This mysterious domestic thriller is the perfect entertainment for a winter evening.

The revelations unroll slowly, building tension as the main character learns more about her fiance's wealthy family, but there's plenty of action, too.

This is my favorite book from Kate Alice Marshall, by far!

I listened to the audiobook at 1.5x speed, and it was fabulous.

Meeting the family is nerve-wracking in any new relationship, but it's downright suffocating for Theodora Scott. And why wouldn’t it be? Her fiancé, Connor Dalton, belongs to the notoriously wealthy and secretive Dalton family. Their whirlwind romance has gone from a chance meeting at one of Theo's art shows to an engagement in just six months, and now she’s traveling to Idlewood, the Daltons’ isolated winter retreat, to meet the family for the first time. Theo knows the stakes are high. She's determined to prove she’s in this for love, not their fortune.

But something isn’t right. Theo has received anonymous text messages for weeks warning her to stay away from Connor. Dismissing them as pranks, she steels herself to make a good impression. Yet the moment she steps into Idlewood, Theo can’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping over her. The family’s frosty reception is bad enough, but then there’s the unsettling familiarity of the place. Strange footprints appear outside her window. A disused cabin on the property hides something impossible: a photo of Theo as a child, taken at Idlewood. Theo barely remembers her earliest years, but the splintered memories that emerge point to secrets someone in the Dalton family is desperate to keep hidden. As Theo inches closer to uncovering the truth, she realizes she’s not just an outsider trying to win their approval—she’s a threat. And the Daltons will do anything to protect their legacy, even if it means silencing her forever.

Kate Alice Marshall has built a reputation for crafting atmospheric thrillers that keep readers on edge, and her latest, A Killing Cold, is no exception. After making her mark in YA fiction, Marshall broke into adult thrillers with the exceptional What Lies in the Woods, a gripping mystery that delved into the perils of memory and generational trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed that novel and was thrilled to receive a copy of this newest standalone from the publisher. From the first chapter, Marshall establishes a sense of creeping unease. Theo, our protagonist, feels like she’s wading into waters far deeper than she’s prepared for, and it quickly becomes apparent that she’s harboring secrets of her own. As her fiancé’s family secrets come to light, the narrative twists into a tangled web of deceit, ensuring no character—and no reader—is left entirely sure of the truth.

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook, and Karissa Vacker’s narration was, as always, a highlight. Her voice brought a chilling immediacy to Theo’s mounting paranoia and the story’s steadily escalating tension. Marshall expertly keeps the reader slightly off balance, just enough to ensure that when the big reveals come, they land with maximum impact. The pacing is relentless, ramping up as threats grow more urgent, culminating in a genuinely shocking conclusion. With A Killing Cold, Marshall proves once again that she’s a master of the winter thriller, delivering an irresistible blend of atmosphere, suspense, and twists. She’s quickly becoming one of my must-read authors.

I was able to get an ARC of this book. And I read it in a matter of 2 days. I was able to get the audio version and the woman who narrated it did a fantastic job. It was suspenseful, twisty, interesting and I just wanted to know what was going to happen next.

The setting was also great giving that cold, damp scenery. It was a great setting for this kind of book. There were a lot of twists and turns when it came to this story. It was just one after the other.

I would highly recommend reading or listening to the audio version of this book. 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Theo and Connor are an unlikely match. He comes from a wealthy family, and her past is something she's still working to uncover. The pair become engaged quickly and decide to spend the holidays at his family's remote cabin retreat. Theo's nervousness about meeting his family intensifies when she begins receiving threatening messages from an unknown number, warning her to stay away from Connor.

Things go from awkward to bizarre when Theo feels familiar with the place, and discovers a photo of a man with a girl who looks suspiciously like herself in an abandoned cabin on the property. With her past hidden under layers of trauma and the family she's marrying into full of secrets, she's determined to get to the bottom of what everyone is trying to hide.

A Killing Cold is a layered mystery where nothing is as it seems. It's a story that draws you in as you work with the main character to figure out what the family is hiding and how it relates to her. The narrator does a fantastic job of holding attention, as you can hear the anxiety and fear in the characters she reads for. With twist after twist, I can safely say the ending was not what I'd expected. I enjoyed this thriller and would happily read/listen to another of her books in the future.

