Sometimes I enjoy books about cults….sometimes I don’t. I couldn’t get into this one unfortunately. I did finish it, but struggled to enjoy the story and characters.

Read 8/2/24

For a cult book, it wasn't bad. I don't usually pick up cult books as I dislike them and think they are overused, but how could I say no to this cover? The end felt a bit rushed and jumbled, and I feel like finding out the 'killer' wasn't even a big deal.

Dark Restraint was an okay read for me. The characters were interesting, and the steamy scenes delivered, but the plot didn’t quite grab me as much as I’d hoped. It was enjoyable, but not as captivating as previous books in the series. A solid read for fans, but didn’t leave a lasting impact.

I felt like this book had potential. To me it was all over the place which was hard to engage with. The main character Claire, ran away from home and joined a cult. It was called the Flock and the leaders name was Dominic. Claire has many questions about her time with the cult and is slowly trying to put everything back together. Her best friend was also involved and went missing. In the book it went from one place to another for Claire to connect the pieces, but I was confused on how she magically forgot what happened. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. I would say if the book didn’t jump around as much it would have been better.

This one was so promising based on the synopsis, but it fell way flat. The writing itself was...fine. There was nothing glaringly wrong with it. But the plot meandered and went off on unnecessary tangents. There needed to be a lot more tightening of the plot, a more nuanced look at cults, and more development of the characters.

This culty thriller definitely had an intriguing concept, and drew me in from the very beginning. The story alternates POVs and timelines, which was interesting and built up the mystery. However, by the middle, things became very repetitive, which kind of paused any suspense. I also noticed a lot of details being mentioned repeatedly -for example, there's an antique wheelchair that was mentioned at least 3 times as being owned by an ancestor. The ending felt a little rushed, and wasn't a "gasp" type of reveal. Overall, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it, but it did fall a little flat for me.

Only the Guilty Survive is a gripping and thought-provoking thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Kate Robards masterfully weaves a story filled with moral dilemmas, shocking twists, and complex characters who challenge the reader’s perception of guilt and innocence.

The protagonist’s journey is both harrowing and fascinating, as they grapple with choices that could make or break their future. Robards’ prose is sharp and evocative, immersing the reader in every scene with vivid detail and emotional intensity. The pacing is relentless, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

While the story is undeniably thrilling, I felt that a few of the secondary characters could have been fleshed out more fully to add depth to their motivations. Nonetheless, the central narrative is so compelling that it more than makes up for this minor shortcoming.

This book is perfect for fans of psychological thrillers and morally complex stories. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this captivating novel.

An interesting look at a cult and its lasting impact on several members. Well-narrated with nicely drawn and intriguing characters. The story is not particularly fast-paced but it is always intriguing with many layers and several points of view. I enjoyed the character of Lollie and her viewpoints the most. I liked the audiobook narration a lot; I like to listen to the audiobook and read the physical book in alternation and here, both were good. A solid suspense novel and a good way to spend some time escaping into the creepy world of cult life.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, featuring multiple points of view across different timelines, which kept things engaging. However, there were a few too many loose ends and underdeveloped characters for me to fully love it. Since I don’t often read books about cults, I can’t speak to how it compares within the genre.

I’m usually a fan of dual timelines, but in this case, I found the past from Lollie’s point of view to be far more compelling than the present-day scenes with Claire. The parts set inside the cult were intriguing and horrific, and despite knowing Lollie’s eventual fate, I found myself rooting for her escape. Claire’s perspective, on the other hand, felt underdeveloped and somewhat disconnected from the rest of the story. Her interactions with her husband and father were consistently unpleasant and toxic, and much of the plot’s forward momentum hinged on her uncovering simple clues that law enforcement had overlooked. Additionally, the fact that her drive to recover memories was sparked by a true crime podcaster investigating the cult, yet this angle ended up being minimally explored in the book, felt somewhat confusing. In the end, it felt underdeveloped and repetitive.

The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed and somewhat inauthentic, especially given Claire's lack of development throughout the book. Still, despite these issues, I found the novel to be an engaging read overall, and I appreciated its atmospheric tension and the mystery surrounding the cult for what it was.

This literally took me so long to finish. The premise was intriguing but it wasn't as impactful as I was hoping.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
We start with the mass suicide of a cult. Told in a dual timeline, we flash back and forth between the last days of the cult, and the current life of the sole survivor as she tries to regain her lost memories, in the hopes of regaining some control over her own life today.
I was in until the ending, which just did not do it for me. Maybe it will for others!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I was really excited for this book and I was loving it when I first started reading it. I had some issues with it. The amount of times that Claire said that her therapist wanted her to avoid the topic of the Flock because it could trigger memories was ridiculous. It was mentioned like every chapter. I also just didn't like the ending and who did it. I felt like it did not fit with the story and was kind of a boring ending.

