Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to listen and review "A Killing Cold". Kate Alice Marshall never disappoints. I finished this book in two days, because I could not stop thinking about what was going on and what was to come. She also is the Queen of double twisty endings. If you are a Book of the Month Member, you will not be disappointed if this is your pick. This book has some many intriguing elements including a scandalous wealthy family, blizzard conditions, and a secluded retreat. This gives all the wintery, claustrophobic, and twisty vibes. You will find yourself questioning everyone and not knowing who you can trust. So good!

A Killing Cold will likely be a hit for folks who devour thriller novels, but it left me a bit disappointed. What I loved most about Kate Alice Marshall’s other two adult novels were the characters; I felt connected to the characters in those books, and really believed the connections they had were real.

The characters in A Killing Cold fell pretty flat for me. A lot of it hinges on a rushed relationship between MC Theo and her mega rich fiancé, Connor - yet there was very little chemistry between the two, which made me care a little less when major things started happening in the plot. I just wanted to believe in their relationship a bit more, but very little time was spent on crafting that.

This storyline was also a bit over the top while also being pretty familiar; it basically boils down to rich people doing terrible things to protect their reputation. I liked the secluded setting, but it wasn’t a particularly novel approach to that either. So while the entire thing was intriguing and I wanted to know exactly what had happened, it felt like a story I’ve seen many times before.

Overall, this was a fun enough read but not one I expect I’ll remember much about in a week. Doing it as an audiobook was definitely the way to go - narrator Karissa Vacker does a great job bringing the necessary emotion to the story, making it very engaging to listen to. Highly suggest the audiobook if you decide to give this one a shot!

4⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ Colorado (I think)
Publication date ~ February 4, 2025
Publisher ~ Macmillan Audio
Est Page Count ~ 304 (48 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 41 minutes
Narrator ~ Karissa Vacker
POV ~ single 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ rich man/poor woman, opposites attract, flashbacks, nightmares, locked in feel

(Theo)dora (24) is spending some time at her fiance, Connor’s, family estate. This will be the first time she’s meeting them since their courtship has been short. Something seems familiar with the area, but she’s not sure what. She was adopted and has little knowledge about her past. We see through the eyes of flashbacks and nightmares of a little girl, which made the plot more intriguing.

Ahh, a rich family with secrets, not something we see that often. Bahaha, just kidding. They’re as snooty and snobby as you’d expect. Grandma really takes the cake and ices it with a triple layer of animosity. We’ve get an isolated woods, no cell service, locked ‘room’ feel, which worked really well as Theo tried to piece together her nightmares.

Overall, a solid thriller with secrets that were secretive and twists that were twistable.

Narration notes:
She does a fabulous job, as usual.

I’m a big fan of Kate Alice Marshall’s previous two books. So I was really excited to see she was coming out with a new one! A Killing Cold was good, but the middle third started to feel repetitive to me after a while. There were lots of twists to keep me engaged, but they seemed way too coincidental after a while. I think the secluded locations with families full of secrets is starting to be overdone and doesn’t feel new or original anymore. I was hoping for something new and different, but this felt very standard to me. I think a lot of thriller readers will enjoy this one, but it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I will still look forward to more from Kate Alice Marshall in the future! If you do decide to grab this book, definitely listen to the audiobook! Karissa Vacker does a phenomenal job as usual!

I read this KNOCKOUT thriller in less than a day! There isn't much I need to say about this one other than BUY IT, READ IT, THANK ME LATER.

Marshall's books just keep getting better and better. The writing in A KILLING COLD is fast paced, engaging and suspenseful from the start. The setting is so visual that it adds to the CHILLS. With short chapters (can I get another PRAISE BE 🙌🏽), this is an easy binge-worthy read. With twist after twist and a pulse-pounding ending, you'll think you know what happened but you'll be wrong EVERY TIME. The characters are detestable but their repulsive behavior is what makes this story so DELICIOUSLY DISTURBING.

If you love rich people with BIG secrets, locked room locations and a twisty ending that you don't see coming, PICK THIS ONE UP! The conclusion could've gone so many ways and I'm not mad about her choice but I would've also loved if it went in a different direction.

4.5 stars rounded up

Wow, I finished this audiobook in less than 24 hours—I couldn’t stop listening. Kate Alice Marshall delivers a gripping winter thriller that pulls you in and keeps you guessing until the very end. If you’re building your February TBR, this one deserves a spot.

