Wiki Article
Gregg Olsen
Nguồn dữ liệu từ Wikipedia, hiển thị bởi DefZone.Net
Gregg Olsen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 5, 1959 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genre | True crime, Thriller |
| Website | |
| greggolsen notorioususa | |
Gregg Olsen (born March 5, 1959, in Seattle, Washington) is an American author best known for his works in the true crime and thriller genres.
Early life and education
[edit]Olsen, born in Seattle, Washington, grew up in the Pacific Northwest. After earning a journalism degree from Western Washington University, where he served as editor of Klipsun Magazine. He published his first book in 1990.
Olsen worked as a magazine editor and has written 21 books on American politics and current affairs, 14 of which have topped bestseller lists. Often examining survival, justice, family trauma, and the psychology of crime, his books made the bestseller lists of The New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal. Subjects of his true crime books include convicted child rapist and school teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, product tampering killer Stella Nickell, fasting specialist Linda Burfield Hazzard, and former Amishman and convicted murderer Eli Stutzman. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages.
Career
[edit]Critical Assessment
[edit]In the realm of true crime and compelling storytelling, Olsen’s work has earned the admiration of critics and readers.
In a review for Out of the Woods, Publishers Weekly notes that Olsen “paints a heartbreaking portrait of a woman haunted by her narrow escape from a serial killer,” observing that “there’s plenty of rigorous research on display, but it’s his empathetic consideration of what happens to high-profile victims after news cameras stop rolling that sets this apart…It’s moving stuff.”[1] This blend of meticulous research and empathy is a recurring thread in Olsen’s writing. Booklist echoes the sentiment, saying Olsen “offers another exemplary narrative of unimaginable trauma that packs an emotional punch.”
Olsen’s journalistic craft has also received recognition. A starred review for The Amish Wife in Publishers Weekly lauds how “the details of the case are gripping enough, but Olsen elevates them with sturdy prose, meticulous research, and admirable journalistic tenacity.” [2]Kirkus Reviews further highlights the author’s narrative skill: “Olsen has a gift for taking mountains of paperwork and interview material and weaving them into a cohesive narrative that is often difficult to put down, especially for die-hard true-crime fans.”[3] In yet another starred review, Publishers Weekly writes of If You Tell: “This riveting account will leave readers questioning every odd relative they’ve known.”[4] People magazine selected the book as Book of the Week, describing it as “an unsettling stunner about sibling love, courage, and resilience.”[5] Parade Magazine named If You Tell as one of the 45 Best Nonfiction books of all time.[6]
Adaptations
[edit]Starvation Heights was adapted for the stage by playwright Ginny Foster, which debuted at the National New Play Festival in July 2008. The title was also optioned for film in 2009 by Pulitzer Prize winner and screenwriter Tracy Letts.[7]
A Killing in Amish Country was the basis for the 2023 Lifetime film, Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story[8].
Appearances
[edit]Olsen was a featured speaker or panelist at the American Bookseller’s Association and the American Library Association conventions in Seattle and Philadelphia.[9] Internationally, he’s appeared as a presenter and panelist at the Hong Kong Literary Festival and the Cheltenham Literary Festival in the United Kingdom.[10]
Olsen has also discussed criminal cases on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Court TV, Entertainment Tonight, Forensic Files, CNN, NPR with Scott Simon, 48 Hours, Dateline, and 20/20.
Honors
[edit]The Deep Dark – Winner, Idaho Book of the Year (2006). In 2007, the book about the Sunshine Mine fire was selected by Boise State University as its first year read for all incoming freshmen. It was also a finalist for a Spur Award for best contemporary historical nonfiction book by the Western Writers of America.
