on February 4th!

This is the second book that I've read from Kate Alice Marshall, and after really enjoying her debut adult thriller, What Lies in the Woods, I was looking forward to her newest release.

I am actually going to remain very vague in my review of this thriller because I went into this story completely blind, having not read the synopsis, and I highly recommend doing the same! My biggest complaint is that I read the synopsis after I finished the book and found it gives away one of the twists! While this is not the most original thriller, it has been done before, I found the story to be very atmospheric and perfect for a cozy winter read. I personally listened to this on audio while following along in my BOTM copy, and the narrator Karissa Vacker did an excellent job in conveying the tension throughout the story. I would highly recommend this for fans of Catherine Steadman's The Family Game, or if you just like reading rich people murder vibes.

I have consistently enjoyed Kate Alice Marshall's work and "A Killing Cold" did not disappoint. Lots of twists, throughout the book which keeps the pages turning quickly. This is a perfect cold weather read! Has a solid, satisfying ending which I haven't gotten in many recent reads.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

❄️𝗔 𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗗❄️
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🎧𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽..𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝗐𝖾𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝗈𝗇𝖾👌
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 ★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...she was invited to her rich fiancés family retreat only to find major secrets & that she has actually been there before…

❄️𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...As much as I hate winter I always LOVE a good winter thriller! 🙌This one checked that off my list. Locked in “room”vibes with a side of who in the hell do I trust in this (almost) family of mine? 🤷‍♀️The pacing was fast & the last third was just delectable👏..I was constantly guessing & loved all the blizzard-y tension! 👊I am also a sucker for crazy ass rich people in books😆. Add this one to your TBR! It’s out in 12 days! 🎉🥂

Theodora and her fiancé Connor, leave to join his family on their winter retreat. As she arrives, she starts receiving messages warning her to stay away from Connor and his family yet she does not heed the warning. After arriving, she realizes that this place feels familiar to her but she can’t understand why. She soon starts to realize that there is more to Connor’s family than she originally thought and she becomes determined to find out their secrets after she discovers a photo of herself as a child on the premises.

A Killing Cold is a quick read and an interesting one at that. The suspense and mystery kept me intrigued from start to finish. While I enjoyed this book, I also felt that a variation (or a few variations) of this story have been done before. It wasn’t the most unique book I’ve read. The characters left a bit to be desired and I had trouble discerning between all of them at times. This led to me needing to double-back a few times to be sure that I was understanding correctly. I think this book was still worth reading and was an enjoyable story.

I received the audiobook and thought the narration was very well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.


TW: murder, death, death of parent, violence, gun violence, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide, animal death, blood, miscarriage, abortion

Just when I was starting to feel so burnt out on thrillers, Kate Alice Marshall gave us A Killing Cold. Incredible. I was hooked from the first chapter!

Our story starts when Theo and her fiancé, Conner, are stranded with his new-to-her family at an isolated mountain lodge during a brutal snowstorm. Tensions rise when one of the group is found murdered, and Theo realizes the killer is among them. As paranoia spreads and the body count rises, Theo must uncover the truth while grappling with her own secrets, her unknown origins, trust issues amongst these strangers, and the looming threat that someone is about to unravel it all.

Narrated by Karissa Vacker, she’s a familiar voice and moved this book along at an incredible pace. I felt Theo’s emotions; fear, distrust, confusion, anger, empathy, and genuine love.

I am one who always tries my best to work out a million theories as to who the penultimate antagonist will be, especially during lulls in the storyline, but Kate kept me guessing till the end. I was so engrossed in the plot and her writing that I was able to simply flow along with the story as it happened. So many twists and details swirled into her captivating writing.

If you’re a fan of Riley Sagar, Harlan Coben, or even TJ Newman, pick up this book. I felt the same sense of thrill with this book as I have with theirs, and it did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books for sending this ALC for review! All opinions are my own.

A Killing Cold begins when Theodora meets Connor Dalton. Good looking and wealthy, Theodora falls for him instantly. Love at first sight. Six months into their relationship Connor decides to bring Theodora to a family winter getaway at the families winter retreat certain his family will love her as much as he does. Theodora is not so certain. Theodora has a past of her own and one she is not sure the Dalton family would approve of. But his family is bizarre and things start to unravel causing Theodora to have moments where she feels she’s been to Idlewood before but how could she? As the story unfolds you don’t know who to trust and what will happen next but this story will keep you on the edge of your seat second guessing. The ending will have you dropping your jaw.

A Killing Cold is a pretty good thriller that kept my interest all the way through it. I really liked the narrator! I enjoyed that it wasn’t as predictable as I thought it would be, but the ending was all thrown together rather abruptly and a little far-fetched. Overall, I would recommend the book to just about anybody.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced audio copy of “A Killing Cold” by Kate Alice Marshall in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed Marshall’s first work ‘What Lies in the Woods’, so when I saw another book from her I had to check it out.

This was a solid thriller with good character building, and twists, but I can’t say I ended up “OMG OBSESSED.” I think I’ve read so many thrillers that now I’m a tough critic. The ending felt rushed, which was a disappointment.

Overall, I’d say it’s an entertaining-in-the-moment thriller that likely won’t stay with me long term, and while I’m not sure it’d be at the top of my recommendation list, I certainly wouldn’t deter anyone from picking it up!

Read Completed 1/2/25 | 3.5 stars | Book #1 of 2025
I listened to an advanced review copy of this audiobook. Thank you to Macmillan Audio via Netgalley for this opportunity.

Ah, the curse of the first book of the year. I can never love it, can I?

WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS, Kate Alice Marshall's adult debut, remains one of my favorite thrillers, but her subsequent adult thrillers just haven't done it for me lately. For some reason, I just really never got into this book and I had such a hard time connecting to any of the characters. Theo was just very mid-level, and hard to get to know with a mysterious past and missing memories. There was a lot of focus on her past, but we didn't get to KNOW her NOW. She didn't have much personality, nor did anyone else in the book. Everyone was just a character and no one felt like a real person.

There were also a few too many characters here for me. Usually it's not an issue but since the characters weren't super memorable, half of the men just kind of blended together which really didn't help things once accusations started flying around. I just didn't care about them enough and they didn't stand out enough for me to really set each one of them in their place.

I was also disappointed in Connor's involvement. He was a pretty boring character, and I supposed he didn't have be to someone so outstanding, but I wanted more personality from him too. He existed just to pull Theo into the story and really served no other purpose.

The plot was just fine for me. The story was engaging enough and there were a couple times that I was allllmost really into it. It's still well put-together, even if I didn't love the structure of it. I really didn't like the moments in the past going back to third person, switching from the book's first person POV. I get that it's to distance yourself from what's going on, but it felt awkward every time it popped in. I think I would have liked a bigger reveal closer to the end that having it peppered in the whole book.

I don't know! This one just didn't do it for me. I felt disconnected the whole time. Maybe I read it at the wrong time, taking a break during my fantasy reads to get a couple of "regular sized" books in before I dive back into to 1000+ page books, but I just didn't connect with this really at all. Maybe I hyped myself up too much, or maybe it just wasn't the story for me. I don't connect with every single book from a thriller author and it's rare that I do. I saw so much potential in this but this just didn't pull me in.

AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: I'm also really tiring of Karissa Vacker's narration. I really hated it here for some reason. She was my favorite narrator for a really long time and I still think she does a nice job, but I just didn't like her voice for this story. I wanted someone new, gritty, tough. She's too soft.

Wow! This was so creepily good! It was slow but also not slow. We were constantly getting little pieces so it was coming together nicely just not super fast. The characters are all written well. I loved how it all came together too. A bit far fetched and predictable at times maybe… but I didn’t mind! This was my first book I have read by her and it won’t be my last!!! Oh…and that final twist! Bravo! Did not see it being that person!!!

This is was the first book I listened to by Kate Alice Marshall and I had such a great time with this book. Karissa Vacker was the narrator of this book and I thought she did a wonderful job. She held my attention and kept me entertained the entire time. The story and the characters were well written.

When Theo met Connor who is wealthy, charming and a member of a wealthy family, she fell in love instantly. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives. Theo receives threatening messages that she ignores but can't ignore that something weird is going on at this retreat.

One day while out walking she finds a cabin that hasn't been used in years and finds the unthinkable: a picture of herself as a child taken at Idlewood. Theo has no recollection of her earliest years but slowly she starts remembering things. Why is there a photo pf her here? What happened when she was here? So many questions but what will she like the answers?

This book had me drawn in quickly. I was on the edge of my seat in the end trying to figure out what was going to happen. Then all the twists and turns made me feel like I was on a rollercoaster ride. This one definitely took me for a ride and I had one heck of a good time on it. I would highly recommend this book. I definitely look forward to checking out other books by Kate Alice Marshall.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC for my honest opinion.



Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this ALC for my honest opinion.

4.5 Stars - rounding up ❄️🔪
I was absolutely thrilled to win a paperback ARC of "A Killing Cold" through the Flatiron First Edition giveaway! It's been sitting on my shelf for a bit, but I finally picked it up, and it was worth the wait!

This is my second journey through the mind of Kate Alice Marshall, and she truly has a knack for crafting jaw-dropping twists and shocks! I also scored an early audiobook version, thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley. The narration by Karissa Vacker, one of my all-time favorite narrators, brings so much atmosphere to the story, and she nailed the eerie vibe. Picture a remote estate owned by a wealthy family, surrounded by a foreboding forest—a perfect backdrop for the tale that unfolds during an intense winter storm. It gives the story a chilling edge!

The tale follows Theo, who meets Connor from an ultra-wealthy family, and after a whirlwind romance, they get engaged. But when Theo visits the exclusive Idlewild Estate to meet Connor's family, things don't go as planned. His family is suspicious that Theo's just after their money, and on top of that, Theo is pretty mysterious, which doesn't help her case. The plot thickens as Theo's mysterious past surfaces, with haunting flashbacks about being at the estate as a child.

This book is an absolute page-turner you won't want to put down! I can't recommend it enough!

#AKillingKind #KarissaVacker #KateAliceMarshall #NetGalley #MacAudio2024 #FlatironFirstEditionGiveaway #FlatironPublishing #MacMillanAudio

This one starts off sloooowwww, it wasn’t until about 35% in that the story really picked up, and we began piecing together the puzzle of Theo’s life before she met Connor and her fate at Idlewood. It offers a chilling glimpse into how the upper echelon lives, giving me serious Murdaugh family vibes.
Who killed who and why? How did Theo get tangled up with this family? Was she hunted? If you love stories about toxic families, the wealthy behaving badly, and plenty of mystery, this one’s for you.

That said, I knocked off two stars for the incredibly terrible and, in my opinion, completely unbelievable ending. It just didn't seem plausible to me.

A Killing Cold is the newest book from Kate Alice Marshall. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook, narrated by Karissa Vacker. As usual, Karissa Vacker does an excellent job narrating this thriller. A Killing Cold tells the story of Theo who is heading to the mountains to spend Christmas with her new fiancé, Connor's, mega rich family. There is a lot of mystery surrounding Theo's past and even she doesn't know all the details. As soon as she arrives at the mountain retreat, memories from her childhood and a suspicious connection to Connor's family start to emerge. I found this book to be entertaining enough. It was your typical thriller. Easy to follow with no amazing twist. I didn't have to think too much about it which is nice for an audiobook. As far as Marshall's books go, this is not my favorite but I surmise many will find it enjoyable.

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC of "A Killing Cold" by Kate Alice Marshall on audiobook! This was a solid ⭐⭐⭐.5 read for me. The isolated winter setting and the mysterious family definitely created an eerie atmosphere. The mystery kept me guessing. Overall, a good thriller for fans of locked-room mysteries with family secrets.

“A Killing Cold” is one of those thrillers that’s easy to get through but hard to get excited about. The premise—rich people trapped in an isolated location, secrets and grudges bubbling to the surface—is one we’ve all seen before. While it has potential for tension and drama, it doesn’t really bring anything new to the table.

The plot leans heavily on one major coincidence, and whether or not you can go along with it might determine how much you enjoy the book. For me, it felt too convenient, like the whole story was propped up on a shaky foundation. And while there are twists, they’re more predictable than shocking—if you’ve read a fair share of thrillers, you’ll probably see them coming.

That said, it’s not bad. The writing is fine, the pacing moves quickly, and the setting is atmospheric enough to keep you turning pages. It’s just not a standout. If you’re looking for something new or groundbreaking, this isn’t it, but it’s an okay way to pass the time.