I have said before that Kate Alice Marshall can do no wrong and this title was no exception. Twists, turns, scandals, murders-what else could a girl want?! I thought I knew where it was going to end up, and the end still got me!! 4.5/5!

I quite enjoy Kate Alice Marshall's books as a rule, and this was no exception. I'll tell you the one thing I struggled with from the start: the "I should tell them but nah" trope. Idk what to call this honestly- I have called it the "lack of communication", "lie of omission"... it needs a proper name and I am posting a discussion about this now because it is bothering me. Anyway. That is my one issue. Theo has some stuff that she keeps not telling Connor, and while I get it, it is just one trope that irritates me.

That said, everything else about the book was fabulous! I loved the atmosphere, and the unhinged vibe Connor's family gives off from the start. Like you know they're messy, but you have no idea just how messy it all gets. I really enjoyed unraveling the secrets and mysteries, too. Theo was definitely an entertaining character, as she herself was missing a lot of information about her own past, so it made her a bit... not unreliable, but just unknowing, I guess. Whatever the case, I found it very readable.

I loved that I never knew who we could trust, who was out to get Theo, or what would ultimately happen with her and Connor. There are just so many fun things to find out, and I definitely could not put this one down. Also, highly recommend reading it in the winter, I loved the snowy setting!

Bottom Line: Another exciting and compelling thriller from Kate Alice Marshall!

Kate Alice Marshall is particularly excellent at writing settings, which remains with this fast-paced, atmospheric thriller that kept me turning the pages. I love an isolated, snowy mountain setting, especially when it is vital to the story.

Despite my initial guess at who the "bad guy" was being correct, I second-guessed myself throughout the entire book. I was pleased by how easy it was to follow all the characters. Typically, when you have this many characters, especially several badly behaving rich people, it becomes hard for them to distinguish themselves.

Yet, while The Killing Cold was a fun way to spend an afternoon, I did have a few issues. I'm not a fan of characters' memories conveniently surfacing to move the plot/mystery along. There has to be a better way for a character to discover secrets from their past. Further, you have to suspend disbelief to buy how the story unfolds. I know this is common in thrillers, but even I was surprised by the setup and how much I had to buy into the storyline.

I believe thriller lovers will enjoy this a lot, as I often have issues with thrillers in general.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept my interest and was a very quick read. Would recommend to people looking for a fun thriller

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is best enjoyed in front of a fire or under a fluffy blanket to keep you warm while reading this snowy slow burn.

While meeting her fiancé’s family for the first time at their winter retreat, Theo has the weirdest feeling that she has been there before. As she explores the compound, she starts recovering her memories and unearthing long buried family secrets.

I really enjoyed the isolated mountain setting as it gave the story some extra character. The Daltons were the perfect rich family behaving badly, with plenty of secrets and money to backstab and manipulate others and Theo was a compelling protagonist, whose past is slowly revealed through flashbacks. If you love twists, this one had plenty, but there was maybe one too many for me. Overall, this was a solid read that made me glad I have a normal boring family.

This was a fine but forgettable thriller for me. It was an entertaining listen for sure and the audio narrator did a good job, but this is the second book I have read by this author and I think her books are just kind of middle of the road for me. It's a quick listen though - so if you need a palette cleanser after a long or serious book, this might be a good one for you. Especially if you love her other books - because I did enjoy this one more than What Lies in the Woods.

4.5 stars
A Killing Cold, by Kate Marshall, drew me in and kept me mesmerized from the opening sentence—“In the house in the woods, the girl waits for the monster to come.”
This is a fine psychological suspense with a chilling menace that never lets go!
Main character Theo is engaged to her dream guy Connor Dalton, who is handsome, sexy and wealthy. They met in Southern California at UC Irvine, fell in love quickly and became engaged. Little does Theo know how dark her world will become when Connor takes her to his family’s expansive, isolated, mountaintop retreat for their annual Christmas get-together. As she is dropped into the family drama, she becomes increasingly disquieted by the mostly hostile Dalton clan and their mysterious backstories.
I consider this novel equally plot driven and character driven. I enjoyed the twisty drama and plot tension that ramps up the intensity and feeling of mounting dread throughout, all the way to the conclusion. Yet I also appreciate the author’s insightful exploration of the natures of the characters, especially Theo. She is complex and conflicted, and she exudes a damaged girl/woman persona. This woman, however, does not need rescuing—her scrappy self-preservation in desperate moments is admirable and exciting to follow. The rest of the characters—Connor, Magnus, Mrs. Dalton, Uncle Nick—are generally unlikeable and portrayed as corrupted by their wealth, while also intriguingly sinister.
This is an enjoyable, well-plotted thriller that I could not put down! Readers who like the intense psychological suspense of a locked-room scenario on an isolated mountaintop in a blizzard will be very happy with this book!

