*3.5 rounded up

This snow filled thriller set in the dead of winter was perfect to read right now! I loved Kate Alice Marshall's 1st adult thriller, What Lies in the Woods, when it came out in 2023 but was a little disappointed by her second book she released last year. While A Killing Cold wasn't a knew favorite, I really enjoyed my time listening to the audiobook and found myself enjoying the twists and turns the story was taking.

The story follows Theo (Theodora) as she is invited by her wealthy fiance, Connor to spend a winter retreat with his powerful family at an isolated estate in the mountains. After a whirlwind romance and getting engaged after only 6-months of dating, Theo wants to make a perfect first impression. But when she happens upon an unused cabin on the property and finds a photo of her as a little girl taken at the estate, she begins to remember her long forgotten childhood and unearth long hidden secrets.

While I could see some of the reveals coming and I am starting to learn about myself that I don't really enjoy the "a character can't remember anything from their past but starts to when its convenient for the plot" trope anymore, Kate Alice Marshall still managed to make the trope feel not stale. I'm excited to see what she publishes next!

Visiting your fiancé’s elite family in the snowy mountains sounds like a dream vacation… until you spot a childhood photo of yourself in their house. I loved following Theo as she unraveled the truth in this gripping psychological thriller. A perfect winter read for fans of murder mysteries and rich family drama!

This book was a perfect winter read! The narration was fantastic and the pace of the book was exactly as I hoped. I enjoyed the twists and turns that this thriller took me on.

Definitely recommend!

I absolutely loved the concept, so naturally I was drawn in immediately. Our protagonist Theo is finally meeting her fiance's rich family at their isolated winter retreat. But once there, she finds a picture of herself, at the retreat. She's been there before, but she can't remember a thing. With a premise like that...!!
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was excellent. I really enjoyed getting into Theo's head and finding out along with her how her past and everything connects. It's a very character driven novel in the sense that we really follow Theo and all her feelings, confusion, realizations, and we're along for the ride with her. The pacing is medium, yet compelling all along. I found it very intriguing and a very entertaining story! It's perfect for a cozy winter afternoon.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love an isolated thriller, and I love problematic characters, but for some weird reason, this one just didn't click for me. On paper it should have everything I like, but I honestly found it to be a bit dull. I had a hard time connecting with Theo's character, so it was hard to really care what happened. I also felt like there was just so much going on and too many red herrings (but not in a fun way) that I eventually was just trying to get to the end.

I will say, I didn't correctly guess the twists, so that's always a good thing, but that only brought my rating from the 2s to the 3s.

Synopsis | A woman invited to her wealthy fiancé's family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret—and that she’s been there before.

Review | I really enjoyed this one! The twists kept me hooked and I thought the story moved at a good pace. I never felt bored and I definitely wanted to know what would happen as well as what happened in the past. I love stories where you don't know who to trust and this was definitely that. I don't think it's the most memorable story as it's definitely been done before, but it was still an enjoyable and engaging read. This one was a very strong 4 stars for me!

Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite audiobook narrators, so it's no surprise that I loved the narration on this one. She was amazing as always and her voice was smooth and engaging.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for a copy of the ALC!

Do you believe in monsters? Maybe they only live in our dreams. But then again, what if you wake up and realize they have been there all long?

This is what Theodora Scott (Theo) asks herself during a 2 week Christmas trip to her new fiancé’s, Connor Dalton, family estate, Idlewood. We meet Theo and Connor on their way to this yearly family reunion, as a recently engaged couple that have only been dating for a few months. Theo, as you can imagine, is nervous to meet her soon to be over the top, wealthy in-laws, even though Connor continues to believe that they’ll love her, and what only matters is that he loves her. But what happens when you find a picture of yourself as a child with your fiancé’s deceased dad at the abandoned cabin in the woods everyone seems to avoid discussing? Theo is now faced with questions about a childhood she can barely remember, and whether or not Connor’s family are the monsters that can provide those answers.

