A mystery thriller that kept me guessing. Who can you trust? And what happened at this lodge? This was about a wealthy family with many secrets and the power to silence anyone in the way. I chose to listen to this as an audiobook and Karissa Vacker did a great job delivering the narrative. I recommend listening to this snowing, wintry mystery thriller that had characters to love and characters to hate. It twists and turns were enjoyable.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

A dark, suspenseful family drama full of twist and turns, yes please! When Theo arrives at her new fiance's family retreat she realizes she has been there before, and the secrets this family has been holding onto for years start to come out. The narrator of this audio was wonderful! This was my first novel by Marshall, and I will be reading all of her books! There were so many twists and turns, and just when you think you know where this is headed, it goes somewhere else. Highly recommend.

While some depictions of winter in movies and books of gently falling snowflakes and fireplaces crackling warmly, A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is not that type of story. The winter becomes more of an ominous backdrop to a gripping thriller filled with secrets, deception, and unexpected twists.

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.

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.

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.

I first stumbled upon Kate Alice Marshall nearly a year ago with her USA Today bestseller No One Can Know. A book that truly had me hooked from the outset. With A Killing Cold she has outdone herself. Marshall weaves an enthralling story set against the stark beauty of a snow-blanketed landscape that also had us gripping each page from start to finish. The psychological thriller crafted by Marshall quickly unfolds with breakneck pacing and twists that almost gave me whiplash.

The author truly excels at character development with its ensemble cast of both likable and unlikeable characters–which I ended up liking anyway. Marshall expertly crafts personalities that are both relatable as well as deliberately mysterious to maintain suspense. You feel for Theodora's story from the outset and continue to rout for her as a strong protagonist whose determination to uncover the truth resonates deeply. While the supporting cast adds to the story, I really don't know how I feel about them until the conclusion of the book.

A Killing Cold has great pacing and tension-building throughout the book. Each chapter adds to the previous keeping us turning the pages late into the chilly night. The twists have you thinking you have figured out and knowing where the story is heading, but yet another twist is thrown into the mix–tossing you assumptions to thew wind. This unpredictable nature makes for an electrifying story which kept me on edge.

While some plot points may feel coincidental or overly convenient, these moments do little to detract from the overall impact of the story being told. Instead, these moments serve as jolting reminders not tot take anything at face value—a testament to Marshall's skillful manipulation of reader expectations. The author's ability to conjure atmospheric tension enhances even the most boring scenes by imbuing them with unease.

A Killing Cold hits bookshelves in early 2025, but it was nice to read our advance copy during the holiday season of 2024. While we knew the story would take place during a winter retreat, the slight nod to the holiday season was a wonderful revelation. This book became an unexpected Christmas read that offered more seasonal escapism.

Kate Alice Marshall's A Killing Cold is an engaging thriller filled with unexpected twists set against wintery isolation. With its intricate plot and well-crafted suspense, this novel truly invites us into a world where nothing is as it seems and every revelation leaves you breathless.

The audiobook, narrated by the phenomenal Karissa Vacker, adds to the depth of the tale with excellent pacing and wonderful storytelling. Vacker is one of the best in the audiobook game.

Kate Alice Marshall does it again! This is the third book I've listened to/read by Marshall and I was not disappointed and am looking forward to the next.

This book was full of twists and had me hooked from the start. I love a "locked room" mystery thriller and this book delivered on every level. Secrets, lies, revenge and love all packed into a suspenseful, unputdownable package. There was nothing I didn't enjoy! The audio narration was excellent, the characters were perfect in their roles and this book was excellent - a one day binge listen for me! I highly recommend putting it on your 2025 "Must Read" list - you won't be sorry you did!

Rich family
Poor girl
Perfect couple
Secret past
Secluded family "camp"
Mysterious Notes
......and death.

What more do you want?

When I tell you I was hooked from page one, I am not lying. Kate Alice Marshall gets you immediately in this book by setting a completly "chilly atmosphere".
You have Theo and Connor driving up to his family's camp (Yes rich people have camps--I love it) and No one without the Dalton DNA has crossed the property line.
Theo is immediately greated by the family and they have made it perfectly clear they are not comfortable with her being there. Theo begins to experience odd flashbacks of possibly having been to the family camp along with threatening messages. But how is that possible when she grew up in foster care?
As the threats become more real and the temperatures plunge it stops being a question of will she be accepted as a Dalton and more into will she make it out alive before it is too late?

