This one had me listening late into the night! A Killing Cold is a chilling, twisty mystery with just the right amount of slow-burn tension and emotional depth. It’s a great mix of psychological thriller and moody family drama, and it kept me guessing the whole way through. I love a thriller with a "locked door" setting such as an isolated location or weather conditions that make it difficult to leave.

Right away, you can feel something’s off, and Marshall does a great job building that tension. Theo is a great character—strong but vulnerable, and clearly haunted by something she can’t quite put her finger on. I found myself rooting for Theo. And the Dalton family? Let’s just say they’ve got secrets, and not everyone’s thrilled to have her there. The character development was superb. I felt that I truly got to know the main players.

The snowy, isolated setting adds so much to the vibe. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and brace yourself. My only complaint is that the pacing dragged just a bit in the middle, but the suspense, emotional twists, and satisfying second half made up for it.

If you’re into thrillers with a mysterious past, family secrets, and a heroine you can root for, this one definitely delivers.

As usual, Karissa Vacker did a great job bringing this story to life.

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

A Killing Cold was an atmospheric and gripping read that kept me hooked. The snowy, desolate setting was so vivid it felt like another character in the story, and the sense of isolation added a chilling layer to the mystery. The twists were clever, and while I guessed a couple, others completely caught me off guard.

Some parts could have used a bit more depth, especially when it came to character development, but overall, it was a fast-paced, satisfying thriller. Perfect for curling up on a cold evening with a warm blanket!

From the same author as WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS & NO ONE CAN KNOW comes this book A KILLING COLD. I really enjoyed this thriller! It’s perfect for winter with short chapters and a snowy setting. A true family drama with the power that comes with being wealthy and being willing to do anything to protect your family. This one had lots of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I highly recommend!

I have enjoyed all of Kate Alice Marshall's adult books and this was no exception.

In this story we follow Theodora Scott who is engaged to Conner, who comes from a very well to do family. They are going to one of the family homes for a visit and this is the first time Theo will be around all of Conner's family. When they get there, vibes are off and someone is texting Theo telling her to stay away from Conner. Conner's family aren't the only ones hiding something. Theo has secrets of her own that she is keeping from her soon to be husband.

I enjoyed this story and the narrator really brought it to life. This is a good choice if you have never read Kate Alice Marshall before or if you are a fan like I am.

I really enjoyed the narrator, her inflections and realistic conversational nuances kept me wanting to keep listening despite not being fully engaged in the plot.

There were some parts of Theo’s backstory I didn’t follow at first but Marshall does repeat important little notions you need to know to help piece the story together which was equally as helpful as it was slightly annoying.

A family drama mixed with an isolation winter thriller.

3.5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Twisty, Chilly, and Full of Secrets

A Killing Cold was a thrilling listen from start to finish! The audiobook kept me hooked with its fast-paced plot, layered characters, and all the juicy secrets hiding behind wealthy facades. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing, and I loved how the story unfolded with just the right balance of suspense and drama.

The cold, atmospheric setting added an extra chill to the mystery, and the narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. It felt like every character had something to hide, which made it all the more fun to try and figure out what was really going on.

I’m giving it 4 stars only because a few of the twists felt a bit over the top, but honestly, that was part of the fun. If you enjoy twisty mysteries with glamorous settings and dark secrets, this one's a great pick!
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Kate Alice Marshall is hands down an auto buy for me, every book she publishes just solidifies that even more.

If you're looking for a twisty, bone chilling, locked room thriller fully of secrets, lies, and deceit that keeps you on your toes the whole ride, this one is for you! I thought I knew where it was going numerous times and I was wrong each time.

I am not always the biggest fan of locked room mystery because they have been rather over done and aren't always as gripping to me, but Marshall did it correctly and I loved every second of it. The snowed in mountain retreat was a character of its own and I loved that, definitely added to the thrill and it won't have been as gripping without it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, I thought she did a fantastic job of adding to the story. I greatly enjoyed listening to the audio of this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really love this author so I was excited to read this book! Unfortunately I was just not connecting with the book and the characters completely lost me and I could not keep track of who was who. I did like the overall concept of the story. the end felt rushed and I was a bit confused. Still enjoy this author no matter what.

This book had everything I need in a good suspense thriller. It had family drama, it had likes and secrets, it had a secluded location. It was twisty and dark, and it had me on the edge of my seat. This is the second book I read by this author, and I am sure I will read all of hers to come. This was a perfect thriller to me. It had great narration too, which I am sure added to my experience,
I will recommend this book and this author to all my thriller reading friends.

4.5 Bone chilling read! The atmospheric setting, secluded, and then the “ice starts cracking” .

Lots of secrets and lies with twists and reveals galore. Marshall does a great job of throwing you off the trail.

And then we have the uber talented Karissa Vacker giving this story a voice.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this amazing audiobook production!

I thought I knew what was going on in this story five different times and was wrong every time 😆 I really liked the idea of did her boyfriend know her before she knew he did. I had to stop myself for a second and make sure they weren’t going to Oldboy me at some point but I stuck it out and I’m glad I did. The old “you only want our son for our money” trope is pretty played out but I did love the narration. 3.5 rounded up.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review. This one started out intriguing; in fact, I listened for a couple straight hours on the first session, it but ultimately ended up being quite repetitive in the main character's inner reflection and monologue. Like always with this author, she tried to steer you in many directions to account for the mysterious texts warning the MC to stay away from her fiancée, Connor. I think the author tried to develop some of her characters more deeply and thoroughly, but the way she did it made them a bit cheesy. I could definitely finish this listen, but I wouldn't call it an amazing or memorable time. Not much more than the red scarf is sticking in my mind. I will need to consider these points when choosing to continue reading from this author.

Definitely an outlier here as I didn't love it. Just couldn't connect with the rich people behaving badly, and the poor girl fiance pressured to leave the rich family while at their secluded compound trope is getting a little overused. I just wanted someone to like.

Audiobook was well narrated and was entertaining to listen to.

A Killing Cold is my third book by Ms. Marshall and it is hands down my favorite. It has all the jumps and drama of a popcorn thriller while having so much depth. Some suspension of disbelief is necessary but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Truthfully, I couldn’t stop listening to this one! @karissavacker absolutely shines as the lone narrator to a giant cast of characters. For readers who love a winter thriller with nonstop twists- check out A Killing Cold!

If you’re in a family drama and murder plots, this is will be a hit. Snowy vibes as summer is just beginning was such a fun experience for this one. Highly recommend.

This review is solely for the audio. The narrator was great and wasn’t distracting. She had great pacing and did great voices for different characters.

I enjoyed this good mystery/thriller novel. The ending got confusing but I was motivated to keep reading until the end.

Loved this twisty read! I was constantly guessing who had motive and puzzling what exactly had happened in the past. Highly recommend! Audio was great. Thanks to MacMillan Audio for the copy!

This book was a crazy ride 😂. Fast paced, plenty of twists, creepy family, a nice locked room mystery. I loved the multiple layers we got to peel back and how the flashbacks were used to slowly reveal what is going on. The narrator was excellent, made for an easy listen that kept me engaged the entire time. Sometimes I found things a bit too convenient and the ending has so many twists you might get whiplash 😂 but overall a fun time!

CW: Murder, death of a parent, violence, child abuse, domestic abuse, suicide, terminal illness, self harm, alcohol.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

An emotionally charged thriller with generational secrets, amnesia, and a mystery that will keep you guessing!