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.

This was a quick thriller with an intriguing plot. I loved the podcast element. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Cult Tragedy and Beauty Queen Murder

Only the Guilty Survive is a psychological thriller by Kate Robards that delves into the dark and intricate connections between a cult's mass suicide and the murder of a local beauty queen. The story follows podcaster Arlo Stone, who investigates these events and uncovers a web of secrets, lies, and hidden truths. At the center of the narrative is Claire, the sole survivor of the cult known as The Flock, who must confront her past and the traumatic events that occurred a decade ago.

Only the Guilty Survive is a captivating and thought-provoking thriller that delves into the dark recesses of human behavior and the quest for truth. Kate Robards' masterful storytelling and complex characters make this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and true crime narratives. Whether you're drawn to the enigmatic world of cults or the relentless pursuit of justice, this book offers a rich and rewarding reading experience.

Claire ran away from home and joined a cult. She was strongly influenced by the charismatic cult leader Dominic. The flock ended in a mass suicide and 10 years later Claire has a lot of questions about what happened. Her best friend Lollie went missing, the flock women were found dead and Dominic went missing all within a few weeks . Claire is desperately trying to peace together what happened and how it’s all connected.

I thought the premise of the book sounded really interesting. I like books involving cults and the idea of a podcaster trying to track down the cult leader felt promising. The execution of the plot didn’t work well for me. It bothered me that Claire claimed to have no memory or idea of what happened. That seemed really convenient. The book was too slow and there weren’t a lot of developments until the final chapter. I also hated the chapters from the perspective of Dominic. He was rambling nonsense and repetitive drivel about controlling people and becoming a notorious cult leader. It was insufferable and didn’t really add to the story. I did finish this book but I wasn’t very impressed.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

This book is not coherent and jumps around way too much. It is confusing and frankly unbearable to read

Dnf at 18%

Ehhhhhh. I really wanted to enjoy this one (I've been in a cult era) but this just wasn't it.

It just seemed all over the place, the reveal was out there, and plot holes, unlikeable MCs, etc.

It might be good as an in between, palate cleanser or a what in the world did I just read ?

I'm not a professional reviewer so take my review with a grain of salt.

Many thanks to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review :)

Usually enjoy cult books but this one wasn't it for me. It was all over the place and I got bored too often. Kept reading because it was a gifted copy.
I'm sorry it wasn't for me and I hope many others enjoyed it

This had me creating theories left and right.

Told in 3 POVS, the lone survivor of a mass cult suicide, the cult's golden girl who went missing beforehand and whose eventual death is seen as the catalyst that led to the group's decision to end things, and the actual cult leader as he struggles to gain control of his members and decisions made leading to the deaths. I was not only hooked but impressed with the social/historical examination of prior cults.

The author was obviously inspired by several infamous cults past and present.

Highly Recommend to others who are into true crime and have cult knowledge.

The premise of this sounded super interesting, but I think why I had a hard time getting into it was because of the writing style. I found the writing to be repetitive, and the ending was a bit anticlimactic. So although I finished this book, as it kept me interested till the end, it was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This was one that I could not even finish. I did not jive with the writing style and I could tell that this was not going to be the book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this e-arc!

I loved this book. It was so compelling, chilling, and perfectly mysterious.

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

✨Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for the gifted digital and audio versions of this book✨

2.5⭐️

This one was just not for me. I really wanted to love it because I am so interested in cults, and I’ve watched countless documentaries. Specifically about Jonestown, and the author does mention that Dom is supposed to be trying to imitate Jim Jones, but The Flock and what ends up happening is too similar to Peoples Temple. And The Flock didn’t even appear to have an actual goal in mind. The author just threw around cult phrases like “transcend” and “vibrate on a new plane” without putting any meaning to anything Dom was trying to accomplish as the leader of his cult. It just didn’t make any sense to me.

Neither of the main characters were likable, and they were both one dimensional. There really wasn’t any character development or emotion behind either of them. It left the story hollow.

And this may just be me, but I am a native Michigander. I’m pretty familiar with our geography. The author mentions the setting an unusual amount throughout the book. And she seems to have made up Iola, but was also making references to towns and landmarks that are real in Michigan. Why not just use a real town? She mentioned Lapeer a handful of times, and Lapeer is a town in mid Michigan, not in the UP as Iola is described. It just bothered me the whole time. 😅

Overall, this book was just a miss. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t.

I thought the premise sounded quite interesting, but it failed in the execution. I didn't care for the characters, And the pace was too slow to keep me actively engaged. There were a lot of unnecessary details which didn't add anything to the development of the characters or storyline. The ending was disappointing and somewhat random. I did enjoy the multiple timelines, though there were unevenly developed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC.

True Crime.
Podcasts.
Cold Cases.

Give me any of those three and I am in, let alone all three. I really enjoyed this one! I found it to be super interesting even if some of the characters were a bit surface level for me. 3.5/5 stars

I loved the initial premise of this novel with its mystery/thriller, cult, and podcast elements. However, I had a hard time connecting with any of the main characters and didn't feel as drawn in to the story as I had hoped. I still enjoyed my read and think it could be a good fit for the right reader!