BLOG TOUR: The Cult by Abby Davies

“A hidden community… A shocking abduction… A twisting case…”

Set to be published on 28th October, The Cult by Abby Davies is set across two timelines. The first is thirty years ago, in the English countryside, where a commune was set up. Led by Uncle Saviour, it was supposed to be a place of love, peace and harmony. But what started out as paradise turned into hell. Now, two young children have vanished from their home in the middle of the night. Their parents are frantic, the police are at a loss. DI Ottoline is leading the search – her only clue is a mask found in the woods. Could the key lie in events that took place decades ago, when a dream of a new way of life became something far more sinister?

Rating:

Today is my stop on the Insta Book Tours for this book. Thank you to Insta Book Tours and Harper Fiction for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After loving Mother Loves Me, I jumped on the chance to read Abby Davies’ latest. And when I found out that it was based around a cult, I couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

Dark and eerie, The Cult is brimming with a chilling atmosphere, which is exactly what I was hoping for. However, maybe it’s because I loved Mother Loves Me so much that this one felt a lot slower in comparison, but I didn’t connect with the characters as much or come away with the mind-blowing feeling that I was so hoping for.

I really enjoyed having the two timelines running alongside each other, although the story in the past definitely gripped me more with its stronger characters. I didn’t feel like I got a full picture of DI Ottoline to really draw me into her investigation, but I would definitely read another story led by her.

I love stories about cults and Davies has created a really unnerving setting, with characters that you definitely don’t want to get on the wrong side of. But because you have these two stories which seem to have no apparent link, this took away some of the surprise for me as I could predict how they would come together. I’ve read a lot of reviews from readers saying that they were shocked by the twists in this one, though, so I’m definitely in a minority here. But it just didn’t have that hard-hitting punch that I was looking for to really love this more.

Still, I love Davies’ originality, bleakness, and brilliantly described settings, and I am always going to be excited by what she writes next. I would definitely still recommend this to thriller fans and know that this is going to be a big hit this spooky season.

Details:

The Cult by Abby Davies
Release Date: 28th October 2021
Print Length: 366 pages
Genre: Psycological Thriller
Publisher: Harper Collins

Synopsis:

A hidden community…
Thirty years ago, in the English countryside, a commune was set up. Led by Uncle Saviour, it was supposed to be a place of love, peace and harmony. But what started out as paradise turned into hell.

A shocking abduction…
Now, two young children have vanished from their home in the middle of the night. Their parents are frantic, the police are at a loss.

A twisting case…
DI Ottoline is leading the search – her only clue a mask found in the woods. Could the key lie in events that took place decades ago, when a dream of a new way of life became something far more sinister?

About The Author:

After gaining a degree in English Literature, Abby taught English and wrote in her spare time. Abby lives in Wiltshire with her husband, daughter and two hilarious cocker spaniels, Tilly and Bilbo. MOTHER LOVES ME is her debut novel. THE CULT is her second book, and is out on 28th October 2021.