4 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC of this book!

I will now read everything this author ever writes.
Two hit books back to back for me.
Loved this! The author's writing really appeals to me. I love how she crafts her story and how she unveils things along the way, and it always has me completely glued! I had a hard time putting this one down and devoured it as fast as possible.
This has secrets, family drama, an isolated type of setting, a great atmosphere, and just enough suspense to keep me hooked.
I am looking forward to seeing what else Kate Alice Marshall writes next and her backlist that I missed out on!

I really can’t get over how well this book was written. The past and present POVs blended together flawlessly. I was absolutely hooked from the beginning. I struggled to put this down, and once the drama REALLY started, I was GLUED to this book. Almost every chapter ended on a cliffhanger which I love. I had to force myself not to skip ahead to the endings of each chapter just to get a taste of what was in store next. An exceptional book!

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the audio ARC. All opinions are my own!

Accomplished and experienced actress Karissa Vacker narrates A Killing Cold. Theo, a woman without family, is invited to her new fiancée's family compound for the Christmas holidays. Raised by adoptive parents, Theo doesn't even know her real name or birthday. The Daltons, Connor's family, are not impressed by her lack of background and come up with multiple reasons to scare her off. Theo is not only upset by threats, and offers of money to leave Connor, but also because she has an eerie sense of having been there before. That seems impossible as she was raised on the west coast and lives in LA--she doesn't remember being on the east coast.

As the days spin on and the sad story of Connor's father's death comes out, Theo begins to believe that she actually has been there, with her mother. Pieces of memories come back to her and she's fascinated and terrified by the things she remembers. The Dalton family does not like to lose and when Theo and Connor hold to their nuptials, the family secrets all come out. And in ways the reader hasn't anticipated.

This book is full of suspense and unanticipated events and revelations. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will enjoy reading A Killing Cold.

wow what a complex read honestly. literally so much happened and there were so many plot twists! i found that this story kept me on my toes and was quite easy to consume!

i liked the characters, and i felt like the longer i read the more i began to understand them. i wouldn't say i fully know what happened and why it happened, but in a way i think i like that. during the big finale ending i did find myself getting confused on who was who though lol. but like i said i quite enjoyed learning about each character. i think my favorites were theo, alexis, and connor. and the dog obviously.

this story was just enough equal parts spooky as it was thrilling and mysterious! like i mentioned, literally so much happens that it is hard to discuss this book. you need to go into it as blind as possible i think! also it makes for a perfect wintertime read!

i listened to this book on audio, and i thought the narrator did a great job! sometimes her voices for the men were a little silly, but they never took me out of the story or anything! I would definitely recommend checking out the audiobook!!

anywho i would absolutely recommend this book and i am so so so happy i got the chance to read and review this book for netgalley and Macmillan Audio! thank you so much for the opportunity!

prime story on how wealth can rupture sanity and morals. People will do anything to hide secrets and keep their reputation. I went into this without even reading the synopsis but so far Kate Marshall hasn’t disappointed. Her writing has improved every novel she comes out with!!

audiobook was so so good! it was easy to follow, the little kid voice really got me smiling at times. The book was mostly set in one location, with multiple characters however just one POV. So it was easy to follow along and gather background into each of the characters.

Theo is engaged to Connor, who is from an extrenly wealthy family. They are in their way to spend time at the family lodge, but when they get there, Theo knows that she’s been here before.

Through family secrets and murders, the past is revealed, and not everyone here is who they say they are.

I devoured this book and was continuously guessing who I thought did it and was never right!! So many potential suspects with this cast.

When Theo heads to her fiancés remote cabins for the holidays, she finds they are all hiding secrets. Including herself. Then memories start to return and she realizes she’s been here before.

This book did not take the turns I was expecting it to with how the beginning starts. I was pleased that I didn’t see several of the twist coming and it kept me guessing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

“I am prey and prey is never safe.”

So I’ve now read 3 books by this author. I LOVED this one and 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, I wasn’t a fan of No One Can Know, I just couldn’t get into it, it wasn’t bad just wasn’t for me.

