This book was slow for me and I could not get myself into it. I thought It would pick up, but unfortunately it did not wow me.

The Amish Wife by G. Olsen, published by Thomas & Mercer, is a stand alone novel.
Telling the story of Danny and Ida, husband and wife.
The book investigates the death of Ida and the husband who may or may not get away with it. An interesting read that had me confused at times due to the huge amount of characters and names that was thrown my way. All in all an ok read, 3,75 stars.

I have a love/hate relationship with true crime. I’m fascinated by it, and yet it horrifies me. So I’ll be all into reading about a crime, then feel sick and swear off similar books…until another case catches my eye. It’s weird, I know.

The case of Ida Stutzman caught my eye. I’d of course heard of author Gregg Olsen—I read his book about Susan Powell a few years back (talk about horrifying) entitled “If I Can’t Have You”. So I thought I’d read his latest, and here we are.

Olsen (along with his assistant Robbin) is a master at gathering research, tracking down documents and eliciting new information from key players, there’s no doubt about that. Heck, he even pulled a page from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and paid $5000 in the hopes of getting more leads. I fully respect the man.

I am glad that Ida Stutzman’s case is being brought up and called out for the absolutely corrupt coverup that it was. It’s so important to name names, even over 45 years later. Eli Stutzman was pure evil. If he opened his mouth to speak, it was to tell an elaborate fabrication, and chances are high that he came to believe his own lies. He left a trail of murder and mayhem as he traveled west, and if he’d been convicted of his wife’s glaringly obvious murder in 1977, at least five more people would be alive today (including his own son Danny, who lived a short life of unimaginable horrors).

However, and here’s where the honest part of my feedback comes in…there’s just not enough new material here to justify an entire novel. There are a few bombshells interspersed throughout, some new insights that he’s able to uncover, but nowhere near enough additional information to warrant a whole book. Olsen repeats himself often, and, as a result, the book definitely could be tedious at times. It just would have been better as a novella, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars, rounded up because, again, I respect the author and what he’s trying to accomplish here.


Trigger warning: There is some *Graphic* content in here, with a capital G. The parts that broke me were about Danny, who became known as “Little Boy Blue” to the world in 1985. I do believe that God is the ultimate judge, and I shudder to think what is in store for Eli Stutzman, even if we’re *only* talking about his treatment of that precious, innocent child. I will never read this book again. It’s too disturbing, ESPECIALLY if you’re a parent. I cannot dwell on this subject anymore.

Gregg Olsen never dissapoints!!

Book was interesting and keeps you up late to find out what happens. I will purchase anything the author writes!!

Always recommend his books

Thanks NetGalley for letting Me read and review

Gregg Olsen is an outstanding writer. His dialogue, character development, and narrative are natural and easy to follow. He keeps the suspense going and you never know how the ending will play out. It was fascinating to see the Amish way portrayed and quite shocking in some instances.

Gregg Olsen is one of my all time.favorite authors. He has a way of story telling that keeps you engaged and wanting more, even if the stories are horrid and heartbreaking. He puts a ton of research into these books and keeps the victims in light as well.

I was initially excited to receive this ARC because I had heard such good things about "If You Tell", needless to say I was a little disappointed and I feel like this book didn't live up to its potential.
It ventures into the heart of a decades-old mystery in an Ohio Amish community, where the tragic death of Ida Stutzman during a barn fire raises unsettling questions about her husband, Eli, and the circumstances surrounding her demise. Olsen revisits the case, shedding light on the dubious details that surrounded her death. The narrative explores the aftermath of the tragedy, particularly Eli's departure from the Amish faith, taking his son with him, and the subsequent trail of death that follows. It feel short for me due to the narrative that just felt repetitive and drawn out. The pacing was also very slow, due to the meticulous reconstruction of events that took place.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

A murder in an Amish community sounds like an compelling premise for a true crime book, and it was interesting to delve into an Amish community and its people and how reluctant they are to 'gossip' about people from years ago. It was frustrating throughout, and I think purposefully, that people were still reluctant to talk about Ida and Eli and that many weren't interested at all in finding out the truth.

However I feel like this book dragged on, a lot of the book felt like it was the author talking about his life and his travels back and forth from Ohio extensively rather than actually discussing the death of Ida Stutzman. The author states at one point that the book isn't about solving Ida's death but instead about the cover up of her death by the authorities and other various people. About 1/3 of the way into the book it was established that Ida's death was not looked into properly, she didn't even have an autopsy, and by the end of the book the question of whether it was poor work by the authorities or a cover up isn't even answered.

The bare facts of the case, which weren't a lot and varied based on the tiny amount of information people would give, kept getting repeated. All the interviews started to sound the same throughout so it felt like you weren't getting any new information. I found myself skimming towards the end as it felt like I was just reading the same chapter repeatedly.

