Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion

Hello Fellow Crime, Mystery & Thriller readers,


Welcome to our discussion about If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen, your discussion leader is Sage.
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about spoilers

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Summary

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.

Y’all, I am so excited to reread this book! When I say I could NOT put the book down, I mean I had it with me to cook, propped doin dishes one handed so I could turn the page, and I skipped my shower so I could finish it. But PLEASE make sure to do your part and ensure that there’s nothin that will trigger you mentally as this is based off a true story and deals with children. Because your health matters.

I’ll try to get on my computer later and throw some thoughts/questions out there, so that hopefully it formats correctly. (I’m still tryin to figure all of Goodreads out) but I’m super excited for this reread and I hope y’all enjoy this book!

Happy readin, folks. And Happy Holidays!

I read 7 chapters and was done. This is just about a horrible mean selfish woman and I don't want to read about how she tortured her 3 daughters. Sorry not interested

I just wrote a long post and then my phone/app froze and I lost it 😭 so for now I will just say that I thought the book was well written and I’m glad Gregg Olsen is telling these girls’ stories. I grew up just across the Canadian/B.C. border, very close to where this happened, and being able to picture almost all the places they were talking about made me feel even more sick.
I can handle a lot of tough topics, violence, gore, whether because of my own childhood abuse and past traumas or despite them. But the part where it explains how she killed her friend/how she died slowly and painfully, made me have to put the book down for a few days and take a short break from it. I read this a year ago and I still find it disturbing, but I think it’s important these girls’ stories were told, especially since Shelly is going to be let out of prison in the VERY near future… which made me even more angry at the whole thing.
To me it is maddening that multiple people sensed that abuse was going on by this woman but nobody stepped up or did anything about it. I often also wonder why the older two sisters kept telling the youngest not to say anything and to just “hang in there for a few more years” like ahh what! But I am not judging anyone as I of course have not been in their shoes.

I just buckled my seatbelt and started reading this for the first time.
I know this book is going to be disturbing and I know it will upset me. But I do think it's important these sister's story is out there.
I have lived in the Seattle area for many years and have passed through Raymond and Vancouver, WA many times without knowing this horrific events that took place there. Bone chilling.

So I have dug and I have tried to find information on Shelly. because she was released in 2022; I found very little, mostly only old information. What do y'all think she's up to now? I don't imagine she can have a casual 9-5 in the town that they had previously lived in... If anywhere, honestly.

Also, I am curious, because her husband took such a heavy amount of the blame, how does everyone feel about that? Because I 100% believe he played a part. But I don't know if he was per se more guilty than Shelly. But he was forgiven by the girls. I don't think that I could have ever forgiven either of them. But it also makes me wonder, what happened to Shelly that she could do this? Does this come back down to nature vs nurture? And if so, does that inherently mean that the girls are destined to do such insane acts now that they're adults?

I read that she was living in a nursing home or some kind of medical facility. Based on what I'm reading...I'm not so sure she is actually ill. It sounds like she's been playing the illness card for years. I just hope the medicinal professionals have background information on her!
It's truly scary to know she was able to do what she did and still have the opportunity to be in the free world.

I also agree, Dave is 100% just as much to blame as Shelly. However, I also believe he would not have done anything as horrendous and abusive as he did if he weren't married to Shelly. That's the only reason I can think of why the girls forgave him. They viewed him more as "a broken man" than their abuser.

That's an interesting question on nature vs nurture. Lara and Les treated Shelly like a princess and she turned out to be (or always was) a monster; where as Shelly and Dave went well beyond abuse with their girls and they turned out to be strong and independent. I know Shelly's grandma seemed pretty unhinged, but I'm curious how other family members in that branch are?

I was able to get a copy at my library, hoping to start it next week.

Great, such a troubling true story!!

**Great book, but such a troubling true strory!!

Finally downloading on kindle unlimited! I’m seeing everyone’s experience so far and I am nervous/intrigued to read!

Does anyone else feel like the timeline on this story is a little confusing? I've been having a hard time keeping track.

I’m glad I’m not the the only one. I have been having to back track a couple times to realize where I was in the book. It throws me off

My heart breaks for the girls and all the abuse others suffered because of Shelly. How can someone be so evil? This author did an amazing job of telling their story. Will definitely be reading more of his books.

I finished reading the book today on Christmas and have to say I wish I read a cozy mystery book this month instead. I feel anger, disgust and heartfelt empathy toward the sisters and all the people Shelly hurt, killed, tortured and manipulated through out her lifetime. The story was well written and the author did a great job of capturing the story even through it was horrific.

Sage wrote: "So I have dug and I have tried to find information on Shelly. because she was released in 2022; I found very little, mostly only old information. What do y'all think she's up to now? I don't imagin..."

It's disgusting that they're both out of prison. I don't think these two can be rehabilitated one bit.

To me the way the book reads is that Shelly was sort of the ring leader and what's his name was along for the ride and participated. I don't think he was the mastermind in any way shape or form.

As far as forgiveness I think sometimes we have to forgive horrible things to be able to get on with our own lives. To me, forgiving someone is more for me than the "bad" guy.

I do think a lot of factors enter into a person being just a terrible person (like Shelley was and probably is) but most of us can make a choice to act differently. I know people have mental issues (I'm a nurse in a psychiatric facility) that some people hear voices and sometimes really don't realize that horror of how they act but I didn't get that feeling about Shelley.

I also agree that the story is well written.

Yeah I agree with the above comment that mentions how Shelly was treated very well by her parents and like a princess and still turned out how she did. It makes me think of psychopaths and sociopaths whose brains are studied after they die (kind of like Jeffrey Dahmer and a few other famous serial killers) and maybe she was born with something not right in her brain, but I still think she knew right from wrong and could have seeked out help for her issues if she truly felt the need to treat people so terribly. I really feel for the girls, and all the loved ones of the people who were abused and murdered. What she did to her “friend” made me so so sickened. I also agree that it’s disgusting they are both out of prison. While Dave may not have done those things on his own, he was certainly an accomplice. I understand the comment above mine about forgiveness and being that it’s more for you to move on, but if I was those girls I wouldn’t have forgiven my father either. I believe the oldest sister didn’t forgive Dave in the end but the younger two did. All around, just an awful and disgusting human being. One thing I do like about having all this technology at our hands now is that something like this would likely be was less able to go on for this long in the present day without someone having photo or video evidence!evidence of

Sorry about that last word there, my app froze on me!

I am dumbfounded that there are mean people like these parents in the world. AND they are out and about now and roaming around. Very disturbing but glad I read it.
I then went down a rabbit hole of Utube, articles, and other articles about this poor family. I prefer my fiction which is not a real story.

It certainly is a book I'll never forget...it is emotionally draining but I think important to understand a true story like this one.

Agreed - I have worked with students with Emotionally Conflicted Disorders and can’t imagine how the kids survived this living Hell!! It was hard to hear some of it - the spraying outside, water boarding, clean Kathy w/beach. Riding in the trunk, a bucket to use the bathroom and not allowing food- I was triggered but finished it! I want to find the daughters and go hug them and love on them!! They deserved so much more!!