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Gregg Olsen

If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood Paperback – Dec 1 2019

by Gregg Olsen (Author)

4.2 119,487 ratings

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A #1 Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s shocking and empowering true-crime story of three sisters determined to survive their mother’s house of horrors.

After more than a decade, when sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek hear the word mom, it claws like an eagle’s talons, triggering memories that have been their secret since childhood. Until now.

For years, behind the closed doors of their farmhouse in Raymond, Washington, their sadistic mother, Shelly, subjected her girls to unimaginable abuse, degradation, torture, and psychic terrors. Through it all, Nikki, Sami, and Tori developed a defiant bond that made them far less vulnerable than Shelly imagined. Even as others were drawn into their mother’s dark and perverse web, the sisters found the strength and courage to escape an escalating nightmare that culminated in multiple murders.

Harrowing and heartrending, If You Tell is a survivor’s story of absolute evil―and the freedom and justice that Nikki, Sami, and Tori risked their lives to fight for. Sisters forever, victims no more, they found a light in the darkness that made them the resilient women they are today―loving, loved, and moving on.

Print length

429 pages
Language

English
Publication date

Dec 1 2019
Dimensions

13.97 x 2.54 x 20.96 cm
ISBN-10

154200523X
ISBN-13

978-1542005234
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Popular Highlights in this book

What are Popular Highlights?

It isn’t a mask that she wears to cover the past but an invisible badge of courage.
Highlighted by 4,939 Kindle readers
Enduring their mother was what bound them together. And while they might have had three different dads, they were always 100 percent sisters.
Highlighted by 2,463 Kindle readers
Lara and Les came to know something that few understood in the late sixties and seventies: no one can help a troubled person who doesn’t think they need it.
Highlighted by 2,161 Kindle readers
Grandma Anna, Shelly’s paternal grandmother, was just that kind of person too.
Highlighted by 2,059 Kindle readers
Les had never mentioned to Lara that he’d promised to raise his children by Sharon: Shelly, Chuck, and Paul Watson.
Highlighted by 1,876 Kindle readers

Product description

Review

“This riveting account will leave readers questioning every odd relative they’ve known.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Olsen presents the story chronologically and in a simple, straightforward style, which works well: it is chilling enough as is.” ―Booklist

“An unsettling stunner about sibling love, courage, and resilience.” ―People Magazine (book of the week)

“If You Tell accomplishes what it sets out to do. The result is a compelling portrait of terror and a powerfully honest, yet still sensitive, look at survival.” ―Bookreporter

“This disturbing book recounts the unimaginable abuse and torture three sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek endured from their own mother, Shelly…the strong bond they form to survive and defy their mother’s sadistic tendencies is inspiring.” ―BuzzFeed

“A true-crime tour de force.” ―Steve Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of No Stone Unturned

“Even the most devoted true-crime reader will be shocked by the maddening and mind-boggling acts of horror that Gregg Olsen chronicles in this book. Olsen has done it again, giving readers a glimpse into a murderous duo that’s so chilling, it will have your head spinning. I could not put this book down!” ―Aphrodite Jones, New York Times bestselling author

“A suspenseful, horrific, and yet fascinating character study of an incredibly dysfunctional and dangerous family by Gregg Olsen, one of today’s true-crime masters.” ―Caitlin Rother, New York Times bestselling author

“There’s only one writer who can tell such an intensely horrifying, psychotic tale of unspeakable abuse, grotesque torture, and horrendous serial murder with grace, sensitivity and class…A riveting, taut, real-life psychological suspense thrill ride…All at once compelling and original, Gregg Olsen’s If You Tell is an instant true-crime classic.” ―M. William Phelps, New York Times bestselling author

“We all start life with immense promise, but in our first minute, we cannot know who’ll ultimately have the greatest impact on our lives, for better or worse. Here, Gregg Olsen―the heir apparent to legendary crime writers Jack Olsen and Ann Rule―explores the dark side of that question in his usual chilling, heartbreaking prose. Superb and creepy storytelling from a true-crime master.” ―Ron Franscell, author of Alice & Gerald: A Homicidal Love Story

“A master of true crime returns with a vengeance. After a decade detour into novels, Gregg Olsen is back with a dark tale of nonfiction from the Pacific Northwest that will keep you awake long after the lights have gone out. The monster at the heart of If You Tell is not your typical boogeyman, not some wandering drifter or man in a van. No. In fact, they called her…mother. And yet this story is about hope and renewal in the face of evil and how three sisters can find the goodness in the world after surviving the worst it has to offer. Classic true crime in the tradition of In Cold Blood and The Stranger Beside Me.” ―James Renner, author of True Crime Addict

“This nightmare walked on two legs and some of her victims called her mom. In If You Tell, Gregg Olsen documents the horrific mental and physical torture Shelly Knotek inflicted on everyone in her household. A powerful story of cruelty that will haunt you for a long time.” ―Diane Fanning, author of Treason in the Secret City

