Wow! I simply could not put this book down! Well written account of such a terrible true event.
Such horrifying accounts of the torture and pain that the Knotek sisters went through at the hands of their mother and father. I had never heard of this story before but found myself in shock and awe by what these girls went through.

#I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't read true crime in quite awhile but Gregg Olsen was always a favorite author. Mostly due to meticulous research with the ability to put out the facts and letting you draw your own conclusions. And for the instinct to pick out really interesting cases. This book is no different.

I found it ontensely scary and I was practically reading it by peaking through my fingers. This mother was a really scary person. Her ability to completely control people with simple mind control was amazing.

I would like to point out that a lot of people may assign some blame to the daughters and nephew for not calling police. But I don't think most of us know what it's like to be brought up in constant fear. Where fear is your normal yet you never stop hoping it will change. So I would suggest withholding judgement. I do blame the husband, however. He was a grown man and participated willingly. He had the physical strength to say no.

There is also the matter of the lack of justice and I do assign some blame to the police for the second death.

All in all a very distinctive book.

Outstanding telling of the ordeal centered around Shelly Knotek Who found joy in causing another’s pain. Time stood still for her daughters when their mother tortured her victims. Throughout the entire story and to this day, none of what happened was bad or Shelly’s fault. They made her do these things to them.

It’s amazing what happened went on for so long, and the inability to detect something was wrong. Too often we find comfort in believing things can’t possibly live up to our worst fears. I’m glad the daughters survived, and can move on.

Wonderful job presenting this story with respect.

This was not an easy read.

It details the horrors inflicted by Shelly Knotek on her kids, her friends and her family and is based on a true story.

The child abuse was in itself hard to read, but reading about the number of people that failed the kids, as well as Shelly's victims, Ron and Kathy including the police was infuriating. That no one noticed the abuse, the lies and the manipulation was maddening. Not to mention that the daughters themselves let this go on for so long and did nothing to prevent it, turning a blind eye to their cousin's murder as well as in the case of the older two their younger sisters torment. It just boggles my mind.

It kept me engrossed from beginning to end, although sometimes I just needed to take a break because of the content, but I wish it was written in more of a story style than a narrative as it made it a bit harder to engage with.

There were A LOT of details packed into this book, and I was worried it would be difficult to follow along, but the writing was descriptive, flowed well, and was so engaging that I couldn’t put it down!

It blows my mind that this story is based on real events. Shelly is literally the embodiment of my worst nightmare; the type of psychopath who can easily lure people in and bend them to her will. She is a perfect example of someone who should never have been a mother, yet she had three daughters of her own. What those girls experienced and had to witness throughout their childhood would haunt you for a lifetime. How they manage to survive is beyond me, but it just goes to show you the strength of the human spirit.

While not everyone who entered Shelly’s life made it out alive, her daughters made sure they received justice and weren’t forgotten.

While it was at times a difficult read and downright disturbing, it was eye opening and overall a great book. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3088143875

I received a free ARC of If You Tell from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Decades of child abuse with multiple victims, multiple murders. Readers might question how the horror experienced inside the Knotek household could have possibly been kept a secret. How does Shelley Knotek convince her husband and others to be cruel when they are victims themselves? Shelley, the mother of three girls, had a long history of financial deception and deceit that should have raised questions through the most basic of investigations. Such financial mismanagement is usually an easy sell to investigate. Yet she managed to talk her way out of every situation, big and small, to the point where she ruled her family and boarders with an absurd stew of terror and concern, unbelievable cruelty and professed love. If even overt financial malfeasance doesn't bring intervention then the hidden bruises, filthy clothing and bodies, and missing individuals don't stand a chance.

The three girls - Nikki, Sami, and Tori - are used to walking on eggshells around their volatile mother. Never knowing what would set her off, they are abused in ways that read like a horror novel. Their father/stepfather, Dave, follows Shelley's directions and participates in some of the most horrific abuse. Sleeping outside naked, having open sores scrubbed with bleach, restricted from bathroom facilities are just a few of Shelley's punishments. When boarders like their cousin Shane or misfits Kathy and Ray are brought into the household, there is a temporary reprieve while Shelley has a new target. Ironically, Shelley is perceived as a kind savior to these loners and their devotion to her is confusing as the level of violence toward them increases. Even her daughters express their love for her.

What this book most reveals, however, is the failure of law enforcement, social service groups, and educational systems to imagine the worse and ask questions. Even when authorities are notified of disappearances there is little done to thwart Shelley's demon-like behavior. Somehow, the three girls manage to keep their sanity and their love for each other.

