“Lying was like taking a breath to Shelly. Sami could never grasp why her mother felt compelled to lie when saying nothing at all would be a smarter course.”
I cannot tell a lie—I love a good true crime! My children mock me on a weekly basis when I run to the couch on Friday nights to gawk at Dateline. Was crime busting my first love? Quite possibly. At a young age, I watched Murder She Wrote with my grandma. Most of those episodes were predictable (and maybe even a lil’ bit corny), but Grandma Smith loved them. And I got hooked. When I came across If You Tell, even my mystery-solvin’ heart wasn’t ready for the story that was about to hit me.
I imagine the most devout true crime fans may have trouble stomaching the horrors that took place behind the closed doors of Shelly Knotek’s farmhouse in the Grays Harbor, Washington. The torture and abuse Shelly’s daughters experienced, along with a number of “friends” that were lured into her web of deceit, will leave your head spinning. I’m still in shock. If You Tell is a fascinating eyewitness into the actions of a sadistic psychopath and the dark secrets that can bond siblings together for life, despite the decimation of family by the one who should love you the most.
Here’s a warning for all readers: If You Tell is not for the faint of heart. This is, in no way, a recommendation for your valentine. It’s hardly a gift for the one you love. Shelley’s story is dark and disturbing. I told my daughter about halfway through the book, “this has to be one of the most deranged stories I’ve ever read.” But I couldn’t put it down. I had to see how it ended! Just a few weeks later, she called me and told me the same thing as she was reading it. Both haunting and troubling, the story is guaranteed to make an impact. How many stories can say that? Just wish this wasn’t a true one.