“Bristling with tension, gripping from the first pages, Gregg Olsen’s masterful portrait of children caught in the web of a coldly calculating killer fascinates. A read so compelling it kept me up late into the night, If You Tell exposes incredible evil that lived quietly in small-town America. That the book is fact, not fiction, terrifies.” ―Kathryn Casey, bestselling author of In Plain Sight

About the Author

#1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen has written more than thirty books, including Lying Next to Me, The Last Thing She Ever Did, and two novels in the Nicole Foster series, The Sound of Rain and The Weight of Silence. Known for his ability to create vivid and fascinating narratives, he’s appeared on multiple television and radio shows and news networks, such as Good Morning America, Dateline, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and MSNBC. In addition, Olsen has been featured in Redbook, People, and Salon magazine, as well as in the Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times, and New York Post. Both his fiction and nonfiction works have received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including prominence on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Washington State officially selected his young adult novel Envy for the National Book Festival, and The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year.

A Seattle native who lives with his wife in rural Washington State, Olsen’s already at work on his next thriller. Visit him at www.greggolsen.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas & Mercer (Dec 1 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 429 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 154200523X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542005234
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 431 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 2.54 x 20.96 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #725 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Serial Killer Accounts
- #89 in Mystery (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 119,487 ratings

About the author

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Gregg Olsen

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I live in rural Washington State (about a mile as the crow flies from Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard's infamous Starvation Heights sanatarium). My thriller, THE LAST THING SHE EVER DID was an Amazon Charts bestseller. LYING NEXT TO ME was a reader favorite, charting at No. 1 in the Kindle store and the bestseller's list at the Washington Post. My true crime book, IF YOU TELL, found a home on Amazon Charts for more than 140 weeks. In fact, it was the bestselling Kindle ebook of 2020 (and the second-bestselling of 2021). I've been a guest on Dateline NBC, NPR, Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX News, CNN, Anderson Cooper, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, 20/20, Snapped, Deadly Women, William Shatner's Aftermath, and A&E's Biography. You can find out more about me at www.NotoriousUSA.com.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

119,487 global ratings

5 star		54%
4 star		27%
3 star		13%
2 star		4%
1 star		3%

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Gritt123

Not for the faint of heart

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 14, 2023

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This was a dark and disturbing account of one woman's ability to control, manipulate, torture, abuse and kill her victims. It was the saddest book I have ever read. But I felt like I owed it to her victims to read and honor their stories. It is a difficult book to read, but I am glad I did. Thank you to Gregg Olsen for honoring their memory with this book. I gave it 4 stars because it was emotionally and mentally draining. Not because of the wonderful job the author did with his research and storytelling.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 3, 2023

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Incredible book. Get it it’s worth it.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 24, 2022

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Can’t even imagine what this family and a couple tenants went through living with this crazy, horrible woman. Heartbreaking.
Very well written, the author was so respectful with everyone involved in this real life story.

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andrea

Very engaging yet extremely disturbing

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on December 16, 2020

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**SPOILER**
Honestly when I first started reading this I couldn’t put my tablet down. I was so shocked and morbidly interested in shelly’s character thinking this book was fictional which obviously is my own fault.

Once I came to the chapter where Shane disappeared/ran away I didn’t want to wait to see at the end to find out what had happened to him. So of course I googled it and lo and behold I come to see news articles on the Knotek family and was in complete shock. After further investigating everything and realizing the book is told by the family members who lived with Shelly I felt a huge knot in my stomach.

I’m a huge fan of true crime but the depth of this book was a different level. While reaching a little over half of the book I had moments where I asked myself if I should stop reading due to the violence and trauma the family endured. It’s hard to read because it’s just hard to believe the things that had happened yet can’t put the book down due to the morbidity of it. I mean it’s as if you feel guilty for being interested in the book but can’t put it down. So ya I had to finish the last half that same night or I wasn’t feeling up to finishing it other nights because of how it makes you feel.

Read it or don’t, iduno if I wanna recommend it but I found it difficult to stop reading once I started and iduno if it’s because it’s a good read or just plain disturbing.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 5, 2023

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Interesting story.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 24, 2022

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A complex tough story to read, but well laid out and put together. It was a very “real”experience to read and brings the darkness of humanity to the surface, along with the many challenges to overcome and suppress it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Christina Cadorin

