I had a killer cold this past week, and polished off as many books as I could.

I was invited to a buddy read hosted by @librarywhore of A Killing Cold by @thriller_book_sisters and spent my day in bed glued to my Kindle.

This is the kind of thriller readers love:

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 everyone’s a suspect & everybody could have done it

🕰️ the protagonist’s past is a mystery; some selective amnesia

⛰️It takes place in a remote, mountaintop retreat with limited cell service

Creepy atmosphere with a ton of suspense.

🧩 Clues are given piecemeal

🔀 Super twisty!

I couldn’t put this one down at all - if you want a twisty suspense psychological thriller - pick it up today. Thank you @kmarshallarts @flatiron_books for allowing me to read this @netgalley ARC. Out now!

QOTD: What was your favorite book to read this week? This was 100% mine! 4.5/5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
#akillingcold #katealicemarshall #suspensethriller #mystery #bestbooksof2025 #thrillerbooks #mysterybooks #crimebooks #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #arcreads #arcreading #currentlyreading

This is full of secrets, lies and so many twist and turns. It’s very faced paced and I didn’t see the ending coming. I had so many thoughts as to what was going to happen but I was wrong. I always enjoy Kate Alice Marshall’s novels and this was no different.

Fast paced thriller - poor girl with mysterious background finds herself in a relationship with a very handsome, very wealthy young man, and surprise! they get engaged after just a few months. When Theo goes to Connor's family mountain estate for Christmas to "meet the family" - she realizes the family has secrets to hide - that involve her mysterious past. Trying to figure out who to trust, and how to escape a bad situation kept the pages turning.

Of course! Here’s a more natural and casual version of your review:

Review: The Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

I really enjoyed The Killing Cold! It was a quick, easy read that pulled me in right away. The story follows Theo, who doesn’t remember anything about her childhood before she was adopted. She falls in love with Connor, and when she goes to meet his family at their remote cabins, weird things start happening. Someone warns her to leave, and she starts finding clues that make her think Connor’s family might be tied to her past.

I loved all the mystery and the way the story slowly unraveled. There were plenty of twists—some I saw coming, but others totally surprised me. The setting added to the creepy vibe, and it kept me turning the pages.

Overall, this was a solid thriller! If you like books that keep you guessing, I’d definitely recommend it.

I listened to this audiobook right after I read Hemlock by Kiersten Modglin and if you liked Hemlock, you might enjoy this book as well. Definitely some similarities between the two books…both involve strong female main characters who have a sense that something more is going on where they are…both have trauma in their backgrounds…though this book has more of a family mystery focus to it than Hemlock.

Theodora Scott, who goes by the nickname, Theo, has been welcomed to a secluded family lodge in the wintertime in order to get to know the rich family of her fiancée, Connor Dalton. Not just his immediate family but also his extended relatives. His family has secrets, Theo has secrets. Both grow suspicious of each other. When someone dies, the need to figure out who can be trusted and who cannot becomes even more urgent.

Will Connor side with his family or with Theo?

Was a long ago death a suicide or something more sinister?

Who else will die before this book comes to an end?

This book has great character development, incredible twists and turns, and the plot unfolds slowly over time. Definitely enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Read If You Like:
- Psychological thrillers
- Amnesia narratives
- Family secrets
- Isolated settings
- Suspenseful storytelling
- Complex characters
- Twisty plots
- Atmospheric mysteries

Theodora "Theo" Scott, who has significant gaps in her early memories, eagerly accepts a marriage proposal from Connor Dalton, a handsome scion she met just months prior. As they prepare to visit Connor's family's vast, isolated winter estate, Theo fears that his relatives suspect her of gold-digging. Upon arrival, she begins to piece together fragments of her past, realizing that someone at the estate harbors a shocking secret they're desperate to keep hidden, placing Theo in terrible danger.

This novel masterfully combines psychological suspense with atmospheric storytelling. The isolated winter estate setting amplifies the tension, creating a chilling backdrop for the unfolding drama. Theo's journey to uncover her past is both compelling and nerve-wracking, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The intricate plot and well-crafted suspense invite readers into a world where nothing is as it seems, and every revelation leaves you breathless.

A Killing Cold is a gripping tale, full of dizzying twists and turns, packed with suspense that will keep you frantically turning pages until the very end.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my gifted copy!

This book hooked me from the blurb. It was full of twists, and normally, I can see them coming a mile away, maybe two. But this? This got me! That's a 4 at least, but I was interested from the beginning and the end didn't disappoint. Family secrets are my go-to for reads, and the mystery of why she felt the place was familiar? Ahhhh! I don't want to spoil anything. Solid 5!

A Killing Cold is the ultimate atmospheric read. Kate Alice Marshall is incredible at creating a story that sucks the reader in and doesn't let go until the book is done. The twists, turns and surprises were well done. I thoroughly enjoyed A Killing Cold and recommend checking it out!

Thank you Flatiron Books and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
4.5/5 stars

Another solid entry into adult thrillers from KAM.

