This book was just the right mix between weird religious Cult ( without the religion) and police investigation. It was fast paced throughout which was great but did leave me wishing for more detail on a few things.

Loves character drove me insane , such a well written unlikeable character.

There were time when I felt like we were being given pointless info abd there was a point where the story seemed to jump suddenly which threw me a little .

Overall it was a good read that kept me interested. It also highlighted how much I enjoy books about cults haha.

Many thanks to those at harper Collins and netgalley for sending me this book in return for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by the nature in which I received this book.

The story is told over a dual timeline. It is a very gripping read. There is a chilling atmosphere within this story. A good thriller

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

I’ve got a real fascination when it comes to books about cults, it just interests me and simply knowing a book is about a cult, usually makes it an instant buy for me. So of course when I saw this book title, “The Cult” I got instantly excited to read it. This is why I was sad that I did not enjoy this book, at least not like I hoped I would.

This book has some short chapters, which does make it a quick read, having me reading one more chapter, and then another and another. The chapters jump from different character perspectives and even going back and forth in time. The past chapters being ultimately more about the cult aspect of the book, with the present day chapters being more of a mystery with missing children and a police investigation. It was the present chapters that I actually enjoyed the best

I didn’t like the character Love and sadly the past chapters were told through her perspective. I really didn’t like her, which is the whole idea and point of her character, but because of that, it made her chapters so frustrating. I had to keep reminding myself that she grew up in this cult environment and to her It was all real, but it was so infuriating. It was also off putting the read certain things and honestly made me want to put the book down so many times. It made me more excited to get to the other chapters.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m a mum now and this involved missing kids, but it felt sad when reading the chapter from the mother’s perspective. The present time chapters are what kept me reading when the others were hard to read. The mystery is what kept me invested and it wasn’t even that big of a mystery. I pause left. ultimately disappointed, with the writing, the story and with the fact I kept reading when I could’ve picked up something else.

Fascinating dual timeline thriller with lots of twists and turns. Highly recommended if you're interested in cults and the way they operate, and I really commend the author for choosing to tell part of the story from the point of view of a not-very-nice character; a brave choice and one that pays off here.

Wow! This book was just impossible to put down. Having never read a book focussing on a cult before I found it very sinister and shocking.
The story moves between the past and present and the two are carefully woven together by the author.
I raced though to the end and loved the unexpectedness of the outcome.
A great read and I would definitely recommend to others.

Feel mixed giving a review. It wasn’t as good as I was expecting. There was a lot of chipping and changing that was confusing. The plot was very repetitive to which got boring in the end

Another brilliant read. Short and snappy chapters which will keep you going. I love anything like this: Cult, personalities; different perspectives. And absolutely great read and totally recommend if you want an easy but tense and thought provoking read.

This book appealed to me as a psychological thriller.

The novel follows two timelines - one for the cult and one for present day where two children have gone missing. The cult was well written - the gradual creep from ideology to unbelievable rituals, the brainwashing of members and punishing of those who don’t comply. Love, the main protagonist in this storyline was a horrible child who grew into a horrible woman and I did wonder if this was a nature or nurture scenario, which could have been visited more.

The second story line has the most bizarre name I have heard in a long time (DI Pearline Ottoline anyone)? This is where I found the writing let itself down. Yet again, we have a lead detective battling their demons caused by previous investigations (yawn). I found the police procedural descriptions to be a bit basic and ‘how to suck eggs’ which was frustrating. I also didn’t warm to Lily, the mother of the missing children who is spiralling into a mental health crisis which no one (including her husband) seems to notice.

Personally, I think this book would have been better focusing on the cult, especially the nature/nurture argument for Love, the implosion of the cult and, potentially, what happened next to some members. Saying that, this book is still a solid read.

A compelling story that kept me gripped. The story switches between past and present as we find out about the cult as well as it's effect on people. A well written story that was a great read.

