Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a decent novel. I thought the first quarter of this book was really good. However, I started to lose interest about halfway through. Nothing really wrong that made me lose interest, I just happen to be a big mood reader. Overall. I thought the book was good and I'm glad that I continued to read/listen even after I started to lose interest. This book ended up being a creepy, yet enjoyable thriller. I did enjoy all the narrators as well and didn't really dislike any of their voices. I am going to definitely keep an eye out for more books written by Kate Robards!

Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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A decade ago Claire was part of a cult called The Flock, a rural community just outside her home town. It all ended like others before them: people disappeared or died. But how is Claire still alive? And why can't she remember those final hours with The Flock?
When a modern day podcaster starts digging and turns the story into a series, Claire decides to cooperate and get to the truth.
The reader is taken on a journey that skips between past and present, old cult members and current day relatives, while everyone wants a piece of Claire.
Pleasantly paced, set in the right surroundings, the story ends quite unexpected and open ended.
Only The Guilty Survive indeed in this well crafted psychological thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

This is mystery thriller with a podcast element as well as a mysterious cult related plot line!

The mass suicide of several cult members belonging to a group known as The Flock still hangs heavy over the small town it took place in. The group stayed at an abandoned bird sanctuary which is where the name comes from and is run by Dominic who embodies all of the typical traits of a cult leader. There is one survivor and her name is Claire. When a man with a podcast decides he’s going to take on the story, questions arise. Where is Dominic? Nobody has seen him since. And what does Claire know or remember? In an attempt to keep her life off of a public podcast for thousands to hear, Claire gets to work to get some of her own questions answered.

I thought this was a solid read! I really enjoy mysteries and thrillers that revolve around cults and cult leaders and this did not disappoint. I will say that the men in this book had me tearing my hair out and wanting to buy a punching bag, but I love it when an author can evoke feelings from me even when it’s hatred haha! This was a nice short read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Kate Robards, and Crooked Lane Books for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This published on August 6th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, my Facebook book club, and will make a TikTok.

I was drawn in by the beautiful cover and the title. The fact that it had a murder of a teen beauty queen in a small town with cult involvement sealed the deal. Following Claire as she tried to remember the tragic events that she was a part of was easy to be drawn into. I enjoyed the dual timelines. It really helped to weave the story together. I would have liked Claire to be a bit stronger and I absolutely hated her husband Henry. I am not sure what he added to the story other than an annoyance. The ending felt rushed for me and didn’t really make sense to me. I was really invested in the book and felt a bit let down at the end. I still enjoyed the book and definitely don’t regret reading it. It was a good book just not great.

I really enjoyed Only the Guilty Survive. It was intriguing, tense and at times heart-wrenching.

It was interesting getting not only the perspectives of the cult members, but also the perspective of their enigmatic leader.
It felt very realistic, giving you a glimpse into what life in a cult would be like, and how easily people can be manipulated over time, and the tricks used to facilitate that.
At times it was a bit harrowing and depressing, but that just made it all the more believable.

This is the first book I've read from Kate Robards and it definitely won't be the last.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Robards for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

I’m a sucker for cults so I was invested by the first page. Sadly, my interest started to dwindle as the story continued. It was repetitive, and the ending and villain of our story was really anticlimactic in my opinion. I was hoping for more.

I liked it!! Cult vibes are not usually my thing but this book was intriguing. I loved the small town vibes but this one fell a little flat for me unfortunately. I think it had so much potential but the characters were boring and I didn’t connect with any of them. Overall, this was an okay read but I feel like it lacked that gut punch that I was looking for.

Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards is an engaging thriller that offers a satisfying read. As my first experience with Robards' work, I found the novel intriguing with its suspenseful plot and well-crafted characters. The story, centered around a gripping crime and its aftermath, keeps the reader invested. However, some aspects of the plot can be a bit predictable, and the pacing occasionally slows. Despite these minor drawbacks, Robards’ writing is compelling, and the novel delivers enough twists and tension to keep readers hooked. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read and a promising introduction to Robards' work.

Ten years ago, the small Michigan town was home to a cult known as the Flock, whose members lived at an abandoned bird sanctuary under the leadership of a charismatic young man, Dominic Bragg. After one member is kidnapped, the other Flock members died by mass suicide, and Dom disappeared, only Claire Hollis is left behind as the sole survivor, and she can’t remember what happened. When a true crime podcaster comes to town, the old case gets dredged back up and Claire must try to untangle what really happened a decade ago.

