Whew. This was not for me. First, let me start off by saying that if you are an animal lover than you had better just stop before you go ahead. The animal hunting and dressing in this book was way too much. Second, WHY are there so many characters? I really couldn't keep them straight. Could be due to the fact that I listened to the audio, idk. Or it was used for pure confusion and for me to stop and say "hang on , who tf is ____" The story itself would have been better if there was more suspense and less words. Merry go round, anyone? I felt like this book was never going to end. Lastly, how does someone remember nothing about their past at all? I don't get it. Trauma, I guess.

This is the third book I've read by this author and it's safe to say, I won't read anymore.

The narration was great. Karissa Vacker is always a fantastic narrator.

Thank you for the ARC!

Kate Alice Marshall is becoming an auto-buy author for me when I"m looking for a heart racing thriller. Of her first three most recent suspense thrillers, A Killing Cold proved to be the one that kept me on edge the most. Her setting and vivid description of the mountain where the events take place was perfect for a winter thriller read. Although What Lies in the Woods remains as my favorite by Marshall, A Killing Cold is another great option for readers who want faced-paced, action-packed suspense.

4.5 stars

vibes:
- atmospheric— winter setting
- rich people with secrets & family drama
- fast paced & twisty


are some things far fetched? YES. but it’s fiction guys lol I finished this book in less than 24 hours. i was throughly entertained!

thank you macmillan audio for the free copy!

2 stars

If felt the entire time the author was trying hard to create suspense where there wasn't any.
The book is very repetitive and the whole premise is pretty unrealistic and unappealing.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me read this book!

Chilling discoveries and hauntings of the past are heavily present in this book. I loved the seclusion from the rest of society the characters in the book experienced and the flashbacks helped clarify details. I couldn't put it down until I need it all. Great read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of this book. Honestly - is Kate Alice Marshall capable of writing a bad book at this point? A Killing Cold had me hooked from the moment I started the audiobook (and yes, the narrarator is fantastic) and was so eager to find out what the truth was about the cabins and about Theo. I did not see the ending coming - out of all the theories I had, I didn't even begin to guess how this book would end up.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the early audiobook.

This was such a fun read and the perfect thriller for this winter season.

First off I loved the characters in this book. Theo was a great protagonist and I loved how well thought out and interesting each character was. The only character that really bugged me was Conner. He was lacking a little personality and a little clueless through most of the book. The locked door setting was also fantastic. The characters up on a mountain, in the snow and no way to escape - the setting really helped bring the story to life. I’m not always a fan of the locked door setting but this worked really well for me.

I was also a big far of this narrator. She really brought the story to life for me. I highly recommend this book as an audiobook.

This book was filled with twists and turns. Especially the last 30% or so. Every time you thought you had something figured out it would go in a different direction. I love a twisty book but I did feel like this was a little over the top. It almost became too much. You never really could get a handle on things before something was changing again.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend ed this thriller.

A very solid 4/5 stars

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
Narrated by Karissa Vacker

Here in central Texas we are having snow, sleet, and cold, not all that common for this area. It's a great time to be reading a book called A Killing Cold, which takes place at a wealthy family's isolated winter retreat. This is no roughing it kind of get together, there are servants, a huge fancy main house with at least four (maybe more) well stocked cabins that might make nice little homes for us common folk. This is rich people "roughing it" so an eye opening experience for Theodora Scott who came from a life of nothing and who has had to scrape to get by in the past.

Theo has only known wealthy Connor, a member of the powerful Dalton family, for six months. It was love at first sight when they met and now they are engaged and, for good reason, Theo is anxious about being thrown amongst Connor's family members for their annual winter retreat get together. No outsider is ever invited to these winter retreats but as Connor's fiancé, Theo has made the cut.

Because of traumatic events very early in her childhood, Theo's mind has blocked out her beginnings. At a young age she was adopted by a very strict, almost cultish family, and Theo was raised to believe she was a bad girl, that she could never do anything right, that she would never amount to anything good. But Theo has a college degree now and works at a book store, she's been doing well for herself, with one good friend and not needing to depend on anyone but herself. Now, though, she's getting to see how the other half lives and with this engagement and future marriage, her world is opening in ways she never imagined, IF she can pass muster with the Dalton family. Can Theo put up a good act, toe the line, not flub up this chance?

What is really strange is that as Theo explores this remote estate, she sees things, she finds things, that make her think she has been here before. Some people look familiar, her gut feeling is giving her the feeling she is in danger. So Theo, throws herself into finding out what is going on and her first action is always to run towards danger. Can she trust Connor, can she trust anyone? There is hunting and the handling of game included in the story but you can skip over those parts. There is also an awesome dog that comes to no harm.

