What a chilling tale.

I could never imagine going through that she did as a child only to have even more happen when she became an adult.

Another stunning mystery from Kate Alice Marshall, which does not surprise me at all after What Lies in the Woods and No One Can Know.

Katie finds herself on a two week getaway to her fiancé's family retreat. However, her fiancé (Connor) is not from an average family - he's from the wealthy and powerful Dalton family. When this retreat starts to feel familiar for Katie, pieces start falling into place. Pieces that have been buried so deep in the past she cannot fully remember them. As this puzzle unfolds, we are left wondering who we can trust, what really happened, and what can really be believed about what happened at this retreat years ago.

So. Many. Twists. I was intrigued all along, but the last 1/3 or so I was so engaged I was frustrated with anyone who tried to interrupt me. There were so many twists and red herrings that it required focus to go along with Katie as she tried to unravel the truth of her past. I really liked not knowing who or what to place trust in given the plethora of unreliable and untrustworthy characters. It seemed that there are many mysteries to solve, so while some twists were a bit predictable, that did not detract from the enjoyment of the story.

Karissa Vacker provided strong narration for all characters and a flow of the story that was enjoyable and easy to follow.

Definitely recommend as a February 2025 release! Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the eALC in exchange for an honest review. Comes out next month!

Narration: 5⭐️
Story: 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I chose this book as my Book of the Month as well, and the audio confirmed it was a great choice for me.

To begin with the narration part of this review, I thoroughly enjoy Karissa Vacker as a narrator and this audiobook reinforced that. I think she has a great natural tone, she uses great inflection for the various emotions characters are experiencing, and her pitch for different characters — both male and female — is always well-done and never grating. I would highly recommend picking up this audio based on her performance.

As for the story, a protagonist with a mysterious past meets her rich fiancé’s family which has a number of long-buried secrets and scandals all coming to light in a secluded winter environment? Say less. There were so many twists and turns and ties to connect and make sense of everything. I don’t want to say too much and risk spoiling anything, but there were reveals that were tragic, heartbreaking, surprising, and maddening. It all comes first to a tense showdown followed by a simmering reveal once the heat is off. I had one part figured out but there were so many layers to uncover that built the story to its conclusion. It kept me fully engaged and had me needing to finish even after I had left my usual audiobook spaces.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall was a mixed bag for me. The plot seemed pretty familiar and generic (girlfriend with secret past is away with boyfriend's wealthy family in a secluded area. They're eventually snowed in and, surprise, they're in danger!). However, since I didn't know what was going to happen in this particular take on that familiar theme, it did keep me reading and intrigued. The character development felt a little flat, although I did like the main character. The first half of the book really flowed well, however I felt it dragged near the end.

Read this if you like:
•domestic thrillers
•atmospheric settings
•winter thriller

The audiobook is fantastic and I binged this so hard. It’s intriguing from the beginning and super twisty. I thought I knew where the story was going at one point and I was wrong! Thank you macmillion audio for the ALC

WOW!!! This was such a good book. The audio book was just as good as well. From the first 10 minutes I was hooked. Fast paced with secrets. Never trust a family with a dark history. If you love a little family drama mixed with a wintry locked-room setting and secrets galore, A Killing Cold is the book for you.

Loved this book! After seeing this as a Book of the Month selection, I was intrigued; however, the rave reviews from other readers really let me know this was a must read.

The premise of visiting your fiance's family and finding a photo of yourself as a child is WILD, so unsettling. This book did an excellent job of setting the scene and constantly evoking a chilly, creepy, unsettled vibe. Pretty early on in the book, we get to hear the reason behind the title, which is always fun.

I am grateful to have received this as an ALC.

Kate Alice Marshall has a hit on her hands. The Killing Cold is a suspenseful and thrilling mystery that takes place on a wintry and atmospheric mountain. A woman with a hidden past visits the mountainside compound of her new fiancé's wealthy family. The snowy setting has the FMC remembering pieces of her early years. Everyone in the family becomes a potential information source and possible dangerous key to the past. The narrator is excellent!

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall. Kate Alice Marshall is an author that is an automatic read for me. This book did not disappoint! I loved this book from start to finish. It was fast paced, gripping and I could not stop until I found out what happened as the end. Everything you want in a thriller! READ THIS BOOK! The narrator was also amazing.

This was a really good family drama thriller. I figured a good portion of the twists out, but some of them came out of nowhere. It was a great winter read, the atmosphere was set perfectly. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, some them were a bit weak for me. The ending didn't wow me but I did enjoy getting there and learning all the details. The narrator did a fantastic job keeping me engaged and listening! The story didn't feel super original, quite similar to most winter locked door thrillers but it still was enjoyable. Not my favorite Kate Alice Marshall book but a solid thriller for sure.

