When author Erika Krouse was hired to be a private investigator for a law firm everything from her appearance to the way she spoke and carried herself was the reason she was hired. In “Tell Me Everything” (2022) Krouse was able to perfect her natural abilities to successfully convince her clients to confess, share and divulge personal information that was used in investigations, lawsuits, court trials, high profile criminal cases that received national and international publicity. Erika Krouse is a multi-award-winning writer and earned an MA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Colorado-Boulder, this is her third book.

Krouse began her long private investigation that involved alleged player rapes from a university football team. Football was “Capitalism on Steroids” with a University State budget of 19 million USD per year (2004-07). The elite, egotistical and entitlement culture of brotherhood among football players basically allowed the young men to do whatever they wished and (often) without consequences. Certain players committed acts of rape, assault, domestic violence, DUI’s involving alcohol and/or substance abuse and other unacceptable conduct. There were solid forces in place from sports assistants, coaches, university officials and personnel to law enforcement and the judicial system that covered-up misconduct, violations, citations and the dismissal of charges to ensure football scholarship requirements were met. If a female student dared to come forward to report player misconduct, she was likely threatened with loss of her own scholarship, silenced and dismissed.

It was particularly difficult for Krouse to investigate a case involving rape because of her own background of childhood sexual assault. The man who assaulted her was only identified as “X” and was married to her equally unfit and despicable mother. Krouse was forced to accept terribly hard truths of her family life as she became a highly skilled private investigator. Through painstaking interviews and hard work Krouse helped raise public awareness of college rape culture that fostered some changes in public policy--her efforts were also instrumental in winning justice for victims. This is a noteworthy and courageous book! **With thanks to Flatiron/Macmillan Books via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

Wow, what a great book! I had to keep reminding myself that this is non-fiction. It reads like a novel packed tight with extremely memorable characters, perfectly described scenery, and tense situations.
Shining a light into the darkness within collegiate sports, Tell Me Everything uncovers the truth about the evil going on behind the scenes of college football and other sports.
I can't recommend this one enough! LOVED IT!

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for this e arc of Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse.

Summary: " Part memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything is the mesmerizing story of a landmark sexual assault investigation and the female private investigator who helped crack it open." " Erika Krouse has one of those faces. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this,” people say, spilling confessions.... Erika knows she should turn the assignment down. Her own history with sexual violence makes it all too personal.... Erika must figure out how to help win the case without losing herself."

TW: Rape; this whole novel is about institutional rape culture and childhood sexual abuse. For me the book was difficult to read despite great writing.

This is a fast paved novel. Female private investigator, part memoir and part true crime.

This was a really good but difficult read. It’s a mix of memoir and true crime and I like both! So fascinating. The events described are upsetting and disappointing and ultimately not all that satisfying. But it’s a dose of reality that shows the messed up systems we have here in America.

On the personal side, I just couldn’t stand the author’s mother. I couldn’t believe her. I will never understand how anyone could say the things she said and do the things she did to anyone! Let alone your own daughter! Her behavior is abhorrent. I was infuriated while reading. Her 4 or 5 year old daughter(when she told her). How could she? Just.. how could she?! Unconscionable.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and the author for an uncorrected e-galley of Tell Me Everything in exchange for an honest review. I read it on my Kindle from 3/3/22 - 3/12/22.

This book is really good. If it wasn’t for my e-galley approval, I certainly would have purchased this from Book of the Month for March. As a criminal lawyer for my day job and an avid thrills, chills, and kills hobby reader in my free time, the description hooked me. It is different from the serial killer thrillers I normally indulge myself in, but it also shares some of the same themes that make fictional and true crime thrillers appealing: whodunit, accurate depiction of legal processes, justice, and the small glimmer of hope that the wrongs are somehow righted in the end.

What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it was a memoir and non-fiction, yes, but it was written as a story, a story centered about a major case, instead of a probably boring chronological re-cap of life as a PI. The book often shifted between side stories and details, like about the Colorado weather and the author’s personal life and hobbies, but that made a book about sexual assault more readable and enjoyable. It also provided good context.