This one has a secluded setting which usually works for me and I did find it interesting but the setting felt like it needed to play a bit more of a part to the overall story. Still good.

The plot was entertaining and I have a good time reading through. I didn't find anything overly surprising or out of left field but I think if you like to solve the mystery as you read along, this book will work for you.

I definitely prefer Kate's horror Mid Grade and YA to her adult thrillers, I wish she'd pull some of the horror vibes into the adult books, I think they would be all the better for it. But I did really enjoy this one. Learning about Theo's backstory was interesting and trying to piece together everything that happened to her when she was a kid was fun.

I also liked the ending of the book and how everything turned out. An enjoyable read over all.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a gripping winter thriller that masterfully blends atmosphere, suspense, and unexpected twists. The story follows Theodora Scott, who, after a whirlwind romance, accompanies her fiancé, Connor Dalton, to his family's secluded estate, Idlewood. Upon arrival, Theo is met with a chilly reception from the powerful Dalton family and begins to experience unsettling events, including anonymous warnings and resurfacing childhood memories. The discovery of a childhood photo of herself at Idlewood propels Theo into a maze of family secrets and lies, challenging her perception of reality and her own past.

Marshall's portrayal of the isolated, snow-covered estate creates an immersive and eerie backdrop that heightens the novel's tension. The narrative is filled with well-timed revelations and psychological intrigue, keeping readers on edge as they navigate the complex dynamics of the Dalton family alongside Theo. While some readers have noted a desire for deeper character development among certain family members, the overall pacing and suspense maintain a compelling momentum throughout the story.

For fans of atmospheric thrillers that delve into dark family secrets and personal identity, A Killing Cold offers a satisfying and chilling read.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall


A beautiful wintry setting for murder. It's quiet, snow is falling, cozy cabins on a grand estate and a famously rich family is there to celebrate the holidays.
Theo, the protagonist with a litany of childhood traumas, is brought to the estate by the her new fiancé for show and tell. Except the family discovers that Theo has been here before and so does she. Those fuzzy memories that have always haunted all start to unravel.
This starts a series of flashbacks that become incrementally more and more confusing to the reader. The characters and all of their secrets are eventually exposed but the shock factor wasn't there.
There was no shortage of twists but most were predictable. The female characters were indistinguishable to me. I kept confusing them and had to reread to clarify.
Read it through to the ending but that, too, was inevitable. Would have preferred a not so happy ending.

This was an interesting murder mystery. We have an unreliable narrator, Theo, that has flashes of some horrible event that took place when she was little.
The story was good and interesting. I felt though that there were too many characters and it would tend to muddy up the story. I got confused at times on who was who.
Overall though, I did enjoy it and would read more by this author.

I have enjoyed Katie Alice Marshall’s last books, so I was excited to dive into this one. It was not my favorite of hers, but I enjoyed it. I have been able to introduce friends to this author and I will definitely recommend this one to them as well!

This was a spine chilling book. I loved all the twists & turns. Why are books set in an isolated setting with no cell service always so terrifying? I really enjoyed this thriller.

This was my first Kate Alice Marshall book and it did not disappoint! The premise of a locked door mystery on a remote mountain is my perfect winter reading scenario. I loved how the mystery unraveled and really enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Kate Alice Marshall, for this ARC of A Killing Cold that came out on February 4, 2025.

I did not see that ending coming! Lots of twists and turns throughout this book. This is my second Kate Alice Marshall book and she is definitely a great dark thriller author. A woman invited to meet her future in-laws finds out that they are hiding a secret, and she has been there before.

⭐️Overall Rating: 4

This novel was provided by the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.

SOOOO suspenseful and TWISTY! I love Kate Alice Marshall and she did not disappoint with this thrilling read! Full of TWISTS and TURNS that I could kinda see coming, but then BAMN! Theo meets Collins family on their HUGE estate for the first time. She doesn't really get a very warm welcome, but stays the course anyway, for love. Theo, a woman with no childhood memories and no sense of where she comes from, who has named herself after a coveted teddybear, the only thing she has from her blank past, begins to have deja-vu moments and believes she's experiencing memories. Are these memories real? Why now?

You will love this TWISTY thriller!

SOOOO suspenseful and TWISTY! I love Kate Alice Marshall and she did not disappoint with this thrilling read! Full of TWISTS and TURNS that I could kinda see coming, but then BAMN! Theo meets Collins family on their HUGE estate for the first time. She doesn't really get a very warm welcome, but stays the course anyway, for love. Theo, a woman with no childhood memories and no sense of where she comes from, who has named herself after a coveted teddybear, the only thing she has from her blank past, begins to have deja-vu moments and believes she's experiencing memories. Are these memories real? Why now?

You will love this TWISTY thriller!

This twisty, unpredictable, domestic thriller was unputdownable!!! I absolutely loved it!! Love everything I have read by this author. She’s on my #cantmisslist

Rich people behaving badly always gets me. This is exactly that! The narrator, Karissa Vacker is one of my all time favorites and she did an excellent job with the audio. Props to KAM for making it feel super claustrophobic and creepy.