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.

The Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall presents a chilling mystery set against the backdrop of a remote, icy landscape. The story follows Theo Scott, a woman haunted by a hidden past. When she travels with her fiancé to his family's remote winter retreat in an attempt to win them over, Theo is shocked to find evidence that this may not be the first time she has visited the Dalton's Idlewood estate. Marshall skillfully weaves together suspense and atmospheric detail, painting a vivid picture of the harsh environment and the secrets it holds. The plot unfolds at a steady pace, revealing clues and red herrings that keep the reader guessing until the very end.

While the mystery itself is compelling, The Killing Cold also explores deeper themes of the weight of the past. The isolated setting amplifies Theo's feelings of vulnerability and isolation ultimately bringing her face to face with a truth she had buried deep within and forgotten. Marshall raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of justice, the power of forgiveness, and what actually makes a family. However, at times the thematic elements feel slightly cliché and underwhelming by the end.

Overall, The Killing Cold is a gripping thriller that will appeal to fans of suspense and mystery. While it may not present a truly shocking story as some readers might prefer, the atmospheric setting, intriguing plot, and well-crafted characters make it a worthwhile read. If you enjoy stories that combine chills with thought-provoking undertones, this book is definitely worth checking out.

The audio production was well done and the narrator did a great job.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC!

This book was the perfect suspenseful, winter-y thriller!

I have read 2 other books by Kate Alice Marshall and really enjoyed them! So needless to say, I had high hopes going into this one.

What I liked about this one:
-This one kept me entertained throughout the entire story. I kept wanting to know what was next & what was going to happen.
-There was lots of unexpected twists!!
-It was fairly fast paced and hard to put down. It made it easy to get into and I think it would be a great reading-slump buster!

What I didn't like:
-There were too many characters. I felt like it was hard to keep them all sorted at times.

Overall, this book was perfect for a nice wintery snow day! I have been in need of another good thriller and this one did not miss. It is full of suspense and unlikeable characters and leaves you constantly wondering 'who done it'!

Great winter thriller that kept me entertained the whole time. I really enjoyed the internal struggle of the narrator as she tries to solve the lifelong mystery that is unfolding around her. I would definitely recommend this book.

This book had me from the very start! I remember really enjoying What Lies in the Woods so I was very excited to get an advance copy of this to listen and it did not disappoint.

Theo is off to the mountains to meet her new fiance's very rich and powerful family. They are less than thrilled to meet her especially since she comes from a sketchy at best background. Theo has very few memories of her childhood and knows nothing about her life before adoption. However once she gets to the mountains memories start coming back to her.

I was so invested in all of the characters in this but especially Theo's backstory. Just when I thought I figured out the twist, something twisted even more. I also loved the cold setting being as it's the middle of winter and it's been bitterly cold. It really made me feel like I was there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance audio in exchange for an honest review. I would most definitely recommend this one, and the audio was fantastic - this was so thrilling to me that I feel like the physical read would have been just as good!

I really wanted to love this one because the premise sounded so good, but I unfortunately did not love this one. I listened to it in three days and I still couldn't tell you much of what happened. Maybe it's because I've read so many thrillers that I just don't enjoy them the same way I used to? I was never attached to the characters and didn't care what happened to them and I never got sucked into the story like I wanted to. I can see how others, especially readers who don't read a ton of thrillers, but this wasn't for me.

ARC provided by Macmillian in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!

A Killing Cold has to be the fastest I've consumed a book — this thriller was unputdownable. I absolutely adored the secrets, twists, turns, and reveals from this story, every single chapter left me gagged. I was entertained the entire time, definitely recommend over her previous books. Theo and Connor, in a way, had similar vibes to the couple in the 2019 horror movie Ready or Not (view spoiler)

There were some minor issues I had like the large cast of supporting characters at times was difficult to keep track of who's who as well as the ending felt a little too wrapped up for me personally but this was a much needed fun thriller from the last few books I've read.

Was excited to receive this audiobook for review. The narrator did a great job with all the characters. She really set the scene and made the story for me.

Theo is set to spend the holiday break at her fiancés secluded winter cabins. She keeps having recurring dreams and suddenly the cabins are starting to look familiar. Is this really her first time there? As she starts exploring, she uncovers secrets and the truth is finally revealed.

I enjoyed this listen and I do recommend the audiobook. I believe the narrator did a great job and just made the story really *pop*.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for this audiobook ARC in exchange for a honest review. A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall hits shelves on February 4, 2025.

This is my second book by Kate Alice Marshall
And both thrillers were so good. This book has just about everything that makes a good thriller. Twists, turns and many lies.
It was gripping from the start. So many different outcomes with a twist you won’t see coming!

I’m a big fan of Kate Alice Marshall but I have to be honest, this one just didn’t grip me… I enjoyed the setting, but the pace felt drawn out and the characters didn’t couldn’t hold my attention, and the mystery generally speaking wasn’t all that thrilling.

The narration here is terrific. The story just didn’t quite work for me. It seemed so much like others I’ve read and the twists weren’t overly surprising. It was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC.

I simply adore Karissa Vacker’s performance. She’s brilliant.

This story was addictive. Listened in a day (at a 2x speed). It was just twisty enough, cold enough, and fun.

🎧 Book Review 🎧 Imagine meeting your fiancé’s family but it comes with a dire warning to stay away from him. But when your life has been rife with trauma and mysteries, leaving you no choice but to immerse yourself in an identity that is one giant lie, it’s hard to know when to stay and when to leave. So many questions arise for the Dalton kin as Connor brings his fiance to meet the wealthy family at their compound.
Why the quick engagement between Theo and Connor?
Who is Theo and why does Idlewood bring back lost memories?
Why is there a photograph of young Theo in one of the cabins?

These are just a few of the strange coincidences that arise when Theo escapes to meet her future in-laws in a place that shouldn’t be so familiar…

Kate Alice Marshall has written a deliciously dark and twisted psychological thriller, filled with family secrets and characters that leave you questioning where the truth lies. Readers are in for an immersive and enthralling experience when her writing is paired with the pristine narration by Karissa Vacker in this new audiobook!

This book was very good. The audiobook was narrated well. I did have a hard time keeping up with characters, but that might have just been me listening to it instead of reading. All in all, I would definitely recommend. I now have a new author.

With the premise of a wealthy family keeping secrets and an isolated winter retreat, this book sounded like the perfect winter thriller! Karissa Vacker killed the narration per usual (she is my favorite!) and I enjoyed my listen largely due to her stellar narration and the fast paced plot. As far as thrillers go, this book was good but not great. The twists were not wildly shocking to me and unfortunately nothing about the story was particularly memorable. However, this may be a matter of personal preference and A Killing Cold may be just the book for readers looking for a quick winter read!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for early access to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!