If I Can't Have You

Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children

By: Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris

Narrated by: Laural Merlington, Kevin Pierce

Best-selling author Gregg Olsen and co-author Rebecca Morris investigate one of the 21st Century's most puzzling disappearances and how it resulted in the murder of two children by their father.

Every once in a great while a genuine murder mystery unfolds before the eyes of the American public. The tragic story of Susan Powell and her murdered boys, Charlie and Braden, is the only case that rivals the Jon Benet Ramsey saga in the annals of true crime. When the pretty, blonde Utah mother went missing in December of 2009 the media was swept up in the story - with lenses and microphones trained on Susan's husband, Josh. He said he had no idea what happened to his young wife, and that he and the boys had been camping in the middle of a snowstorm.

Over the next three years bombshell by bombshell, the story would reveal more shocking secrets. Josh's father, Steve, who was sexually obsessed with Susan, would ultimately be convicted of unspeakable perversion. Josh's brother, Michael, would commit suicide. And in the most stunning event of them all, Josh Powell would murder his two little boys and kill himself with brutality beyond belief.

©2014 gregg olsen and rebecca morris (P)2014 gregg olsen

Hard to Believe People Can Be This Horrible

This is one of those books that you wish was fiction.

There are so many despicable characters in this narrative. Just when you think it can't get any worse, something or someone else appears.

There is noticeable generational dysfunction, which is sad. Many lives destroyed, while nobody getting any kind of help. Susan and her children were the ultimate victims, but her parents are right behind them. I felt so horribly bad for them.

The husband's oldest sister is to be commended for standing by Susan's family. It had to be very hard for her but her courage to do the right thing makes one believe in the goodness of people, especially as she came from a very dysfunctional and horrible family.

Susan''s husband was a monster, but so was his Dad. Since they still don't know what happened to her we are left to wonder who did what to her.

Excellent true crime writing but a heart-wrenching listen.

5 stars

Fascinating

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was so well written and performed. Such a horrifying event by evil people. Hard to comprehend that this really happened and that the crime was never fully solved. It's so apparent who murdered Susan, yet he was never charged. The male story teller is absolutely excellent and he pulls you into the story completely (I didn't think the female voice matched the character of Susan at all).

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this in two sittings on a road trip. The time flew by and the book constantly held our interest. There were no slow or boring parts. We just kept shaking our heads in disbelief as the details unfold.

Mesmerizing

I remember this case when it happened the narrator pierce is a favorite of mine and Gregg is an amazing author ! Masterpiece

Gripping, horrifying story.

If you could sum up If I Can't Have You: in three words, what would they be?

Monsters among us.

What was one of the most memorable moments of If I Can't Have You:?

Can't say much without a big spoiler. It was the last supervised visitation Joshua had with his sons. Most horrific scene ever, and it was real.

What does Laural Merlington and Kevin Pierce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

They both had smooth styles, evenly paced, no overacting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no. I did not know ahead of time how this tale would progress. A great deal of tension builds along the way. Some short breaks from the story were helpful. But I kept coming back to it rather quickly, as I was anxious to find out what happened next.

Any additional comments?

In a sense, this story isn't over. But to explain that remark, I'd really be piling on the spoilers. If you are interested in true crime stories, this one won't disappoint, except for the non-closure I mentioned. But that doesn't ruin the book. Life isn't tidy, obviously.

Sad

The book is well written, the performance is fantastic (always is with Kevin Pierce, Laural does a great job as well) the story is just incredibly sad and most likely the ending could have been avoided.