Theo doesn’t know who to trust. She questions herself, her memories, and most recently Connor and what they share. Her past is broken in pieces that she is unable to put together due to the trauma she faced at a young age. Theo is a great, broken character that recognizes her trauma and something that has guided her decisions in life, but is constantly working on not letting it control her future. Theo is more than capable of slaying the monsters, she just has to figure out who the real ones are.

A Killing Cold is a thrilling ride from start to finish. I felt as though Ms. Marshall held my hand, like you would any small child, and warned me about peaking around corners and what would happen if I went looking for monsters. The chilling narration that Ms. Vacker provides as each character makes you feel the harsh cold of Idlewood and all its deeply buried secrets.
One of my favorite lines in this book is, “She is allowed to be angry. Angry people do unpredictable things.” This book is unpredictable, and yet the only thing that left me angry in the end was that the ride was finally over.
Thank you Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for this audiobook to review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Easily 5 stars and what I believe will be one of the best thrillers of the year.

First 5 star of 2025! Big time bingeable. Visual winter thriller set in a remote area. If you enjoy dark, eerie domestic suspense with twists - this is for you!

Theodora and Connor travel to his family’s home for the holiday, marking the first time she meets them. She feels uneasy, worried they might not approve of their whirlwind engagement. Family dynamics are unfamiliar territory for her, as she was adopted and has few memories of her life before.

The visit unfolds as expected, but then, unexpectedly, Theodora comes across a childhood photo of herself... this novel, especially the audiobook, will have you fully immersed!

Amazing audio. I love this narration. The story was great and helps me guessing. Thank you for allowing me to listen!

Wow. That was just a fun ride. I think it was also a good introduction into anything by Kate Alice Marshall.

The novel follows Theo, who has just become engaged after a whirlwind romance to Connor Dalton, a man from a rich family. This is the first time she gets to meet his family, traveling up to their family home, Idlewood, in an isolated forest. While there, she ends up learning that maybe this isn't her first time in Idlewood...

I admit that I thought the big reveal that was going to be the big "twist" ended up being just a blip in the radar of the winding path that was the second half of this novel. Though I predicted some of it, the ending didn't feel as if it were <i>too</i> obvious. I'm not unsurprised; I'm satisfied. And I give Ms. Marshall kudos for actually following through with the ending that most of us might not have.

Speaking on the audiobook, I think the narrator was a great choice. The personality she had in her voice really called to mind a young 20something. I appreciated the different voices she gave the characters and the emotion Ms. Vackers poured into Theo at the end. It made the last hour or so of the book feel much more exciting.

A great audiobook adaptation of a great read. 4/5 stars.

Another great twisty book from Marshall! Theo thinks she's found the man of her dreams until she meets his family when he takes her to their isolated family vacation home. This one had it all family secrets, an isolated country home not knowing who to trust. I don't want to spoil anything but I highly recommend this one!

Karissa Vacker as always does a great job with the narration she really brought the emotions to this one!

4 stars

I received this audiobook from the publisher Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Theodora has been swept up in a whirlwind romance with Connor. They are visiting his family’s mountain lodge to try and prove their relationship to his wealthy family, after they become quickly engaged. However, Theo has been keeping secrets. She has lied to Connor about her own family, saying they are dead when they aren’t. She has also been receiving threatening notes about Connor. As tensions mount within the lodge, truths will be revealed whether she wants them to or not.

This is a perfect winter thriller mood read! The retreat was a great setting as it was totally claustrophobic and added to the suspense of the story as the family couldn’t really escape from each other. I loved reading all of the twists and turns Marshall had scattered throughout and not knowing who to trust. Plus, the Scott family was so dysfunctional and fascinating. The ending got a bit far fetched, but it was action packed!

Lies, twists, drama, romance, and mystery. This book has it all. A woman must figure out a mystery that involves herself before someone gets killed. This was great. Very enthralling. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I will be recommending this to all my fellow thriller/mystery lovers.

Theodora Scott falls for Connor Dalton and joins him at his family’s remote winter retreat, where strange warnings and memories from her forgotten past surface. As Theo uncovers the dark secrets of the Daltons and Idlewood, she realizes the truth could cost her everything.

A Killing Cold is the third book I’ve read from Kate Alice Marshall. The premise of the book was intriguing, but I found Theo’s anxious inner monologue to be monotonous and repetitive at times. The flashbacks sprinkled throughout offered interesting hints about what might have happened in the past. However, I didn’t feel as invested in the other characters as they lacked depth and weren’t fully fleshed out. Theo and Connor’s relationship also fell flat for me as it seemed to lack substance. The ending was decent in terms of the whodunnit reveal. The audiobook performance by Karissa Vacker was excellent. After reading my third Kate Alice Marshall book, I’m beginning to think her writing style may not be for me. Overall, I’d rate this 3 stars.

First full read of 2025 🤩 starting the year off strong with one I listened to straight through ⭐️

I’ve been a big fan of @kmarshallarts and her previous What Lies in the Woods and No One Can Know are past favorites of mine. This was such a treat to find in my inbox before the holidays - thank you @macmillan.audio @netgalley for the gifted audio 🎧 Check it out on February 4th!

This one’s for you if you love:
- Shady family backstories
- Secluded, snowy locations
- Generationally wealthy families with secrets
- Twists that just keep coming 🫢

The audio was well done and kept me hooked through a weekend binge listen (it’s a thing) - and @karissavacker is one of my most favorite audio narrators, so double win.

While this wasn’t my favourite Kate Alice Marshall that I’ve read, it was decently entertaining! I wish there had been a bit more to the story because the one mystery started to get a bit boring to hear played over and over again.

I read No One Can Know this time last year, and Kate Alice Marshall’s new book this I A Killing Cold was also incredibly enjoyable! It is an appropriately creepy thriller in a chilly setting – perfect for this time of year. Secrets are slowly uncovered in a way that kept the pacing tight. I was always wondering what would happen next.

Karissa Vacker is an excellent audio book reader, and does a great job of creating clear voices for the many people she voices.

here’s the deal: please don’t let the fact that this is my least favorite KAM book i’ve read so far deter you from reading it if 1) you already enjoy her books; 2) you are a nosey neighbor who loves hearing about other people’s drama and secrets, 3) are looking for an dramatic and twisty read you can burn through in two days. i am all three and thus will award it one star for each point. one star is lost for some less-than-original characterizations, and the last is lost for some adolescent, dare I say it— cringy— writing style choices that i chose to let wash over me as quickly as possible because i really wanted to know where this story would take me.

the time and mood needs to be right for this one to work for you, i think, because it’s far from perfect. luckily, it was for me. it’s cold as a business man’s heart out right now, and anytime snow sticks around for too long, i really start to sympathize with what the torrences were dealing with, snowed in at the overlook. meaning, i really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere and could so easily picture the scenes playing out inside my head. the ending was satisfying and the nature of the (many) twists and revelations were pleasing. the privileged and wealthy family in this story reminded me a lot of the one in liz moore’s the god in the woods (i book which i enjoyed far less than this one), and the main character and her traumatic backstory were reminiscent of the lead in KAM’s what lies in the woods (a book which i enjoyed far more than this one.)

so, as i said, a solid three star book for me. if the description peaks your curiosity, and you’re generally a fan of such books, absolutely give this one a go. the audiobook narration was also absolutely solid, and it has my blessing as well.

I’ve been reading this author’s thrillers for the last few years and they are always full of twists and very enjoyable! This one was no different! The way the story unfolded kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat! Unpredictable psychological thrillers about family secrets are some of my favorite to read and this one is perfect for winter, with its icy, secluded setting! It’s also phenomenal in audio format, with one of my favorites, Karissa Vacker narrating! 4⭐️

I absolutely loved this book. It has everything! Mystery, secrets, lies, suspense, and so much more! I listened to the audiobook and bought a physical copy. The narration was perfect! The winter setting makes this perfect to read this time of the year as well.