AllMovie

Alaska's celebrated Idiatrod sled-dog race provides the backdrop for this made-for-TV murder melodrama starring Kate Jackson) as Jessie Arnold. When Jessie's brother dies mysteriously, she takes his place in the marathon race, carefully positioning the flashlight worn on the head of each contestant to avoid unexpected dangers along the trail. But there is one danger for which a flashlight is no defense: One of the racers is the murderer, who will literally do anything to anyone to win the race. Largely filmed on location in the Yukon, the film was based on Sue Henry's novel Murder on the Idiatrod Trail, which star Kate Jackson had been struggling to bring to the screen for years. The Cold Heart of a Killer finally made its CBS debut on January 9, 1996.