I caught and noted a few grammatical errors in the uncorrected galley, but I am certain those would have been fixed prior to publication.

I am rating this book 4/5 stars. I enjoyed most parts and would recommend to others.

Thank you again for the opportunity to read and review!

Out March 15, 2022 [Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!]

Rating: 4.5/5 stars, rounding up!

Part true-crime, part memoir, TELL ME EVERYTHING is the story of Erika Krouse, whose work as a private investigator helped uncover a culture of systemic sexual abuse within a university football program. Krouse’s narrative weaves together both the investigation itself and the impact that the work and the case had on her as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this one, but whatever my expectations were, this book exceeded them. I will admit that I was left a bit uncertain about what to “take away” from the book as a whole, which is why I docked a half star, but there is undeniable beauty in a book that leaves some of its message open to interpretation.

Moreover, even if the ending could have been slightly neater, I really loved the entire rest of the journey. The writing was impeccable and deeply engaging, just novelistic enough to keep me captivated at all times and just journalistic enough to make me feel fully factually informed. Krouse’s personal story was also deftly intertwined with her investigative work and the case, adding layers that were heartbreaking but incredibly valuable to the narrative. And, as a lawyer myself, I appreciated Krouse’s layperson treatment of the law—including enough legal detail to inform readers while not turning this into a legal treatise, and avoiding the common trap of glorifying or romanticizing the law while still being evenhanded and fair.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, the case itself, while infuriating, is absolutely worthy of attention. This book isn’t an easy read, but it’s one of those books everyone should pick up.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: true crime; investigative journalism vibes; memoirs.

CW: Sexual assault/rape, child sexual abuse/pedophilia, mental health, suicidal thoughts.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest review</i>

<b>In this enthralling, eerie, true crime story, Erika Krouse talks about her experience as a P.I. as she navigates through a s*xual assault case.</b>

Erika Krouse is a P.I. And she is able to get anyone to tell her anything she wants. This is a skill that goes quite well for her. There's just something about her that makes people tell them whatever information she needs, without even knowing who she is. As she tries to work through a s*xual assault case at a university, the readers are insighted and brought with Krouse throughout her entire journey as the investigation and court case were happening.

I'm not an avid true crime nor nonfiction reader or in fact tv/movie watcher of it. But something about this was just so good. You just get sucked in by the first page and want to tag along the entire ride.

This book was both intriguing and yet heart-wrenching and empathetic simultaneously. I think that's what makes this so good. The fact that Erika Krouse, although her job is to be an investigator, is still a human who wants justice for these victims of assault and will tell the story for the people who can't in a way that is empathetic and informing about the case.

My heart goes out to the victims of this case, and I would also like to thank Erika Krouse for bringing this story to justice.

all in all: not my usual cup of tea but enjoyed deeply

4.25 stars

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

I don’t read much nonfiction, but I really enjoyed this. It was told more as like having a conversation with a friend. I found that to be extra helpful and it was very readable. Loved it!

‘Tell Me Everything’ by Erika Krouse is a fascinating piece of narrative nonfiction about her experiences as a private investigator working on a sexual assault lawsuit against a prominent college football team in the early 2000s. Major trigger warnings for this book as it covers multiple sexual assaults as part of the lawsuit against the university and the author’s own assault experiences as a child.

The book is part memoir, part investigative nonfiction and reminded me of ‘She Said’ or ‘Catch and Kill,’ but goes more into the author’s background and introspection. I especially found the information regarding reading people interesting. It’s curious to see how deep cover ups can go within institutions. It almost seems implausible that institutions will go so far to cover up scandals, but we have seen it time and time again. I especially loved the writing in ‘Tell Me Everything.’ Krouse is such a gifted author and storyteller. I listened to the audiobook, which was perfectly narrated by Gabra Zackman. She seemed to suit the author and tone of the book.

