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!

{3.5 stars}

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for gifted access to this audiobook. All opinions below are my own.

This one reminded me of Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone meets Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. A young woman joins her new, rich fiance's family on their annual winter retreat. Secluded out in the woods with no cell service, we begin the story with her hoping  that her fiance's family won't find out about her past as a poor orphaned girl. As she desperately tries to impress these snooty, judgemental people she begins to have flashbacks of her youth which she can't ignore.

I'll stop there to avoid spoilers. This one has a lot of characters and all play into what happens so you'll need to pay attention to who is who. It was definitely a convoluted tale with some morally grey characters but I didn't feel like it did the fully unlikable cast thing that is so common in thrillers. This was one of those reads where I enjoyed it in the moment but it didn't have any moments that will stick with me long term.

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall and honestly, I was really disappointed. The story follows Theodora (Theo) Scott, a woman with a terrible and secret past as she goes with her wealthy fiance, Connor Dalton, to his family's cabin for Christmas. Theo has ignored the mysterious and threatening text messages warning her to stay away from Connor, but she can't ignore the footprints in the snow outside of their cabin, or the gift left for her on the window sill, or the photo of her as a young girl with Connor's dead father that she found in the cabin. Theo begins to put together the memories of her childhood and it becomes apparent that the Daltons don't want the truth of what happened to her or her mother to come out.

The positives of this story are the setting, a secluded mountain compound owned by the wealthy Dalton family, and the mysterious aspect of Theo's childhood. I really did enjoy trying to piece together what happened to her as a child. And the narrator did a great job! Unfortunately, this plot is not a new one and I felt like I'd read this story before. The characters were overly villainous and predictable and I'm not a fan of a locked room mystery. Sadly, this will not be one of my top reads of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. My review is honest and voluntary.

My walk today felt fitting to finish 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍'𝒔 𝑨 𝑲𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑫, narrated by the outstanding @karissavacker. I was thrilled to receive an ARC from @flatiron_books and the audio from @macmillan.audio via @netgalley all coming out on February 4th.

I am a fan of Kate Alice Marshall's and this one cements my auto-read author status.

Theo is heading to her wealthy fiancée home to meet the family after a whirlwind romance. They are almost as interested in finding out about her as she is about hiding her less than pristine past. What she doesn't know, is they have much more to hide. When holes in her childhood memory are triggered, it becomes clear this Dalton family and Theo all have decide how far they are willing to go to keep their secrets safe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I was so excited to get an ARC and flew through the first chapters. Getting the audio was the cherry on top, as it added layers to the storytelling in which Vacker is so adept.

I loved the Gothic atmosphere, the locked-house, claustrophobic feeling, and the twists that had me first thinking I had it, and then humbling me. If you are someone who doesn't believe that coincidence or fate or whatever you call it can make truth stranger than fiction, there may be a slight challenge challenge for you, but I wholly believe all of that, so I was unfazed. After all, that is what makes a story, and this was a really fun and suspenseful one that had me contemplating the "small world" connections in my life as well as knowing when it is safe to share all the nitty gritty.

A fabulously entertaining suspense! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I’ve been a fan of Kate Alice Marshall since reading What Lies In the Woods. A Killing Cold was such a great listen. As soon as I saw Karissa Vacker was the narrator, I knew it was going to amazing. I loved the storyline and how bits and pieces of Theo’s memories would come back to her throughout the book. Another amazing read/listen by the author.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙔𝙤𝙪 @MacmillanAudio for my complimentary copy!

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

𝘼𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: Kate Alice Marshall
𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧s: Karissa Vacker
𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝: 9h 41m
𝙋𝙪𝙗 𝘿𝙖𝙮: February 4th

📖 I have absolutely loved Kate Alice Marshall's other thrillers #WhatLiesInTheWoods and #NoOneCanKnow, so I have been so excited for this one, and I thought it was great! This book kept my attention, and kept me guessing with all of the lies, secrets, twists and turns throughout. I love a "locked room" mystery, and this one is set in an isolated retreat in the middle of winter which was perfect. It has an overall eerie feeling where you know danger could be lurking in any corner... The last part of the book was shocking and had me racing to finish and see what happens.

"𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵."

🎧 Karissa Vacker is definitely my favorite audiobook narrator! I love everything she does, so this audiobook was perfect to me. She does a great job making the story come alive so you will enjoy it too!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮:
• fast paced
• suspense
• secrets / lies
• locked room mystery
• cat and mouse
• lots of twists
• unlikable characters

This suspenseful winter thriller comes out next month and you will not want to miss it!

