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Member Reviews
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Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc!
This is the perfect wintry thriller. ❄️ Kate Alice Marshall does it again!
I found this book to be intriguing, fast-paced, and the writing was superb. I truly cannot find fault with this one…so it may just be my favorite of the winter season! 5 stars
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Phenomenal book! Great narration. I loved this book. I finished it in one day. Things are not what they seem in this family and at this get together at all. So many surprises and omg moments. The ending was a complete surprise. Just wow.
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Loved this. Got a little long but Kate is the queen of a chilly mystery and I flew through it in a day. I was glad the siblings turned out to be mostly innocent and Theo ended up with the dog.
Thank you Macmillin Audio and NetGalley for the ARC
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I went into this book not knowing really what it was about. I was just excited to get an advanced copy of a Kate Alice Marshall book because I liked her others in the past. This book cheeses my expectations. I loved the narrator and for an audio that is so vital. The plot itself was very gripping and I did want to hear how all the characters were connected. Sometimes the coincidences in books bother me because they're unrealistic. The ending of this did get slightly outlandish but overall still kept me entertained. A solid mystery. An easy 4 star read.
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This thrilling novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its relentless twists and turns. Just when you think you have it all figured out, another surprise is thrown your way, making for a genuinely thrilling reading experience.
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Theo is engaged to Connor Dalton, visiting his family’s winter estate for the first time. But Theo has a secret, she cannot remember her childhood up until the point she was adopted. A few mysterious texts sent to her phone weave doubt into Connor. But why does the cabin spark slivers of memory like she’s been there before? Why does she recognize members of Connor’s family? There are a lot more secrets to unravel along Theo’s memory, but can she stay alive that long?
I completely binged this book. Kate Alice Marshall will be my do-not-miss author, this is my third mystery of hers and I’m loving them!
Theo is an unreliable protagonist, her childhood recollections slowly reveal the shocking history. While I predicted some events, I loved all the twists I didn’t see coming. It made the whole book hugely satisfying. I really enjoy Marshall’s female characters, I found myself drawn to Theo and rooting for her throughout the whole ordeal.
Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook copy, Karissa Vacker narration is always fantastic, giving the characters life and personality, adding a mysterious and tense atmosphere to anything she performs. I highly recommend this wintry mystery!
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Theodora Scott thought she was starting a fairy tale romance with the charming Connor Dalton, a member of the wealthy and powerful Dalton family. But when Connor takes her to Idlewood, his family’s secluded winter retreat, things quickly take a dark turn. With strange messages, eerie footprints in the snow, and a photo of herself as a child mysteriously appearing in an abandoned cabin, Theo begins to unravel a past she never knew she had—and the shocking secrets hidden within the walls of Idlewood.
The Daltons may seem like the perfect family, but it soon becomes clear that they have more skeletons than the FBI could uncover. The pace picks up once Theo starts remembering her childhood, and from there, with plenty of secrets being revealed. Each chapter brings new mysteries and it kept me guessing as to who the real villain was. If you enjoy books that ratchet up the tension, provide unexpected revelations, and feature a heroine racing against time to uncover the truth, A Killing Cold delivers. As always Karissa Vacker does a great job at narrating.
Special thanks to netgalley and macmillan audio for the ALC.
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I was gifted a copy of the audiobook for review.
When it comes to kate alice marshall, i could never pass up a chance to read her novels.shes one of my favorite authors. Even tho i love her young adult novels a lot more, lately, her adult thrillers are killing it. What i enjoyed about this book is that it takes place in the winter and on a mountain, which is isolated. It was predictable, but it kept you wanting to listen more
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This is going to be a great thriller to recommend when it comes out! I loved the snowy vibes and it really added to the setting. There were plenty of twists and turns and really had me guessing as to how everything was going to play out. I really enjoyed how the author weaved in the past storyline into the present timeline. It wasn't confusing and was very well done!
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3.75 stars
Incoming fans and newbies alike will mostly be satisfied with this newest thriller from Marshall.
Teddy, the m.c., has a tough upbringing that includes a lot of trauma-related memory gaps. She knows she had a very different life as an extremely young child versus the ways her life evolved once she was adopted by a not-so-delightful second family. All of the memories, gaps, and worries from her early life really start to haunt her when she falls in love and gets engaged to Connor, a wildly wealthy individual whose attachment to his family and money have Teddy worried about her own perceived shortcomings.
The vast majority of this novel takes place at Connor's family's estate, and for me, it was a surprisingly engaging affair. I have to assume that some of this is due to Karissa Vacker's stellar narration of the audiobook; she's constantly employed for good reason, IMO. As far as the actual events are concerned, I found myself frustrated with the level of coincidence readers are supposed to accept and with the strangely limited number of surprises and thrills (relative to the genre). I was an engaged listener, but I can't say this is a strong standout for me.
I continue to enjoy Marshall's books and am already looking forward to the next.
