2024 the best true crime books review

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(as of Dec 15, 2024 08:06:09 UTC - Details)

2021 Audie Award Nominee for Best Nonfiction Audiobook

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.

Reviewer: LatinaPhD.Abroad
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Haunting and Powerful True Crime Story
Review: Gregg Olsen’s “If You Tell” is a chilling, true crime narrative that delves into the disturbing and heartbreaking story of survival against unimaginable abuse. It’s an unsettling but gripping account that sheds light on the strength of the human spirit even in the darkest circumstances.Olsen does an excellent job presenting the facts of the Knotek family’s horrifying experiences while maintaining empathy for the survivors. The narrative is well-paced, allowing readers to process the shocking events while slowly unraveling the full extent of the abuse endured by Shelly Knotek’s daughters and others who fell victim to her cruelty. The fact that this is a true story makes it even more compelling and difficult to put down.What stood out to me was how Olsen captured the resilience of the Knotek sisters. Despite the trauma they endured, their courage and determination to survive and ultimately seek justice is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The book also raises important questions about family, trust, and how abuse can hide behind closed doors.While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy, Olsen’s writing is clear and direct, making the story accessible without sensationalizing the tragedy. For fans of true crime, “If You Tell” is a must-read—both deeply disturbing and a testament to the strength of survivors.

Reviewer: Noelia
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Enrage and sadness all at once - MUST READ
Review: Emotional Impact: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.

Reviewer: Cindy Stavropoulos
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Pure Evil
Review: I have read one other book that was about child abuse and viciously evil. This one ranks right along with it. I’m sure this book was so hard to write. Thank goodness there is a good ending for the sisters. It is hard to read but worth the read. So many people dropped the ball and ignored what was really going on. Shelly should have been committed long ago—-as a child. The signs were there at a very young age and look how many people she viciously hurt and killed.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Horrific True Events
Review: This is a true American horror story. The story is technically well written but the subject matter is so awful that reading this book until the end was onerous to say the least. This is not for the faint of heart.

Reviewer: jenntyson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Really heartbreaking
Review: This book is a great read. Although very heart wrenching, it is very detailed and well written. The awful things Michelle ''Shelly'' Knotek put her kids and two of her ''friends'' through is really unthinkable and monstrous. They suffer multiple physical as well as psycological and emotional abuse from a sadistic psycopathic monster. In this book, three sisters recount the horrendus memories of what they had to endure as well as watch others go through while their mother ''punished'' them. Their father all the while not really paying attention to what's going on even helps without question. Six lives ruined all because of one woman doing unthinkable acts upon the people she should care about the most. This is an amazing story of trauma and abuse, but also encouraging as the sisters so bravely do what needs to be done to survive their mother's horrible actions. I recommend this book 100%, I couldn't hardly put it down.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Difficult to believe, It's True!!
Review: At times, page turning and riveting, but I think the book could have been better edited! Repetition and some detail could have been omitted to shorten the story and better hold the reader's attention. It could have also included some of the police findings and trial snippets. It's also unclear whether charges were laid over Shane's death. I understand though, that it is the sister's story. I think that like me, many will be left shaking their heads over the depravity of those parents. This is no reflection on the author though - he has carefully woven a readable story on a timeline into a great framework, leaving us to wonder and quetion why these people weren't stopped sooner and if it occurred currently would it be discovered and arrested after the first death? Would technology, police training & protocols, public awareness, media, communications, social media, etc all make a big difference 40 years on?? Where might it have stopped? Kathy, Shane, Ron... The 3 daughters...

Reviewer: Allison Taylor
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Tough
Review: Some parts are really hard to read and digest, but it definitely gives you insight into a different type of life and makes you thankful for your own. The resiliency and determination of the daughters is admirable and I’m so happy they made it out.