The Cult was a gripping psychological thriller with a dual timeline from past to present. This book had an amazingly creepy and atmospheric essence that repulsed you but drew you even further into the story with every page.
The book begins with six year old Love who lives at the commune run by Uncle Saviour, with her Mum and sister. Her father leaves them and as time progresses Loves mother begins to grow away from groups beliefs and ways. Love is obsessed with Uncle Saviour and his mission to reach 'Total illumination'. The story flicksback and forth between Love in the past and Lily and DI Pearline Ottoline which are in the present day.

Gripping and brilliant!

The Cult is a dual timeline novel which follows the story of the cult of Eternal Life from their inception to present day, while simultaneously following the story of two children who have gone missing from their homes in the current day.

There is plenty of nastiness in this book. The cult are downright awful and there were plenty of moments where i felt bile at the back of my throat. Davies does an amazing job at conveying the horrific, manipulative and infectious nature of cults and how they can completely warp an innocent mind.

There are lots of twists and turns, some quite obvious and some which will give you a surprise. A creepy and gripping read with so many horrendously unsettling characters to keep you feeling uneasy throughout.

TWs for Cults, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, and Sexual assault

3.5/5

Slow to start but glad I stuck with it as once I’d got my head around the two timelines and characters I was gripped!
Some tough subjects to deal with and hard to read in places it dealt with the cult side of it well.

Interesting, well written & although not the easiest of subjects totally enjoyable & engrossing. A combination of child abduction, murder, investigation & psychology. Highly recommended.

Set over two timelines The Cult delivers a chilling read. In the past we learn about he inception of a Cult which believes the blood of young children will keep them young and in the future the desperate race to find two children who have gone missing. I found it slow in parts but was invested enough to finish reading.

I have read The Cult by Abby Davis, this is the first book o have read by this author. It's set in present day Following Lily whose children have gone missing, the detective and also goes back to Love following her growing up in a cult with Uncle Saviour as the leader. I enjoyed reading this book although there where a few parts which didn't flow. A good psychological thriller.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down

The Cult was a difficult read for me. The subject matter was hard-hitting and painful. I’m not saying that it wasn’t what it needed to be – it was but boy did it punch you in the gut.

The story is told over two timelines which at times got a bit repetitive and convoluted. Love tells us about her experience of living in a community that at first has its values rooted in Love and values but very quickly we witness it all hit the fan. The chapters from Love become very sinister, something we have read about time and time again about these so-called Cults. I need to be clear in the point that these were the chapters that I struggled with most. It wasn’t the story as such but more about the goings-on in this community. Uncle Saviour runs the Cult and at first, is a person with a good sense of morality and the common good, but we are catapulted into the darkness of manipulation, gaslighting, and grooming. Love soon began to display worrying characteristics in response to the grooming she was experiencing. She alienated herself from her blood family and only wanted to please Uncle Saviour. She also displayed extreme bouts of jealousy if he gave others attention instead of her.

The Cult also gives us insight into Lily’s POV. To be honest, I felt that a lot of her story was unnecessary, and it wasn’t until much later that we got to grips with her role in the storyline. DI Ottoline’s POV was far more important, and I felt that a lot was sacrificed for Lily to be heard more. In the search of Lily’s two missing children, she heads up the investigation whilst battling her own personal demons. She’s an extremely relatable character and one that I enjoyed being in the head of.

The Cult was a kind of story that for the majority I felt invested in but had no connection to the characters. The reason being, that they were not the kind of characters that were likable and had major flaws. Manipulators, murderers, and abusers. Not exactly the kind of company one likes to keep. I would have liked to know Lily a bit more – why was she taking pills for her mental health? Was it post-natal depression or something more? A lot of questions I just felt were left unanswered and points that could have been fleshed out more. A decent crime read with a sinister cult at its epicentre.

The Cult. I really enjoyed this book! An intricate story of people psychology, group dynamics, murder, brainwashing, and communication. How far would you go to remain a part of the Cult? I couldn’t put it down.
Excellent!

- The best thriller I’ve read this year
- Creepy vibes throughout
- Reminds you that a mothers not to be messed with!!
- Chapters told from different perspectives which adds to the mystery
- Satisfying ending

Full review to follow on my bookstagram @the.readinglife