Thank you Flatiron Books / Macmillan Audio for providing this ebook / audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✨ Review ✨ Tell Me Everything: The Story of a Private Investigation by Erika Krouse
"Part memoir and part literary true crime, Tell Me Everything is the mesmerizing story of a landmark sexual assault investigation and the female private investigator who helped crack it open." This book follows Krouse's work as a PI that starts as a football recruiting weekend gone awry to uncover a larger culture of abuse and Title IX violations. Krouse blends this story with her own memoir of her life, her struggles, and her childhood abuse.

CW: Sexual and emotional abuse; sexual harassment; and rape run rampant throughout this story. Please feel free to DM if you need more info.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: Narrative Nonfiction; Memoir
Location: Colorado
Pub Date: March 15, 2022

I LOVEEEE Narrative Non-Fiction but almost never read it because it's so slow for me to read. I listened to the audiobook for this one though and was captivated - finishing in a little over 24 hours after I started, and audiobook narrative non-fiction is my new jam.

I really loved how she blended her own life stories and experiences learning to be a PI with her detailing of this civil rights case. It's horrifying to realize how recently this happened and how pervasive issues like this still are today. I thought she brilliantly raises chicken & egg type questions (are more aggressive men drawn toward football or do the injuries and football culture create aggressive men?) without speculating on the answer. There were also lots of fascinating and sad reflections about the impact on psychological and physical trauma on the brain and its processing/function.

This is undoubtedly a hard read as it's rife with abuse and systemic ignorance of these issues. Be prepared for this going in!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Narrative Non-Fiction
⭕️ Bad ass women investigators
⭕️ Learning more about systemic discrimination in academia and sports

Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, and #netgalley for a copy of this book!

This was a really difficult but enthralling read. It's also a stark reminder of just how much violence women face in this country every day. Krouse's writing is emotionally raw and engaging.

I highly recommend this book but make sure you're in a space to read about a lot of horrific sexual assault.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

The book was very interesting. Not my typical genre. Book was great.

This is two stories. The true story of multiple sexual assault cases involving a football team at a university in Colorado and the private investigators personal life involving her own sexual assault and processing of that.

Erika gets hired on a whim to investigate details into these stories that are being told. These true stories. Multiple women who were sexually assaulted, came forward, just to get fired and things brushed under the rug, repeatedly. Woman after woman.

As she dives deep into the case she can’t help but reflect on her own upbringing and abuse. It is hard for her at times. This book felt almost like a memoir of healing as she worked the job it also helped her process her own hurt and history.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the advanced e-copy of this book.

Publish date: March 15th

As a victim of campus sexual assault and childhood sexual assault, reading this book left me feeling empowered and understood and incredibly sad and how little we have learned since it happened to me. The author, a childhood sexual abuse survivor, takes on a role in the landmark title IX case at the University of Colorado Boulder campus in which women were sexually assaulted by football players and recruits and the whole corrupt system was exposed. I’ve always wondered about that case and reading this book felt like I shadowed the investigation as it was happening. This would be an excellent book club discussion choice - and one that should be in schools for older students to read and discuss. It’s powerful and we need to normalize talking about what happens to so many of us. Heartfelt thanks to Flatiron for the advanced copy.

Tell Me Everything by Erika Krouse is absolutely fantastic! I loved it so much, that when I got the list of options from the Book of the Month Club, I selected Tell Me Everything as my monthly book so that I could keep it on my shelves. Both a memoir and a true crime accounting, the book is absolutely unputdownable. Highly recommend!

I was so excited to dive into this book that had received so many great reviews on book sites but I wasn’t impressed with the writing style or premise.
I tried really hard to love it but found myself lost and rereading pages because nothing was making sense.

