If You Tell

A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

By: Gregg Olsen

Narrated by: Karen Peakes

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2019 Gregg Olsen. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Peakes's performance sucks the listener into the scenes of abuse, torture, sadism, and, eventually, murder committed by Shelly.... Peakes's narration is compelling." --AudioFile Magazine

"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

Much too long!!!

This is an interesting story but entirely too long!! Such a sad story that the sadness is overwhelming. This could have been told in half of the time. I was only waiting for the end for the villain to get caught.

Interesting story, choppy text

The story itself is interesting. I wanted to know what happened next, what happened to the victims and perpetrators. It was poorly written though, very choppy. The author could have done a better job telling this tale. There are unanswered questions, details missed. Overall 3.5 stars.

Great Story & Narration

Riveting story that had my jaw dropping at each chapter. The storyline kept me engaged that I couldn’t stop listening to it. The narrator did a great job changing her voice and tone of each character. Sometimes that can get confusing for a reader, but this was done so well. Highly recommended.

Scary but compelling. Such satisfaction when this monster is caught.

Be ready to be disturbed. This book made me very upset, although I couldn’t stop listening. Narrator is fabulous.

Disturbing but Brings Awareness

I disliked how sad this book made me but I couldn’t stop listening to it on my 12.5 hour drive. It was disturbing and really makes you realize how lucky in life you are. These people I feel such heartache for. It’s unacceptable and disgusting; Shelly is a product of hell and is literally sent by the devil. It’s terrifying.

If you tell

this book kept my interest but not having lead their life in not sure how I can judge it but it seems that much of it does not make sense ...

Captured my time

This was a story I knew of before I read it. Excellent material put in a book that was so interesting I couldn’t put it down. I would recommend this to anyone who lives in the Raymond pacific county and grays harbor county.

Awful

I had to take a break from listening as the crime was horrendous. Well written book, although Shane hiding the pictures seemed to replay in a few spots, possibly as a reminder when it went into later detail. This books leaves you wanting to have some words with the murderers and shines a light on the fact that if you have nobody else and have been isolated - this could happen to you. Your psyche and body could be broken down so much that eventually there is no escape. I can only imagine the manipulations and games Shelly had going on in prison. I bet every officer there knows her. It is too bad law enforcement didn’t intervene sooner.

Same old same old

Good story line however it went on to long with little variations to the scenarios

A truth that took guts to tell.👏

Wow!👏 I'm shocked, appalled, and, stunned. Hard to believe, but believe , I definitely do.