A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

-



❄️ Book Review: A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

👉 Grab your copy of A Killing Cold on Amazon (affiliate link)

⚠️ Trigger Warnings

Before you cozy up with this chilly thriller, here’s what you should know:

  • Domestic violence / abuse

  • Child abuse

  • Murder (lots of it… like, LOTS 🫠)

  • Gaslighting & manipulation

  • Substance abuse

  • Animal harm (brief)

⭐ My Rating: 4/5 Stars

This was a good book—fast-paced, twisty, and absolutely dripping in family secrets. It had me hooked early with all the mystery about how the characters are connected. BUT… by the end, I’ll admit I had a little case of plot-twist whiplash. Like, do I need a neck brace for this?? 🚑

Still, Kate Alice Marshall knows how to spin a story, and I’ll definitely be picking up more of her thrillers.

📚 About the Book

A Killing Cold (2025) is the latest domestic thriller by Kate Alice Marshall, bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods. This one takes us deep into the snowy mountains with the Dalton family, who put the “fun” in dysfunctional.

The story follows Theodora “Theo” Scott, who travels with her fiancé Connor Dalton to his family’s remote winter estate. From the moment Theo arrives, she’s stalked by creepy memories, cryptic warnings, and a nagging sense that her life is tied to this family in ways she doesn’t understand.

🚨 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary

Okay, grab a blanket, because this plot is longer than a Minnesota winter. ❄️

  • Prologue: A little girl hides with her mom in a cabin, terrified of “the monster.” 👀

  • Present Day: Theo and Connor head to the Dalton family’s mountain estate, Idlewood. Right away, weird vibes: injured deer, creepy groundskeeper (Vance), and ominous texts warning Theo to stay away.

  • At dinner, Theo meets the Dalton crew: intimidating matriarch Louise, domineering patriarch Magnus, and siblings Alexis and Trevor. Everyone’s either suspicious, cold, or a touch murderous. Typical holiday family reunion, right? 🎄🔪

  • Theo learns there’s a fifth cabin on the property, abandoned after the mysterious death of Connor’s father, Liam. Cue spooky flashbacks, dragonfly tattoos, and the sense Theo has been here before.

  • Strange gifts appear with her childhood nickname “Dora.” Yep, Theo’s past isn’t just catching up—it’s waving pom-poms in her face. 📦

  • Secrets start spilling: Liam had a mistress (Mallory) and a daughter named Rowan. Surprise twist: Theo IS Rowan. 🫨

  • Enter the red herring parade:

    • Did Liam die by accident? Suicide? Nope, it was murder.

    • Was Trevor responsible for killing Mallory? Or Alexis? Wait— No, actually Magnus was.

    • Every chapter basically yells: “JUST KIDDING, TRY AGAIN!” 🤯

  • During a hunting trip, Connor accidentally shoots Theo with an arrow (romantic). Later, she learns Magnus has been behind much of the intimidation, trying to cover decades of family abuse.

  • Bodies pile up. Poor Olena (the housekeeper’s daughter and Trevor’s lover) is killed in a red coat meant for Theo. Yikes.

  • Nick (Connor’s uncle) is exposed as Mallory’s abuser. Turns out:

    • Alexis accidentally shot Mallory.

    • Magnus finished her off to protect Alexis.

    • Nick killed Liam in the chaos.
      Basically, everyone’s guilty of something.

  • In the end:

    • Theo kills Nick in self-defense.

    • Alexis comes clean, kind of.

    • Magnus, dying of cancer, escapes true justice.

    • Theo reclaims her identity as Rowan Cahill, marries Connor, and starts fresh.

She never learns where her mom Mallory is buried (thanks for nothing, Magnus). But she walks away free, with Connor and their loyal dog Duchess by her side. 🐕💍

🎭 My Thoughts

This was so gripping at the start. The family drama? Delicious. The snowy, locked-in setting? Chef-worthy. The slow reveal that Theo is really Rowan? Fantastic.

But then came twist… after twist… after twist. By the end, I was like: “Ma’am, I need a nap. Can someone just pick ONE killer already??” 😂

Still, the final reveals tied together nicely, even if they were a little over the top. And I loved Theo’s character arc—finding her truth and walking away from the Dalton circus with her identity intact.

📖 Final Verdict

If you love:
✔️ Family secrets
✔️ Snowy isolated settings
✔️ Dark twists and messy reveals

…then this is definitely worth picking up. Just prepare yourself for some heavy-duty twist fatigue.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

🔎 Similar Books You Might Like

If you enjoyed A Killing Cold, you’ll probably love these too:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

-
Image
  😇 Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica When your “perfect” husband goes missing, and your “nice” friend might be a rock-wielding liar… Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars) Okay, first things first: This book had me flailing like a suspicious spouse watching their partner delete texts. Edge-of-your-seat suspense? Check. Jaw-drop twist at the end? CHECK. People doing dumb things for love? Double check. So, what’s it about? Let’s get into it. And yes, I will be bolding everything I’d scream out loud if this was a true crime documentary. 👫 Meet the Couples: This Is Not a Game Night Group You Want to Join There are two main couples in this twisty domestic thriller: 🧠 Jake and Nina Jake: a hotshot neurosurgeon with a rapidly disintegrating personality. Nina: a school teacher with a very suspicious mother and the patience of a saint. From the outside? Perfect couple. Inside the house? Not so much. Jake is annoyed that Nina’s always taking care of her “blind” mother. N...
Read more