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I loved the wintery setting in this book. And the story was interesting enough to keep me invested. But it didn’t blow me away, and the ending dragged on for way too long. Ultimately I think the plot was a bit too complicated, so the ending required way too much explanation. But overall it was a decent book. Still worth your time if it’s one you’ve been looking forward to.

Well, Queen of chill thrills did it again.
This was a fun, twisty read! The atmospheric snowy setting was described perfectly to give you that winter chill as you read. I loved the way all the secrets unfolded one at a time, leading to a shocking reveal. I do feel that it was predictable, but nonetheless it was so fun to read.

As always, I love Kate’s writing. She puts just enough detail to help you visualize the setting, characters, and even personalities.

Definitely recommend!

Loved this book! This felt like a really original story line with a ton of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The main character was a total bad ass. I loved the ending.

Kate Alice Marshall had written another engrossing thriller. This was super suspenseful and moved quickly. I was very emersed while reading and felt like I was on the estate with the characters. I went between listening and reading and would recommend either format but the audio is narrated by the fabulous Karissa Vacker. While I did guess many of the ending surprises, I found this to be an enjoyable read.

Kate Alice Marshall delivers a spine-tingling thriller in A Killing Cold, blending psychological suspense with eerie gothic undertones. The novel follows Theodora Scott as she is swept into a whirlwind romance with Connor Dalton, only to find herself trapped in the chilling confines of Idlewood, his family’s isolated retreat. From the moment Theo arrives, an unsettling sense of déjà vu gnaws at her, compounded by cryptic warnings, a mysterious childhood photo, and the creeping realization that her past is somehow tied to this place.

Marshall masterfully crafts an atmosphere thick with tension and foreboding. The icy, snowbound setting of Idlewood isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character in itself, amplifying the isolation and paranoia that seep into Theo’s every move. The pacing is razor-sharp, unraveling secrets layer by layer, while Theo’s fragmented memories keep the reader on edge.

The Dalton family adds an extra layer of menace, exuding an old-money arrogance that hints at deeply buried secrets. Theo is a compelling protagonist—resilient, intelligent, yet vulnerable in ways that make her journey all the more gripping. The novel keeps readers guessing, twisting its way to a shocking, satisfying conclusion.

Perfect for fans of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman or We Hear Voices by Evie Green, A Killing Cold is a haunting, immersive thriller that lingers long after the final page.

This winter thriller is out in the world today! Thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for sharing early digital and audio copies with me!

Summary: When Theodora Scott met Connor, a wealthy, charming 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. Shortly after arriving, Theo realizes the Dalton’s are hiding a terrible secret… and that she’s been to Idlewood before.

It takes a lot for me to LOVE a thriller, and I LOVED this one. I was constantly trying to figure out the Dalton’s’ secrets and which of the characters could be trusted. Idlewood was the perfect setting with its isolated cabins, dark woods and of course, a snowstorm. This is a winter thriller I’ll definitely be recommending to others!

I love Marshall and her amazing writing.
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall had me guessing from start to finish, I didn’t want to put it down.
This novel takes readers on a dark and atmospheric journey, where every twist feels deliberate and every character has something to hide.
Marshall's writing is intense, with a gripping pace that doesn’t let up.
Another well-written, intriguing read that I really enjoyed

Kate Alice Marshall always writes books I enjoy reading. This wasn’t my favorite of hers but still a fun read and I will continue to read whatever she puts out!

I loved the setting, in an isolated winter lodge, and the ‘trapped’ room feel of this books. I also loved our FMC and was rooting for her the entire time. The second part of the book dragged for me and there were a few too many coincidences/twists. Overall I was invested in how this would end and wanted to keep reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was a huge fan of "What Lies in the Woods," so it was a treat to get an advanced copy of this book. "A Killing Cold" worried me a bit when I first cracked it open, because the theme of the everyday girl meets the rich boyfriend's family and things go awry has been a bit over done in the thriller world lately, but I should have known Marshall would take it in a totally fresh new direction. I loved the pacing of this story, as well as the setting. I didn't guess any of the twists and I enjoyed Theo as the main character. It manages to give that winter vibe without feeling overly dark and depressing...just tons of excitement and a book I couldn't put down. An easy five stars.