A suffocating but captivating read, "Tell Me Everything" tells the story of how the author got to be a private investigator of a major case with no experience beforehand.
Despise having really heavy topics, I couldn't put this down, the writing kept you hooked wanting to know what would happen next.
This was the reason as to why I didnt really mind the pacing but yeah, it was really slow but I also think that's the point, this was not an easy thing, case to go through.
To be honest, I had no idea what this book was about and requested solely for the cover and some words I saw in the description, so, the content surprised me, a lot. The author at first tells us everything that went through this huge case which was amazing to read since, yes, I do consume a lot of true crime stuff but I never got this much insight on how things actually are, looking back on the tv shows and movies I watched, they make it a lot more "simpler". And then, she recalls something that happened to her when she was a child, and how it impacts her to this day, how bad the relationship with her family is and how she treats herself for it. Even if I was hooked because of the true crime stuff, everything she wrote about her own life and feelings were really touching, really hard to read too since I can't believe how cold your own family can be but still, I appreciated this so much, the way she talked about trauma, how she described her emotions, so raw and profound.
Overall, an amazing read, didnt expect to love this as much as I did and I hope it gets the recognition it deserves !

“Tell Me Everything” is a non-fiction true-crime (names changed) memoir by Erika Krouse. I was so happy to have received an advance copy of this book because the description and cover grabbed my attention.

This was a difficult read - and by that I mean the subject matter. There’s not only the case at the college (for those that care, there’s an easily accessible timeline online about the case), but also Ms. Krouse examining her own sexual abuse. I found the information about how she fell into her PI job - along with how she gathered information - to be fascinating. I have to admit, I’ve never felt compelled to “just open up” to a person - maybe that’s my severe introversion and the fact that I’m guarded? I found the part about “tells” to be interesting too, as I’ve observed some but not to the degree Ms. Krouse has developed. Not having been in Ms. Krouse’s shoes regarding her relationship with her family, I found her wanting to have a relationship with her mother to be a difficult to understand. I could read Ms. Krouse’s reasons for wanting the relationship, but at the same time the things that worked so well for Ms. Krouse professionally as a PI seemed to have failed her when emotions were involved regarding her parent.

I’m glad that I read this book - in fact I’m really glad I did. I had heard about the case (though more surface level) and found the legal information (thanks for providing an explanation of different juries and cases, Ms. Krouse) informative. While I’ve read other true crime books, this one approached it not from the cop or reporter angle, which I found interestingly different. I found how Ms. Krouse wrote about those she interviewed - from Daisy to Ivy to King - treated fairly; she may not have liked them, but they were treated fairly. This book took a different take/side on the case, which I found enticing enough to do some online research - always a plus in my book.

Tell Me Everything from Erika Krouse
is part memoir and part true crime detailing an investigation into systemic sexual assault by a college football organization in Colorado. The writer tells her story of working with college victims of rape and in pursuit of justice the she inevitably relives her own haunted past .
This is an extremely well written and engaging book. I really admired the author’s brutally honest and candid telling of this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tell me everything by Erika krouse
⭐⭐⭐/5

Real talk. . Unpopular opinion. I didn't love this one as much as I thought I would. I love true crime. And the writing is absolutely beautiful. So why didn't I love this one enough to give 5 stars. I don't know . I guess I felt like although I was watching an episode of Law & Order SVU , the story just didn't seem to unfold fast enough. Call me impatient.
I devoured this one , each page hoping for more .

The topic is jaw dropping and a real issue, dubbed "the rapevine" A woman with no real training delves into the world of investigative discovery and entwines her real life trauma with the current systematic world of football teams and their seemingly disgusting behavior.
What you read will make you sad, And it will make you angry . Complete raw emotion, is whats best used to describe the feeling the writer has you overcome with .
Erika has a face strangers tell personal things to . Its why she feels shes best at what she does .
In the persuit of justice she inevitably relives her own haunted past . Making this more difficult for her to process. More personal. Igniting her need to hit them where it hurts .

Despite the sad reality of truth and the ( what I felt ) anticlimactic ending for all involved Erika seemingly overcomes her own demons. Thanks to the love of her husband, and her strong character that enables her to see recovery is possible and hope is around the corner.

Thank you @netgalley for the E copy of #tellmeeverything by #erikaKrouse

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