A true crime account of a pregnant Amish woman killed in 1977. Although an interesting story, I did find it dragged a bit at times. Might just be me. Otherwise, would recommend.

The Amish Wife by Gregg Olsen is a historical true-crime account of a pregnant Amish woman who died suspiciously in 1977. The book claims to unravel the lies, secrets, and conspiracy that let a killer go free, but it fails to deliver on its promise. The book is a slow burn that drags on for too long, with too many irrelevant details and repetitive information. The author does not provide enough evidence or analysis to support his conclusions, and the narrative is often confusing and contradictory. The book does not offer a satisfying resolution or justice for the victim, and it leaves many questions unanswered. The book may appeal to some readers who are interested in Amish life and culture, but it is not a compelling or engaging read. I would give it 2 out of 5 stars.

This true crime book is the second book Gregg Olsen has written about Eli Stutzman and his life of crime which began with the murder of his wife Ida. The first book 'Abandoned Prayers', examined the case of Little Boy Blue which he wrote in the 1980's. Stutzman had murdered and abandoned his son Danny in a ditch on Christmas Eve, and the boy had not been identified for years. In this second book, Olsen revisits Little Boy Blue, and also makes a strong case that Ida had not died in a barn fire, but had been killed by her husband Eli.
Good read!

A brilliant novel for those who are interested in true crime or mystery novels. My first nonfiction true crime novel in years as the reality of evil is often too much for me. This book did not have that effect and told an interesting story about Amish culture and a murder to be solved. Olsen has empathy and passion when it comes to finding out the truth. I have a new respect for true crime authors and what they do to get to the truth. A story that unfolds over years and secrets that are eventually told to give peace to those affected. I look forward to reading more by Olsen as he has awoken me to the true crime genre.

Good true crime although at points I found it a bit draggy and at points I found the journey emphasizing Olson. Thanks for the arc

Wow! This was such an excellent read. It is crazy to know that this was based off of a true story. I loved reading about the process, and since I am from Ohio, very close to the area where the story takes place it was very interesting to me because I know where a lot of these places are. I must say I am pleasantly surprised. The story drew me in and held my attention the entire time. If you’re into true crime, and cold cases, this book is definitely worth the read.

In an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman died during a barn fire and her death was considered from natural causes. However, years after her death, murder follows her husband- should he have been investigated after her death?

It was a captivating read but so sad and tragic, especially after learning about the horror other family members went through.

I didn’t love this book as much as If You Tell. That one I devoured and couldn’t get over what I was reading. This wasn’t the same
experience and left me confused. I didn’t follow the chapters well. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I picked up this book because I really enjoyed If You Tell, another book by the same author. I was less invested in the type of crime that this book covered, but I still found it very informative and stimulating to read. It did get confusing at times to keep track of all the people involved, however.

One of my favorite reads last year was If You Tell by Gregg Olsen. This one was different but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

The research he does for these books and about the crimes is mind-blowing and so impressive. This one made me wanna go back and read his previous book - Abandoned Prayers - to get the full story.

This took you step by step on his journey on how he investigated these theories. What he thought along the way and how he processed it.

If you love true crime then pick this one up. The story is so intriguing.

Thank you @netgalley @greggolsen and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read and review.

I had heard great things about Gregg Olsen’s work and was excited to dive into this true crime story of the tragic death of a young Amish mother/wife. Because the tragedy of the barn fire occurred nearly 40 years ago majority of his efforts to prove it as a murder at the hands of her husband Eli (and one who continued to murder others) was circumstantial and hearsay, most of the witnesses to the crime or possible cover up are no longer even alive.

I should have maybe read Abandoned Prayers also by Olsen beforehand because it too involves Eli (but for the murder of his son). That book is mentioned 25 times in The Amish Wife.

I appreciate Olsen’s dedication to find answers but unfortunately at the end theirs no concrete proof and the lengthy book doesn’t really resolve anything in bringing justice to Ida.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the copy of this book.

I want to start off by saying, this was an incredibly sad story behind the death (murder) of Ida Stutzman and her son Danny (among the others killed) by husband and father, Eli. It was heartbreaking seeing the love she held for the man that would be her and her son’s demise.

I’ve only read one other book by Gregg Olsen, If You Tell and liked it quite a bit more than this one. The Amish Wife felt repetitive and super choppy in areas. It seemed like it was all over the place with no definitive conclusion other than the hearsay that was collected. There were SO many individuals introduced, with similar (or the same) names and it was difficult to keep them straight. I also felt like I wanted more of a backstory for Ida herself.

I’ll continue to give Olsen a try, but this one just wasn’t the best for me. With that being said, if you love true crime, I won’t discourage you from picking this one up. I hope you love it more.