Theo, the main character, is adopted and burdened by a mysterious past that she’s only beginning to unravel. Brought to her fiancé Connor’s family retreat to meet his wealthy, powerful, and deeply unsettling relatives, Theo quickly realizes something is off. The Dalton family has secrets, and Theo finds herself caught in the middle of their web. The sense of unease is constant—you never quite know who she (or you) can trust.

The setting is perfect: a remote, snow-covered cabins in the woods. It’s atmospheric, eerie, and practically a character in itself. The family drama is as chilling, with some members that feel downright sadistic.

Karissa Vacker’s narration is fantastic. I have listened to several of her audiobooks and she has become one of my favorite narrators. She brings so much depth to Theo’s story. If you’re an audiobook fan, this is one to prioritize.

With its twists, tension, and chilling ending, A Killing Cold is a perfect winter read—and I also think it would make a great book club pick.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, NetGalley and Kate Alice Marshall for the advance listen copy in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure.

It’s a yes for me! 🖤

DeAnn
@deannsdailydrop

This is a very solid read for those that like psychological thrillers.
You get elements of a locked door mystery as the family is on the mountain in the snow and can’t get cell service.
I figured out who was the killer fairly on. But they did have a couple red herrings in.
Overall a good solid and quick read.
I received a ALC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook copy of A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this book and the surprises throughout it. I felt it was a great story and I was pulled in by Theo. At times I wondered if she orchestrated the whole situation and was plotting revenge or if she was an innocent pawn in a rich family's game of cat and mouse. It wasn't apparent until the end. I liked the ending and thought it was a great wrap up.

Theo Cahill is nervous about meeting her new fiancee'ss family on a winter retreat to their compound on a mountain. While Theo has fallen quickly and madly in love with Connor Dalton, she knows she is about to go into the lion's den when she meets Connor's extremely wealthy, well-to-do family. A tad mysterious, a little weird, and a lot dysfunctional, Theo immediately gets bad vibes from the Dalton clan - what is it about Connor's family that gives her these feelings? And why does she feel like she has been here before?

The Daltons are hiding more than even Theo could have ever imagined. As more and more puzzle pieces come to light...and begin to fit together...Theo realizes meeting her fiancee's family may have been her biggest mistake yet. Theo is a survivor, a young orphan who knows to always play her cards close, but she soon finds that someone on that mountain wants her dead, and may know more about her past than she does.

Kate Alice Marshall delivered another hit with "A Killing Cold". Fast-paced, full of twists and shocking revelations, this story kept going deeper into a state of family dysfunction and tragedy that kept me wondering how it would all end!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced digital audiobook of Marshall's latest! I will definitely be recommending this one for 2025!

This isn’t my first experience with Ms. Marshall’s writing, I read her novel No One Can Know last year. I was eager to dive into another one of her works, hoping to immerse myself in a gripping narrative filled with intense suspense and thrilling twists.

Theo is in the blissful state of new love and does not feel rushed into an engagement, even though she and Connor have only known each other for a few short weeks. Connor is completely smitten and wants to introduce Theo to his extended family at their annual winter retreat. However, Theo feels a realistic anxiety about meeting his family because they are not just rich—they are incredibly wealthy and likely to judge her for wanting Connor’s trust fund.

What happens at the isolated compound turns into an intense couple of days that leads Theo to the understanding that you never truly know someone, including yourself. As she gets closer to the family, she begins to see the ties that bind them and the secrets they are willing to do anything to keep.

While the plot is engaging, the execution of character development leaves much to be desired. Connor and Theo seem to have a superficial relationship that lacks a foundation of trust. Although Theo is portrayed as a battle-hardened character with a rough life, she comes across as more of an ingénue. I found it difficult to engage or connect with her story. The twists in the narrative were appropriately twisty, but the ending fell a bit flat for me.

On a positive note, the audio production was quite good, and I appreciate this narrator as well as some of her other work. I would recommend this book as a quick suspense read for anyone looking for something to binge and then move on from without delving deeper.

Meeting the family of your significant other is always a little scary but Kate takes it to a whole nother level! Everyone is hiding something including Theo, the fiancee of the favored son. Who will make it out alive? Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators and she does a fantastic job.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

The novel features a family burdened by numerous secrets, and unraveling their deceptions proved engaging. The narration was also a strength. However, the work lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.

#qotd What's a book you're looking forward to in 2025?

