This book gives ready or not vibes! I was hooked from the first chapter! Defiantly a great read & audio book!

About this listen
When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a 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.Stay away from Connor Dalton.Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.I’ve been here before.Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

A Killing Coldl
By Kate Alice Marshall
Narrated by Karissa Vacke
Release date 02-04-25
9 hrs and 41 mins
Publisher Macmillan Audio
Categories Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

I did like the story and how interesting would it be to find a photo of yourself as a child at the family home of your fiance.

I think this was the perfect time reading this book. Brrr...perfect winter vibes.

It was kinda slow at some parts but still kept my attention to finish the book. I think that has to do with me listening to the audiobook.

I enjoyed A Killing Cold. Karissa Vacker’s narration made it even better! The pacing was spot on as the mysteries of Theo’s background is revealed. Don’t worry about whether you need to suspend disbelief near the end— a good popcorn thriller never disappoints!! 🍿
*Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy

I really enjoyed listening to A Killing Cold. I’m a big fan of Kate Alice Marshall’s books and this book was my new favorite of hers! It was fast paced, entertaining, and held my attention the whole time. I loved all the family drama but I never knew who to trust or what to believe. Andddd I just knew I had it figured out at one point and was right about *nothing* 😂 I loved the narrator and have nothing but good things to say. Highly recommend!

A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. all opinions expressed above are my own.

If you pick one thriller to read this winter, let it be this one! I feel like my head is still spinning from this one! I was convinced I had this one totally figured out & was not just wrong, but SO far off it had me cackling when it all came to fruition. Bravo, Kate Alice Marshall, bravo! 👏🏼 This delivered thrills, chills, suspense, drama, & somehow a pinch of romance.

The secluded setting of Idlewood was perfect for setting the scene for this thriller. Conner’s wealthy family was dramatic, mysterious, deplorable & super unpredictable. Theo’s flashbacks & nightmares kept me on the edge of my seat & delivered full body chills on multiple occasions … I also might have gasped more than a few times as different tidbits were revealed. And the last 25ish% was a super suspenseful cat & mouse pursuit with twist after twist after twist revealed!

Some notes on the audio:
🎧Karissa Vacker was super easy to listen to & really added to the suspense of the plot.
🎧I feel like the best audiobooks play out in our minds like a movie & this one definitely delivered that!
🎧Literally didn’t want to stop listening, perfect for getting all house chores completed!
🎧Big thank you to @Macmillan.Audio & Kate Alice Marshall for the opportunity to listen to this one as an ALC!

I had the please of listening to this book thanks to the advance copy from Netgalley. I have read one other book by this author and it was okay, but this one was GOOD!! It was definitely a page turner. I also have the physical copy of the book as well and I couldn't put ot down. I loved the twist at the end! definitely check this one out!! Release date: 02.04.25
Rating 4.5 stars

5 stars all around.
When questions you never truly wanted answered start unfolding in the most unlikely of places— how do you cope? Memories flooding back from a place you never knew you had been before, all while you’re meeting your soon to be in laws for the first time.
Who do you trust? Your fiance? His grandmother? Yourself?

The audio version has a narrator that truly captures the suspense and mystery around this family full of secrets. Well done

This book was such a thrilling, fast-paced ride! I thought it had some fun twists—predictable for me, but still so enjoyable. From start to finish, I was hooked. The pacing kept me engaged, and I really liked the characters—it hit most of my favorite points in a thriller novel. If you’re looking for a quick, suspenseful read that keeps you turning the pages, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Huge thank you to Macmillan Audio Publishing for this audio ARC!

Theo and Connor meet and quickly decide to get married. Connor is from the wealthy Dalton family, and Theo has gaps in her past from a traumatic childhood. When he takes her to meet the family at their isolated winter cabin retreat, she feels that she may have been there before. When she starts getting notes and texts telling her she shouldn't have come back, she knows she needs to figure out what happened there in the past.

As Theo is piecing together her past, there are some crazy twists that I didn't see coming. Every time I thought I had figured it out, I was wrong. Kate Alice Marshall is quickly becoming one of my favorite must-read authors. Once I started this, I stole every minute I could to read it. I loved this one!

Note about the narration: Karissa Vacker is fantastic at what she does. I was even more excited to read it when I saw she narrated this. She just doesn't miss when bringing the characters to life!

I really liked the idea of this: finding a picture of yourself at a lover's family house but not knowing how and why you were there. I think the drama unfolded at a suitable pace and I stayed engaged throughout.

Ooh, this was a twisty and messed up thriller! Kate Alice Marshall does a great job of sucking you into the story and keeping you engaged throughout the entire story. This is the third book, written by Kate Alice Marshall, that I have read and it will not be the last.

Karissa Vacker does a great job narrating this story and I always look for books narrated by Karissa.

Looking forward to reading more of their work in the future.

