I'm still not a fan of true crime. If you like this type of book than you will love this story, it just wasn't for me.

This is a very well written true crime novel. I knew nothing about the Stutzman’s, an Amish family that lived in Ohio. The author has an extensive knowledge of them, having previously written 2 other books about them. One book on the murder of their young son. Another book written about the father charged with his murder. And now this, The Amish Wife. The story of Ida Stutzman, wife and mother. Mr. Olsen presents the facts behind her death and the crime that was never solved.

I remember reading the story of Little Boy Blue, and knowing it could have been prevented had Eli been convinced of his wife's murder is unfathomable. I found this to be a very interesting and sad read, and I learned a few things about the Amish I hadn't known before. I grew up a short distance from the Amish community in Arthur, IL, not far from Chesterfield, where there is the legend of an Amish witch's grave under a tree. My curiosity and love of true crime made me really enjoy this book, although the ending is absolutely infuriating for everyone. It just goes to show how far people will go to protect their own.

Thank you to ‎Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this ARC of Amish Wife.

I had difficulty getting into this story although the premise is fascinating. I respect the research that went into this but this book just wasn’t for me (and that’s okay!)

I live this author and have read almost all that he has written and am never disappointed. I enjoy reading true crime books and The Amish Wife was an interesting case and the author obviously cared about this storyand spent alot of time getting insights from the people who knew both the victim and the perpetrator, it is a disturbing and sad story but it needed to be told. Thank you to tge publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book

The book was too slow and took a long time to get where it needed to. It was confusing at times, especially with dialog and I had to reread several times to understand.

Gregg Olsen does some non fiction books and this is just his latest. In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s report said it was natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. Eli eventually leaves his faith and takes his son, Danny, with him. Danny ends up dying.

What really happened to Ida? The questions haunted Gregg Olsen and Ida’s brother Daniel Gingerich for decades. At Daniel’s urging, Olsen now returns to Amish Country and to Eli’s crimes first exposed in Olsen’s Abandoned Prayers, one of which has remained a mystery until now. With the help of aging witnesses and long-buried letters, Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth about Ida’s murder. I enjoyed this book for the most part but it was a little slow in areas.

I never heard of this case and it really was heartbreaking. It was obvious that the author was very passionate about this murder and it came through in the writing. I think the author may have put himself too much into the novel and not focused enough on Ida. I needed to get a better sense of who she was. The book dragged a bit, but the climax was done well.

"The Amish Wife" by Gregg Olsen is an intriguing and thought-provoking true crime novel that delves deep into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Ida Stutzman. Olsen's meticulous research and attention to detail provide a comprehensive look at the events leading up to Ida's tragic demise and the aftermath that unfolded in its wake.
As a fan of Gregg Olsen's fiction suspense titles, I was eager to explore his venture into the true crime genre. While the book was well-written and engaging, I found it lengthy and overly detailed at times. The focus on the character of Ida's husband, Eli Stutzman, as the primary suspect in her murder, was both fascinating and chilling.
The narrative was compelling, but I wished for more insight into Ida herself and less into her murderer. The abundance of characters and their relationships made it challenging to keep track of everyone, adding to the confusion. Additionally, I was unaware that this book was a sequel, which may have contributed to my initial disorientation.
Despite these minor drawbacks, "The Amish Wife" captivated me until the end. Olsen's exploration of the conspiracy of silence and secrets that shrouded Ida's murder for decades was both haunting and eye-opening.

I found this book extremely hard to follow - so much so that I only got through about 45%. Perhaps that would be different if I’d read the prior book, for which “plugs” are abundant. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy.

I will read anything agrees Olsen writes. He has a way of drawing you into stories that make you feel like you are part of the crime scene. His books sometimes feel like listening to a crime podcast but that’s not a bad thing. Overall another great piece!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨
The Amish Wife

✨ I probably would have liked this more if I read its preceding book, Abandoned Prayers.

✨ I have seen other people say that this book was written as an excuse to drum up interest sell more of the original Abandoned Prayers book, but I prefer to be less cynical than that. I think this is one of those times where the investigator (the author, Gregg Olson) was bothered by unfinished business related to a cold case that he had an obsession to follow and learn more about. Perhaps he wanted to tie his own bow on the investigation.

