Killer Cults

Gripping true stories from the terrifying hidden world of cults

*Shortlisted for Book of the Year at the True Crime Awards 2026!*

What makes ordinary people, living normal lives, abandon everything to join a cult? Emma Kenny - psychologist and true crime expert - delves into gripping true stories of cults, operating all around us.

In this exhilarating and terrifying new book, Emma Kenny explores the bewildering world of cults, looking into the magnetic pull of cult leaders who find, ensnare and indoctrinate followers, transforming them from normal people into devoted acolytes, and, in the most extreme cases, into killers.

From Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple to David Koresh and the Branch Davidians; Marshall Applewhite's Heaven's Gate to Order of the Solar Temple, Emma unpicks the interplay between power, manipulation and faith that makes cults work, and takes readers on a journey into the minds of these enigmatic cult leaders and the people who fall under their spell.

Discover the answers to the questions that haunt the fringes of society and the human psyche in this must-read for all true crime enthusiasts. Are you immune to the call of the cult? There's only one way to find out...©2025 Emma Kenny

Absolutely Loved!!

This book is nothing less than what I would have expected from Emma. I have followed her and been a member of her YouTube channel for about 5 years. I am Anerican and such, I haven't been able to see any of her shows. So when she said she was recording an audiobook for her Killer Cults book, I immediately pre-ordered it. I was not disappointed, I listened to it from beginning to end with rapt attention. It is great that even a dirty yank like me can enjoy her tour talks even though I cannot attend them. Keep it up Emma!! At the end of this book, while she was discussing the hold thar cults have over their members and what the members give up just to feel included, all I heard was her original tag line "DO NOT COMPLY" I have the t-shirt and the mug and they are two of my favorites!!

Riveting!

Emma always brings such depth of insight to deeply disturbing events. Her YouTube channel is excellent but her books allow for an amazing deep dive.