Cruel Deception

The True Story of Multiple Murder and Two Devastated Families (St. Martin's True Crime Library)

By: Gregg Olsen

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Gregg Olsen tells the whole shocking story of this true crime in Cruel Deception.

In and out of hospitals since birth, angelic nine-month-old Morgan Reid finally succumbed to what appeared to be sudden infant death syndrome. Morgan's Texas-born mother, Tanya, a nurse and devoted wife, pulled up stakes with her grieving husband, Jim, and moved on. It was the best way to put the past behind them. Until their son, Michael, a boy who by all accounts was terrified of his mother, began showing signs of the same affliction that stole the life of his baby sister....

First, the suspicion: Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Then, Tanya was charged and convicted with felony child abuse of her son. She was later tried and ultimately convicted for first degree murder of Morgan. It would become a landmark trial that unfolded in a series of reversals and bizarre twists of fate as it gradually revealed another side of Tanya Reid—of her own troubling childhood and the dark secrets that drove a woman to the cruelest deception of all....

©2022 Gregg Olsen (P)2022 Gregg Olsen

Munchausen

This is a great story of the beginning documentation of Munchausen in the U.S. Who would think a mother would do this to their own child? So sad.

Olsen and Pierce never disappoint

I would listen to Kevin Pierce read a takeout menu, and Gregg Olsen is rapidly becoming the best true-crime author imho. Can’t wait for another pairing of these guys. Bravo.

Why does the title say multiple murder?!

False advertising. Only one murder… story is compelling… hits all court fighting.. sad depressing story.

Captivating story!

I thought the story was incredible MSBP has always been of interest to me - I just don’t understand how a mother can cause that to their own child & then is able to convince her family & friends that she is not the cause of it.
Greg Olsen’s story was well written. I felt the. narrator was not very good - tone of voice was rather monotonous.

Sad story, well told

This was a heartbreaking story but very well told. The background of all involved right up to and after the trial was very interesting and informative.

Good story

Sad and confounding. Noting good comes from this tragedy.
Since so many of the people involved were women, would have preferred a female narrator. Voice depictions were off.

Quality; well-written crime story

I have listened to a few of Gregg Olsen's books before, but this may be his best! Unfolds naturally and evenly. He keeps back a secret from the reader, but teases us with it for a few chapters before revealing it, which I liked.
Jaw-dropping true crime story -- amazing that there are people like this -- both the twisted perpetrator and the doggedly determined district attorney!
The narrator, Kevin Pierce, does his usual impeccable job. He has the perfect voice, inflections, and pace for this genre.

Interesting read

Interesting and heartbreaking. How a mother can do this baffles my mind. I do hope her living children grew up happy and healthy.

Good reading, interesting story to follow closely

Was an interesting story so sad to k is it was real. Very detailed so need to follow closely. Was read well, very matter of factor though (almost like a Dateline episode but with more detail.)

Another Excellent Gregg Olsen Story

This one jumps around a bit but all comes together in the end. He doesn’t a great job of telling the non-main character stories too. Fascinating story.