✨Considering so much time has passed since the murders were committed that this book talks about; so many of his important witnesses and leads were no longer living, so I had are moments of frustration when chapter after chapter kept ending with “but they died in 20XX”

✨The story is straightforward and typical true crime. The events being investigated happened quite some time ago and *slight spoiler* the alleged perpetrator has been dead for some time, so it doesn’t have the same feeling of “justice can be served” as some more recent true crime stories.

✨ The deep dive into the Amish community is definitely interesting and enlightening and sets an interesting stage for the crime(s) being investigated.

✨ Gets pretty dark (no surprise for true crime or Mr. Olson), but there are some pretty serious trigger warnings for violence, murder, suicide, child abuse, child SA/pedophilia, grooming, and others I’ve probably missed.

✨ This really made me think about how even in the most moral and upstanding societies, there can be real psychopaths who take advantage of kindness and naïveté to further their own motives.

✨ Speaking of psychopaths, the chapter on Dahmer just felt like filler and I’m not sure of its purpose.

✨ Props for the Moira Rose in The Crows Have Eyes II and the Weird Al Amish Paradise references though! 🤣🤣

✨ I would still recommend this for those who like to solve old cold cases! Or had read Abandoned Prayers and want to revisit the crimes of Eli Stutzman.

This was such an interesting read! I haven't read Abandoned Prayers yet but it was already on my list of books to read in 2024 and now it is a priority.

I was really invested in learning about Ida's case and hearing all the different Amish and English perspectives on her life. It was interesting to see the connections from the 90's and how their feelings or stories have opened as the case has been stagnant for 30+ years. It was definitely frustrating to realize how a small handful of men could ruin the lives of so many people both inside one family and in many others.

I do have a lot of respect for the strict, dedicated life that Amish people leave. So it was really cool to have so many inside views from current and former Amish.

Once again I just have to say I appreciate the detailed research that both Gregg Olsen and Robin did to creat this in depth dive into Ida and Eli's life.

True crime is always an interesting read for me. This was even more interesting as it relates to the Amish and a family who were doomed from the start. The wife IDs and son Danny didn’t realize they were connected with what many would call a monster. Being of the Amish faith they wanted to see the good in everyone. However, evil lurks everywhere.

I have read a couple of Gregg Olsen fiction suspense titles that I really enjoyed. This one, true crime, one of his other genres, was quite different. This wasn’t an investigation or narrative of the crime, but more a character study of the murdered woman’s husband, her killer. I expected more narrative and drama, and the book felt awfully long as well.

This is the first book I've read from Gregg Olsen. I enjoyed it but I'm not usually a suspense reader. I will watch for more book by this author. Thank you for the chance to read your book

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the read.

This was……interesting. I think I needed to read the previous novel “Abandoned Prayers” for a richer storyline. Lots of names to keep straight. It truly was a good book just needed something more/different.
I’ll read the first book and return to this review

3/5 ⭐️

The synopsis drew me in, especially as an Ohioan with Amish clients. This was written so differently than Gregg Olsen’s previous true crime book, If You Tell. I only made it to 37%. It felt like it just went from interview to interview, more about Olsen’s process and opinions. It was very detailed of day to day talking to people. Have to give him credit for all of the time and dedication he put into it but I was hoping to read more about the wife, the community, etc. There just wasn’t enough to keep me interested.

Thank you @GreggOlsen, @Thomas&Mercer and @NetGalley for a free e-ARC. The opinions are mine alone and not biased in any way.

I did not enjoy this book. I felt like it was a lot of rambling and did not present a cohesive digestible narrative. Many sentences were long and confusing and descriptions of characters were jumbled. The Amish community was portrayed in a very bad light.

This was my first book by this author. This book was very detailed and comprehensive. While I enjoyed this novel, it seemed long and over-detailed. I was also confused by all of the characters’ names, and it was hard to keep up. I also would have liked more about the wife and slightly less about her murderer. I wish I would’ve known this was a sequel. Maybe that would have helped to cut down on the confusion for me. I plan to try another book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.