Theo Scott, an orphan, has met the man of her dreams and she is about to meet his family and spend Christmas at their remote mountain compound. But suddenly she is receiving mysterious texts from an anonymous stranger warning her away from Conner. Theo, adopted at four by a zealous couple had a troubled and abusive childhood. She has been haunted by recurring nightmares for as long as she can remember, but her first four years are a blank. At Connor’s family retreat, Theo realizes that she has been there before as a young child, and her memories are slowly revealing the truth behind her nightmares.

Marshall’s thriller is a fast-paced, twisty tale of a rich corrupt family who will stop at nothing to cover up their crimes, but how deep does the conspiracy go? Is Theo’s fiancé Connor involved in the cover- up? “ A Killing Cold”will keep you up reading late into the night. Unputdownable.

Kate Alice Marshall delivers a cold-blooded thrill ride with her newest novel, A Killing Cold. A healthy mix of snowed-in claustrophobia, rich-people drama, and secrets galore, this quick little read has just about everything I could ever ask for in a thriller. It's exactly the kind of story that I find myself craving in these cold months of winter, but did it live up to my expectations?

Well... let's get into it!

Characters: Our main character here is Theo, a mysterious and troubled young woman who is meeting her fiancé, Connor's, wealthy family for the first time after a quick whirlwind romance. Theo comes from a rough upbringing, having been adopted by an extremely religious couple when she was young, and she hasn't been fully honest with Connor about where she comes from. As a lead, I found Theo to be a bit annoying at times. She makes some odd decisions, to say the least. As the story progresses, she becomes more and more certain that she is in danger, and that someone in Connor's family wants to hurt/kill her, and yet SHE DOESN"T LEAVE! A big pet peeve of mine (and many other readers, I'm sure) is when characters don't behave in logical ways because it's what the story requires of them. So, this dampened by enjoyment of the story a bit. I also found that Theo's inner monologue was a bit (ew, forgive me for saying this) ~pick me girl~ at times. She is dead set on the idea that she is bad, which we learn stems from her upbringing, however, it starts to feel a bit repetitive and dull when she is constantly going on about how she doesn't deserve anything good in her life, and I just didn't entirely buy it. Theo doesn't seem like she WANTS to get along with Connor's family, but that doesn't seem to be what the author is trying to convey either, so it's a little confusing. Connor as a character is fairly dull. He reads like a basic love interest, and he is pretty terrible at communicating with Theo, so their whole relationship ends up being kind of a chore to read about (I'll dive into my feelings on this a bit later). The other members of the family are mostly fine, if not a bit one note. Connor's mother and grandmother sort of blended together for me. They both play off as stereotypical "you're not good enough for our family" matriarchs. I would have liked for them to have more distinguishing factors, because as is, it feels like they are more or less the same character. The brother, Trevor, was a favorite of mine. I found him to be compelling, as this jaded rich kid who genuinely seems unconcerned with the consequences of his actions. I liked how he was written and utilized, and I especially liked the scene when he admits to Theo that he doesn't really feel joy. The grandfather was interesting to me too, and I appreciated early on that he played as a counterbalance to the other members of the family who were so cold towards Theo. This was, however, undone by the fact that he ends up being one of the main antagonists. Once it's revealed that he was the one texting Theo and warning her away, all of his previous warmth feels rather confusing. It feels like a classic case of the author trying to lead the readers' suspicion away from this character in a way that defies the logic of the story. If he was warning her off before she ever arrived, why bother giving her a chance at all? It feels dishonest. All together, the characters were a weaker point for me in this book. 2/5

