Skip to main content

Member Reviews

I would listen to ANYTHING Karissa Vacker narrates, luckily she narrates some really great books. I have read all of Marshall's other books and enjoyed this one just as much. Hard to put down but quick to listen to! Loved it.

Was this review helpful?

Part of why I asked for this book was because I adore the narrator. I’ve read two other books by this author before and thought they were good, but not earth shattering. The same thing applies here. It was engaging, and the twists just kept on coming. 3.5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan for an ARC of this audiobook.

An atmospheric setting, wealthy family full of secrets, multiple timelines, and protagonist with a mysterious (even to her) past; this fast paced thriller had me immediately immersed and at the edge of my seat the entire time. My first weekend job as a teenager was at a camp/retreat in Idlewood and Kate Alice Marshall’s writing brought the setting to life in a way that took me right back to those weekends. The characters, twists, and unraveling of the mystery were all well developed and intentional. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed both of Kate Alice Marshall's previous adult thrillers, so I was excited to dive into her latest. A Killing Cold introduces us to Theodora as she travels to a remote mountain lodge to meet her fiance's wealthy family for the first time over the winter holidays. It's clear that she has secrets, but they quickly appear to pale in comparison to what her new in-laws are hiding.

Overall, fans of Marshall will enjoy this book a lot and race through the pages as the twists and turns feel non-stop. Some of the types of reveals you would expect to come towards the end of the book come out so early on that I didn't know what else was to come (turns out it was quite a lot).

I've listened to many books narrated by Karissa Vacker and find her to be immensely talented, especially at switching back and forth between voicing female and male characters (seriously, how does she do this?). She did a great job with this one; I only wish there was some sort of notation or chapter change that signaled when the narrative had switched from the present day to memory, since I did get confused and frustrated a few times.

Highly recommend enjoying this book while cozy inside during a holiday.

Was this review helpful?

A great fast paced suspense with great twists! I was into this from the very start and did not want to stop! This thriller follows a rich, dysfunctional family, who have secrets upon secrets kept hidden. This is very well written with great pacing that always keeps you intrigued. I will definitely be picking up some of this authors other works after this one and will definitely recommend A Killing Cold!

Was this review helpful?

Easily my favorite of KAM's adult thrillers. I absolutely loved this one and could not put it down once I started. I have never rooted so hard for a couple in a thriller to make it as I did in this one. I loved the twists and reveals. I loved how every character was flawed and had secrets and I loved the setting.

Karissa Vacker is the queen of narrating for thrillers, so obviously the audio was phenomenal.

I highly recommend this one as well as ALL of her other books. I will be thinking about this one for awhile and will likely reread it.

Was this review helpful?

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🎧❄️

thank you partner @flatiron_books @macmillan.audio for the gifted ARC and audiobook! #macaudio2024

A Killing Cold
by Kate Alice Marshall
narrated by Karissa Vacker

About the book 👇🏽

A whirlwind romance.
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

❄️ My thoughts:

The easiest five stars!! I couldn’t put it down but when I had to, the audiobook came in clutch. I love Kate Alice Marshall’s books and one of my favorite narrators is Karissa Vacker, so naturally this was all sorts of right for me. The setting was perfect for the season, the story held my attention, and I simply couldn’t get enough. I personally didn’t find it predictable which made this even better for my experience! With Marshall’s writing and Vacker’s narration this a triumphant success. I high recommend reading the physical book and/or listening to the audiobook. Both are fantastic options and I will definitely be getting myself a finished copy when it hits shelves 2/4/25!!!

Happy reading 📖 🎧❄️

Was this review helpful?

Uhm, OK, so like, this book was everything. Picture this: winter wonderland vibes, an icy retreat, and secrets so deep they’ll give you literal chills. I was totally hooked from page one. Theo and Connor? Oh-em-gee, what a couple. Like, their romance is the dream… until it’s not. The whole Dalton family? Let’s just say, I wouldn’t want to be snowed in with them.

The twists? Next-level bananas. Every time I thought I had it figured out, BAM, another curveball. And the vibes—so eerie, so atmospheric—I felt like I was right there, wrapped in a blanket, but also like, low-key scared to look out the window. Theo’s journey to piece together her past was wild, emotional, and left me flipping pages at, like, 2 a.m.

If you’re into thrillers with a touch of psychological drama and characters you can’t stop thinking about, this is your must-read. This one gets a solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from me!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc!
This is the perfect wintry thriller. ❄️ Kate Alice Marshall does it again!
I found this book to be intriguing, fast-paced, and the writing was superb. I truly cannot find fault with this one…so it may just be my favorite of the winter season! 5 stars

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Phenomenal book! Great narration. I loved this book. I finished it in one day. Things are not what they seem in this family and at this get together at all. So many surprises and omg moments. The ending was a complete surprise. Just wow.

Was this review helpful?

Loved this. Got a little long but Kate is the queen of a chilly mystery and I flew through it in a day. I was glad the siblings turned out to be mostly innocent and Theo ended up with the dog.