2.5 but rounded up for the dog

It kept me interested but the motivation of “preserving the family name” / reputation / etc just doesn’t do it for me. I wish there was a stronger focus on the romance as well. Definitely the mystery of whether or not Connor was involved was interesting, but I wish we learned he wasn’t at like halfway through so we could enjoy their genuine relationship.

Listening to Karissa Vacker narrate A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall was a fantastic way to end 2024! This chilly thriller is full of secrets and twists and some pleasant surprises. Despite being terribly sick while I read this, I was decently engaged throughout!

Full review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6423962436

Kate Alice Marshall writes the thrillers I love to devour. I love it when books keep me guessing and escalate to me guessing wilder and wilder outcomes.

I read this book in two days, I could not put it down.
I love rich family novels (where the family is obscenely wealthy), everyone has secrets, and an outsider (new finance) enters the picture, and disrupts the status quo.
Throw in a snowstorm, no cell signal, and a hunting outing and I’m yours.

In short: Theodora is going to spend the holiday with he fiance's family. Except Theo has been getting messages to stay away from Connor. Who are they coming from? Could it be one of her soon to be family members? Secrets are revealed in this holiday away.

This was a locked in thriller with an over-the-top twist that seems too far-fetched for even me to believe. I wasn't captivated by the characters, making it hard to care about the story. The vibes felt similar to Marshall's other two novels.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Expected publication date of February 4, 2025.

Another great thriller from Kate Alice Marshall! This one is perfect for the winter months (as the title suggests) and kept me entertained from the first page.

Theo is in a whirlwind engagement with the wealthy Connor, and is spending her first winter holiday with his family on their mountain top resort style estate.

It becomes quickly apparent that everyone has their own kept secrets but Theo has no idea whose lies are more crushing- the families or her own.

I loved the fast pacing and short chapters. I read this title with a physical copy and audio copy and both formats are great- I loved the audiobook narrator. I devoured it in one sitting.

4 stars because it didn’t blow my mind, but I would still highly recommend for a quick fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books for advance e and audio copies in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator in this book was absolutely fantastic. The voice matched the character which doesn't always happen.

I loved this book - it was just the right amount of twisty.

Theo is going to meet her fiancé's family for the first time. They got engaged only 6 months after meeting, but when you know, you know. However, there is a lot they don't know each other, both have some dark secrets, and Theo discovers she has more of a connection to the family than she ever thought possible.

I loved the suspense and tension throughout this one. Secrets were revealed to both Theo and the reader at the same time, which made me feel even more connected to the story. Theo is forced to unravel such a dark and twisty web of family secrets to get to the bottom of how she fits in.

Marshall used a similar writing method for her two previous thriller books, where the reader and the main character think they know the answer, but more plot twists keep coming. It doesn't always work for me, but this one really really did.

I recommend this one to all thriller lovers.

Ummmm… what?! 🤯😳

📚 SUMMARY:
Theodora, Theo to her friends, is meeting her fiancé’s family for the first time. It’s just a little nerve wracking since the Daltons are millionaires, they’re spending two weeks at their family set of palatial, isolated winter cabins, and Theo has been getting threatening texts to stay away from Connor Dalton. Theo also doesn’t remember most of her childhood and hasn’t been completely honest with Connor about what she does remember. When she realizes that she has childhood memories from this place, and not all of them are good, the goal shifts from impressing the Daltons to surviving them.

❄️ MY THOUGHTS:
This was such a twisty, dark thriller! Some thrillers have twists that are easy to guess or come at the very end of the story. Marshall sprinkles major plot twists all throughout the story. I had no idea what new reveal would happen or what new piece of information would be dropped and send the characters (and me) reeling. Especially since Theo doesn’t have a lot of childhood memories, the reader is piecing together her history at the same time she is. As things are revealed, it’s impossible to know who to trust or who is lying. By the end, I was questioning the sanity of several characters. This is a great thriller whether you already love the genre or want to give it a try!

❄️ Karissa Vacker on audio was fantastic! I’m always impressed by how she draws me in and makes me feel like I’m fully in the characters’ mindsets. Her male narrations are also so well done, which is one thing that can sometimes irk me. Her narration made this even better!!

🗓️This one publishes February 4, 2025 or you can get it early now through @bookofthemonth

Thank you to @kmarshallarts @netgalley netgalley @macmillan.audio and @flatiron_books for this Advanced Reader Copy!