Plot (and Twists): I'll admit that I'm a bit biased towards any book that features characters getting snowed in somewhere. Something about that premise works so well for me, so obviously I was all in on the plot for this book. I also enjoy the dramatic downfall of an uber-rich family, so really, this book had me. I felt like the snowed in premise was well utilized for the most part, but I would have appreciated the author expanding more on the idea that the characters were truly stuck on the mountain together. As is, it felt like if Theo had really wanted to leave, she could have, which definitely lowers the stakes that a snowed in plot usually brings. Now as far as twists go, this story has A LOT of them. I think a little weeding could have gone a long way for this story, because the more the author tried to pull the rug out from under me, the less effective it was. There are some good twists earlier on, and I felt like the tension was really building. Then you hit the 80/85 percent mark and everything kind of falls apart. There were so many reveals and then double reveals that I had a hard time keeping up. The grandpa was the antagonist but so was Conner's father, but so was Connor's uncle, but wait, no, actually Connor's father was a good guy, it was his mom that killed Theo's mom, but wait no, actually it was Connor's sister by accident, sort of? Never mind it was definitely the uncle and also the grandpa and the groundskeeper and... oh man, I think I got lost. This book is proof that when it comes to plot twists, quality is always better than quantity. Pretty much everyone on that damn mountain was 'guilty' at some point, and in the end, a lot of the characters were in on everything. The constant doubling back and reframing made the ending rather unsatisfying for me, unfortunately. Luckily, there were some highlights that kept the story afloat for me. I felt like the reveals about Theo's past really worked. I would have liked more of that, honestly. I think her backstory with her adoptive parents was one of the most interesting aspects of this story, and I would have appreciated having Theo dive into her hurt towards her adoptive father not protecting her even more then she did, but as is, I really liked this part. The scene was her adoptive father calls her and tries to make amends was possibly my favorite part of the whole book. I also did appreciate that the author subverted the readers' expectations in that Connor's father wasn't having an affair with Theo's mom but was protecting her from the abusive uncle. I think that if there hadn't been so much stacked together at the ending, these twists could have been extremely interesting and fresh, but as is, it just felt cluttered. Oh, also, there was a good chunk of the book where it kind of seemed like we might find out that Connor and Theo had the same dad, which would, of course, make them siblings. I wish this would have been addressed a bit more by Theo, since she was starting to put the dots together, because as is, it just felt really weird for a minute there, until we found out that they were definitely NOT siblings. I just felt like this could have been handled differently (Theo could have panicked about the idea of them being related and distanced herself from him, idk SOMETHING).
I found the plot and its many MANY twists to be too messy for my taste. 2.5

The Relationship- so, this is pretty much my least favorite part of this book. Theo and Connor. Connor and Theo. Why are they together? Who knows! These two characters were both fine on their own, like I talked about in my character overview, but together? Ugh. I didn't believe this relationship for a second. There was absolutely no chemistry between these two, neither of them could communicate worth a damn, and I really just couldn't understand why they were even in this position to begin with. They apparently were so in love that they had to get engaged after 6 months of being together, yet the author failed to sell this epic love to me. It didn't feel right that Theo as a character would be jumping into a relationship like this, since she carries a lot of trauma, guilt, and self-hatred. She is so suspicious of everything, so I don't really believe she would be cool with getting engaged to a guy she hardly knows. And what does he see in her? I have literally no idea, because their relationship is so underwritten that I can't really comprehend why they're even together. I think it would have made more sense if Theo actually was with Connor for his money, although she insists that this isn't the case time and time again throughout this book. That would at least help me understand what had brought them together. But as is, they both are so dishonest with one another, and so vague with each other throughout the book that I fail to believe that they would be a real couple, much less one that is so head-over-heals that they had to get engaged and meet Connor's family that quickly. 1/5

Writing & Pacing- I'm going to lump these two together because I don't have a whole lot to say on either of these. Both the writing and the pacing were pretty solid. I was invested in the story, despite some of its flaws, and I felt like the author did a good job cultivating the tension throughout the story, even if that tension all falls apart after the 50 million reveals at the end. 4/5 for both.

I feel like I've really been picking this story apart here in my review, despite that fact that overall, I liked this book. So, I wanted to justify my rating a bit more and take the time to say that there were some nuggets of greatness in this story, and I think that Kate Alice Marshall is a talented thriller writer and I'm eager to read more of her work, I just don't think this one was as polished as I'd have liked it to be. I had fun reading this story, it was exciting and wonderfully wintery. I'm giving this book an overall 3.5/5. It was good, not great, and that's okay.

Thank you netgalley and to the publishers . I gave this one a 3 . I don’t think this one was really for me but I thought about just quitting it a few different times it took me a very long time to read . It ended up just getting into a really bad reading slump while in the middle of reading this book. I think if I didn’t put it down so many times and my head was in a different place I might have liked it a little more.

Theodora Scott was adopted by a strict, religious couple when she was 4 years old. She doesn't remember her birth parents or her early childhood, and there is no love lost between her and her adoptive parents. Six months ago, she met Connor Dalton and they fell head-over-heels in love. Newly engaged, Connor takes her to his rich family's isolated winter retreat to celebrate the holidays. Without going into details, to avoid spoilers, Theo soon has more to be anxious about than whether his family will approve of her! Atmospheric, the story starts out slow but quickly ramps up the tension and suspense. The plot is tight, the characters are multilayered, and Marshall does a great job of making you suspect anyone and everyone when bad things start to happen!