Kate Alice Marshall delivers another atmospheric, twisty thriller that keeps you on edge from the first page to the last.

Theodora Scott thinks she’s found her happily-ever-after with Connor Dalton, heir to a powerful and wealthy family. But when he brings her to Idlewood, the Daltons’ secluded winter retreat, she quickly realizes something is very wrong. Between the threatening messages on her phone, eerie footprints in the snow, and the shocking discovery of a childhood photo of herself taken at Idlewood, Theo begins to uncover a dark family secret that ties her past to the Daltons in chilling ways.

The setting is moody, isolated, and suspenseful—perfectly fitting for a story about family secrets, hidden identities, and the dangers of trusting the wrong people. Theo is a compelling protagonist, shaped by a complicated past and haunted by uncertainty about her own memories and choices. The tension comes not just from the dangerous secrets but also from the constant sense that no one in this family can be trusted.

Karissa Vacker’s narration is a standout—she captures Theo’s vulnerability, doubt, and determination with precision. Her voice fits the story’s icy, unsettling tone and enhances the suspense throughout.

Overall, A Killing Cold is a solid thriller with all the right ingredients: a richly atmospheric setting, a layered protagonist, plenty of misdirection, and the kind of reveals that make you second-guess everything. Kate Alice Marshall continues to prove she’s an underrated master of suspense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I highly recommend reading this one during the winter months. It gave excellent secluded, small town atmospheric vibes. The author did a great job putting you in that space.

* I have a hard time with storylines where the characters have “been here before but don’t have any recollection yet.” To me, it’s a scapegoat to write a story &not have to worry about it making sense or loopholes. So I did struggle with that a bit.

* Karissa Vacker always does an amazing job with her narrations &this one was no different!

* Overall I enjoyed the story. There were some scenarios that seemed a little far fetched. I disliked most of the characters. But it kept me entertained.

I’d like to thank Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬:
* Twist
* Suspense
* Unknown past
* Isolated winter retreat

𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
* 27 year old Connor Dalton brings his new 24 year old wife, Theodora (Theo) Scott to his family’s winter retreat. When Theo gets there she realizes she’s been there before but doesn’t remember anything. She slowly pieces her memories back together &realizes she’s in grave danger.

The author creates a chilling, isolated setting at Idlewood that perfectly suits this dark thriller. The slow unraveling of Theo’s mysterious past and the Dalton family’s secrets keeps the tension building, and the snowy backdrop adds to the claustrophobic mood.

While the premise is intriguing and the atmosphere strong, some plot twists felt a bit predictable, and I wished for deeper character development, especially from Theo. The pacing occasionally drags, and the mystery’s resolution didn’t quite have the impact I was hoping for.

That said, it’s a solid thriller with enough suspense to keep you engaged, especially if you enjoy family secrets and psychological tension.

✨Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for the gifted copy of this audiobook!✨

I FLEW through the first 70% of this book so fast. I was hooked. Life got a little crazy and unfortunately it took a while to get back to it and I was so pumped when I finally did. But honestly, the last 30% was probably the worst part of the story. All of the action and revelations had already been revealed for the most part by that time, except for that the narrator’s spotty memory caused the narrative to change several times before the final answers were revealed. I felt like we could have just gotten straight to the point and it would have ended on a much better note, personally.

Karissa Vacker did a wonderful job narrating as usual, so no complaints there.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)
A chilling, atmospheric mystery with strong narration!

A Killing Cold is a gripping small-town mystery that blends suspense, emotion, and just the right amount of eerie tension. Kate Alice Marshall delivers a layered story with complex characters, secrets buried deep, and a past that refuses to stay hidden. The pacing is tight, the setting is vividly rendered, and the plot kept me hooked from start to finish.

The audiobook narration was excellent—engaging, well-paced, and emotionally in tune with the tone of the story. The narrator brought the characters to life and added depth to the already haunting atmosphere.

Highly recommend for fans of twisty mysteries, character-driven suspense, and audiobooks that pull you all the way in.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early listen!

Theo has no memory of her life before she was adopted, only a haunting nightmare she’s never been able to understand. When she travels with her wealthy fiancé to his family's remote mountain estate, fragments of memory begin to surface, and Theo’s past may be far closer than she realized. As old secrets begin to come to light, she must confront the chilling question: is this all just coincidence, or is something more sinister going on?