This book had so many of my favorite thriller aspects – cults, podcasts, dual timeline, multiple POVs, an unreliable narrator, and a small town Michigan setting – but unfortunately it didn’t deliver. The premise was great and I was hooked from the start, but some things just didn’t work for me and I came away underwhelmed. In the present, Claire is so meek and passive that I couldn’t connect with her, and in the past, there is too much telling the reader about the cult’s manipulation rather than showing. The big reveal kind of comes out of left field without laying any breadcrumbs that the reader could have followed. Although most plot points are wrapped up by the end of the book and I’m not a reader that needs everything tied up in a pretty bow, the last chapter drops a bomb and then abruptly ends without enough closure. Maybe there will be a sequel? I would read it!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Deliciously twisty and a thoughtful examination of power plays within cults. I so wish there’d been a definitive answer on where/who Dom ended up being/becoming but so enjoyed this book!

Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards is a slow burn thriller that was intriguing and had me entertained the entire time.
This was a thought-provoking read. With interesting characters that kept me hooked and turning the pages.
A well-written, entertaining read about cults.

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

In Only the Guilty Survive, Claire, the only survivor of a cult known as The Flock, must re-examine the tragic events that happened a decade earlier, including the disappearance of her best friend, Laurel, when a podcaster arrives in town to investigate the case.

The Reader is treated to Claire's perspective in the present, Laurel's perspective in the past, and another perspective, which I'll keep mum on for spoiler's sake. The back-and-forth between the women was a good way to tell the story. Claire, in the present, has very hazy recollections of her time within The Flock, so Laurel's past perspective is really essential for building that aspect out.

This is a fine book. It does nothing wrong. It tells a story that I feel like a lot of Readers will have fun with. For me though, the mystery just wasn't engaging enough to feel invested in. It didn't pull me in. The character work was fine and I did think that Laurel's past perspective showcasing the lives of those within The Flock was fairly interesting. Overall though, it did nothing to make it memorable, or really stand out for me in this genre.

I think if you are looking for some light entertainment, or a story you can easily fit into your weekend schedule, this could be a good selection. I did feel the audiobook narration was strong and would suggest that format.

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. I'm glad I gave this one a shot!

The cover of Only the Guilty Survive is beautiful and what originally intrigued me. A book about a cult and podcast, yes please!

Unfortunately the execution left much to be desired.

First, the podcast element was hardly relevant other than reigniting interest in a ten year old case. I’d have liked to see more of Arlo’s (the host of the podcast Birds of a Feather) perspective - his research, process, interviews, etc.

Only the Guilty Survive is written alternating between former Flock cult member Claire in present day, and Flock member Lollie/Laurel 10 years ago. Neither character is written with a distinct voice, so I often forgot whose chapter I was reading.

The writing was often repetitive but then some plot points seemed to be missing, and the ending/wrap up was really rushed. There was a point near the 85% mark that started to ramp up for me, thinking this might be a 4 star rating, but then it just abruptly moved on to something else much less intense.

This read went from 3 star, to 3.5, a quick spike to 4, then a nosedive to 2.75. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cooked Lane Books for an advanced copy of Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards.

3.5 stars

From the book description:
“<i>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. </i>”

This book is told in two parts from two perspectives in each part: Both parts feature Claire’s perspective in the present day; Part 1 feature’s Laurel’s perspective leading up to her disappearance in the past, while Part 2 features Dom’s view leading up to the Flock’s death in the past.

This book was hard to rate for me. Reading the description the book immediately intrigued me and it was really well written, hooking me immediately, with both the past and the present stories. I loved both the mystery of what was happening at the Bird Sanctuary under Dom (the cult leader/guru), because you realize immediately that something is ominously wrong- and not just because we already know that the group will be found dead at the end of the summer; but also the present-day story of Claire and her inability to cope with her past.

It was really a great set-up for a mystery/thriller that had some parts that came together really well.

Butttttt……some didn’t. And they landed really, really flat. I don’t want to spoil anything, but some of the main mystery solution is really, quite frankly, dull. Like, it comes out of nowhere and just, kind of, happens. And I had no emotional investment in it after everything. Like seriously? That was it?

But Another part did hit some of the right notes and left me with the chills. But also some questions…..it needed some more explanation based on the rest of the story. Like, based on the rest of what we read, it didn’t quite fit without more context, even though it was good. I’ll give you that, it was good.

So yeah, this was a great book overall, but the ending needed maybe some more tweaking. Which dampens it a little bit, because the ending is, well, important.

But it’s still very worth reading. I’d recommend it.

Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards is a recommended psychological thriller focused on a cult.

In the small town of Iola, Michigan, a cult known as the Flock is tied to the murder of a local beauty queen and the mass suicide of the members. The leader disappeared after the tragic events and one of the members, Claire Kettler, was the sole survivor. Claire is still suffering from what she experienced at the hands of cult leader Dominic Bragg. Claire was also best friends with Lollie (Laurel Tai), a local beauty queen who was trying to leave the cult and was later found dead. Now a podcaster is in town stirring up secrets while looking into the cult and the crime.

