If You Tell

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

By: Gregg Olsen

Narrated by: Karen Peakes

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.

Too Much

I couldn’t finish. It repeats the abuse over and over. After a while I just Googled to see what happened. The voices got annoying.

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.

Gruesome story. Kept reading but couldn’t wait for the end to come. Tortuous!

For it to end. Tortuous-reading. Used to be fascinated by true crime but now sickened by it. No more of this genre for me.

If child abuse is a trigger don’t read.

I couldn’t stop listening. It was intense from the minute it started.
But for those who are triggered by child abuse I would think twice about it.

Depressing

This books was so depressing, yet I couldn't stop listening because I wanted to see if Shelly got what was coming to her. How can anyone be so sadistic? Not a book to read to lift you up, that's for sure.

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.

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 ...

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.