Ebook: If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

If You Tell is an astonishing story of survival of three sisters who were raised by a sadistic mother, Michelle “Shelly” Knotek. Much of what happened in the Knotek house will be nearly incomprehensible for those of us raised by nurturing mothers—those who made favorite meals on birthdays or sat beside us when we were sick. No, the opposite is true of Shelly. She was a monster.

Despite their childhood, the women survive, even flourish, after their mother is incarcerated. But the PTSD and triggers abound to this day. For one, a morning shower can be a trigger; for another, it’s the smell of bleach that brings on the bad memories.

New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen is a master of both true crime and domestic suspense, and with If You Tell he has brilliantly combined his talents. The riveting true story told by the three sisters who survived their brutal childhood in the tiny coastal logging town of Raymond, Washington, reads like a fast-paced thriller. But unfortunately, it is all true. Every single excruciating detail.

- Liz Pearsons, Editor