Thrilling True Story

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 30, 2021

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As I got to the last couple of pages in the afterword by Katherine Ramsland I knew what I wanted to do with this book. And throw it across the room I did, after taking a large gulp of a glass of my Cab Sav. thinking, I can't believe that she (Shelly) is getting out of jail in 2022.
This novel is certainly not for the emotionally weak, or for those who put words to imagery, which I do. It is gruesome, unbelievable, uncanny, distorted, and just plain out scary. Gregg Olson writes a very descriptive account of the Knotek sisters, their mother and father, the murders, and countless years of abuse and torture that occurred within their homes.
"Dave was Himmler to her mothers Hitler, blindly doing whatever evil bidding she'd demanded." As soon as I read this quote I felt that the author had been reading my mind right from the beginning of this relayed account of abuse and murder. I felt that Shelly somewhat portrayed the characteristics of Hitler quite remarkably throughout, always having to have control of the situation and making other people carry out her dirty work. Dave was a useless man who had no spine. At the same account the only person who showed any courage to stand up to Shelly was Shane, and well, look what happened to him.
It was amazing to me how, throughout the girls account of their mothers actions, they all still loved her, with the exception of Nikki, but even that took a while for her to process, being that her mother was the devil. This made me question what the definition of being a mother was? And what it actually means to be a mother? That a child, later an adult, could have unconditional love for someone albeit something, who can take so much pleasure in a weaker persons pain, and be the root cause of this pain and torture, is beyond me. Although I'm not, nor have ever been in the sisters position, and hope I never will be, I'm not sure I could sit back and watch all of the gruesome acts be carried out, and be thankful that it wasn't happening to me. Which seemed to be a theme with the sisters when Kathy and Ron arrived, thinking they were walking into a home of friendship and love, but ending up taking severe beatings and given copious amount of drugs. This made them compliant to being a beaten slave, thus taking over the position and some of the brunt that the sisters were enduring.
This novel did its due diligence in causing outrage and fury that's for sure. But it did more than that- it made me question my own morals and what I would do if I was put in that home and that position.
Although a horrendous account of a true baffling story, it was a 5 star read. I couldn't put it down.
Thank you Gregg for bringing this story to my doorstep. And thank you to those who reviewed it which made me want to read it!

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Cassandra

Heartbreaking story

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 21, 2022

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I really don't know how to actually rate this book. The writing it self was good, however it was very repetitive. However the FACT that this was a TRUE STORY and REAL people went through this is very sickening and sad. The subject is VERY DISTURBING with VIOLENCE, and TORTURE.

Like I had said this book is based of a true story, all of this violence, torture, and child abuse does still happen. The abuse can happen to anyone, even the ones you would less suspect it.

It was very hard to read this book, and not be upset or angry with what your reading. Shelly showed signs early on in life that she was very "messed up/not right in the head/ something wrong with her." Shelly was very MANIPULATIVE person who had to CONTROL and TERROIZE alot of people.

Shelly got away with the abuse, Murder, torture for way to long. Shelly is definitely a psychopath!

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Renee' Clare

Disturbing

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on April 18, 2020

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I won't go into detail about the storyline of the book, as that is covered in the commentary in the kindle purchase.
There are 2 things that I want in a book. Firstly not wanting to put it down and secondly not wanting the book to end. The book met the first criterion but I couldn’t wait to finish it. There is no doubt it was well written but I didn’t enjoy reading the book. It was awful, degrading and shocking. I was angry that significant players did not protect the children including the Grandmother. It is astonishing that trauma can have such a profound affect on children. I am glad there was professional insight at the end to explain this to some degree.

6 people found this helpful

Ana Luisa A Abreu

Deveria ser proibido

Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on August 17, 2022

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Não sei como um livro com tantos detalhes gráficos do sofrimento imposto a crianças tão pequenas pode existir. Realmente sádico e doentio. Deveria existir uma lei para proibir esse tipo de coisa. Nojo desse livro!

3 people found this helpful

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Dylan W Hepworth

Oh Shelly, you evil moll

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on July 31, 2022

Verified Purchase

This was a disturbing look at a sadist and her numerous victims. The story is worth telling, if anything to keep Shelly behind bars for the rest of her life. You can’t fix what’s wrong with her and there will be other victims if she were loosed on society. I predict that in the future, we will be able to identify the genes monster’s like Shelly are born with. Routine testing will be able to identify any dark clouds on the horizon. An abortion will fix the rest.

One person found this helpful

Linda

A riveting and shocking story

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on October 3, 2020

Verified Purchase

It's very hard to believe that these events occurred in this family. But it does happen in many more homes than we know of.
I thought it was well written, with clearly defined time lines and progression through the lives of these poor children.
It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in overcoming such cruel hardship. But also shows how very hard it is for children to leave such a horrendous situation. They have nowhere to go, no-one to turn to, and incredibly they still love the adults who inflict these tortures.
It makes us aware that we should take more notice of signs that may make us think that all is not right with a child or a within a household, and seek further evidence to the contrary.

Rebecca Steinhardt

A story nightmares are made of

Reviewed in Australia 🇦🇺 on January 29, 2022

Verified Purchase

This book spoke to the heartbreaking conditions that 3 young girls faced growing up with a manipulative and abusive mother .

It terrifying to think what was happening behind those closed doors . I suspect that even still only a small portion of the real story has been told.

Things we take for granted growing up such as clean clothes, freedom to use necessary amenities, the security and love of our parents were foreign to these girls.

The fear would have been debilitating .

Whilst Shelly, the mother was busy putting on a facade the book shared a story of control, manipulation, deceit, abuse and murder.

This writing style for this account was easy to read , the content itself however was confronting .

3 people found this helpful

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