If You Tell

If You Tell is a true-crime account of how a beautiful, charming small-town mother, Shelly Knotek, hid a reign of abuse behind a spotless house, sweet notes, and volunteer smiles—and how her daughters, Nikki, Sami, and Tori, learned to read the danger underneath. Gregg Olsen follows the sisters from childhood through their mother’s escalating control: the staged illnesses, the punishments dressed up as discipline, the people who moved in seeking help and never escaped. He shows how fear keeps families quiet, how a predator cultivates followers, and how love between siblings can become a life raft. This 30-minute narrative focuses on what the girls saw, how they coped, who they lost, and the moment they chose to speak. It’s a story of survival, moral courage, and what it takes to face down evil wearing a friendly face.

• True-crime listeners who value survivor-centered storytelling
• Readers interested in psychology, gaslighting, and coercive control
• Anyone who works in education, social services, or healthcare and wants to better spot hidden abuse

Gregg Olsen is a #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author known for vivid, compassionate true crime and propulsive thrillers. He’s written more than thirty books, including The Deep Dark and Lying Next to Me, and has appeared on programs such as Good Morning America and Dateline. A Pacific Northwest native, Olsen blends thorough research with narrative clarity, giving voice to victims while tracing the psychology of offenders. He lives in rural Washington State.