This book will keep you on your toes throughout the story. Karissa Vacker narrates and she's a narrator that can influence me to pick up an audiobook. I've listened to her narrate well over ten books before and she does a great job here.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

4.5 stars rounded up! I really enjoyed this fast-paced twisty thriller. It’s the perfect winter read if you enjoy a snowy secluded setting! I wasn’t completely floored by all of the twists, but there’s something about this book that I just really love. Theo is a strong main character, and I enjoyed following along as she began uncovering her fiancé’s family secrets. I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator was stellar! I was engrossed from the beginning to the end. I highly recommend adding this thriller to your winter TBR list. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. This was a true thriller. It had my full attention from the very beginning and never let go.

A Killing Cold has everything you could want in a creepy thriller- dark family secrets, lies, more lies, and wealthy family drama that will have you guessing who is telling the truth till the very end. Don't sleep on this book! #AKillingCold #KateAliceMarshall

Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy from Net Galley, but did not realize it was the audiobook and not the ebook. I am not an audio book person do I ordered the physical copy in my BotM box. I devoured it as soon as I received it. I will read anything by Kate Alice Marshall. I love the closed room mystery trope and the mysterious past family secrets trope so this was a win/win for me. It's an amazing winter thriller

I had high expectations for this because What Lies in the Woods was one of my top thrillers in 2023. And boy was this GOOD. The perfect winter thriller ❄️ Highly recommend listening to it via audiobook - the narrator did a STELLAR job with this.

Secluded mansion, rich family and lots of secrets... that is the set up for a good twisty thriller 👏🏻

So many twists and turns, I listened to this in one sitting throughout the work day- I could not put it down. Not a 5 star just because I don't love locked room mysteries but that's just personal preference & I still really enjoyed this'


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan audiobook for the ARC- they provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

A KILLING COLD review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

❄️I knew I wanted to read this one while snowed in and home from work! I loooove a good wintery thriller and this one had multiple twists throughout! At right around 300ish pages, it’s a quick read you can fly through while curled up by the fire.

❄️Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Theo is invited to her fiancé’s winter home to meet his extended family for the first time. But while exploring the property, she comes across a picture of herself as a child taken at the exact house she’s now staying in. Why does her fiancé’s family have this picture and why are they hiding the past from her?

❄️I’ve read a lot of “stuck in a dangerous situation bc of the snow” thrillers and they never seem to get old! Buuuuut I am a bit sick of the “rich people who make horrible decisions that affect others and have minimal repercussions” trope. 🥴 Sometimes I’m just tired of reading about rich people getting away with whatever they want. 😅 I still liked this one overall and I was definitely engrossed while reading it! If you’ve liked Kate Alice Marshall’s other thrillers I’d definitely check this one out!

❄️Thanks to @macmillan.audio for my advanced copy! This one publishes on February 4th!

I could not go to sleep until I finished this book!

We have Theodora Scott, a self proclaimed bad child who does not know her past, and Connor, who is from a historically wealthy family who covets privacy and loyalty. They have fallen in love and engaged within the first year of meeting. Now they are spending time with his family on the family estate. Once they arrive Theodora starts to remember things from her childhood. The mysteries of the past slowly start coming to light and no one knows the entire story.

Narration allowed the listener to interpret the story in his/her own way. Early in the story I found myself questioning is Theodora was in this situation to do harm to the family, which helped keep me engaged and alert for any new clues as to what was going to happen.

This novel is very well written and engaging. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.

A Killing Cold Kate by Alice Marshall Pub Date: Feb. 4th, 2025
DURATION 9 Hours, 48 Minutes Macmillan Audio

Genres: Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Suspense

I have loved Kate Alice Marshall's thrillers in the past, but this unfortunately fell a little flat for me. I didnt care about any of the characters, and the animal abuse in the first chapter put a sour taste in my mouth. Things just kept going downhill from there. As other reviews have said, the best part of this audiobook was Karissa Vackers narration.

Overall, I would recommend her other works ahead of this one. As always, my thoughts are my own and I am very appreciative of Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review this.

Theo and Connor have had a whirlwind romance. After a chance meeting, Theo - an orphan with a tragic past - and Connor, the heir to a wealthy, powerful family, quickly get engaged. Now it’s time for Theo to meet the family… at their secluded, eerie retreat.

I loved Theo - she’s sharp, resourceful, and not about to let all the creepy red flags fly without a fight. Connor, though? If my fiancé disappeared half as much as Connor does, we’d have some serious conversations. Poor Theo is out here dodging gaslighting and unraveling mysteries while Connor’s…somewhere.

This book is packed with secrets, misdirection, and family drama. Everyone is awful (but in the best way), and watching them twist and toy with each other was wildly entertaining.

The writing was engaging and flashbacks were seamlessly woven into the story, keeping the pacing smooth and the suspense building.

The audiobook narrator absolutely nailed it. The performance added so much drama, and I comfortably listened at 1.75x speed.