Starvation Heights – Selected by the Washington State Library and the Washington Secretary of State for its annual Everybody Reads literary program for books that contribute to the culture of the state.[11]
Envy – Selected by the Washington State Library to represent the Evergreen State at the National Book Festival (2012).[12]
A Killing in Amish Country – Named by Suspense Magazine as the best true crime book of 2016.[13]
The Boy She Left Behind – Finalist, International Association of Thriller Writer’s Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel (2018).[14]
If You Tell – Finalist (narrated by Karen Peakes), best nonfiction audiobook for the Audie Award. (2021).[15]
The Amish Wife – Finalist, Best Fact Crime Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America (2025) [16]
Out of the Woods – Finalist, Best Fact Crime Edgar Award, Mystery Writers of America (2026) [16]
Personal life
[edit]Olsen and his wife, Claudia, a graphic designer, live in rural Olalla, Washington. The family owns and operates a historic general store, Olalla Bay Market and Landing, which features a museum that documents the story told in the author’s book, Starvation Heights.[17]
Bibliography
[edit]Nonfiction
[edit]- Abandoned Prayers: An Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession, and Amish Secrets (1990);
- Bitter Almonds: Mothers, Daughters and the Seattle Cyanide Murders (1993); republished as American Mother (2022);
- Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest (1997);
- The Confessions of an American Black Widow: The Shocking True Story of a Preacher's Wife Turned Killer (1998), republished as American Black Widow (2023);
- If Loving You Is Wrong: The Shocking True Story of Mary Kay Letourneau (1999);
- The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America’s Richest Silver Mine (2005);
- Mockingbird: A Mother, a Child, a Tragedy (2007); republished as Cruel Deception (2010);
- A Twisted Faith: A Minister’s Obsession and the Murder that Destroyed a Church (2010);
- If I Can’t Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children (2014);
- A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Murder (2016);
- If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood (2019);
- The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free (2024);
- Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home (2025);
- By the River’s Edge: A True Story of Identity and Serial Murder (2026).
Fiction
[edit]Standalone novels
[edit]- A Wicked Snow (2007) (ISBN 0786048468)
- Fear Collector (2013) (ISBN 1780332904)
- Shocking True Story (2013) (ISBN 1489502793)
- The Last Thing She Ever Did (2018) (ISBN 1683248414)
- Lying Next to Me (2019) (ISBN 1542040515)
- The Hive (2021) (978-1542016469)
- I Know Where You Live (2023) (978-1542016476)
Series and sequels
[edit]Sheriff’s Detective Emily Kenyon
[edit]- A Cold Dark Place (2008) (ISBN 1988812712)
- Heart of Ice (2009) (ISBN 1607517620)
Empty Coffin, aka Port Gamble Chronicles
[edit]- Envy (2011) (ISBN 1402789572)
- Betrayal (2012) (ISBN 1402789580)
Forensic Pathologist Birdy Waterman and Detective Kendall Stark
[edit]- Victim Six (2010) (ISBN 1616641770)
- Closer Than Blood (2011) (ISBN 1611295610)
- The Bone Box (2012) (ASIN B0063KB2OO)
- The Girl in the Woods (2014) (ISBN 1629532800)
- Now That She's Gone (2015) (ISBN 147210949X)
- Just Try to Stop Me (2016) (ISBN 0786029986)
Detective Nicole Foster
[edit]- The Sound of Rain (2016) (ISBN 1503941965)
- The Weight of Silence (2017)
Vengeance Club
[edit]- The Girl on the Run (2014) (ISBN 1940610699)
- The Boy She Left Behind (2017) (ISBN 1943818312)
Detective Megan Carpenter
[edit]- Snow Creek (2019) (978-1538706886)
- Water's Edge (2020) (ISBN 978-1838887445)
- Silent Ridge (2020) (ISBN 978-1800193116)
- Stillwater Island (2021) (ISBN 978-1800198357)
- Cougar Point (2024) (ISBN 978-1837904907)
- Final Victim (2025) (ISBN 978-1836183556)
References
[edit]- ^ "The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free by Gregg Olsen". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free by Gregg Olsen". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ THE AMISH WIFE | Kirkus Reviews.
- ^ "If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 2023-12-23. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ Callahan, Chrissy (2026-01-23). "45 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time, According to Librarians". Parade. Archived from the original on 2026-01-24. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "IMPRINT and VIGILANTE ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING STARVATION HEIGHTS TO FILM - PRBuzz Press Releases". vee2.net. 2014-12-28.
- ^ "Watch Amish Stud: The Eli Weaver Story". Lifetime. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ "Booklist Author Forum, ALA Midwinter Meeting". American Library Association.
- ^ "Gregg Olsen Author Interview".
- ^ Olsen, Gregg (2011-02-12). "Gregg Olsen". Starvation Heights Centennial. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ "Books selected for the National Book Festival – Washington Center for the Book". Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ Administrator (2016-12-15). "The Best Books of 2016". Welcome To Suspense Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
- ^ "Past Nominees and Winners". International Thriller Writers. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ "2021-audie-awards". Homepage. Retrieved 2026-02-19.
- ^ a b "Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards: Category List-Best Fact Crime". 15 Nov 2012.
- ^ Open house offers first look at Olalla Bay Landing: July 7th, 2022 - Gig Harbor Now
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
