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If You Tell

If You Tell

By Gregg Olsen

A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood. Thomas and Mercer, 2019.

0.0 / 0

21 mins read

17 Key insights

A brief summary of If You Tell

The true story of torture-killer Michelle “Shelly” Knotek, who manipulated her husband into helping her murder three people before their terrorized daughters—Nikki, Sami, and Tori—finally broke their silence and brought them to justice. Please be aware: This summary contains references to various forms of abuse, violence, and murder which may be triggering to some readers.

Key insights in If You Tell

1
What do you get from this book? The tale of a disturbed, murderous woman, and the daughters she couldn’t break
2
Shelly Watson was born into a troubled family and seemed to relish in hurting others
3
Randy Rivardo did his best to care for Shelly and their daughter, Nikki, but her manipulation strained their relationship
4
After Shelly’s second turbulent marriage ended in divorce, she focused all her attention on Dave Knotek
5
Nikki and Sami’s bond grew stronger as their mother’s abuse intensified
6
Shelly’s abusive behavior extended to her nephew, Shane Watson, after he moved in with her family
7
Kathy Loreno thought living with the Knoteks would be fun until she became another one of Shelly’s victims
8
The cruelty toward Kathy escalated to a deadly ending, while Shelly forced her family to join in on the torture
9
After covering up Kathy’s death, Shane disappeared without a trace
10
Nikki and Sami escaped their mother’s home, leaving Tori alone to face the repercussions
11
Ron Woodworth and Mac McClintock died under mysterious conditions while in Shelly’s care
12
The Knotek sisters’ reunion exposed long-held secrets and reestablished their bond
13
Nikki and Sami finally went to the police together and their parents were arrested
14
Dave and Shelly received lengthy prison sentences, and the sisters moved on to build better lives for themselves
15
Summary of the key insights
16
Selected critiques in brief
17
Final word

Who should read If You Tell

True crime aficionados • law officers • psychologists • abuse counselors • sociologists

About the author of If You Tell

Gregg Olsen is an award-winning true crime writer. His body of work includes more than ten non-fiction books and over a dozen novels that have appeared on bestsellers’ lists for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. He has been a guest on numerous television shows including Good Morning America, Dateline, and Entertainment Tonight.

author avatar

Gregg Olsen

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