This is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep readers constantly reevaluating what they believe to be true, right along side the protagonist. The audiobook enhances the suspense with a good performance from the narrator, whose measured pacing builds tension. She handles a wide range of characters with skill, seamlessly voicing men and women of all ages in a way that deepens characterization. A highly engaging listen for fans of atmospheric mysteries and thrillers with a sharp emotional edge.

I really liked this one! I'm so glad that I didn't read the synopsis beforehand because it totally gives away way too much. Since I didn't know what was about to happen, I definitely had an "oh sh!t!" moment. One particular part of the book grabbed me and made me want to binge the rest of the book so I do recommend going into this one blind if you can.

I also love messy rich families and "lockedish" room thrillers so this one checked all the boxes. The book was just tense enough with enough reveals throughout to keep me super engaged. I'm glad I had both the ARC and ALC so rotate between so I could always keep the story going until I finished. The narration by Karissa Vacker was great, as always!

Thank you Flatiron Books, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for my ARC/ALC.

I really wanted to love A Killing Cold. The setting is moody, the premise is strong, and Kate Alice Marshall definitely knows how to write atmosphere. But the pacing? That’s where it lost me a bit.

The book starts off with a great hook, and you expect things to ramp up quickly... but instead, it kind of meanders. There’s a lot of internal reflection and slow buildup, which can work in a character-driven mystery, but here it felt like the tension kept stalling just when it should’ve taken off. Some chapters dragged, and I found myself waiting for something big to actually happen.

By the time the plot picks up again, it’s almost too late and the momentum never fully recovers. It’s not a bad book by any means, but if you're someone who likes your thrillers with tight pacing and steady reveals, this one might feel a bit sluggish.

That said, I really enjoyed the audiobook, thanks to Karissa Vacker’s narration. She brings just the right emotional tone and nuance to the story, which helped me stay engaged even when the plot lagged. If you're on the fence about reading this one, the audio version definitely gives it an extra edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Alice Marshall and Macmillian Audio for this aArc. All thoughts and opinions are of my own in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Another banger from Kate Alice Marshall, I just love her addicting thrillers. An auto buy author for me at this point, I just gobble her writing up. If you need a read-in=a-day, get hooked immediately with one of her titles.

This book is the definitive of do whatever you have to do in order to protect your family…. Even if they killed someone. I enjoyed the way the book went back and forth with the timeline and we got snippets of Theo life without spoiling the plot twist. I thought I have it all figured out but nope! The multiple plot twist at the end was a bit confusing so I have to reread it a bit to keep up. Overall a good twist thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a ARC in return for my honest review

This was a decent winter thriller where things start happening pretty much right away. I'm not really the biggest fan of sudden recovered memories in thrillers but it wasn't relied upon too much... more like an additional component to the story. The only other additional thing I'm going to say about this book is that I'm really really glad I'm not a part of this family!

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for the copies to review.

I loved a snowy locked room setting, and this did not disappoint. Families behaving badly is at the core of this thriller, and Theo has walked right into a hot mess. She is in love with Connor, they are engaged, and she just needs to meet his wealthy family. Easier said than done. They think she's after his money, but she needs to prove she is not. But she's been receiving texts, and she realizes not only are they hiding a secret, but this isn't her first time in Idlewood, their family retreat.

This was a wild ride, the audio was fantastic, and I listened in one setting. It was captivating from the start, had me on the edge of my seat at times, and I could not wait to see how it would end, which was incredibly satisfying when it did. If you have not read this one, I highly recommend it, it is incredibly addictive and I enjoyed it so much!

⛧A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall - Who killed who? Well, I'm not even sure this family knows the truth about all that, and they're the ones who were involved.

This audiobook is narrated by Karissa Vacker.

•Thank you to @macmillan.audio

A Killing Cold was entertaining, though a little frustrating at times and I felt the end was a little over the top. All in all, not my favorite by the author.

I was initially really drawn into this one because of the atmospheric setting in the rich family that seemed full of secrets, but as the book progressed I found myself losing interest in the family and just waiting for the secrets to be revealed. I didn't think that the family was as developed as it should have been so when the twists finally hit they didn't hit as hard as I would have liked. overall, I think this was pretty good but could have been improved upon. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Alice Marshall is one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors in recent years. Her stories are so original and the twists are shocking, but not forced and I couldn’t guess any of them! I look forward to every new book she writes.

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.