📖 Book Review: A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall


My thoughts 💭

Please check for trigger warnings. ‼️

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Publishing, and Kate Alice Marshall for providing me with an ALC (advanced listeners copy) of this book. As always, all thoughts are my own.

"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."

Overall, this was a good time. I loved the narrator, Karissa Vacker, as always she brings the characters to life. It was fast paced and the ending definitely keeps you guessing. Deducting points solely because of how unlovable the characters were. I would definitely recommend this book but probably would not purchase a copy for my shelves as I don't see myself re-reading it.
3.5/5 ⭐️

🥶 A Killing Cold - Kate Alice Marshall

4 ⭐️ - Okay, I liked this one! I’ve enjoyed all of Kate Alice Marshall’s books so far and this was no different. I was into the setting, the “closed” door mystery, and the wintery spooky vibe.

When Theo met Connor Dalton, wealthy and charming, she instantly fell in love. Six months later, after getting engaged, Connor brings Theo to Idlewood, the family’s isolated winter cabin, to win over some skeptical relatives. But when Theo receives threatening messages and tries to ignore them, she feels something is off. Then, something creepier happens; she finds an old photo of her as a child in one of the abandoned cabins. Someone here has some secrets to share…

Kate kept me guessing from the beginning. It was a tad slow for me; I think I was just excited to see what happened. Our characters and unreliable and untrustworthy. The setting is spooky and perfect for a winter thrill. While I questioned some things, I never really knew what was going to happen. I actually enjoyed Theo as a main character. I listened to this one because Karissa Vacker narrates so I definitely recommend that!

This was my second book by Kate Alice Marshall. One thing rings true, she is an excellent story teller. This story was filled with rich family dysfunction, flashbacks, lies, secrets, and deep emotional pain. This was all about the characters and each part they played in this twisted, isolated, wintery atmospheric mystery.

I do wish this audio would have had more than one narrator. I feel like there were just too many characters and flashbacks that could have been more enjoyable with a full cast.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC of The Killing Cold. I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a character driven, mysterious, atmospheric story.

Karissa Vacker’s narration is a standout feature of A Killing Cold. She gives distinct voices to every character, making it easy to immerse yourself in the story and feel like you're right in the middle of Idlewood's eerie, isolated setting. Vacker’s performance is dynamic, capturing the tension and suspense that drive the plot forward. While the story features a large cast of characters—especially with the inclusion of flashbacks—her ability to differentiate between voices is impressive and adds depth to the audiobook. However, with so many characters, I occasionally lost track of who was in a scene, especially during the audio format. Still, the narration was so engaging that it kept me hooked despite these moments of confusion.

As for the story itself, this is a must-listen for fans of isolated settings, dark family secrets, and the toxic dynamics of awful wealthy characters. Marshall crafts an atmospheric and suspenseful tale, but I wish she had dug deeper into the emotional pain of the protagonist, Theo, particularly the storyline with her mother. This element felt like it had the potential to make the story even more impactful. That said, the family drama and unfolding secrets kept the story moving at a good pace, and the dual timelines added layers to the mystery.

The flow of the audiobook is generally smooth, though navigating between past and present events requires close attention. Flashbacks are critical to the plot but occasionally blurred into the present timeline, which is more challenging in audio form compared to print. There are no extra features like music or sound effects, but Vacker’s narration is strong enough to carry the story on its own.

A small personal note: I could not help but laugh at Theo’s dog being named “Duchess.” As much as I tried, I kept picturing Duchess from We Begin at the End—a name that is simply too iconic to share! 😂

Overall, I gave A Killing Cold 4 out of 5 stars. It is a solid listen with engaging narration and an atmospheric story. I recommend this audiobook for readers who enjoy a suspenseful, character-driven mystery, but the print version might be better for those who want to easily keep track of the large cast.

Theodora "Theo" Scott is engaged to Connor Dalton, heir to the powerful Dalton family, after a whirlwind romance. Invited to their secluded winter retreat, she hopes to win over his skeptical relatives. Theo knows the cards are stacked against her: she was raised by adoptive parents and has only spotty memories of her early life. She does not come from the same stratosphere as the Daltons.