This is not an easy read since the abuse and violence are clearly enumerated. But, perhaps, each of us has a responsibility to read someone's real nightmare so we can then recognize our responsibility to step up when we sense something is wrong.
#IfYouTell #NetGalley

Like many readers these days, I'm a big fan of true crime - there's something a little twisted about it, but it's a gripping genre. If You Tell is technically a true crime book, but it's off to me - it did not appeal to me in the way that many other favorites in the genre did. If You Tell is about Shelly Knotek, a narcissistic and truly evil woman who tortures, and terrorizes her three young daughters and three others who become her victims. She has an inexplicable way of dehumanizing and abusing her victims but keeping them mum, giving them just enough affection that they come back and never tell.

Here's what was missing for me.
(1) Although Olsen adopts a narrative format like many riveting true crime books - he tells the story of the evil Shelly Knotek from even before her birth - I don't think this is the right format for this story. There's no "origin story" for Shelly - she is evil to her core, and there's really no one event that made her who she is. She exhibits attention-seeking, pathological lying, violent behavior even at a young age, and it makes you as a reader even more frustrated that these issues couldn't have been eradicated from the beginning.

(2) It's an extremely depressing read with little redemption for anyone. For the first 40% or so of the book, it's nothing but an unrelenting litany of Shelly's evil acts, deception, violence - cruelty so unthinkable that it makes you sick to your stomach. I can't even convey how difficult this was to read. Although I understand the psychology of parental/familial abuse and the reasons that victims stay silent, it's nevertheless frustrating to read and infer the number of opportunities that Shelly's abuse could have been exposed - if not to police, then to a family member or teacher or any sort of trusted person.

(3) It lacks the "procedural" element that makes many true crime books riveting. In many works in the genre, the plot builds with a cat-and-mouse sort of game: the initial crime occurs, police start on a trail and keep discovering new leads, the perpetrator continues, with his/her crimes often escalating until they are caught. This book does not follow such a narrative - in terms of plot development, it is fairly flat until the end - and even then, the police are shown as incompetent even when faced with many accounts of abuse.

Overall, this book was tough to read because of how senseless and unceasing Shelly's violence was to anyone who would become her victim. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to her actions, only that it gave her pleasure to dehumanize and abuse those around her. It's frustrating that this went on for so many years without anyone finding out. Of course, I feel so sad for the Knotek daughters and all who were victims of Shelly's torture - I'm sure this will affect them for the rest of their lives. Prepare yourself to read some truly shocking accounts of violence and maternal abuse here - it's not easy to read.

While she may have sought to keep them apart, to control them forever, she underestimated the strength of their bond. Sisters forever. Victims no more.

A documentary of the Knotek family. Shelly and David Knotek whom they welcomed into their home 3 unsuspecting victims who were repeatedly brutalized and eventually killed. How did these three become victims? Why didn't their three daughters tell anyone of the abuse they saw and experienced first hand of their mother and father? What made their mother Shelly Knotek a monster and why did their father David Knotek do her bidding? A very disturbing read but one that tells the truth of how easy it is easy for one person as Shelly to victimize and manipulate those around her. This is account is not about judgment on the sisters part, but how their emotions turned into survival. How the cycle kept going of abuse and Shelly's need to control every aspect to keep her secrets. In Shelly's case, secrets kill, literally.

The author interviewed the sisters and David Knotek who is now released from jail and living quietly. The toxicity of his relationship with his wife is painful to read but important to understand as to not condone but to help those that fall into the trap of a toxic relationship. His wife will be out in 2022 and any attempt to interview her was met with excuses. The woman is in denial of any wrong doing.

If you tell is about fear. Running from fear to facing your fear.

A Special thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley, and Goodreads win for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read a copy of If You Tell.

Such a sad story of what these people went through and for how long it went on! Gregg Olsen kept me engaged in the book, wondering what craziness would be next.

I can count on one hand the number of true crime books that I have read in my lifetime. I read this by mistake. It was Greg Olsen and the description ( I only glanced and that was enough to interest me) sounded so crazy, so I just assumed fiction. Once I paid more attention, I was hooked. These poor girls!! That insane, evil Mother! I hated this book, but in a good way. I'm so glad the Knotek sisters are not only survivors but THRIVERS! This story is not for the faint of heart, even more so because it is true, but if you can, I recommend it.

Thank you #NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Gregg Olsen for this ARC!

The most disturbing true crime book since A Child Called It, If You Tell unravels the story of the Knotek sisters and the house of horrors that they grew up in. With an eye towards the psychology behind child abuse, this book follows the lengths that children will go to in order to survive. An easy read, this immersive book is perfect for fans of true crime!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my opinion.

Wow, this was a tough read. I went into this book somewhat blind. I was no where near prepared to read some of the things that I’ve read. I just don’t understand how someone could get away with doing such horrible things for so many years.
Although, hard to read at times, this story was compelling. There were times that I almost quit, but curiosity got the best of me. I wouldn’t suggest this book to any average reader, but I think that fans of true crime may enjoy it.

This is the first true crime book I have read and it was terrifying because you know the whole time that something so terrible really happened. I normally read mysteries and thrillers which obviously don’t have the same impact. I must admit that I also find it disturbing that one has already been released from prison and the main culprit is due to be released in a couple of years. Sometimes people commit the most horrible crimes and it’s hard to believe that they will soon be around you.
Dave and Shelley Knopek visited horror, torture and death upon at least three people while also torturing their three daughters.
This was a very hard book to read because of the subject matter and I can’t say I enjoyed reading it. At the same time there was never a point where I thought I would just stop reading.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a tragic story. I had never heard of this crime so all the information was new to me. I think this put me at a disadvantage because the author seemed to assume that the reader had some basic knowledge of the crime. The story was hard to follow, especially in the beginning, because the author jumped right in with the perpetrator's family and childhood. The crimes were brutal but for some reason that part of the book seemed to drag on. The author seemed to skip around and be repetitive at times. I think this is a fascinating story but could have been told in a better way.

4/5 stars for this true crime

This book reads more like a horror/thriller book than a nonfiction story. At different points in the book I had to remind myself that this was a true story. The parents in this book are truly awful. All kinds of trigger warnings for this book, if you're sensitive to those feel free to ask! It was very well written. Love the cover!
Will definitely be reading ore from the author

My goodness, this is not an easy read! Gregg Olsen did an outstanding job
of bringing this story to us! If this is the kind of book you like, it is a must-read!
It is so shocking how horrible she was to those girls.

Thank you so much, Gregg Olsen, NetGalley, and the Publisher for giving me the
chance to read this well-written book!

4 1/2 ⭐️‘s
A book that is NOT for the faint of heart. A story of horrifying abuse and murder. A book that I felt compelled to finish because I HAD to see evil brought to justice. Children that lived in abject fear and denial because it was easier. A small town that ignored the warning signs until it was too late. A story of manipulation, control, torture and pure evil, but also a story about sisters, their unbreakable bond and their unending love for each other. “Sisters forever. Victims no more.”

Thanks @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.
First i am going to put a disclaimer on here, this book is so very disturbing and horrifying i could not sleep after reading it. ( seriously, dont read at bed time and expect to fall into a gentle slumber i was up till 6am unable to sleep)
Secondly i will admit that when i started reading i was confused about the writing style as it seemed "off" for this author, then about 3/4 of the way through the book i realized i was reading TRUE CRIME. OMG. What is wrong with people. I read this whole book in one sitting i could not/would not put it down. There were moments i cried for the victims ( both the living ones and the dead). It is scary with all of the gruesome stories i read that the one that horrified me and sickened me the most was one that really happened and before i knew that i was thinking man this writer has gotten twisted. I mean his books are normally a little twisted and horrifying but this was so out of left field i couldnt get over it. The very worst of humanity is displayed in this book. It is so well written however you cant even comprehend that it isnt fiction. Absolutely brilliant piece of work, just...make sure your mentally able to comprehend this horror and move past it. And dont read it at midnight.

A shocking and heart-wrenching story of physical and emotional abuse which absolutely broke my heart. I cannot fathom what these sisters went through as children. Such a desperate situation in which they learned that the only way to keep safe from a monstrous mother who showed no mercy was to look the other way. How can a mother have such evil in her heart, coming up with so many different acts of horrendous cruelty, to not only her children but to other victims she brought into her home and tortured as well. How could a father and grandmother, teachers, neighbors and fellow students turn a blind eye to such a tragic situation or be so out of touch for so long. An incredible true story written by Gregg Olsen that has left a lasting impression.

*will post in additional online venues shortly.

I never read non fiction but I am glad I stumbled across this one. I read this in one setting. Even though it is 2 am I just couldn't put this down until the end. This was so horrible that it was difficult to read. It reminds me of another true crime book I read several years ago called Mother's Day. How a mother can do these horrific things to their own children is beyond comprehension. It seems that reality really is stranger than fiction. This is a great book but not for the faint of heart.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this astounding arc for my honest review.