Well, this has to be one of the best books that I have listened to in ages. I struggled at first with the narration but the story wow. It was so different and I am so glad I read it. Completely addicted and cannot wait for more.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

I was intrigued by the synopsis because of the detective aspect as well as the polygamy lifestyle. I listened to the audiobook and I thought the narrator had no emotion and very little voice differentiating between characters. I was actually bored and would tune out while listening so it took me a long time to get through it. I would not read more in this series but I’m sure others will love this one, it just isn’t for me.

I enjoyed this one but it didn't grab me the way I'd hoped. That being said, this book would go over extremely well with fans of Linda Castillo. They would definitely enjoy the 'outsider' vibe of the main character.

An interesting angle on the standard detective novel.

Detective Eve Bennett was brought up in a tight knit polygamist community and now oversees law enforcement of that community.

When one of the families in the community is found murdered, Eve's team is brought in to investigate and make sure the crime is not covered up by local law enforcement who are keen to protect the community from outside interference.

Makes for some unpleasant reading regarding the indoctrination and subjugation of women and girls.

This book was almost a did not finish. I struggled with the story and the characters and the narrator. But I stuck it out and it ended well.

Only Girl Alive will be available 1/13/2023 in Paperback, eBook, and Audiobook.
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️ Book Review

Meet the Author: Holly Roberts is a retired homicide detective. For Holly’s spicier side you will love her anti-hero bad boys who will curl your toes and a lighter humorous paranormal series with shifters and hellhounds. She also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name Suzie Ivy. She lives with her two spoiled dogs in the mountains. She is a self-defense instructor and owned a martial arts gym where she taught women to kick butt.

Synopsis: Detective Eve Bennet walks in to find the Tanner family murdered in their own home. One of their two children is missing. When Hannah is found at her Uncle’s house, Eve is denied access to the child for questioning. What does she know that can’t be revealed? Within this tight knit polygamist community gruesome discoveries are made and others are in danger. Can Eve solve the murders before other lives are taken too soon?

Reader’s Thoughts: Only Girl Alive is the first novel in the Detective Eve Bennet series. This fast paced, crime thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Detective Bennet has her own skeletons in the closet. As a young child she knew what it was like living in the polygamist community, being held captive, and the need to escape. I thoroughly enjoyed Robert’s ability to write such a descriptive story about such a dark topic. Her knowledge from being a retired homicide detective really shines through in her writing.

Roberts did a great job making sure the reader understood Detective Bennet’s history but I wish she would have gone back and forth from the past to the present. At times the story lingered and I would have to step away. This specific preference would not deter me from recommending this book to a fellow bookish friend. Stacia Keogh did an amazing job narrating this story, really bringing it to life. At times I felt the voice of Hannah to be a little creepy, which was fitting for the novel. Thank you, @Netgalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

This is the first book in the series. The storyline covers one of my favourite topics and really gives you an insight into it. I really liked Eve and her team and how the bond they have. The narration didn’t really work for me and it took me awhile to get in to it as it felt like the narrator was very stiff and reading from a shopping list. The story moved at a steady pace with lots going on to keep your interest. Enjoyed this one and would be interested to read or listen to the next in the series.

3.75 🌟🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read #OnlyGirlAlive

This book really had a lot of suspense. Even though you knew who the bad guy really was, it still had me on the edge of my seat. Fast moving through the events and very good character development. Would have liked to learn and know more about the killer at the end and especially his thoughts about how everything concluded.
Kept me at the edge of my seat.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookcouture Audio for this audio ARC.

Listening to this at the same time as another cult related book is not advised.

The vocal performance was okay. There was a lack of feeling and at times was very... what"s a good word? Drab.

By now you've probably read enough quick summations to determine if you are into the book or not, so I'll leave that out and give you some thoughts.

The plot was decent, ending predictable.
If you are not a fan of procedural reads, avoid!
At times, I really thought that if this were real, Eve wouldn't actually be on the case as she was, what with growing up in the community, would she?
Of course it takes place in Utah, bc of it's very well known rep for Mormonism. Can a Mormon cult exist anywhere else? California? Texas? Hawaii? Where is the setting curveball?

This is the first book in a detective series about Eve Bennet. Her team discovers a Mormon family murdered inside their own home, minus one of the daughters. The attic provides troubling insight into their twisted lives. Eve was once a part of the polygamous community when she was a child, but is no longer a member. Her step brother, who is still involved, is not helping authorities in finding who committed the murder. So she has to confront her own past while trying to solve the case.

