Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing a thriller by Kate Alice Marshall called A Killing Cold. My sister, mom, and I tend to read the same books and this was passed down to me from my big sis once she was done reading it. About halfway through the book, she told me she was enjoying it. Then, upon completion she changed her sentiment as it was far too far fetched for her liking. I agree with this wholeheartedly. It started strong enough but I was SO ready for it to be over when there was about sixty pages left. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on A Killing Cold for domestic violence, general violence, child abuse, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:
Theo and Connor met at a party and both of them felt like they had seen each other before. But where? And when? Call it fate, but a whirlwind romance began and after six short months they are engaged to be married. Theo came from a troubled background. She has no idea who her real parents are and is permanently estranged from her adoptive family after years of trauma they caused. Connor, on the other hand, lived a life of wealth and privilege. His family, the Daltons, are powerful in ways that regular people would never understand. They protect their own, keep secrets buried, and go through life with the air of those who are untouchable.
Every Christmas, the Daltons spend two weeks in their luxury mountain retreat and it will be Theo’s first time meeting them. As she braces herself for their interrogations, she begins receiving texts that warn her to stay far away from Connor. She chalks it up to a jealous ex or perhaps one of Connor’s siblings looking out for him for moving too fast. Besides, it’s too late to cancel the trip now and she is head over heels for her fiance. To the mountains they go and upon their arrival, Theo can’t help but feel that she has been there before.
Her welcome from her new family is icy, if not frigid. They are sizing her up and appear to have every intention of scaring her away. After all, Theo is a poor girl who now has unimaginable wealth falling into her lap. As much as she would like to turn on her heels and run, she holds firm. Of course, she is there for Connor, but for the first time fragments of memories from her early childhood are returning to her. What used to be dicey images pulled from nightmares are piecing together. Real or imagined, one thing is for sure: The Dalton family has something to hide.
As the days on the mountain drag on, Theo begins to explore. She is particularly drawn to an abandoned cabin that the family no longer has use for. In this cabin, a small semblance of truth is revealed. Theo can remember the small bed with flowers on the sheets. It was hers. And, tucked away, she finds a photo of a little girl with Connor’s late father smiling in the snow. There is no longer any denying it. Theo’s childhood began and ended in the mountains. She remembers fleeting moments of her and her mother pretending they live in an enchanted forest. Until it all came to an abrupt halt because her mother was wearing a blue scarf that turned red. What happened to Theo’s mother? And how far will the Daltons go to keep the truth buried? Read A Killing Cold to find out!
A Killing Cold was a shining example of a disappointing thriller. Sure, it had the twists and turns. Were they any good? Not really lol. When I am reading a novel of suspense, I love when they are just plausible enough to have some truth to it. Alice Kate Marshall spun a story with A Killing Cold but it was a plot that couldn’t stand on solid ground. As I read, all I could think about was the example of a Hallmark movie where a girl ends up with her childhood pen pal. It’s a story, yes, but it is as unlikely as the grass being purple.
As I turned the pages, A Killing Cold became more and more convoluted and there came a point when I just had enough. With a quarter of the book left, I was damn near begging for it to be over. The poorly placed Red Herrings, overplayed dysfunctional family trope, and the constant shifting of blame was just too much. It felt like Kate Alice Marshall threw Every. Single. classic thriller writing tool at the wall to see what stuck. Sadly, few of these attempts helped push the painstakingly slow plot forward and I felt nothing but sheer relief by the time the last page was read. A Killing Cold was a total and complete dud.
In a shocking plot twist of my own, I will be rating A Killing Cold with zero out of ten stars. I understand this book has received a fair amount of hype and I promise you it is not worth it. I wasted my time so you don’t have to waste yours! ❤
What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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