As the snow begins to fall, this idyllic escape starts to feel more sinister. Especially as Theo can't help but feel she's been here before. Chilling secrets emerge, and the family will stop at nothing to keep their dark history buried. Theo has unwittingly become a threat to the Daltons' carefully constructed facade and now she must unravel the mystery of her past while fighting for her survival in an snowswept, unforgiving landscape.

Overall, I found A Killing Cold to be a tense, atmospheric thriller and I'm willing to forgive most of its flaws. The unraveling of the mystery happens slowly over the course of the novel, and I was surprised by how much I thought had been revealed by the midpoint. Little did I know that there were so many more twists and turns in store. Theo's hunt for secrets in forgotten corners of the retreat reminded me of some of my favorite aspects of gothic literature.

I was disappointed that this was yet another thriller that relies on lost/recovered memories as the solution to the central mystery. This particular trope is a pet peeve of mine, so it may not detract from the experience for other readers.

While most of the characters were fairly well developed, I thought that Connor lacked much personality. I wish that the reader had been given a better sense of why Theo loves him, since that is so crucial to the plot.

Since this was told from first person perspective, I really appreciated the audiobook narration as it further enhanced my immersion into the story.

Despite its reliance on a familiar trope, A Killing Cold is a gripping and atmospheric thriller. The sense of isolation and dread builds steadily, culminating in a satisfyingly suspenseful climax. If you enjoy a psychological/survival thriller with a touch of the gothic, I highly recommend giving this one a try.

I received the audio version ARC from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. WOW! Fantastic, fast paced read. The audiobook version is great and the story itself grabs you and doesn’t let go until the end. As the story unfolds, the twists keep you wanting to get to the next chapter. Overall great read that I really enjoyed.

4.5 stars. Wow! A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall kept me on my toes. It is challenging to surprise me, but these twists did it. I constantly thought I knew where the book was going, only to be surprised a few chapters later! I devoured this in 24-hours. The characters were compelling and well-rounded, considering how many there were to fit onto the page. My only criticism is that a few components were a touch unbelievable. However, this didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I need to hit up Marshall's backlist ASAP!

I absolutely adored this book! The narration was truly exceptional—it had a way of immersing you in the story, making you feel like you were right there in the scene. The isolated setting, the mysterious family members, and the constant sense of uncertainty about who to trust all came to life so vividly. The narrator's voice brought depth and tension to every moment, skillfully shifting between characters to give each one a unique voice and personality.

For example, the way the narrator used subtle tonal changes helped convey the underlying suspense, creating a palpable sense of unease. When the protagonist faced moments of doubt or fear, the narrator’s voice would drop to a whisper, pulling you into that tension. The pacing was also perfectly timed, with pauses that heightened the drama or built anticipation. Whether it was the sharp wit of one character or the cold indifference of another, the narrator truly made each voice distinct and gave them emotional weight. The experience of hearing the story rather than just reading it made everything feel more immediate and visceral.

When Theodora Scott agreed to accompany her new fiancé to his family’s mountain retreat over Christmas, she expected things to be uncomfortable for her—he does come from a wealthy and rather powerful family and this is their first meeting after all—but she never expected to be in danger.

As she spends more time at the family’s isolated mountain refuge, things begin to feel more familiar. Surely she hasn’t been here before, has she?

Every family has its secrets. The wealthy ones just have better means to cover them up.

A Killing Cold is a suspenseful slow build with plenty of twists and turns.

Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators, and her narration here had me hooked from the very first chapter. I highly recommend reading this one on audio.

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

I've really enjoyed Kate Alice Marshall’s recent adult thrillers, so I was thrilled to get my hands on an early copy of "A Killing Cold" from BOTM, along with the audio version through NetGalley. The novel did not disappoint. It was a suspenseful read, perfect for winter with its isolated setting.
The story featured a mix of characters you’ll both love and hate. It was filled with twists, though a couple of them felt a bit far-fetched and coincidental to me. Nonetheless, it was an engaging read that kept me hooked.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

What a perfect winter read! The setting was a house (and cabins) in the woods during winter. It added to the mystery of what was going on in the story. This one really flew by. It was engaging and fast paced. There were dual timelines and I was invested in both. There were lots of characters and any of them could have been good or bad with my mind switching back and forth. I like stories about family dramas and this one had plenty. The ending worked for me. A great book by an author who is definitely becoming a favorite of mine! Recommended read!
I listened on audio and the narrator was excellent!