This book was fast paced and keeps your interest. She shifts from flashbacks, to present day, With each shift in time you are given a puzzle piece. As you work through the novel you begin collecting pieces all which come together to create exactly what you could ever want in a Domestic Thriller. The ending was like whiplash but very satisfying!

This was a great book to finish up the year!

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this advanced copy read of A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for my honest review.

The plot of this was very gripping, though a bit sad in places. Much of the twists were somewhat easy to see coming, but overall, it was a seasonally appropriate and worthwhile read.

“𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭. 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥.”

I started this year off with a Kate Alice Marshall audiobook (No One Can Know) so it only seemed right to end it with one and whew, what a whirlwind of a ride this one was!

“Six months after Theodora Scott was swept up in a love-at-first-sight romance, she takes a trip to Idlewood, the winter retreat owned by her partner Connor Dalton’s powerful family. All she has to do is win over his relatives, but after receiving threatening messages and feeling an eerie sense of familiarity at the cabin, she wonders if there’s more to the Daltons than meets the eye.” It’s narrated by Karissa Vacker and she did an excellent job at building apprehension.

“𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘺.”

It’s the PERFECT setting for a tension filled mystery/ thriller. The whole rich family drama on a secluded snow covered mountain top leaves not only a feeling of dread, but legitimate concern. It’s a slow build mystery that has a snow ball effect read to us in the first person so we really can get into her psyche and it was such a thrilling read. She’s a realistic character with secrets of her own trying to find the truth in it all. There are a couple of different mysteries to uncover here and Kate keeps you on your toes with the twists.

At 48% my eyes were like 👀👀! I had to keep listening. We get flashbacks to some latent memories Theo has from her childhood that slowly gives us more of a vision to what really happened and all around it lead to a great read.

The last hour had me going with the motions. Like watching a boxing match and swinging with the punches!

I've been holding off on reading other books while reading Stormlight 5, but got an email from NetGalley saying Kate Alice Marshall had a new book and decided I couldn’t wait!!

The main character, Theo, is 24, works in a bookstore, awkwardly meeting her SO's family, was HOMESCHOOLED, there's Hannibal-esque imagery... it's perfect!!

As I read this, it reminded me of a couple of other books I've read recently that disappointed me, but this one pulled off the scenarios, tropes, and themes that the others lacked. I loved Theo and thought she was super grounded and felt realistic in her intense need for love warring with her independence, as well as how she would say and act like she could be herself around Conner, but didn’t show it - either through her reticence or her outright lies stemming from her fear of alienating him.

While this didn't have the weird kid element of Marshall's other 2 adult books I've read, it was still the character element that elevated the story for me, and the kids that were mentioned were pretty stinking cute. I was so torn, too, between wanting Theo to protect herself from her potentially sketchy rich fiancé and hoping that she had as good of a relationship she thought she did.

Also, I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was solid. I would definitely recommend this for people looking for this type of mystery/thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

I've had the pleasure of reading a few of Kate Alice Marshall's books, but I have to say this one was my favorite so far - and I've enjoyed all of them. I really got invested in the building tension in this story, and wanted to badly to untangle the mysteries of Theo's past with her. This one kept me on the edge of my seat throughout and I really found myself surprised with every twist and turn. If you're into mysteries, then this one is really riveting. I was thoroughly invested!

I knew I recognized the narrator! I was pleasantly surprised to hear Karissa Vacker again. Excellent choice for this book as she is a wonderful narrator who I've listened narrate at least 4 other books (I looked it up), including What Lies in the Woods.

I enjoyed the setting and setup of this story. I liked how the twists and turns kept coming and I wanted to know what was going to happen next! I don't generally like plotlines with an unreliable narrator, but I appreciated the approach with this one.