I think this author may have gone back to the style of WLITW in her latest because I was ALL IN with 𝗔 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗱. I’m glad I decided to read another book by KAM, I was not disappointed.

I ordered this with my BOTM box and then also ended up snagging an audiobook as well, which was narrated by the amazing Karissa Vacker. She’s one of my fav audio narrators and was a perfect pick for this one.

I don’t wanna get into too much about the story itself because (1) I don’t wanna spoil anything and (2) I don’t know where to begin as this one has a lot of moving parts. Just know there are lots of secrets that come to light and everything isn’t what it seems. Oh and of course, as with most books in their genre you will not have any idea who to trust.

If you read and loved 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, but weren’t a fan of No One Can Know….don’t let that be your last impression of this author because this is one you won’t want to miss. Trust me. This one is absolutely worth the read.

The story follows a woman named Theo who goes home with her fiancé, Connor for the holidays. She quickly learns his family has a lot of secrets. I loved the isolated cabin setting and all the winter vibes. There’s rich people behaving badly, mystery, and so many twists. I was excited to see Karissa Vacker narrated this book and she did an amazing job at bringing the characters and story to life.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an advanced audiobook copy of A Killing Cold. As a fan of Kate Alice Marshall, I was thrilled to dive into another one of her books.

A Killing Cold did not disappoint. Theo is a compelling and likable protagonist who makes you root for her as she unravels the mysteries of her childhood. The story is packed with twists and turns, making it an engaging read that's perfect for curling up with on a cold winter day.

The narrator also did an excellent job, bringing the characters to life and keeping the listener fully entertained throughout.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall. It’s a fast-paced, gripping novel that kept me guessing right up until the very end. Theo spends the holiday season at her fiancé Connor's family estate—an opulent winter getaway—but it quickly becomes clear that the family is hiding a lot of secrets. This was my first book by Kate Alice Marshall, and I’m already looking forward to reading more from her!

The narration by Karissa Vacker was excellent. She was an engaging storyteller who brought the characters to life and helped me vividly imagine the story’s world.

As always, a big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.
3.5 stars

I absolutely loved this one, and I think Karissa Vacker's narration was a huge part of that. Audio is definitely the way to go on this one. This one was fast paced throughout the book (maybe a bit more in the first half than in the second), and I kept trying to guess how it was going to all play out. I think the ending went just a bit too far in the whodunit department, but I could buy into it and loved the entire ride getting there. I thought that the characters could have been a bit more fleshed out, but the plot more than makes up for it.

This one is a true slow burn. I really thought that it was gonna pick up at the towards the end, but it did not for me. It really did not captivate me throughout the book. I was having to force myself to get through it.

Reading 2.5/5

Expected publication date : 2/4/5

Thank you so much for providing an arc copy to me to read to provide it honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio arc copy.

This was a decent read. Listened to it over two days so it held my attention pretty well. Liked the winter, secluded cabin vibes. This probably should have come out a month or so ago to really be in time for the season instead of at the end portion.

Anyway, while I enjoyed this, it wasn't my favorite thriller of all time. It was okay, but nothing amazing or new. Unfortunately, it was a fairly predictable thriller overall. This doesn't happen to me often. I'm not usually good at figuring out endings but this one was very predictable - and kind of boring. (sorry :( I just expected something more exciting.)

This will probably be a fun read for some, It seems I'm kind of an outlier here. I still think it is worth a read, its a fun winter vibes read as I mentioned - but it's just okay.

There were a lot of characters and sometimes it was hard to keep track of who was who and how they were related. They also were all pretty unlikable and flat. It was even hard for me to relate and enjoy the FMC or her plight.

The audio was good though. Enjoyed the narration! It was also well produced.

Thanks again for the arc. My thoughts are my own.

I was a little disappointed with this book and contemplated DNFing it a bunch. This definitely wasn’t my favorite of her books.

I have really enjoyed the author’s previous work but this one was my least favorite. Still an entertaining read, and some of the twists were good but the outcome and plot was pretty predictable. Enjoyed the audio too, which I would recommend.