Reviewer: Rob Milley
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I got this book for my girlfriend for Christmas. Here is her review.You couldnt get my nose out of it. I finished it in three days; I would have finished it in less time but I’m an adult and have work.Okay onto the review. Yes, listen to the other reviewers — it IS very morbid and Olsen doesn’t hold back on the details. Very detailed descriptions of the abuse and depravity these poor people endured. I’m a horror and true crime fan so I can handle it. If you’ll be uncomfortable by the sick details then I suggest you avoid this book.At the same time, this is a true story. A true story of a woman who tortured her own children, other family members, and even her friends. It’s difficult to think that there are people like this in this world, but there are. So for other reviewers who are shaming Olsen for the brutal details, I’m sorry but there’s no nicer way to describe what was done to these people.Shelly Knotek is a horrible person but Olsen still conveys the three sisters, Nikki, Sami, and Tori, as genuine human beings who survived Hell. They were not portrayed as victims; even though they endured terrible things in their adolescence, they grew closer and stronger as a result. With their courage, they took down their abusive mother.I have to mention Olsen, who was the best writer for this book. His writing is creative and you get a clear picture of everything. Yet, his creativity doesn’t take away from the survivors’ story.I also appreciate the last section from the psychologist. I read some other reviews before writing my own and some reviewers were shocked at how adults could let this happen. Unfortunately that’s what torture does to you. You become compliant and you lose a part of yourself. The psychologist briefly describes how one changes when they’re around insane people and it’s essential that we all understand the psychology behind these stories. Because of that, I suggest all readers take a look at this section first and I wish it was included at the beginning of the book and not the end.After reading this book, it makes me wonder if we can do anything to prevent this type of abuse. Until then, we can read books such as If You Tell, identify the warning signs of a psychopath, and stay vigilant.

Reviewer: linda n.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: This is an amazing insightful read I couldn't put it down. In the end the re!let of knowing the girls are happy was palpable.

Reviewer: Zelin M.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A dark story with horrific happenings. Wonderfully written; the details of the victims and abusers were justly done. I don't think it's overdone and too much gruesome details are mentioned. But I think it was needed so we can understand why the victims did what they did. However, I cannot come to terms with the kind and intensity of the abuse. I wish Shelly was given capital punishment for what she did. She truly deserved it.

Reviewer: Jesús Arenas
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: There are moments while you are reading the book when you wonder why the explicit cruelty with which the writer tells the story of the Knoteck family. There are paragraphs that are hard to read. It is just a true story worth reading.

Reviewer: In_full_bloom 🌷🌼🌺💐🌸🌹
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Après plus d’une décennie, quand les sœurs Nikki, Sami et Tori Knotek entendent le mot "maman", il griffe comme une griffe d’aigle, déclenchant des souvenirs qui ont été leur secret depuis l’enfance. Jusqu’à présent.Pendant des années, derrière les portes fermées de leur ferme à Raymond, dans l’État de Washington, leur mère sadique, Shelly, a soumis ses filles à des abus inimaginables, à la dégradation, à la torture et aux terreurs psychiques. À travers tout cela, Nikki, Sami et Tori ont développé un lien défiant qui les a rendus beaucoup moins vulnérables que ce que Shelly imaginait. Alors même que d’autres étaient entraînées dans la toile sombre et perverse de leur mère, les sœurs ont trouvé la force et le courage d’échapper à un cauchemar qui a culminé dans de multiples meurtres.Poignant et déchirant, "If You Tell" est l’histoire d’un survivant du mal absolu, et de la liberté et de la justice pour lesquelles Nikki, Sami et Tori ont risqué leur vie. Sœurs pour toujours, plus jamais victimes, elles ont trouvé une lumière dans l’obscurité qui a fait d’elles les femmes résilientes qu’elles sont aujourd’hui — aimantes, aimées et en mouvement. Livre très bien écrit par Gregg Olsen, auteur à succès du New-York Times qui avait déjà participé à l'écriture du fort bien documenté "If I can't have you", sur l'histoire de Susan Cox-Powell. D'un anglais facile, je recommande le livre et l'auteur.