Thank you Macmillin Audio and NetGalley for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

I went into this book not knowing really what it was about. I was just excited to get an advanced copy of a Kate Alice Marshall book because I liked her others in the past. This book cheeses my expectations. I loved the narrator and for an audio that is so vital. The plot itself was very gripping and I did want to hear how all the characters were connected. Sometimes the coincidences in books bother me because they're unrealistic. The ending of this did get slightly outlandish but overall still kept me entertained. A solid mystery. An easy 4 star read.

Was this review helpful?

This thrilling novel keeps readers on the edge of their seats with its relentless twists and turns. Just when you think you have it all figured out, another surprise is thrown your way, making for a genuinely thrilling reading experience.

Was this review helpful?

Theo is engaged to Connor Dalton, visiting his family’s winter estate for the first time. But Theo has a secret, she cannot remember her childhood up until the point she was adopted. A few mysterious texts sent to her phone weave doubt into Connor. But why does the cabin spark slivers of memory like she’s been there before? Why does she recognize members of Connor’s family? There are a lot more secrets to unravel along Theo’s memory, but can she stay alive that long?

I completely binged this book. Kate Alice Marshall will be my do-not-miss author, this is my third mystery of hers and I’m loving them!

Theo is an unreliable protagonist, her childhood recollections slowly reveal the shocking history. While I predicted some events, I loved all the twists I didn’t see coming. It made the whole book hugely satisfying. I really enjoy Marshall’s female characters, I found myself drawn to Theo and rooting for her throughout the whole ordeal.

Huge thanks to Macmillan Audio for the audiobook copy, Karissa Vacker narration is always fantastic, giving the characters life and personality, adding a mysterious and tense atmosphere to anything she performs. I highly recommend this wintry mystery!

Was this review helpful?

Theodora Scott thought she was starting a fairy tale romance with the charming Connor Dalton, a member of the wealthy and powerful Dalton family. But when Connor takes her to Idlewood, his family’s secluded winter retreat, things quickly take a dark turn. With strange messages, eerie footprints in the snow, and a photo of herself as a child mysteriously appearing in an abandoned cabin, Theo begins to unravel a past she never knew she had—and the shocking secrets hidden within the walls of Idlewood.

The Daltons may seem like the perfect family, but it soon becomes clear that they have more skeletons than the FBI could uncover. The pace picks up once Theo starts remembering her childhood, and from there, with plenty of secrets being revealed. Each chapter brings new mysteries and it kept me guessing as to who the real villain was. If you enjoy books that ratchet up the tension, provide unexpected revelations, and feature a heroine racing against time to uncover the truth, A Killing Cold delivers. As always Karissa Vacker does a great job at narrating.

Special thanks to netgalley and macmillan audio for the ALC.

Was this review helpful?

I was gifted a copy of the audiobook for review.

When it comes to kate alice marshall, i could never pass up a chance to read her novels.shes one of my favorite authors. Even tho i love her young adult novels a lot more, lately, her adult thrillers are killing it. What i enjoyed about this book is that it takes place in the winter and on a mountain, which is isolated. It was predictable, but it kept you wanting to listen more

Was this review helpful?

This is going to be a great thriller to recommend when it comes out! I loved the snowy vibes and it really added to the setting. There were plenty of twists and turns and really had me guessing as to how everything was going to play out. I really enjoyed how the author weaved in the past storyline into the present timeline. It wasn't confusing and was very well done!

Was this review helpful?

3.75 stars

Incoming fans and newbies alike will mostly be satisfied with this newest thriller from Marshall.

Teddy, the m.c., has a tough upbringing that includes a lot of trauma-related memory gaps. She knows she had a very different life as an extremely young child versus the ways her life evolved once she was adopted by a not-so-delightful second family. All of the memories, gaps, and worries from her early life really start to haunt her when she falls in love and gets engaged to Connor, a wildly wealthy individual whose attachment to his family and money have Teddy worried about her own perceived shortcomings.

The vast majority of this novel takes place at Connor's family's estate, and for me, it was a surprisingly engaging affair. I have to assume that some of this is due to Karissa Vacker's stellar narration of the audiobook; she's constantly employed for good reason, IMO. As far as the actual events are concerned, I found myself frustrated with the level of coincidence readers are supposed to accept and with the strangely limited number of surprises and thrills (relative to the genre). I was an engaged listener, but I can't say this is a strong standout for me.

I continue to enjoy Marshall's books and am already looking forward to the next.

Was this review helpful?

I liked this story but I also felt like it was a story I’d read before. None in particular but like it’s been done. It was well written and interesting but not entirely memorable. I loved the narration. I just didn’t find the story to be too surprising with its twists. I do love this author but this one was just good

Was this review helpful?

After a rough start that included abandonment and mistreatment at the hands of her foster parents, Theo has grown up and finally met the man of her dreams. He announces plans for the two of them to spend the Christmas holiday holidays at his family’s home. Theo is a little nervous, she has no memory of her own family, or indeed, her early life at all. But things get strange when Theo finds a photograph at Connor’s family‘s house, a photograph that appears to be of her. Combined with the nightmares she’s been having since she arrived at the houseand the strange behavior of Connor’s family, Theo knows that something very sinister is going on. This is an exciting thriller that held me spellbound.

Was this review helpful?