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I liked this story but I also felt like it was a story I’d read before. None in particular but like it’s been done. It was well written and interesting but not entirely memorable. I loved the narration. I just didn’t find the story to be too surprising with its twists. I do love this author but this one was just good
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After a rough start that included abandonment and mistreatment at the hands of her foster parents, Theo has grown up and finally met the man of her dreams. He announces plans for the two of them to spend the Christmas holiday holidays at his family’s home. Theo is a little nervous, she has no memory of her own family, or indeed, her early life at all. But things get strange when Theo finds a photograph at Connor’s family‘s house, a photograph that appears to be of her. Combined with the nightmares she’s been having since she arrived at the houseand the strange behavior of Connor’s family, Theo knows that something very sinister is going on. This is an exciting thriller that held me spellbound.
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Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC for review. This thriller was fantastic! I have read nearly every book this author has written and this one is by far my favorite!! ❤️ A little coincidental, but ah, sometimes life can be that way. Theodora met rich Connor Dalton at an LA party. After a whirlwind romance, they get engaged and Connor brings Theo to meet the fam at their private winter resort. Of course, there’s a hitch, Theo is getting threatening messages to stay away from Connor. Oh, and Theo has no memories of her past as she was adopted. So how does this all tie together and who is threatening Theo and May want to hurt her? This book has some great rich family drama, reads like a soap opera in the very best way and has some fun twisty endings. I couldn’t put this book down and read it in two days as I had to find out how everything fit together. Kate Alice Marshall will continue to be on my must read thriller list!!
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In this suspenseful novel we follow Theodora Scott, a traumatized orphan who cannot remember her life before her foster family, as she travels with her new finance to his family’s winter house. While trying to make a good first impression on his extremely wealthy family, she begins to remember some of her past and gets caught up in the mystery.
I enjoyed Kate Alice Marshall’s last novel and was looking forward to picking this one up! She is a great author who creates engaging characters, twisty plots, and satisfying reveals. This book, while not as good as her prior work in my opinion, was still an entertaining and worthwhile read.
I listened to this via audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. Highly recommend for readers of thrillers and particularly recommend picking this up in wintertime!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Kate Alice Marshall’s newest thriller! I really enjoyed the isolated setting, and the family dysfunction. There were so many twists throughout the story and they all worked so well! I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book.
Karissa Vacker’s narration, as always, was phenomenal. She knocks it out of the park every time!
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Theo had a tough childhood from becoming an orphan which led to a large memory gap to adoptive parents who ended up being abusive. When she hits 18 and escapes to LA, she feels that she has left the past behind her and can start anew, especially when she meets a young man at a party and they fall for each other instantly.
Theo & Connor head to the Dalton family Christmas retreat and, as a woman with a mysterious past, the family is hesitant to accept her and deeply questions her motivations. Upon her arrival, the childhood nightmares that have always haunted her start to resurface until one day she comes across a photograph…and it’s of her. When she combines this was the feeling that some of the Dalton’s are acting like they already know her, Theo can’t help but wonder if she has been to Idlewood before and if there is a reason why she shouldn’t have returned.
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Another great thriller from Kate Alice Marshall. I was absolutely hooked from the start as I listened to this audiobook. The narration from Karissa Vacker was beautifully done (as always) and helped build the suspense along the way.
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A Killing Cold follows Theodora Scott as she visits her fiancé's family retreat. I enjoyed the setting and the pacing, but I guessed some of the twists early on. I also found one part to be completely unbelievable.
Narration by Karissa Vacker was well done as always.
I received and ARC and ALC from Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Some stories don’t just unfold—they envelop you completely, and this audiobook was one of them. Despite its slow pace and twisty plot, the narration elevated the experience to something truly captivating. The way the narrator brought the past to life, combined with the author’s beautifully crafted writing, made every moment feel rich and immersive.
Each twist was expertly delivered, allowing time to reflect on the characters and their journeys without ever feeling rushed. The perfect blend of a compelling narrative and a skilled narrator kept me hooked from start to finish.
If you love character-driven stories brought to life through exceptional narration, this audiobook is an absolute must-listen!
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I have mixed feelings about this one. The parts of the book that where giving “ready or not” vibes I enjoyed (we all love a murderous family) but the rest of the plot I just found myself not so interested in.
I am a fan in general of Kate Alice Marshall and have enjoyed her other books, this was a medium 3⭐️ for me however there are still good aspects to the book that I’m sure the majority of readers will enjoy, I am likely the outlier here.
Read if you enjoy:
Cold weather, isolated settings
Meeting the family goes wrong
Secrets in the past
A quick engagement
Thank you to Macmillan audio and the author for the ALC!
Publish date: February 4th 2025
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There was a lot going on with in this novel. Theo and Connor are newly engaged when they decided to spent the holidays with Connors uber rich family in a secluded property in the middle of the woods. The family isn't really welcoming to Theo and questions her motive to marry Connor.
Like Kate Alice Marshall's this was full of twists and fast-paced. So many clever twists, I still can't get over it.