Now I have to go read No One Can Know!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A Killing Cold, written by Kate Alice Marshall, and narrated by Karissa Vacker is a mystery surrounding Theodora, who is spending the winter holidays with her boyfriend Connor and his family at their winter retreat. Theo worries that there relationship might be moving too fast, and also that she can’t really answer all the questions that Connor’s family has, because she doesn’t have all the answers. And even the ones she does have, they are not good ones to share. But during the stay Theo learns that Connor’s family has secrets of their own.
This is my third book that I have read by this author, and I really enjoyed it! I loved the little hints given throughout the book, and how the reader was able to learn along side the characters in the story. I appreciated the flashbacks spread through the book, and how they seemed to help make everything fall into place. I also appreciated how things were tied up in the end, while still leaving some mystery to keep the reader guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley, and to the author, narrator, and publisher of this book for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this and the narrator was wonderful! The family dynamics were interesting and believable. The characters actions matched the way their personalities were presented. The way Teddy and Conner were connected seems a little unbelievable at first glance but the world is smaller than it seems at times and in the end, I get how they ended up together. Lots of suspense and not a thriller that was easy to work out. Fans of Freida McFadden will love!

This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall and I will definitely be reading more. This audiobook had me hooked immediately and kept me interested throughout. Full of unexpected twists, great plot and fascinating characters. Narrator was captivating.
#AKillingCold #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this book!

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a masterfully written mystery! The characters are rich and layered, especially Theo, whose journey of discovery is compelling and chilling. The plot is perfectly paced, keeping you engaged and eager to uncover the Daltons' dark secrets without feeling rushed or stressed. The revelations are shocking yet satisfying, brilliantly tying everything together. This book has all the makings of a phenomenal TV adaptation—I'd binge-watch it in a heartbeat!

5/5 Stars and the BEST audiobook I listened to this year!

Thank You to Macmillian Audio for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley Shelf. Reviews are my opinions alone.

Kate Alice Marshall gets me with the twists every time. This one had so much suspense, that I had moments where I began to feel anxious. This was so intricately layered and entertaining.

If you can, I would go in blind. It makes everything so much more fun along the way.

In terms of narration, I really enjoyed it. I think I would have enjoyed a male cast member in addition, because I struggled with the narrator's male voices.

This winter set thriller did not disappoint! This story was full of twists and turns and an ending did not see coming!

I love a thriller involving a snowstorm, a remote location, and danger. A Killing Cold was filled with all of these things and more, including dark family secrets and murder. What more could you ask for? The Dalton Family is not a family to be messed with and Theo ended up on their bad side. I loved reading along as each secret was revealed to ultimately uncover Theo’s past in relation to the family. This is a perfect book to read on a snowy day by a warm fire! I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narration… it made me feel immersed in the story.

This book! Twists and turns the whole way through. I would think I had one pegged and then the rug would get pulled out from under me. My favorite Marshall yet!

Vacker is a true talent as the narrator.

I highly recommend this thrilling winter read. When Theo goes home with her rich fiance Connor for the holidays, she doesn't get a warm welcome. The family is closed off and standoffish, and clearly doesn't want her there. To add to the suspense, Theo has amnesia due to childhood trauma. She begins to feel like she's been there before, despite knowing that the Daltons never welcome outsiders.

I love reading about rich people behaving badly, and the Daltons certainly fit the bill. The book is perfectly paced; enough clues were released along the way to keep me hooked, but the final reveal was still surprising in the end.

Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators for a great reason. Her performance of A Killing Cold definitely added to the suspense, and listening to this on this week's frigid dog walks really set the scene.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC in exchange for my honest review.

MY 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…

MY REVIEW: Kate Alice Marshall is the queen of atmospheric thrillers! A Killing Cold is set at The Dalton Family’s retreat atop a snowy mountain, complete with a spectacular lodge and an isolated ramshackle cabin… just perfect. The slow burn pace of the novel was flawlessly executed alongside of the decades-old story to be told. I was immediately taken by the FMC, Theodora Scott, and her story. She’s riddled by a past she cannot remember, but is slowly coming into focus. Conor, her wealthy fiancé, along with his family, bring a slew of characters, never knowing who to trust! The final twist was actually jaw dropping.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, brilliantly executed and captured the fear, drama, and vigor of our FMC and the story she had to tell.

4.5/5!!!!!

if you love a good: thriller, mystery, lost memories returning, wealthy secretive family, isolated cabin, snowed in, coverups, young love, threatening texts