This is my fourth Kate Alice Marshall read and the first to be wholly disappointing!

This is going to sound harsh but I mean it as defense of this author: I feel like her publishers are looking as someone like Freida McFadden or Alice Feeney who are churning out basic, low quality "popcorn" thrillers every single year and putting on the pressure for Kate to do the same since so much of the thriller audience seem to prefer quantity over quality and it's all about the money. I could have been given this book and asked to read it blindly and I would never think this was Marshall. Her authorial voice is gone in this book; Her memorable characters, her interesting storylines.

You have boring, generic characters with the personality of cardboard/a prose that feels like an unnatural soap opera constantly hitting you over the head with "clues"/spicy scenes that are entirely unnecessary to the story to appease the thirsty women readers/and a plot that is "taking inspiration" straight from other thriller/mystery media. The set up is nearly identical to The Family Game by Catherine Steadman and every time Theo is referencing her long forgotten past and "dragonfly, red scarf, antlers" etc over and over and over again, it's almost exactly like Elle's mom in Stranger Things Season 2. And it is WAY TOO LONG.

I also hated how Alexis was narrated by our audiobook narrator. She made her sound very young and vapid like Alexis at the start of Schitt's Creek and the Alexis in this book is supposed to be in her 30's, married with a toddler, and CEO of the family business. She should not sound like Paris Hilton.

If the publishing market doesn't make serious changes, the entirety of the thriller genre will be dead.

Wow!
After you read it, you will need to digest the epic proportions of how messed up everything is and the extent to which a family will go to protect its wealth and reputation. Some of the story is twisted, messed up, and far-fetched, but the story is still good!
Meeting a boyfriend's family can make anyone have anxiety now, amp that anxiety to level ten when the family is very wealthy and they also give everyone the first-degree of questioning to know who they are let into the family.
Theo has an interesting history. She knows nothing about her life before her adoptive parents took her in and she did not have the best upbringing in life. But the longer she is there, the more flashbacks she has, the more she begins remembering things, and she has Deja Vu experiences at one cabin.
Slowly, she starts to piece things together, and her boyfriend's grandparents are beginning to think they need her to leave. Then she finds out her boyfriend lied to her about how they met and everything like that, and she slowly begins to realize that things are not as they seem, and she cannot trust anyone!
This was an amazing read with twists and turns everywhere, but I loved it! The audiobook was amazing! The pace of the narrator fir perfectly and I was engaged and had to know what happened next!
Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the amazing opportunity to read and review this one!

❄️ A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall OUT 2/4/2025❄️

I have read two other Kate Alice Marshall books before and LOVED them so once I saw her new one, A Killing Cold, I got excited!! I listened to the audiobook of this and was addicted.

Theo is swept up in a new engagement and is invited to her rich fiance retreat for a weekend. Before going, she received scary texts about staying away. Was this a warning? Or is someone out to get her?

This is family drama to the max! There were numerous surprises I did not see coming. There were MANY characters in the family, I almost wish I drew a family map. The audiobook narration was great and each character really had their own voice and personality. Every free second I was trying to listen more. A great book to start my year! 5 ✨

Reading this suspenseful thriller while snowflakes fell outside my window was too perfect! Although even without the snowflakes to add to the ambiance this book transported me to the beautiful winter “wonderland” that is the Dalton family’s compound of cabins.

