4.5/5

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

First of all, Karissa Vacker's narration makes everything better, and her voice definitely enhanced the creep factor of this book! I loved Kate Alice Marshall's 2023 novel WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS, but found myself a bit disappointed by her 2024 release NO ONE CAN KNOW. Luckily for all of us, 2025 is bringing with it another phenomenal, dark and atmospheric thriller. This was a great one to read at this time of year, as it has a sometimes-cozy-sometimes-ice-cold setting with lots of wintery vibes. I was hooked from the start, despite feeling that the story was going to be predictable and overdone. I was so wrong! There were so many surprises in this shocking and twisted story, and my interest didn't wane in the slightest from beginning to end. This was a quick read that I could not put down, and really nailed what I was wanting from an end-of-the-year read: entertainment, shock value, and creepy winter vibes. Loved it!

ALC review - pub date 02.04.25

Theo is newly engaged to Conner and they are spending time away at the family’s isolated winter retreat. She quickly realizes she is not welcome by the family, even receiving threatening texts/letters that she needs to get out asap.

It did take me a bit to get into the story, but once it picked up I was intrigued. Lots of twists, especially at the end. I’ve loved all of her other books and this one was a win as well. Perfect snowy/locked in mystery to read this winter!

Karissa Vacker will always be one of my favorite narrators, and she did incredible!
4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my ALC!

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/4/2025
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Kate Alice Marshall is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. She just knows how to write a suspenseful and twisty story.
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I was hooked to this story right from the start. I found myself hooked to the idea of Theodora and Conner being engaged after 6 months and how Theodora had no memories of her past plus of course - extra bonus was the sketchy rich family behavior badly.
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Absolutely loved the setting of the isolated wintry cabin setting. It is absolutely perfect for this time of year. The start of this is more of a slow burn but as the mystery unfolds I felt that the pacing ramped up and I couldn’t put it down. There are perfectly placed twists to keep you guessing and to give those shocking moments. I love where Marshall went with this one.
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I listened to this one via audiobook while reading my ears. Karissa Vacker is a phenomenal narrator and she really brought this one to life for me. I love listening to her work. The audiobook is truly fantastic.
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Overall, if your looking for a chilling, perfect for this time a year thriller - pick this one up you will not be disappointed!! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Kate Alice Marshall, MacMillan Audio and Flatiron Books for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A Killing Cold was a fast paced twisty book that is perfect for the winter time. I have read all of Kate Alice Marshall’s other books and have enjoyed them all, but this one I enjoyed even more. With a large cast of characters that all feel genuine, you are constantly guessing on who could have done what. It was really a great book to read.

Thank you NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan Audio for ARCs of this book.

Another outstanding read by Kate Alice Marshall. I read her books any and every chance I get. In this case, I listened to the audiobook and it was absolutely wonderful. The narration was spot on and made the story flow.

This is a domestic thriller with a side of mystery and it's decadent. We are introduced to our main character, Theodora (aka Theo) who meets Connor. It's the classic poor girl meets rich guy story except it has unique twists. Theo is adopted and remembers very little before a certain age. When Connor takes her home to meet the family as his fiancee at Christmas, Theo finds that things there feel familiar....almost as if she's been there before. But she has no memory of it and no one there seems to remember her at all either. So, this leaves her even more confused.

I really enjoyed this one. Now I'll be sitting around waiting for the next one by this author to come along....fingers crossed that it's already in the works.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this audiobook.

I've read and loved all of Kate Alice Marshall's books so far. While I did enjoy this one, I feel like it needs a disclaimer that it's a little slower than the others and felt more like a mystery/family drama than a thriller. The ending was very twisty though.

The book centers around Theo, a woman who was adopted at 4 and can only remember fragments (or are they dreams?!) from her past, and Connor, her rich fiance. Connor is bringing Theo to a remote, snowy cabin (before of course he is 🤣) to meet his family, who we quickly learn have tons of secrets. There are lots of strange coincidences throughout the trip, which worked to keep me hooked, but when you stop and really think back on it, are kind of far-fetched.

This is a great atmospheric winter read, with plenty of suspense. I actually binged the audiobook in one day. Karissa Vacker's narration was great! This is a good read for fans of this author, readers who are able to suspend belief a bit with thrillers, and people who believe in fate (I'm still trying to wrap my head around that detail)

Thank you to MacMillan Audio for the ALC, and NetGalley and Flat Iron for the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall reads like a classic mystery/thriller with all the expected elements: trapped in a secluded resort in a blizzard, a mysterious and untrustworthy family, buried secrets coming to light. There is a lot going on in this complex story and I thought Marshall did a good job of keeping the plot and pace moving.

However, as the final plot twists are revealed, it did feel so very far-fetched to me. I don't expect fully realistic stories in this type of novel, but at the same time, this one started to feel so unbelievable with twist upon twist upon twist coming at the end.

It was an intriguing read, and I would still recommend it. But some far-fetched plot points and twists made it a little less enjoyable for me.

Now THIS was an excellent thriller with unique twists that kept me on the edge of my seat! I enjoyed Teddy as a main character and I was certainly rooting for her love story AND for her in general. I liked the isolated, snowy setting and all the family secrets. The flashbacks and religious trauma felt very “of the time” for me especially in my current evangelical deconstruction faze. I looked back at the other books I’d read from this author and while I HATED What Lies In The Woods and found it entirely unbelievable, I found this one completely compelling and realistic… given a family with enough power, money, and motivation to follow-through. Highly recommend.
This is also one of my favorite audio narrators so that’s a definitely plus.