The narrative is told through the perspective of Claire in the present day and Lollie from a decade ago. This dual point-of-view allows readers to experience through Lollie's eyes what Claire was going through in contrast to what Claire remembers and what she is now experiencing. Although this plot device allows suspense and tension to slowly build, the pacing actually felt a bit slow and uneven.

Lollie was the more compelling character in contrast to Claire. I never fully believed any competent therapist would allow her to not confront her past and what happened. The character of the podcaster, Arlo Stone, could have been used more effectively to enhance the tension and a create a greater sense of urgency in Claire much sooner.

Ultimately this is a good novel. It is entertaining and follows some benchmark traits of cults and their leaders, however, it never set itself apart as anything special. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

What are your thoughts on books that have potential but miss the mark? Only the Guilty Survive was one of them for me. It was touted as a book that stemmed from a podcaster investigating a mass suicide of a cult and its connection to the murder of Lauren (Lolly), a local pageant winner. It turned out to be more about Claire, a survivor of the cult who is still suffering from the trauma of the experience, and still living in the town where it all happened, being blamed Lolly’s murder.

There was so much grief, hatred and guilt connected to Claire as the only survivor of the mass suicide. I don’t think I am still certain of what she was spared or why she was not part of it all. Equally the whole story about the most unappealing and least enigmatic cult leader, his disappearance, and what happened at the end of this book seemed to come out of nowhere, or very limited connections to the past that I could see. If the ending of this book closed off many of the questions I had, I think I could think very differently about this story.

The podcaster, Arlo, really didn’t have a major role in this book. He flitted in an out and interviewed a few people, but it was not the centre of the narrative. There was a lot of narrative missing, and it was more about traversing the spectrum of emotions that Claire was experiencing on a daily basis. The friendship between Lolly and Claire was questionable. What was it that brought them together apart from sharing a room? Were they jealous of each other? In awe of each other? Everyone is seeking answers for how they were all acting and why they acted the way they did. And when you think specifically of a cult leader, Dominic, the fact that he was so haphazard made him a little laughable. Even her father, with a suspicious manipulative element to him, was so banal I’m not sure if he knew he was in the book.

More questions than answers in this one, with a need for more enhancement in its plot for it to shine. Its cover though, beautiful.

When a podcaster comes to town, the survivor of a cult finds herself revisiting her past and the murder of her best friend.

The story here was fine, but I didn't really like the way it was written. The dialogue just felt very choppy

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is about cults and a lone survivor of one. I think the cover is beautiful!

However, I did not like this book. I felt like the characters were so unlikeable and it was hard to connect with anyone. I also felt like the podcast element was barely used and I think that was a missed opportunity. I think the podcast element was hyped in the synopsis since it is so popular right now but it wasn't in the actual book much. I also felt the the cult part was just too surfacey and felt like a lecture about cults rather than being in a cult (if that makes sense.)

Overall, I just did not like this one. I hope others love it.

I thought the idea of the book was really intriguing and the author did a pretty good job of building on how the cult had began, her research into the workings of a cult was definitely thorough and well planned. But, aside from that I found the story to be a bit bland.
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get into this one. I found the pacing to be a little slow and at times confusing.
In saying that if you enjoy books centred around cults and aren’t too bothered about open endings you might find this one enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Maybe it's weird, but I know a lot about cults. I went through a phase of studying cults and cult behavior. I think Jim Jones was probably one of the premier cult leaders. Dom...the leader of The Flock? What a joke.

Only the Guilty Survive is supposed to be the survivor story of Claire. 10 years prior, Claire lived on a bird sanctuary with The Flock, a vague cult run by a mentally ill Dom. Claire's best friend, Lollie aka Laurel, had plans to escape The Flock until she was taken in the middle of the night and later found dead in a nearby lake.

Now, with a new podcast dissecting The Flock and Lollie's murder, Claire has to dig deep into her past to find out who really was the bad guy.
-----
*sigh.

I'm not going to be saying anything that others haven't already said. Both Claire and Lollie were...idiots. I realize that certain types of people are susceptible to fall for vaguely enigmatic people, but...my GOD.

Any of the cult stuff could be found on Wikipedia. A leader who has sex with everyone. A leader who talks about cleansing souls and auras. Honesty circles. Everyone is dirty and gross. It felt very dated. Like that cult story should be taking place in the 60s or 70s. The current storyline with the podcast also felt odd. Claire making dumb choices - like meeting some random man in the middle of nowhere. Meeting with someone you KNOW hates you.

I don't know. I don't even think I 'got it' in the end. Who was Dom, who was the killer, who .... who...

I know that I'm smart, but did I black out during the reveal? Regardless - this was a HUGE miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.