Theodora and Connor met through a friend one day and six months later they’re engaged and Theo is going through the ritual of meeting the future in-laws. Except meeting the Daltons is a little different. This family is skeptical of mysterious Theo from the beginning and Theo isn’t quite sure what to think either. Because Theo is getting threatening messages telling her to stay away from Connor and that she shouldn’t have come. Maybe because the impressive and isolated winter compound looks familiar to Theo—like she’s been there before…

I thoroughly enjoyed this set-in-snowy-times story with a can’t-leave-due-to-weather vibe. It made me appreciate the snow falling outside more somehow—like I was in the cabin with them. A fantastic listening experience! Thank you NetGalley for a chance to listen to this ARC.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall: This Winter Thriller Will Keep You Up All Night

Think you've got family drama? Meet Theodora Scott. She's just arrived at her fiancé's fancy mountain retreat to meet his wealthy family for the first time. There's just one tiny problem: she's pretty sure she's been here before. But that's impossible... right?

Kate Alice Marshall's new thriller is a masterclass in paranoia. As snow piles up outside, so do the secrets inside. Everyone's lying about something, and Theo can't even trust her own memories. The whole thing feels like a trap, but there's nowhere to run when you're stuck on a mountain in a snowstorm.

The story moves fast, the characters are deliciously suspicious, and the ending? Let's just say you won't see it coming. Marshall takes familiar elements—an isolated mansion, a wealthy family with secrets, a protagonist who can't trust her own mind—and turns them into something fresh and frightening.

If you like your thrillers cold and clever, grab this book and a warm blanket. Just don't blame me if you're still reading at 3 AM.
4.5/5 stars – Perfect for fans of "One by One" and "The Hunting Party." This one will make you think twice about meeting the in-laws.

5⭐️

Theodora Scott grew up in foster care, never knowing where she came from. So when her boyfriend, Conor, proposes, she thought her life had finally turned around. Conor was from a wealthy family and until their engagement she had never met any of the Daltons. Conor bring Theo to his family's resort for an isolated family retreat and it's their that Theo learns how far the Daltons will go to keep their secrets.

I loved this! First of all, my last name is Dalton so reading about the charming and conniving Dalton family was just highly amusing to me. I think because the Daltons were so charming, it really makes you question if the devious things happening could have because of them or not and ultimately made their actions more shocking for me. each member of the family was suspicious, especially the matriarch and the uncle and i liked trying to figure out who was really the problem. I loved that Conor proved that he wasn't the stereotypical rich kid and was able to protect Theo from his family.

Theo's religious trauma and her past with abusive foster parents really colored her experiences throughout the book. I think looking at the things she did as a child through the lens of 'a good Christian family,' her past felt highly dramatic and troubling. But as she worked through her own past trauma while trying to uncover the secrets of the Daltons and Idlewood, I think it became clear that she was just a kid who was repeatedly let down by the adults in her life. It also felt like her past trauma helped her get through what happens at Idlewood.

Ultimately this didn't go the direction I was expecting it to and I love that! Kate Alice Marshall as quickly became an auto-read author for me and this supports that decision! Also, I'll listen to anything narrated by Karissa Vacker.

Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this ALC to me!

I really enjoyed Kate Alice Marshall’s previous adult novels and this did not disappoint. The audiobook narrator did an excellent job and it was a compulsive binge listen. I found the main character compelling and am a sucker for stories featuring buried secrets, traumatic pasts, and rich people behaving badly. It did get a little convoluted and hard to believe plot wise toward the end but overall enjoyed the ride and would recommend!

It was okay, the narrator was good. I just felt like the author was maybe trying to hard to create suspense where there wasn't any. there were some repetitive parts. Just was not for me.

4.5⭐️ A woman is invited to her fiancés family retreat where she realizes they are hiding a very big secret.

If you are looking for a winter thriller that’s as atmospheric as it is thrilling, look no further. Kate Alice Marshall is amazing at creating these dark and eerie settings and then following up with unique characters you won’t soon forget. I was so immersed in this story and trying to figure out exactly what this family was hiding, before I knew it, I had flown through the entire book.

🎧 Karissa Vacker does an exceptional job bringing this story to life. There were so many scenes where I felt as though I was literally in the story, and I think her narration only amplified that feeling. I highly recommend this one on audio or as an immersive read.

Read if you like:
▪️domestic suspense
▪️isolated settings
▪️family dramas
▪️twisty books

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy.