Lots of twists and turns in this cult based thriller. The author makes excellent use of jumping back and forth in time to create suspense and mystery about how the cult met its tragic end.

My love for cult books is overshadowed by the true crime podcaster trope. The cult part is lukewarm, with the author repeating the same information in an info-dumpy fashion. The characters, Claire and Laurel, are difficult to empathize with despite their horrors. The plot lines and character details don't add up, and the author's Americanization of the name Jock is confusing. The ending solidifies the book as a one-star book, but the baddie reveal and emotionally abusive husband Henry are kept in the drafts.

2.5/3. Rounded down.
I was quite underwhelmed. I was so eager for this story. The podcast aspect, the cult story. But it fell very short.

This was so good! The first time I’ve read about a cult who ultimately decided to unalive themselves because the leader told them to. The reasons why others were kidnapped and there was only one survivor is the reason this story caught wind of a man covering it in his podcast. This was an interesting listen and I hope more people listen

A true crime podcast and a cult? Sold!
We start solidly with a very gr opening and the duel viewpoints over the two periods of time were interesting to start with but I found myself getting bored about halfway through. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, or find them that interesting, and there wasn’t really anything that gripped me.
Narrator was good.

I recently had the chance to read an advanced copy of "Only the Guilty Survive" by Kate Robards, thanks to NetGalley. Initially, I was uncertain about the book; it seemed like it might be a challenge to get through. However, as the plot unfolded, I found myself deeply engrossed.

The story revolves around the Flock, a cult that ended in a mass suicide, leaving only one survivor, Claire Kettler. The narrative is told from the perspectives of multiple characters, each adding depth and intrigue to the tale. I was particularly drawn to the way Robards portrayed Dominic Bragg, the cult leader, capturing the complexities of his thoughts and motivations.

Although the book was difficult to grasp at first, it ultimately won me over. I'm eager to explore more of Robards' work in the future!

I knew I would love this when I read the description and it didn’t disappoint!

Premise - the sole survivor of a death cult can’t remember the last, disastrous moments before her friends all died. Years later she has tried to move on with a new life, but she’s still haunted by her past and when a podcaster makes the story news again, she’s in a race against him to find out exactly what happened to her all those years ago… and what role she played.

I really enjoyed the voice in this and it had all the creepy psychological weirdness that makes me love cult thrillers. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened or why for a lot of the book - it was so fun!

I enjoyed Claire as a perspective character, even though she read whiny, but the reason this isn’t quite a 5 star read for me despite all it has going for it is the cult leader. We got to see his perspective (YES!) but weirdly that didn’t really clarify/solidify his motivations as much as I’d hoped. He was a weaker character than I wanted - I’m all for hypocrisy and flaws in a cult leader, of course, and mental illness definitely works, too, but his belief in himself didn’t really sell me.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Beth Hicks, Leanne Woodward, and Graham Halstead. A full cast audiobook is a real treat and this cast did a great job! They brought Robards’ book vividly to life. I highly recommend listening to this one, especially if you’re trying to wile away the hours during summer travel (or make housework fun).

Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw this book recommended for fans of Riley Sager I knew I had to read immediately! This is my first Kate Robards book and it didn’t disappoint, I found the storyline to be interesting and captivating, a page turner that kept me reading to find out the mysterious of the past.

“Only the guilty survive” follow present day Claire, the sole survivor of a cult called “the flock” that came to an abrupt end in 2014 when the other members acted out a mass suicide. She has attempted to move on with her life, yet shoulder the blame and harsh judgements of her small town.

The only issue is, she remembers very little about her time in the cult, and has no idea why she was the only one left out.

The POV swap between hers, and that of another member “Lollie”. In Lollies POV we are taken back to the past in the weeks leading up to the death of the cult, as we watch events unfold from a first hand account.

I enjoyed the two POV, as well as both of the main characters. I felt so bad for both of them knowing their dire situations. Usually I’m not a fan of cult fiction as I find it to be repetitive and boring, however this story brought to life new ideas from a fresh perspective and kept me entertained throughout.

The alternating narrators each did a fantastic job in bringing their characters to life, props to: Beth Hicks, Leanne Woodward and Graham Halstead

Thank you to the Kate Robards, Dreamscape Media, Crooked lane books and NetGalley for the arc.

publish date: Aug 6th 2024

Did not like this one. Too many characters. Too convoluted, story was just too strange. Not a good story.

I'll be honest: I barely read the synopsis before requesting this book. When I saw the word "cult" I was sold. I love (fictional) books about cults. Honestly, I can't even remember one single "cult book" I haven't enjoyed so far.
Well, now there is one. :(
ONLY THE GUILTY SURVIVE did not work with me. This was my first time reading a book by this author and, even though I don't see anything essentially wrong with Kate Robards' writing, I cannot say that I truly enjoyed it, either.
The writing didn't appeal to me, the characters (I couldn't empathise with Claire, unfortunately) all fell flat and boring to me, the podcast element I thought it was dull and added nothing original or exciting to the plot, and the cult part....the only reason why I picked this book up...was disappointing. I felt nothing. Well, boredom, yes, but other than that, nothing else, really. Actually, there were some moments, some scenes I felt this book was too juvenile, too close to a YA book - which personally doesn't please me at all.
I listened to the audiobook version of it and I gotta say: it is well done, well narrated and the 3 narrators (one of them I already knew and loved) were decent enough to hold my attention, despite everything. If it weren't for the audiobook, I would probably have DNFed this book.
I guess I would recommend this book to anyone who has read a book by this author before and enjoyed it, and maybe to readers who like podcast and cult elements.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for allowing me to listen to a free audiobook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.