I wasn’t shocked by the reveals and twists, but as a big fan of family drama, I didn’t much mind. If you love a wintry, atmospheric read with pace and wealthy unlikeables, this is for you!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

I was so excited to read A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall because I loved her other book What Lies in the Woods and this audiobook is narrated by one of my fave narrators Karissa Vacker. Vacker does an amazing job narrating. I didn’t care for this story otherwise. I found nothing happened until at least 35% in and none of the characters especially the main character Theo weren’t compelling. Theo meets her fiancé’s wealthy family and discovers secrets from her past which she has blocked from her memory. I liked the winter mountain setting specifically because I read this in winter. I liked the queer rep and I didn’t guess whodunnit but I also didn’t really care. I feel like this was an outlier since I really enjoyed Marshall’s other book No One Can Know and if Vacker keeps narrating Marshall’s audiobooks then I’ll definitely keep listening!

A Killing Cold Kate by Alice Marshall Pub Date: Feb. 4th, 2025
DURATION 9 Hours, 48 Minutes Macmillan Audio 

Genres: Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Adult, Suspense 

Getting engaged after a very fast courtship and meeting the future in-laws should be great until it isn't. When your husband to be comes from an elite ridiculously rich and powerful family, they don't just let anyone join, and Connor's family has a reputation to uphold. They also may have a few skeletons in the closet, but so does Theodora. 

They arrive at his family's very isolated winter retreat where they spend every Christmas. No close neighbors, no cell service, and snow storms can trap them there for days. Piece of cake right? Although it seems someone had been sending her anonymous messages saying "Stay away from Connor Dalton." before they arrived it seemed the family was not pleased that he was bringing her to spend the holidays with the family. 

Theo ignored the threatening messages on her phone, but at the lodge, she noticed footprints in the snow outside the cabin window and more messages that were clearly from someone at the property. Which family member has it out for her when they don't even know her? Someone in his family does not want her to become part of the family. She also has a sense of deja vu about this place, yet she is certain she has never been here and grew up across the country with her adoptive parents. When she gets a tour around the grounds she notices one of the cabins that none of the family use and she notices there is a familiar-looking dragonfly on the building. It looks similar to the one she has tattooed on herself. When the family is tight-lipped over the empty cabin and what happened to Connor's father, she decides to check out the cabin and finds something that should not be there. A photo of her as a child with Connor's father on this land. She doesn't remember much of her childhood since she was adopted at a very young age and therapy wasn't helpful to get her to remember what happened to her birth parents. All she knows is she was adopted by two strict and religious people who were difficult to live with and to this day she has a recurrent nightmare that seems to be linked to her childhood before she was adopted. 

She has a traumatic past, one that she has yet to tell her future husband. Now that this place is sparking strange memories, it seems like she will need to talk to Connor to try and figure out what is going on and save her relationship because his family is making it very difficult for her to feel wanted in the family. The Daltons have a reputation to uphold, and they also have secrets they don't want outsiders to find out. Theo continues to get threatening messages and the more she pokes around, the more danger she seems to be getting into. The Daltons are rich, and powerful and will do anything to cover their tracks. Her poking around the past may not just cost her relationship, it could cost her life. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book prior to its release in exchange for an honest review. This book was fast-paced, had the mystery and suspense I love in thriller books, and had a surprising final reveal of what actually happened when the FMC was a little girl. I highly recommend this for mystery thriller lovers. It was a good time.

Theo is off to meet her fiance's family, and she's nervous. For one, they're pretty filthy rich and for another's she's gotten some anonymous messages telling her to stay away from her beloved Connor Dalton. At Idlewood, the Dalton's winter resort, Theo immediately feels ill at ease, but the place seems familiar to her, and she has a strong sense that's she's been there before. That thought solidifies when she finds a picture of herself as a child in an off-limits room.

Essentially what you have here with A Killing Cold is a locked room murder mystery, something I've recently learned that I enjoy immensely. This book is riddled with red herrings, and I don't think too much is given away in the telling of the story. I've read other books by KAM, but this one is my favorite, and arguably her best book yet. There were a couple things that I didn't love about this book, but Theo is a solid character, who becomes quickly sympathetic to the reader, and the story is quite compelling. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. As always, Karissa Vacker was a great narrator and fit the part of Theo perfectly.

If a thriller is making me question every character, you know it’s good! The plot of this book was absolutely gripping my soul. From the very beginning I started asking myself so many questions, and by the end I was completely shocked with the turn of events! The audio book was INCREDIBLE!!

The FMC had a very sad family history with more unanswered questions than answers. She finds her self in a quick engagement to a man that comes from a very wealthy family. His family invites them to stay on their property for awhile and that’s when everything begins to take a turn. She finds out about deaths of loved ones on their property and catches many people in lies. The most unnerving was the odd familiarity she felt from the place, but in the end all of her questions are answered.

I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone I know!