![Amazon prime logo](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/marketing/prime/new_prime_logo_RGB_blue._CB426090081_.png)
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
-40% $9.59$9.59
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
Save with Used - Good
$9.11$9.11
FREE delivery August 20 - 23
Ships from: ZBK Wholesale Sold by: ZBK Wholesale
Learn more
1.27 mi | ASHBURN 20147
![Kindle app logo image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/kindle/app/kindle-app-logo._CB668847749_.png)
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood Paperback – December 1, 2019
![iphone with kindle app](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/G/01/kindle/dp/nfcx/PersistentWidget-Ruby-Large._CB485955431_.png)
Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.
View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.
Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.
Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.
Purchase options and add-ons
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 length429 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateDecember 1, 2019
- Dimensions5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-10154200523X
- ISBN-13978-1542005234
Frequently bought together
![If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/919DVbkT1NL._AC_UL116_SR116,116_.jpg)
Customers who bought this item also bought
- The Last Thing She Ever DidPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- Lying Next to MePaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- Keep It in the FamilyPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood, and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the WorldPaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- Never LiePaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- Local Woman Missing: A Novel of Domestic SuspensePaperbackFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Saturday, Aug 17
- It isn’t a mask that she wears to cover the past but an invisible badge of courage.Highlighted by 6,787 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 3,394 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 3,008 Kindle readers
- Grandma Anna, Shelly’s paternal grandmother, was just that kind of person too.Highlighted by 2,870 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 2,548 Kindle readers
Editorial Reviews
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 (December 1, 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 429 pages
- ISBN-10 : 154200523X
- ISBN-13 : 978-1542005234
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Videos
Videos for this product
0:58
Click to play video
Watch BEFORE you buy this book!!!!
Brooke & Isaac's Favorites
Videos for this product
1:10
Click to play video
Review Of True Story Crime If You Tell Book
Leigh Tucker
Videos for this product
0:46
Click to play video
chilling and I couldn't put it down, will read again
Shelby Reed
About the author
![Gregg Olsen](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/8dckjck14uv892rlcg524qen8i._SY600_.jpg)
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
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the plot well-written and insane. They also say the book is hard to put down and a study in coping, survival, and resilience. However, some find the stories repetitive. Opinions are mixed on the content, writing quality, pacing, and readability. Some find the content sobering and disturbing, while others say it's heartbreaking and hard to read.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the plot captivating, heartbreaking, riveting, and soul crushing. They also say the book is a study in survival, resilience, and coping. Customers also say that the bond of the sisters is beautiful.
"Emotional Impact:If You Tell is a harrowing true story that evokes deep feelings of rage and sadness...." Read more
"...And that’s unfortunate.The bond of the sisters was beautiful and I wish there was another book to discuss how they’ve managed through..." Read more
"...Bond of Sisterhood," this is a book that is simultaneously a rather brutal read yet also a remarkably compelling one."..." Read more
"...It was wild, upsetting, and realistic wording to imagine that lady did all that and she is still not caught. A must read I say." Read more
Customers find the book to be engaging, mentioning that it maintains their interest and attention through the terrible details. They also say it pulls them in from the start and keeps a good pace.
"...This book left me undone. It's a book that stays with you. I did need a pen as I read so I could mark out the profanity...." Read more
"...It is very well written and draws you in from the first chapter...." Read more
"This book kept me riveted from beginning to end...." Read more
"I enjoyed this book. Hooked me from the beginning. So sad and tragic for the kids. Glad they had each other for support. Finished it in 4-5 hours." Read more
Customers are mixed about the content. Some find the book written in a sobering and disturbing way, with intense details and short chapters. They say the true story told had them in tears, and is eye-opening. However, others say the book is heartbreaking, hard to read, and frustrating. They also say the depth of the abuse is horrendous and leaves its victims in st.
"...have criticized the writing for being repetitive and leaving questions unanswered, it's important to recognize the limitations the author faced...." Read more
"...This book is an amazing insight to how the brain can trick you into loving someone who would kill you and blame you for dying...." Read more
"...It was 350+ pages of torture, abuse, and manipulation...." Read more
"...I absolutely fell in love with the clear writing, intense details, short chapters, and breakdown of the story...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the writing quality. Some mention the book is well written, easy to follow, and one of the best books they've read in a while. Others say the story is hard to read and hard to follow at times.
"...Regardless of it all, this story was beautifully and carefully written and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrill/suspense but can..." Read more
"...It is an interesting but not easy book to read because I found the style of writing difficult to get into." Read more
"...It was wild, upsetting, and realistic wording to imagine that lady did all that and she is still not caught. A must read I say." Read more
"This book is so well written that it's horrifying...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the readability. Some mention the book is hard to put down, easy to devour, and unfolds excellently. Others say the content is hard, and it's hard to piece them together.