I was really excited about the concept for this book but the writing did not work for me. Character motivations and outcomes were unclear, not as a storytelling device, but as a result of holes in the narrative.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the pacing. This was entertaining and well written. This didn't end the way I thought it would which I liked. Special Thank you to Kate Robards, crooked Lane books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I originally requested this book because I find cults to be intriguing. How does someone fall into one? And what happens when they fall apart?

This novel started off slow for me. We do get differing points of view, mostly from Claire in the present day, a survivor of the cult, as well as Lollie in the past, who does not survive. Towards the end we also get to look into the brain of the cult leader, which I found absolutely terrifying.

I found myself having a difficult time with Claire. I couldn't identify with her and I found her unlikeable. However, as she delves deeper into her past and more episodes of the podcast come out, I found myself feeling more and more sorry for her. Although she didn't completely redeem herself in my eyes, I was able to better understand her motivations.

I absolutely LOVED Lollie, though. We get to experience the cult through her eyes, as well as how it starts to fall apart. It was interesting to see how a cult member can come to the realization that they are not in a safe space, and although I knew Lollie's fate, I found myself cheering for her triumphs throughout the novel.

Although this novel did drag for me a but, I still did enjoy the story. If you have an interest in cults this might be a good choice for you.

This is my second book by this author and thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric and chilling mystery which explores themes about cults and human nature. I enjoyed the cult aspects and the glimpses into the main characters life as part of this cult and then the aftermath of the mass suicide. The themes in the story are heavy but handled well. The mystery was interesting and kept me interested wanting to know more about what happened and why. I’ll certainly be checking out future books by this author.

I was excited by the premise of Only the Guilty Survive as it has a lot of interesting elements:
😞A mass suicide of a cult known as “The Flock” takes place in a rural town in Michigan.
🤔A missing cult leader.
😢One traumatized survivor with a fuzzy memory.
🧐 An unsolved kidnapping and murder of the town’s pageant queen (who was also a cult member).
😯A podcaster who comes to town to investigate the connection of the pageant queen’s death and the cult’s mass suicide.
🤪Multiple perspectives from dual timelines (the cult survivor, the murdered pageant queen, and the cult leader).

Despite it sounding intriguing on the surface and having captivating elements, the poor writing disappointed me. The main character was insufferable. The portrayal of the cult leader was befuddling. How anyone would have been charmed by him with how he was depicted is astonishing. The repetitiveness of the cult leader mentioning gaslighting and love bombing its members led to very uninspired writing. I also didn’t care for the farfetched resolution. It was as if the author didn’t know how to wrap up the book and chose the most ridiculous option to try to conclude the story. I would not recommend this book. At least the cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of the ebook.

It was the title for me....

Only the Guilty Survive

I typically shy away from "cult" like books. I feel as though if you read one, you have read them all. However, when the teaser also noted true crime and a podcast, I wanted to give it a whirl.

Imagine my surprise when I was absolutely mesmerized by the plot!

Kate Robards wrote one of my favorite books, The Three Deaths of Willa Stannard, but after reading Only the Guilty Survive, it has easily moved into my number one spot.

Check out this teaser :

The mass suicide of a cult known as the Flock sent shockwaves through the small rural town of Iola, Michigan. Led by the charismatic Dominic Bragg, the Flock camped at an abandoned bird sanctuary before their sudden and shocking demise. The deaths came just weeks after one of their members, Laurel Tai, a local pageant queen, was abducted.

The town turned its blame and fear onto the sole survivor, Claire Kettler–Laurel’s best friend. Burdened by grief and unanswered questions about her friend’s murder and her fellow cult members’ deaths, Claire can’t help but wonder what really happened, especially when the cult leader is nowhere to be found.

When podcaster Arlo Stone begins poking around ten years later, determined to uncover the truth about the cult and Laurel’s murder, Claire is propelled back into action. In a desperate attempt to puzzle out the past and keep her secrets from being spilled for the entertainment of thousands of listeners, Claire must dig into a tangle of unanswered questions before time runs out and history repeats itself.

Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards is a gripping thriller that follows the story of a protagonist entangled in a web of deception and betrayal. After a shocking crime shakes her small town, she finds herself amidst a series of mysterious occurrences that reveal dark secrets about those around her. As she delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers hidden motives and unexpected alliances, forcing her to confront her own past and the choices that have led her to this moment. Tension builds as the line between innocence and guilt blurs, ultimately leading to a dramatic climax where survival hinges on uncovering the truth. This fast-paced novel keeps readers guessing until the very end, exploring themes of morality, trust, and the lengths people will go to protect themselves.