#bookreview #bookrating #rate #2025 #firstbookreview #squidgame #netflix #literaryinfluencer ##bookstagram #booktok #bookgram

🎄❄ I love this author! I'm thankful I was given an ARC hard copy from Flatiron Books & the author and an audio from NetGalley & Macmillian Audio. It was a perfect read for the Holiday season. This was a chilling and dangerous thriller.
Imagine finding the perfect guy in Connor Dalton, a very wealthy and charming man. Theo was swept off her feet in love. Six months later he is whisking her off to the family's winter retreat Idlewood. Besides the Grand Lodge there high on the snow topped mountains are six cabins, which one is abandoned. She meets the family with their snobbish and arrogant personalities.
Something about the place and the way they treat her feels as if she has been here before. While snooping in the abandoned cabin, she finds a photo of herself as a little girl at Idlewood. Memories, bit by bit piece themselves together. Should she run and not trust any of them?
I loved knowing all the characters through her eyes. Each one hides their lies and deceptions and nitpicks her reasons for falling in love with Connor. Threatening messages come across her phone warning her to stay away from him. A lot of shocks and twists, a few red herons sprinkled to make this a great topper for the new year.
Karissa Vacker did an outstanding job narrating the audio! If you haven't read her book, What Lies in the Woods, you are missing out.

A great story about family and secrets, with a moody, ominous setting that really put you into the story. Karissa Vacker adds a lot to it with her reading, and at this point I'm pretty convinced I would read Kate Alice Marshall's grocery list if she published it... In this tale of Theo and the Daltons you're never quite sure who to trust and who the villain really is, which feels true to the story and not so much like unnecessary subterfuge. A Killing Cold may be my favorite Kate Alice Marshall yet.

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

Theo joins her fiance at his family's winter retreat in the mountains, only to realize she's been there before and the family is hiding a secret.

This was an entertaining one and perfect to read in the winter. Connor loves his fiance Theo, but they need to convince his family she's worthy of joining the family and she's not just with him for his money. It starts a little slow as you get to know the characters and family relationships, but the second half picks up as we realize everyone is keeping secrets. I enjoyed trying to piece together the mystery and the heightened tension of being trapped on this mountain in the snow not knowing who could be trusted.

I recommend picking it up, and especially loved the audiobook narration from Karissa Vacker. She's one of my favorite thriller narrators and brings the mystery and sense of dread to life.

Thanks Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

Story: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Killing Cold is an atmospheric, chilling winter thriller. A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret—and that she’s been there before.

Karissa Vacker brought this story to life. The setting was great and perfectly claustrophobic. I could not stop listening. An entertaining thriller.

ALC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Theodora is engaged to Connor, who is quite wealthy and a member of the elite Dalton family. They instantly fell in love and six months later, he's brought her back to his family's isolated winter retreat to win over his skeptical relatives. Theo starts receiving threatening messages to stay away from Connor and has the sense she's been at this cabin before.

I have read the author's previous two books and this is by far my favorite of her recent books.
I love a good locked room mystery and the remote cabin setting in the middle of winter was perfect right now. This is very bingeable with some really good family drama, lots of hidden secrets, and some fun red herrings to keep you guessing up until the end.

Highly recommend on audio - narrated by Karissa Vacker who is one of my favorite thriller narrators. The story is single POV but she uses different voices to narrate for the large cast. .


Recommend if you enjoy:
Locked room mysteries
Rich people behaving badly
Remote winter cabin setting
Winter thrillers
Family secrets

A Killing Cold is an atmospheric psychological thriller set at a wealthy family’s estate in the dead of winter. The protagonist is there with her fiancé to meet his family. After she arrives, she has strange flashbacks that indicate that she might’ve been there before. Strange things happen and mysterious circumstances are slowly revealing until the intensely riveting conclusion. Vacker does an excellent job narrating and conveying the mystery and urgency of the situation. The winter setting drew me in. For fans of Lisa Unger and Mindy Mejia.

Okay, seriously, I devoured this book! A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is one of those mysteries where you just have to know what happens next. It's set in a secluded cabin during a snowstorm, and the wealthy Dalton family, with all their secrets, is gathered there. You get this sense of dread right away, and it only gets thicker as the story unfolds.

Connor brings his new fiancée Theo, and things go south fast. I won't spoil anything, but let's just say the family dynamics are seriously messed up. This book is a twisty turny ride, and I was constantly trying to figure out who was lying and why. Marshall keeps you guessing until the very end, which I absolutely loved.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Karissa Vacker, was amazing. She gave each character a distinct voice, and it really brought the story to life. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book. I voluntarily listened to it and gave an honest review.

This was a great mystery read. I really liked it. I didn’t see the twists coming. It kept me on my toes and wanting to keep reading.