Not what I expected, as I was initially thinking there would be a cult element based on the way the narrator spoke about her past, but twisted pieces of rich people behaving in atrocious ways, even within their own families, nonetheless. Theo is a somewhat unreliable narrator since her memory from childhood doesn't always let her see the full picture or have an awareness of how to proceed when things in the mountain start going awry. The writing itself was decent, but the audiobook narrator! Despite the wide range of voices, it is not distracting to the point of having to think "oh, someone is in a studio recording this", instead you are immersed in the story.

The narration was fantastic - done by one of my favorite narrators! However, I found the story to be lacking something although the family was interesting and had lots of secrets.

Theodora is engaged to Connor Dalton. Connor comes from a very wealthy family and Theo has no memory of her childhood and where she came from. The couple head to Connor's family's isolated winter home so Theo can meet his family. Nothing can go wrong? Except Theo starts getting threatening text messages to leave.

Theo starts to realize that every wealthy family has secrets they try to bury and this family is no different.

This is a great domestic thriller where a powerful family will stop at nothing to keep their secrets hidden. The secrets that they hide are shocking in this one!

This one didn’t work for me. There wasn’t really anything original with the premise. It was fine just nothing that’s going to stand out in a year

I’m going to be honest here: A Killing Cold didn’t really do it for me, despite its isolated, wintry setting and twisty plot – and despite Karissa Vacker's narration of the audiobook (she always does a fabulous job). This just felt like a standard thriller, with over-the-top plot twists that relied way too heavily on coincidence.

The story, too, isn’t all that unfamiliar, with a plot that is just another take on the “rich people behaving badly” trope. I did root for the main character, Theo, and appreciated her willingness to defend herself, but almost all of the other characters were so flat and one-dimensional and unlikeable that it was boring to read about them. It all just felt too…sensationalistic.

I am definitely in the minority here; many thriller readers are loving this one, and I am certain that my feelings about it are down to personal preference. I’ve stopped reading so many thrillers, and books like A Killing Cold remind me exactly why that is. Everything feels so overwrought and tiresome and a bit stale. Kate Alice Marshall is a talented writer; she knows how to weave a complex plot that keeps the reader guessing, and her chilly weather atmosphere is on point here. Please take my review with a grain of salt and check out the more positive reviews as well. I just think this may be a case of me outgrowing a specific type of story.

2.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the early listening opportunity.

This thriller is a perfect read for this time of year. Tis the season for secrets, lies, twists, and turns that are shocking and unpredictable. Rich people behaving badly is always a good time. For Theo, it turns out to be dangerous and terrifying. Long-held secrets, deception and deceit combine to create a thriller that is fast-paced and intense. The narration masterfully adds a layer of intrigue, suspense, and emotion. Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audiobook.

Enjoyed the audio!
Decent. Every book I’ve read by this author I’m really into it and then the ending is so long fitting in so much. I wish the twists were spaced out throughout the book so it didn’t feel like blah blah at the end bringing down my rating.

Marshall does it again with her perfect winter thriller. Always love this narrator!! The twists and turns are great! And the setting with the cabins and woods are so spot on! I will continue to read anything new by this author.

Thank you Flatiron and MacMillan audio for review copies (gifted). I have been a fan of Kate Alice Marshall since her debut and appreciate her moody, tense and twisty plots. I loved how well this was narrated on audio, I could almost hear the crunch of cold snow and felt pulled into the winter cabin setting and the moody rich people privileged lives of many of the main characters. Marshall always satisfies indeed with interesting ways to connect a past wrong with a present day unraveling of secrets.

I struggled though with this one despite appreciating the stylish writing, the well crafted winter setting, and the complex connections and character backstories; I just never quite got into the pacing and characters, no one seeming all that like able and something that just kept me distant from the plot, not quite ready to feel I couldn't put it done, needed to know how it all came together. I am giving this four stars as I appreciated the moodiness, the slow burn engagement with the intricate plot. but also note that something was just kind of missing for me, I suspect it was not feeling connected to the characters as I am the kind of reader who just loves character driven, cheer on someone, vibe.

Meeting the parents is always nerve wracking, which is exactly what Theo is doing over the Christmas holidays at the mountain family retreat of her mega wealthy fiancé. As she’s there snippets of her lost life begin to come back, and she soon finds out that she had entered the viper nest, and just hopes to get out of there…alive

Full of twists, turns, lies, deceptions, mind games, and murders, “A Killing Cold” is just the type of book that a thriller junkie like me loves

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This was absolutely ridiculous. I love me a twisty book, do not get me wrong, but the constant, I remember! Just kidding no I don't! Oh wait its this! No nevermind! GAVE. ME. A. HEADACHE. By the end I couldn't stop rolling my eyes at the CONSTANT twists.

I really enjoyed the super thick mystery of this story and the various twists and turns it took. This author always knows how to pull me in and keep me guessing. I did get part of the twist correct before the reveal but not all of it, and that's always a fun time! If you like slow burn thrillers that slowly unravel until you're left with all the facts, then this is the book for you! I thought the narrator did an excellent job and I hung on her every word. I would recommend the audio route.