Thank you so much for accepting my request to read this book. I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. Although I rated this book as medium paced, it doesn't lag at all. The pacing is great and it doesn't give the feeling of just wanting it to hurry up already and get to the point. This was my first read by this author and I absolutely loved it. I was rooting for Theodora the whole time and was hoping that her fiancee was one of the good guys. I definitely recommend it.

✨A KILLING COLD ✨

4.5/5⭐️

READ IF YOU LOVE:
📖 Short Bingeable Chapters
🧮 Complex plots
💰 Wealthy/Dysfunctional Families
🤫 Uncovering Secrets
🔒 Isolated Locations

SHORT DESCRIPTION:
Theo, and her fiancé, Connor, fall in love and get engaged within 6 months. He then asks her to meet his (very wealthy) family and spend time with them for a few weeks at their private mountain estate. The problem is that she is receiving warning texts about Connor and the Dalton family.

Once she arrives at the estate her reoccurring nightmares return and she starts to have visions. The only issue is that they’re fragmented and not from great memories either. Something bad clearly happened, but what?

REVIEW:
Kate Alice Marshall has yet to disappoint me with her novels. She has an incredible talent of painting the scene as if you’re right there with the characters. Her characters themselves also have so much depth that it’s hard not to root for them, specifically Theo and Connor. The twists and turns were SO good that I audibly said “What the f***” several times out loud. THANK GOD MY KIDS WEREN’T AROUND. The narrator was PHENOMENAL!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.5 rounded up💫 I was torn between a 3.5 and 4 but ultimately it’s just not quuuite there!

If I see the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker I’m always going to opt for the listening experience🙂‍↕️ and I suggest you do the same!

This is your typical rich-people-do-bad-things-and-get-away-with-it and “oh no we’re snowed in and have to stay at our big estate” mystery so while it’s not wholly original I did like the added storyline of finding out who Theo is and what she can’t remember!

My biggest issue was I did often get confused with the family tree and who was who🤔 maybe that’s an audio thing?! BUT!

I binged it in a day, there was multiple reveals throughout, and I was entertained so as far as mysteries go I’m pretty happy with it!

(3.5/5)
What I liked:
- Audiobook narration is fantastic
- Descriptive imagery & narration that gives a tense sense of foreboding
- The idea of a mystery unfolding in a picturesque mountain cabin setting
- The unexpected twists at the end

What I didn't like:
- I couldn't connect to the characters on this one and found nearly all of them to pretty unlikable, making it hard for me to get connected to the story. This could also have heavily impacted my thoughts on pacing and distinctiveness below
- Please keep in mind I like very fast-paced books, but this one felt too slow for me. Especially in the first half.
- I didn't really feel like this one had that memorable spike that'll keep me thinking about it. I almost felt like I'd read this story (or more likely, one that was very similar) before.

So, yeah, unfortunately, I don't think this one wasn't really for me, but if you're looking for a tense, wintry thriller, this book may be for you! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook!

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!

I have loved Kate Alice Marshall since I discovered her on Book of the Month a couple years ago with What Lies in the Woods. This book fits right in with her current collection.

Theo has had a tragic past and has found a peaceful love. She gets engaged to a rich man and goes to his family cabin to meet his intense family for the holidays. She begins to remember that she had been to this cabin before. She starts to uncover her past while getting threats from someone who has figured out her true identity. She is fighting for approval to join the family and is uncovering some of the family members' dark pasts/secrets along with some of her own past/secrets. Will Connor continue to stick by her side or side with his family as they begin to learn more about each other? Why does she get the feeling she had been to the cabin before?

This book left me guessing until the end, some things I predicted, and others were hard to accurately predict. I was able to listen to the entire book in one day and I was hooked. Overall, I wish there was a bit more background into Theo and Connor's pasts, but overall, it was wonderful! I enjoyed reading it.

I hate to say it, but Marshall's book shave been on a downward spiral since her first. I absolutely devoured What Lies in the Woods and have been so excited to have gotten the opportunity to read and review No One Can Know and A Killing Cold, but they both just fell short for me, A Killing Cold especially. Maybe it's because I was gifted the audio version of both and they felt like a slow burns with quick and nicely wrapped up endings. This one just didn't do it for me. I didn't hate it, but I don't think it's one that I will find myself thinking about again.

4.5 rounded up- this was such an addicting book. Full of secrets upon secrets, lies, and deceit! I truly had NO idea who to trust or how this would end. Plus the snowstorm gave the perfect ‘locked room’ vibe to add to the creep factor. And as always, Karissa Vacker did a fantastic job with the audio! Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan audio!