Theo, an orphan who has been estranged from her adopted family, and Connor, a guy with a trust fund, just got engaged. She heads to his super wealthy family's mountain retreat for a winter getaway, but his relatives aren’t too happy about their quick engagement. Theo really wants to impress them, but things get weird when she starts receiving creepy text messages. It feels like Connor’s family is hiding something, and their cold attitude isn't helping. Then, to top it all off, she stumbles upon a childhood photo of herself in one of the cabins.

I really loved the cozy winter vibes and the woodsy atmosphere in this book. The audio narration pulled me right in! There were so many unexpected twists that kept me interested, but Theo and Connor’s relationship fell a bit flat for me. All of the members of Conner's family were super secretive and definitely not warm or welcoming towards Theo so I really wasnt sure who was good and who was bad. Very good thriller, I thought the pacing was good and towards the end I could not put it down!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook of A Killing Cold.

I enjoyed this book! It was a mystery throughout almost all of the book of what was going to happen. It kept me entertained and interested to figure out the ending of the book. The author did a great job at building character development.

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.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall and masterfully narrated by Kate Alice Marshall. Kate was the best narrator I've experienced making this intriguing book come to life. A story that has all the components to keep you interested and doesn't give too many clues to let you easily guess the outcome. The good characters were likable and some you didn't know if you should like or not. This is an unusual book that will make you think and keep you wondering. I did not guess who did what when or how. I did towards the end guess some things but there were surprises.
When Theodora Scott meets Connor Dalton it's like fate has brought them together. When he wants her to go to his family home and meet them all at Christmas and share the joy of their upcoming marriage things do not go as planned. The secrets, the mystery the danger are prevalent and Theodora is not sure she is even safe!
Yes! Read this book! A Killing Cold will not disappoint and I highly recommend the audio done by Kate.
Thank you, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for this version of the book, this is my honest review. My five-star review includes the narrators ability to bring it to life.

I really enjoyed this. I love a wintry thriller, and this didn't disappoint. That said, it did get a little off the rails of believability towards the end.

The first half of this "locked room" (at a mountain retreat in the middle of nowhere in the winter) mystery was intriguing. The setup is interesting and I was invested enough to want to know what was going to happen.

Theodora Scott can't remember her childhood, but that's okay because she is engaged to the wealthy and fabulous Connor Dalton. Connor takes her to Idlewood, the family mountain compound, over Christmas to introduce her to the rest of the family and garner his family's approval of the union. When Theo arrives, she has the eerie feeling that she might have been to Idlewood before. When messages warn her to leave and not come back, she wonders what might be happening and if it is connected to her past.

After the setup, unfortunately the rest of the book is very convoluted and relies a lot on believing a plethora of convenient coincidences. There are a large number of characters and none of them are very fleshed out or defined. And seriously, I hate it when plots rely on a character snooping around in places where they don't belong/have broken into and finding key clues to solve the mystery. This happens so many times in this book--Theo just happens to come across vital items that help her piece together what happened in the past and the present.

Overall, fans of Marshall may enjoy the novel as its narrative reminded me a lot of the other book of hers I read (What Lies in the Woods). I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Karissa Vacker, and her projection was a bit better for me with this book. I didn't have to turn it up to hear what was going on as much as I have had to do with other books.

4 Stars

Girl, imagine pulling up to your rich fiancé’s fancy-ass cabin just to find out you been there before—and not on no vacation. Theo really thought she was about to sip hot cocoa and win over the in-laws, but nah, she got people creeping in the snow, weird-ass texts, and a literal childhood photo poppin’ up like a jump scare.

The Daltons? Shady as hell. The vibes? Immaculately unsettling. This book had me side-eyeing everybody. It dragged a little in some spots, but overall? A messy, twisty, “rich people got secrets” kinda read, and I ate it up.

a killing cold by kate alice marshall ❄️ a woman invited to her wealthy fiance's family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret- and that she's been there before…

any thriller where we follow rich people doing bad things, spoon feed it to me please! not knowing who was out to get our fmc while being snowed in on a mountain (with no service) isn't an ideal situation, but it was the perfect setup for this thriller! although by the end, I thought it was good… just not great 👀

the twists weren’t shocking to me but kept the storyline moving. I wanted to grab these characters by the ear, lock them in a room together and force them to communicate. you’ll definitely have to suspend your belief to enjoy this one.

all I know is that if my significant other's family spoke to me how these characters treated our fmc, I’d be gone 🏔️ catch me yeeting myself off that mountain. been there, done that, never will be subjecting myself to that behavior again. know your worth besties.

karissa vacker did a phenomenal job with this narration- every book she reads I end up loving listening to! thank you macmillan audio for an early copy 🎧 3 stars!

This book was… a lot. Honestly, it felt like it could have been two different books. I’m also not a fan of conveniences when it comes to thrillers, and this one has a big ol’ one that the entire story is based upon. There were plenty of twists throughout, but I was already past being excited or looking for them by the time we got there.