She Treads Softly: Only the Guilty Survive

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Only the Guilty Survive

Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards
8/6/24; 288 pages
Crooked Lane Books

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.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.