I received the audiobook, and was completely underwhelmed by the narrator. I found her to be monotone while portraying the men as whiny old women. It was hard to stay engaged. I also am not a fan of Mormon history and this felt like a docuseries about FLDS church.

If you're interested in the inner workings of the FLDS and polygamous community, then you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for a good old who dun it, there are better out there.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Holly S. Robert's for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

BOY, DO I LOVE A GOOD CULT STORY.
Eve is a detective investigating a multiple person homicide in a polygamist Mormon community. She grew up in this same community as a child.

This novel might need a little more polishing/ a little more filler material. It reads half as a documentary on FLDS Mormon sects and half as a CSI procedure manual.

I really liked the plot and I feel like I learned a lot on religious cults (if the material is accurate). But the ending was very predictable. I didn’t love the narrator. She was too monotone and there was no “feeling”.

I am not usually a fan of American literature but I chose to listen to this novel as I once had a Mormon friend at school who lived a rather alternative lifestyle to the rest of us. I gather that this series of books about Detective Eve, is based on a background of facts about this religious cult. What we learn about the practices of Fundamentalist Mormons in this first book, is truly shocking. I found it fascinating although I cannot say really enjoyable as the crime under investigation is rather gruesome.
I will be interested to see how the character of Eve develops and how her recovery and rehabilitation into the ‘normal’ world progresses in future novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book was gripping! I was on the edge of my seat and loved all of the background information Detective Eve brought to the story. Having the mystery take place within a cult Fundamentalist church community made this story so creepy and intriguing. This was a great read.

Eve Bennet is called to investigate when an entire family is found murdered in their home. But one of the daughters, Hannah, is missing, and Eve finds her at her uncle's house, who won't let her in. She now is worried for Hannah's safety, because she knows he has secrets.
This is book one in the Detective Eve Bennet series. I did not get into it. I listened to the audio book, and the narration was great, but it struggled to keep my attention. It was a bit repetitive, and the information about Eve's past made it kind of confusing. I did like the setting however, it was new to me and very interesting, I knew very little about the Mormon community.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Detective Eve Bennet is shocked as she enters a house filled with dead bodies, and as she enters the children’s rooms she is surprised to find that one child is missing – what happened to the missing kid?
The missing child Hannah is in her uncle’s house, but as Eve tries to meet with Hannah she faces a lot of backlash and hurdles. In the middle of such a tough time Eve and her team discover a attic filled with more secrets – looking like a torture scene
This book also talks about the tight knit communities that existed, in detail which was pretty shocking at places.
Only Girl Alive by Holly S. Roberts is a debut book which is pretty fascinating, shocking and really an eye opener in some parts. Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture Audio and the author for approving the audiobook copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
The narration by Stacia Keogh was very good.

This book was extremely insightful about the polygamy community. After reading this book, I know a lot more than I thought I knew. I thoroughly enjoyed the fast past mystery and will definitely read more in the series. The book was about a whole family who was found murdered in their home..Detective Eve Bennet is assigned to the case. The crime happened in a polygamy community that do not like police authority. Eve is familiar with their lifestyle because she escaped from this actual community years ago. The hatred for her from the residents who are also considered her half brothers and sisters is extremely strong. As she investigates the case, she notices that one of the children for this house, is missing. Everyone in the community blocks her access to the child. A secret is being held that they don’t want outsides to find out. However, Eve is determined to solve this crime and get away from this place that was a remembrance of the terrible childhood she had when she lived at this camp.

Eve is a detective who grew up in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). The murder takes place in the FLDS community and she is battling some of their leadership to get the answers and access she needs to solve it.

My biggest concern with this book was that it felt a little exploitative of the women and children who grew up in the FLDS Church. By the 50% mark in the book, nothing had been solved or discovered. All we had heard about was the FLDS Church, and it felt like a docuseries instead of a detective story. This resulted in the second half of this already short book feeling rather rushed to the finish line. We didn't get to know any of the characters and it took away from the story.

I think you may want to continue with this series if you're particularly interested in the FLDS Church, but if not then there are better detective series out there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This is the first book in the new Detective Eve Bennet series. I found myself enthralled by the killers POV in the first chapter and I was hooked.
The story follows Detective Eve and her team as they investigate murders that have taken place in Mormon Community. The team and Eve are unwanted in the community especially since Eve used to be a member of the community.
The narrator, Stacia Keogh used a pleasant voice but at times it felt a bit monotone when Eve was going through some stuff.
As the book progresses we discover more about the case and Eve’s past. I enjoyed the police procedural of the case. There is definitely a shock factor and I couldn’t believe the discovery.
I sometimes felt like Detective Eve made bad decisions that put her in danger and as a detective she should have known better. But then again, I was at the edge of my seat listening intently. So well played.
There are some dark and disturbing secrets that take place in the community and I hope Detective Eve and her team can shed light to them.