"...It was a bit much. Well written but hard to stomach at times." Read more
"Book was well-written, easy to follow. Short chapters keep you reading! The horrors are unimaginable. Happy ending. Glad the girls got out!" Read more
"A hard to put down book .So much awful actions by one person who wants to control everyone...." Read more
"Couldn’t put it down" Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book. Some find the writing easy to get lost in, while others say it's slow in the middle and hard to process what was read.
"...But it’s paced so well and the subject matter really hits home. Triggering for sure, but written in a way that makes it hard to put down...." Read more
"The story is very slow moving, but what do you expect from a true story! The horror stories in this book make you cringe...." Read more
"...This was well written, fast paced, and VERY disturbing." Read more
"...Shoot, it's hard to even process what was read...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the mature content. Some find the book evokes deep feelings of rage and sadness, while others say it has numerous triggers of abuse and is hard to read due to the horrendous behaviors of the parents.
"...Besides the sordid story, I felt that there was a lot of repetition in telling it." Read more
"...If You Tell is a harrowing true story that evokes deep feelings of rage and sadness...." Read more
"...This book was a no for me. This book contains domestic abuse so if that’s triggering , skip it." Read more
"...It's also a study in coping, survival and resilience." Read more
Customers find the stories repetitive and the middle chapters dragged out. They also say the book reads like a giant list of repeating information.
"...I found myself bored with the story despite the degree of horror experienced by each of the children who survived their mother’s monstrous abuse...." Read more
"I finished this book in one day. It is a very twisted book...." Read more
"This is a crazy story and even worse that it’s a true story. My first audio book. I just wanted to keep listening to see what was going to happen" Read more
"This was so good I read it twice. The story is hard to digest but the story of survival kept me reading. Very well written." Read more
Reviews with images
![Psychotic, torturing, manipulative behavior- Very well written!](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/transparent-pixel._V192234675_.gif)
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
If You Tell is a harrowing true story that evokes deep feelings of rage and sadness. The narrative is both heartbreaking and frustrating, making it a challenging read. It's one of the most disturbing stories I've encountered, and it left a profound emotional impact.
Story vs. Writing:
The book's strength lies in its true story, which is one of unimaginable cruelty and resilience. While some readers have criticized the writing for being repetitive and leaving questions unanswered, it's important to recognize the limitations the author faced. The lack of complete answers reflects the reality that even the survivors—the sisters—may not fully understand the events or motivations behind them.
Criticisms and Perspectives:
Many reviews focus on the desire to understand the "why" behind Shelly's actions and the lack of earlier intervention by authorities. However, the book is not intended to provide all the answers. Instead, it serves to shed light on the sisters' survival and the horrific experiences they endured.
Conclusion:
While some readers may find the storytelling frustrating due to unanswered questions, If You Tell effectively conveys the unimaginable horror faced by the sisters. It isn't about solving a mystery but rather about bearing witness to their story of survival and resilience.
I’m baffled beyond words! I love me a great written psychotic thriller and oh my goodness, this definitely was it. The fact that it is a true story made it feel more depressing that people actually had to live and die through this type of abuse.
I absolutely fell in love with the clear writing, intense details, short chapters, and breakdown of the story. And as great of a thrill and suspense it was, in the back of my mind, I kept remembering that this really did happen.
Without too many spoilers, what I didn’t like and it is no fault to Gregg Olsen, was the outcome of Shelly. Such a horrific and terrible person and she barely got the karma she deserved! I was expecting the lowest and worst for her and she pretty much went Scot free. In my opinion, she deserved life in jail and/or death penalty.
I do question how she was able to get away with everything despite having neighbors, authorities, and people in her surrounding. I think it’s one of those true crime stories where unfortunately, there’s not always a satisfying ending for the abuser. And that’s unfortunate.
The bond of the sisters was beautiful and I wish there was another book to discuss how they’ve managed through their adult lives after living such a dark childhood.
Regardless of it all, this story was beautifully and carefully written and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrill/suspense but can also stomach stories of long term psychotic and dark abuse.
![Customer image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/transparent-pixel._V192234675_.gif)
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
I’m baffled beyond words! I love me a great written psychotic thriller and oh my goodness, this definitely was it. The fact that it is a true story made it feel more depressing that people actually had to live and die through this type of abuse.
