An isolated winter retreat is not the best place to be introduced to a fiance's family, but Theo Scott has tried to put her reservations aside. Though she and Connor have not known each other long, Theo is excited at the prospect of spending her life with him. Despite getting messages on her phone warning her to stay away, Theo wants to put her best foot forward and make a good impression. As the good feelings start to unravel almost immediately, will Theo be able to shake off the dread and salvage the time she has with Connor's family?

Having listened to other novels narrated by Karissa Vacker, I knew that I was going to enjoy the production of A Killing Cold. As well as being very engaging, Karissa embodied the character of Theo and brought her to life.

That being said, I was not as engaged in the overall plot. A big mystery thriller reader, it could not be helped that I felt a sense of familiarity with the story. Using amnesia as a reason for the main character to be unaware had been done before, so I was looking for a little bit of the unexpected in other places. Though an offshoot of the main plot did reveal a small surprise, the novel was just not enough for me to want to recommend it to other readers. I did thoroughly enjoy the narration and readers would enjoy the format if they so chose to try A Killing Cold.

Disclaimer: I was given the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Audio Copy of this novel. It was my decision to listen to and review A Killing Cold.

The beginning of the book captured my attention, but then I felt it got too hard to believe. I wasn't interested enough in the ending. The narration was well done, though.

I absolutely loved this book. I went in with low expectations, but honestly found myself hooked from the beginning. There were many red herrings, twists, and I found myself guessing what happened and which character was responsible for what the whole time. The suspense was great, the flashbacks weren't annoying at all. The ending was so satisfying. I will be keeping my eye out for more books by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Theo and Connor Dalton’s whirlwind relationship has felt right to both of them, never mind that Connor is from a very wealthy family and Theo cannot recall her earliest years before she was adopted by a abusive couple and is now completely on her own. The two visit the Dalton family compound in the woods and Theo is not made to feel particularly welcome. Parts of the compound seem eerily familiar to Theo but she can’t figure out how or why. While receiving “stay away from Connor” warnings in the forms of notes and bizarre wrapped presents, Theo is determined to piece back the memories of her early life and discover the secrets of Connor’s family which strangely appear to be tied to her past.


This was a very quick fun listen and twisty enough to keep me entertained and on my toes. I didn’t realize that this was the same author as one of my favorite thrillers from last year, No One Can Know but it had the same addictive quality (and now I’ll have to read more of her backlist). The cast of characters got a bit confusing for me (that is probably because I only had the audiobook) but the narrator is one of my favorites and she did a great job keeping me engrossed in the story. I love reading thrillers to escape from the everyday and this week certainly required this; and often I prefer an audiobook for a thriller. If you’re looking for a quick get you there thriller - this is it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review

Wow! All of the twists and turns in this book about broke my neck! It was awesome and I loved the entire story from start to finish!!

Lots of folks loved A Killing Cold, so I think my view is in the minority!

The plot felt "done before": a cast of characters trapped in a secluded location + danger from within. On top of what I feel it a redundant plot line, A Killing Cold has twists that are ridiculously far fetched and definitely require the suspension of reality. There were twists...many twists...they just felt forced. The characters were one dimensional, and I honestly wasn't invested in any of them.

This was fine on audio. I feel like we’ve seen this story millions of times - “woman with a secret past/ wrong side of the tracks marries uber rich man and chaos ensues when the secrets come to light”- it kept my attention enough but I don’t think it’s particularly memorable.

A very solid thriller with unexpected twists that kept me guessing toward the end. The narrator was fantastic as always!

I was given this audiobook from NetGalley. I love audiobooks. As a busy mom and teacher, audiobooks just make my life easier and has fostered my new love of reading!! Thank you NetGalley!! As for the book- it was my BOTM for January and the Book for my book club “The Creepy Book Club” for March. Obviously came highly recommended by both book clubs and I can see why!! I enjoyed it and the narration was awesome in my opinion. The book was 5⭐️ in my opinion and had some crazy crazy twists and turns!! Loved it!!

What a fantastic audiobook. The narration was top notch. I was so invested in the story and the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

When Theo joins her wealthy fiancé Connor at his family’s secluded winter estate, strange things start happening—threatening messages, eerie footprints, and a photo of herself as a child taken at this very retreat. She has no memory of ever being there, but the powerful Dalton family clearly does—and they’ll do anything to keep their secrets buried.

I’m an absolute sucker for a snowy, secluded setting in a thriller — and when you throw in a wealthy, dysfunctional family full of dark secrets, I’m all in. A Killing Cold starts off with so much atmosphere and suspense, pulling me right into the icy grip of Idlewood and the mystery surrounding the powerful Dalton family.