Special thanks to Bookouture Audio and Netgalley for the ALC.

This story begins with the murder of a fundamentalist Morman family. The secrets discovered during the investigation is atrocious. Someone killed this family for their sins and it's Eve and her teams job to find that person. Eve is no stranger to the Morman world, she had been raised in it. She must battle her step-brother and the church community to find the truth. They're trying to keep her from talking to the only person in the family that is still alive, a young girl. What does she know and will it bring the community down with it?

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Stacia Keogh did a fantastic job. She brought the book to life. However, this book is a little hard to get through, at times. It wasn't a bad book, it didn't grab my attention and keep it, though. I don't know if it was the subject matter of the Morman church or something else. But everyone has a different view point, maybe this is the book for you. It's worth a read.

Thank you to netgalley, Bookouture and Holly S Roberts for this complimentary copy.

When I requested this book from NetGalley, I didn’t know then that I would be reading it right after I read another book about a polygamist, fundamentalist, religious group. First and foremost, I didn’t realize the other book was about a polygamist, fundamentalist, religious group when I first started to read it. Secondly, I REALLY dislike cult stories, which is what I consider polygamist, fundamentalist, religious groups that force minor girls to “marry” (there is nothing legal in the US about this practice and form of child abuse and enslavement) and become “sister wives” of old and married elders, regardless of how incestuous the relationships are of the individuals involved. As far as I’m concerned, the “sister wives” are just as deranged as the elders after having been permanently damaged by the lifetime of indoctrination. I have no problem with consenting adults who want to live a polyamorous lifestyle. However, forcing minor girls into this particular lifestyle against their will and holding them hostage and brainwashing them is despicable.

The best part about this story is the MC, Eve Bennett, the lead detective for a Utah state crime unit that specifically investigates crimes within the polygamist, fundamentalist religious communities in Utah and who grew up in this community until she was rescued and escaped that enslavement with her bio mom. Eve, of all people, knows how these communities operate and knows their secrets and rituals and the people who call the shots. As the book summary lays out, the primary storyline is the investigation of the murders of a polygamist family and the protection of the surviving member.

There is also a secondary storyline that revolves around the contemptuous relationship and interactions between Eve and her stepbrother, who is the county DA as well as a polygamist elder in the religious community. Most of the story revolves around the investigations of the murders and the obstruction that Eve and her team face. Along with the obstruction, the five-member team also must deal with a lot of racism and misogyny because the team is comprised of two women, one a native American, as well as a black man, a Hispanic man, and a non-fundamentalist Mormon.

As mentioned in the book summary, there is a discovery in the attic, a really disgusting and disturbing revelation. It’s stuff like this why I REALLY dislike cult stories. I find the disgusting perversion of the elders, so often found in polygamist, fundamentalist, religious cults, as well as the sexual abuse and molestation of women and, especially children, absolutely repulsive and hard to read. For me, the end couldn’t come soon enough. It got really frightening and intense for the Eve and the team when they were confronted by the killer. The end wasn’t as satisfying as it could have been, but then there wouldn’t be anything else to write about in the next installment.

I liked this book, I guess if I could give it 3.5stars, I would. This was another two sitting read. Don't you just love holiday vacations, where you can spend a cold and rainy afternoon curled up with a good murder mystery? Anyway, I have mixed feelings about continuing the series and haven’t decided yet whether or not it will be a one and done for me. It’s not just the religious subject matter either (I’m an evolutionist).

I am a HUGE fan of Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series. Like Eve, Kate Burkholder is a survivor of a deeply religious upbringing. Both female MCs are deeply flawed and damaged women who have worked hard to become the bad-@$$, female, officers of the law that they are and are determined to not let their tragic upbringings prevent them from becoming the best they can be. Unfortunately though, the polygamist, fundamentalist, religious group in this series is very different than the Amish community in Painters Mill, in so many ways. I don’t know if I could stomach committing to a whole series based around the depraved wackos in the Eve Bennett series.

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

@NetGalley @BookoutureAudio @OnlyGirlAlive