I absolutely fell in love with the clear writing, intense details, short chapters, and breakdown of the story. And as great of a thrill and suspense it was, in the back of my mind, I kept remembering that this really did happen.
Without too many spoilers, what I didn’t like and it is no fault to Gregg Olsen, was the outcome of Shelly. Such a horrific and terrible person and she barely got the karma she deserved! I was expecting the lowest and worst for her and she pretty much went Scot free. In my opinion, she deserved life in jail and/or death penalty.
I do question how she was able to get away with everything despite having neighbors, authorities, and people in her surrounding. I think it’s one of those true crime stories where unfortunately, there’s not always a satisfying ending for the abuser. And that’s unfortunate.
The bond of the sisters was beautiful and I wish there was another book to discuss how they’ve managed through their adult lives after living such a dark childhood.
Regardless of it all, this story was beautifully and carefully written and I absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrill/suspense but can also stomach stories of long term psychotic and dark abuse.
![Customer image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ffCx6JZ2L._SY88.jpg)
"If You Tell" is based upon the true story of an almost unfathomably abusive family led by the iron first of Shelly Knotek, a domineering woman whose abusive ways seemingly have no explanation yet whose ways are inflicted upon nearly everyone who crosses her path including boyfriends, husbands, her three children (Nikki, Sami, and Tori), and some misguided souls who unfortunately cross her path and pay the ultimate price.
"If You Tell" goes into detail, brutally so, regarding the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of the three children and the impact it had on their inability to end the cycle until lives had been lost including those of at least two boarders. "If You Tell" also provides remarkable detail regarding these crimes, as well.
This isn't a book for the timid reader. Best-selling author Gregg Olsen doesn't shy away from the brutality of this household and these crimes. A good majority of the book is centered around these actions, while only a brief section in the beginning goes into Shelly's early years and an even more brief section at the end goes into the post-conviction lives of the three girls who seemingly have managed to build normal lives despite childhoods that were anything but normal.
Several of the reviews have commented with disbelief regarding the actions, an understandable and even refreshing response given one would like to believe that everything that unfolds in "If You Tell" is the exception and not the rule. It's difficult to fathom a parent being this brutal to so many people and so many people for so many years simply not reporting it.
While we could spend days discussing the cycle of trauma that helps to explain the lack of reporting, to a healthy heart and mind it's simply difficult to believe.
In some ways, "If You Tell" reminded me of one of Indiana's most famous homicide cases - that of Sylvia Likens in 1965 when a young teenager who'd been staying with a neighbor while her parents were traveling with a circus ended up being brutally assaulted/murdered by the mother, her daughter, and several neighborhood children. The same kind of questions arose to the surface - "How could a family do such things?," "How could children be involved?," and "How did no one notice until it was too late?"
While it's important to note that the children were not involved, other than simply being aware of it and being too terrified to report it and being under a sort of authoritarian spell by a mother who could justify anything, the dynamics are very similar in the stories.
If there's a beef I have with the book, and there is, it's that Olsen focuses so much energy on detailing the brutality yet does a relatively weak job of setting up the characters in the story and an even weaker job in providing a satisfying ending. Without giving the ending away, there's so many possible ways to explore questions, pending issues, and possible conflicts that aren't that far off in the future that "If You Tell" feels incomplete and, in the end, feels like it's exploiting the story and its subjects.
While there's a possible reason to document the stories so brutally, and as someone who has written a book myself from the perspective of being a survivor, it's ultimately the structure of the book that I find insufficient as I wanted more about the lives of the three sisters and how they are ultimately preparing for the future. There is reference to the relationship with the father, but it's practically an afterthought.
While "If You Tell" is far from a weak book, it's ultimately a book that sells the drama more than tells the story. The survivors deserved much more than that.
Top reviews from other countries
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/default._CR0,0,1024,1024_SX48_.png)
![](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/d4a42e5d-ec04-42a9-8f9a-22579703ba55._CR0,0,540,540_SX48_.jpg)
An unbreakable bond between sisters.
Certain parts made me cry.
![](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/default._CR0,0,1024,1024_SX48_.png)
![](https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/default._CR0,0,1024,1024_SX48_.png)
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/abed6cf4-385d-4f83-9792-da988b0dab4e._CR0,0,374,374_SX48_.jpg)
![Customer image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/transparent-pixel._V192234675_.gif)
![](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/amazon-avatars-global/abed6cf4-385d-4f83-9792-da988b0dab4e._CR0,0,374,374_SX48_.jpg)
Reviewed in Mexico on February 23, 2021
![Customer image](https://cdn.statically.io/img/m.media-amazon.com/images/I/816+R0RbQ7L._SY88.jpg)