From the moment Theo and Connor walked through the door, I needed to know what the Daltons were hiding, and just when I thought I had it figured out, the story took an unexpected turn. There were moments I wanted to yell at Theo to run, but like her, I was too desperate for answers to look away. While the second half required some suspension of disbelief, the tension and twists kept me hooked. If you’re into locked-room mysteries with chilling vibes and family drama, this one’s worth the read.

If you’re thinking about picking up the audiobook, I highly recommend it. Karissa Vacker’s narration is phenomenal — she captures Theo’s emotions and growing fear so vividly, building tension in a way that makes the story even more immersive. Her voice brings the eerie atmosphere of Idlewood to life, making every twist and revelation hit that much harder. If you can listen to this one, do it — you won’t regret it.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story was good. The narrator did a great job too. Unreliable main character, Theo for Theodora. She didn't know who she was. Part of why she was secretive. She had fragments of memories through dreams, but she couldn't remember who's who because the occurrence happened when she was a child. When her new fiancé invited her to spend Christmas break with his family up in the mountains, she started receiving messages warning her to stay away. But upon arrival at the mountain and stumbled into an abandoned cabin the family said it was not in use, Theo started to connect the dots to her missing life from before. Her fiancé and his family all have secrets. They would do anything to hide it even allowing their young granddaughter to grow up believing that she had killed someone and kept it a secret all this time because she was told to by the adults in her family.

I normally don't like unreliable narrator because the story changes a lot since she's unsure what had happened and little by little the truth are being revealed and backtracked and revealed.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read, listen, and review.

I've been reading this author's books since her debut. She has a writing style that I find inviting and up front. From the moment I started listening to this audiobook, I was pulled into the narrative.

The characters grew on me, especially the MC. They were carved out well, and the narrator did a wonderful job of bringing them to life.

Theo and Connor are recently engaged after only knowing each other for a short time. When Theo is invited to meet Connor's family, she realizes they are a tough crowd with many secrets. With her own secrets and scandalous upbringing, she's worried about fitting in. However, Connor's family has some dark history. His father was discovered keeping a young woman and her child at the family hunting estate which led to his suicide. Connor's mother has never forgiven his father for cheating on her despite his death. While at the estate, Theo starts poking around, trying to better understand what happened to Connor's dad.. As she probes deeper into the family's secrets, she starts to realize that she may be in danger.

The ending was pretty twisty. Just when you think you know, then you're proven wrong. I think this was one of my favorite books by this author.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MacMillanAudio for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a twisty and interesting mystery. Though parts of it felt very similar to other books I’ve read these last few years, I did like the ending.

I rounded my rating up to 4 stars, but I would say it’s more of a 3.5.

I always enjoy this narrator’s voice in audiobooks so that was an added plus for this one.

✨ A Killing Cold ✨

What a wild ride!! I normally read romance and liked that this thriller still included a touch of romance in it. There were twists and turns and I was constantly changing my opinions on who could be trusted and who couldn't. In the end, the reveal had me completely floored!

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I enjoyed listening to the narrator and would definitely recommend it!

📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the rich people behaving badly plot to this chilly winter thriller (perfect to cozy up with)!! The audio was well paced and the narrator was easy to listen to and kept me engaged. I loved the ending of this book; it was unexpected and very satisfying.

I listened to this book over a few days and the entire book just flew by! Such a great audio and the narrator kept my attention the entire time. Will be recommending this one to friends!

From the outset, this book felt wayyy too similar to another one I listened to just days ago (The Family Inside by Katie Garner). A woman with a mysterious past goes with her fiance' to meet his wealthy, dysfunctional family at their sprawling estate and she could swear she's been there before and that these people know her.

This is a great read if you like lots of twists and turns. For me, though, it got almost too confusing for me to keep up. Maybe it would have helped if I had read this one instead of listened, so it would be easier to flip back and get my bearings. I kept losing track of who was who. It just seemed like there was an unnecessary amount of plot twists.

The narration was pretty good, but like I said, I would recommend reading this one instead.

Theodora is invited to her new fiance Connor's wealthy family's cabins in the woods. She's been getting text messages warning her to stay away.

I would say this is your average, atmospheric, twisty thriller. Nothing blew me away about it. But the chapters went down quick!

Audio was a great format for this one. The narrator was great, and it was well produced.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall is a must read thriller! The plot is intricately woven with the main character’s story, delivering a book that’s intriguing, emotional, and propulsive.

Without giving away what happens, this book includes elements of family secrets, a forgotten past, lies, family drama, risk of death in a “closed room” setting, and love. And I do love a romantic thread in a thriller!

Kate Alice Marshall is an auto-read author for me. But this book…this book is sooooo good!

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which was incredibly well done by Karissa Vacker. I’m always impressed by her narration skills, so I was quite happy to hear she was narrating this one. It’s a must listen if you love audiobooks. I listened at 1.5x speed (my normal is 1.75x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this listening copy.