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

Kate Alice Marshall is always a solid author for me and her newest novel, A KILLING COLD, is another perfect example of why her books are always a great time! This book is centered around a very unique protagonist that I won't soon forget, Theodora Scott (Theo). Theo fell for Connor Dalton, a wealthy and charming heir, and six months later, he brought her to his family's secluded winter retreat, Idlewood. Threatening messages, eerie footprints, and a photo of herself as a child taken at Idlewood stir unsettling memories of a past she can’t fully recall. As Theo uncovers the Daltons’ dark secrets, she realizes the cost of truth could be her life.

I loved the mystery behind this book more than I usually enjoy these types of locked-room, family drama suspense stories. As Theo investigates this wealthy and mysterious Dalton family, you can't just help but immerse yourself right into the story. I did not expect this story to deviate into what it became, which I think will be hit or miss with readers. I alternated between audio and physical, and I enjoyed the audio narration more than physically reading as the setting was very atmospheric and it placed me right into the drama. If I had to recommend either physically reading or the audio, I would choose audio (via @librofm)! Kate Alice Marshall continues to be a staple in my reading and I cannot wait to see what she has in store next!

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book, but by the end, I couldn’t stop listening!! It had a slow start, in my opinion, but picked up perfect pace about .25 way through. Full of twists and turns, it held my attention and by the end I caught myself staying up late to finish it..

My rating: 3.5 ⭐️(Rounded up to 4)

A Killing Cold is a fast-paced page-turner with a wintry setting and rich people behaving badly.

The first half of this book kept me engaged and interested but it slowed down a bit by the second half. All in all, I did have fun reading this book and recommend it to those looking for a twisty wintry thriller. ❄️

This story was truly manic and crazy and all of the right ways! With a dose of rich people be behaving badly, what more can you want from a thriller? I absolutely enjoyed this wild ride!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my copy of A KILLING COLD. This one comes out February 4.

I really enjoyed this twisty and chilly thriller. The audiobook was well done and the story kept me interested. Locked room setting, snowed in super wealthy family with secrets, and a strange history that brings them all together makes this book the most entertaining. This book won't change your life but it will give you a decent distraction for a while. I recommend it.

This was a fast-paced, twisty, and mind-blowing story. It's set at a remote winter campground, giving this the locked room mystery energy I love. The location itself felt a bit like a character, as did the weather. The story itself was complex and a bit too convenient in hindsight. However, in the heat of the story, each reveal intrigued me and kept me deeply invested.

Theo has joined her fiancé, Conner, at his wealthy families exclusive and private winter retreat. This is Theo's introduction to the extended family after a somewhat whirlwind courtship. Conner's family is stand offish and not exactly inviting to Theo. Who begins to slowly realize that she isn't entirely sure this is her first time at this Conners family compound. The reveals are shocking and unexpected with a satisfyingly tidy ending.

This audiobook is chillingly narrated by Karissa Vacker. Karissa really brings Theo to life and helps some of the overdone elements of the story feel tense and suspenseful. The narrator added to the atmosphere created by the narrative perfectly. I highly recommend the audio for this story.

Thank you to Kate Alice Marshall, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

This one was okay for me. The narrator did a great job but this just did not wow me. It felt like any other thriller with mysterious people and a secluded locked room plot. I just didn’t think any of it was particularly wow-ing.

Yes, yes, and more yes! Super wealthy family, lots of family secrets, remote atmospheric location…check check check! I LOVED this book!!!!! She was twisty, and I did not predict most of the twists!

Kate Alice Marshall does it again. A Killing Cold was such a pleasure to read, and it was made even better by having the audio version. Plot twists galore!! The Dalton family has it all, but the family is also full of secrets. Connor brings his new fiancee, Theo, to the cabin for a holiday with the family and absolutely nothing goes as planned. Secrets are revealed by everyone in the family, and it turns out, some of the Dalton family knew less than they thought. Everyone may be in danger once the secrets start spilling. Death was only the beginning.

I loved this book. First 5 stars of the year for me. It was fun and I couldn't get enough of it. Is the concept a little far fetched? Yes. But does it come together in a way that is actually pretty convincing? Also yes. Everyone has secrets, some families are just better at keeping them than others, at least for a little while.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story. It was gripping and kept you guessing. I liked how we were in the perspective of our FMC while she is trying to puzzle together what is going on not only in the present but also with her past and we are along for that ride. All the pieces and twist kept it engaging and entertaining. She was just irritating enough that you weren't sure if your were rooting for her or against her but also not sure if you could trust her judgement. She put herself in situations that kept me on my seat knowing anything could go wrong at anytime. I think the Narrator did a great job at portraying the feelings and emotions needed with each change to keep the flow steady through the book.