What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
11 days and 03:18:21
100 copies available
U.S. only
The Amish Wife
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
11 days and 03:18:21
100 copies available
U.S. only
The #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen solves a murder among the Amish and reveals the conspiracy to keep it a secret in a heartbreaking and horrifying true-crime story.
In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. But when he eventually rejected the faith and took his son, Danny, with him, murder followed.
What really happened to Ida? The dubious circumstances of the tragic blaze were willfully ignored and Eli’s shifting narratives disregarded. Could Eli’s subsequent cross-country journey of death—including that of his own son—have been prevented if just one person came forward with what they knew about the real Eli Stutzman?
The questions haunted Gregg Olsen and Ida’s brother Daniel Gingerich for decades. At Daniel’s urging, Olsen now returns to Amish Country and to Eli’s crimes first exposed in Olsen’s Abandoned Prayers, one of which has remained a mystery until now. With the help of aging witnesses and shocking long-buried letters, Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth—about Ida’s murder and the conspiracy of silence and secrets that kept it hidden for forty-five years.
In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. But when he eventually rejected the faith and took his son, Danny, with him, murder followed.
What really happened to Ida? The dubious circumstances of the tragic blaze were willfully ignored and Eli’s shifting narratives disregarded. Could Eli’s subsequent cross-country journey of death—including that of his own son—have been prevented if just one person came forward with what they knew about the real Eli Stutzman?
The questions haunted Gregg Olsen and Ida’s brother Daniel Gingerich for decades. At Daniel’s urging, Olsen now returns to Amish Country and to Eli’s crimes first exposed in Olsen’s Abandoned Prayers, one of which has remained a mystery until now. With the help of aging witnesses and shocking long-buried letters, Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth—about Ida’s murder and the conspiracy of silence and secrets that kept it hidden for forty-five years.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2023
About the author
Gregg Olsen
107 books5,297 followersThroughout his career, Gregg Olsen has demonstrated an ability to create a detailed narrative that offers readers fascinating insights into the lives of people caught in extraordinary circumstances.
A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.
The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.
In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.
The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.
Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).
A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Olsen has written ten nonfiction books, ten novels, and contributed a short story to a collection edited by Lee Child.
The award-winning author has been a guest on dozens of national and local television shows, including educational programs for the History Channel, Learning Channel, and Discovery Channel. He has also appeared on Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Today Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, CBS 48 Hours, Oxygen’s Snapped, Court TV’s Crier Live, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, and A&E’s Biography.
In addition to television and radio appearances, the award-winning author has been featured in Redbook, USA Today, People, Salon magazine, Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times and the New York Post.
The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington’s Secretary of State for the book’s contribution to Washington state history and culture.
Olsen, a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington with his wife and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
December 6, 2023
Wow. What a tragic story of Ida and Danny's lives. I only gave this 3 stars because I got confused throughout with all of the names and similar families and also because I felt I should have read Abandoned Prayers beforehand to gathering more insight on Eli. Although, I probably won't read it after learning the horrible things he did to his young son Danny through this book. Overall, it was a great read, just really sad and tragic. I also wish we got to hear about Ida's brother, Dan's, reaction to the epilogue when everything comes together. Hard work Gregg has encountered to find the truth!! I applaud him for his time, effort and resilience.
December 30, 2023
4 Stars
December 7, 2023
Hearsay and speculation about a crime that really isn't much of a mystery. It feels like this book was written to HEAVILY promote the authors first book.
I'd rather dig my eyes out with crochet hooks than read this again.
I'd rather dig my eyes out with crochet hooks than read this again.
December 15, 2023
The Amish Wife investigates the death of a young Amish woman and the husband who maybe got away with her murder. Intense investigation into her death and the subsequent history of the husband make for interesting reading.
December 23, 2023
DNF. I really tried to get into this true crime story. Its well written. As I read to 1\3 of it I lost interest.
In cold blood is my very first crime story I've read. It has always been an interest in my life. However, as horrific as murdering people is, this book was too mundane for me. I'm not diminishing the facts themselves regarding the fear witnesses had, regarding what they knew, nor disrespecting the ways of different sects of Amish. Its difficult for me to pin point the reason why I couldn't put the time into reading this in its entirety.
In cold blood is my very first crime story I've read. It has always been an interest in my life. However, as horrific as murdering people is, this book was too mundane for me. I'm not diminishing the facts themselves regarding the fear witnesses had, regarding what they knew, nor disrespecting the ways of different sects of Amish. Its difficult for me to pin point the reason why I couldn't put the time into reading this in its entirety.
December 17, 2023
SO BORING
If you want to know how Ida was murdered, just go to the last 3 pages of the book. Throughout the rest of the book Mr. Olson yammers on and on and on and on, going off on tangents and repeating himself endlessly ..... After seriously trying to read the book for the first 40%, I finally just started skipping huge sections, and ultimately just skipped to the end- the only interesting part of the book. I can't believe I wasted so much time hoping the narrative would get better.... It didn't.
If you want to know how Ida was murdered, just go to the last 3 pages of the book. Throughout the rest of the book Mr. Olson yammers on and on and on and on, going off on tangents and repeating himself endlessly ..... After seriously trying to read the book for the first 40%, I finally just started skipping huge sections, and ultimately just skipped to the end- the only interesting part of the book. I can't believe I wasted so much time hoping the narrative would get better.... It didn't.
December 11, 2023
Extremely Sad True Crime Story
Gregg Olsen has written a conclusion to his previous book Abandoned Prayers that will rip your heart out.
***SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNING
Olsen is very thorough but also able to convey the personality of the people he is interviewing. In this case, we are talking about the Schwarzentrubber Amish, a conservative Old Order group mostly in Ohio.
The Amish Wife details another side of the Amish than that which has been very popular in books. There are quite a few authors who are on the bestseller lists with serial love stories set in various places in Amish country. This book is a radical departure from the innocence and sweetness of those books.
Be prepared for frank, sexual discussion and portrayals of murder, drugs, child abuse and other potentially distressing topics. Although the author's goal is to right a long ignored wrong, he waded through humanity's seamier side in order to reach it.
I believe the author achieved his goal, and spent a long portion of his life chasing down the evidence. For sheer, dogged effort and a well written book, I'm giving him five stars. Sometimes, the ugly truth must be told.
Gregg Olsen has written a conclusion to his previous book Abandoned Prayers that will rip your heart out.
***SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNING
Olsen is very thorough but also able to convey the personality of the people he is interviewing. In this case, we are talking about the Schwarzentrubber Amish, a conservative Old Order group mostly in Ohio.
The Amish Wife details another side of the Amish than that which has been very popular in books. There are quite a few authors who are on the bestseller lists with serial love stories set in various places in Amish country. This book is a radical departure from the innocence and sweetness of those books.
Be prepared for frank, sexual discussion and portrayals of murder, drugs, child abuse and other potentially distressing topics. Although the author's goal is to right a long ignored wrong, he waded through humanity's seamier side in order to reach it.
I believe the author achieved his goal, and spent a long portion of his life chasing down the evidence. For sheer, dogged effort and a well written book, I'm giving him five stars. Sometimes, the ugly truth must be told.
December 17, 2023
The phrases "self-serving" and "self-centered" spring to mind.
December 2, 2023
Conspiracy, lies and coverups galore
I've always had an "unsettling" feeling since I read about Eli and Ida Stutzman years ago. Gregg Olsen felt it too. After many years Gregg heads back to Amish Country to do some more investigating. He sees Daniel Gingerich, Ida'a brother, and they talk about Gregg's suspicions regarding the night Ida met her demise in the barn fire. This book takes you through his investigation and is brilliantly documented by Olsen! I love how he gives us the facts but also puts his spin on it like only he can do. Just knowing what his thought process was during this interview was interesting. I have always thought that Ida was killed. It just did not make sense when I read it and now finally I think we're all able to put it to rest. There was so many lies and cover-ups that were on Earth in this book. Greg got to read letters that Daniel had saved. Trying not to give too much away but this is a very well written book that finally gives Ida, in my opinion, some justice. No one will ever be punished for this crime, but at least now we know. Thank you Gregg Olsen for caring so much that you gave Ida a voice after all these years. I'm still thinking about all the facts in this book and will be reading it again! Definitely 5 stars for this book. People ask me which of Gregg's books to read first. This is now on my TOP 5 LIST!!
I've always had an "unsettling" feeling since I read about Eli and Ida Stutzman years ago. Gregg Olsen felt it too. After many years Gregg heads back to Amish Country to do some more investigating. He sees Daniel Gingerich, Ida'a brother, and they talk about Gregg's suspicions regarding the night Ida met her demise in the barn fire. This book takes you through his investigation and is brilliantly documented by Olsen! I love how he gives us the facts but also puts his spin on it like only he can do. Just knowing what his thought process was during this interview was interesting. I have always thought that Ida was killed. It just did not make sense when I read it and now finally I think we're all able to put it to rest. There was so many lies and cover-ups that were on Earth in this book. Greg got to read letters that Daniel had saved. Trying not to give too much away but this is a very well written book that finally gives Ida, in my opinion, some justice. No one will ever be punished for this crime, but at least now we know. Thank you Gregg Olsen for caring so much that you gave Ida a voice after all these years. I'm still thinking about all the facts in this book and will be reading it again! Definitely 5 stars for this book. People ask me which of Gregg's books to read first. This is now on my TOP 5 LIST!!
December 31, 2023
This is my second Gregg Olsen read of 2023 (If You Tell was the first)and both were from his true crime shelf. Olsen writes in a way that makes a reader feel that their sitting right beside him-collecting all the evidence and listening to him re-interview many of the Amish people he had first encountered in Abandoned Prayers.
Honestly, I wanted more about Ida, the victim and I felt as true crime tends to do we get more about her potential murderer. But again, that's just my preference as a reader. Writers with publishers must fill a different bracket.
This was my December Amazon First Reads Pick.
Goodreads review published 31/12/23
Honestly, I wanted more about Ida, the victim and I felt as true crime tends to do we get more about her potential murderer. But again, that's just my preference as a reader. Writers with publishers must fill a different bracket.
This was my December Amazon First Reads Pick.
Goodreads review published 31/12/23
January 5, 2024
Gregg Olsen does not tell Ida’s story in a proper manner. His narrative style is very self centered, and he seems to harass this community for his own personal gain.
Olsen’s mentions of visiting Dahmers childhood home and writing letters to Bundy on death row show that he’s everything wrong with true crime culture. He is mentioning these side stories in an attempt to inflate his ego, and it’s completely disgusting and unnecessary in this story about an Amish woman’s murder.
Wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Maybe some of Olsen’s other books are better, but not this one. I finished out of spite.
Olsen’s mentions of visiting Dahmers childhood home and writing letters to Bundy on death row show that he’s everything wrong with true crime culture. He is mentioning these side stories in an attempt to inflate his ego, and it’s completely disgusting and unnecessary in this story about an Amish woman’s murder.
Wouldn’t recommend to anyone. Maybe some of Olsen’s other books are better, but not this one. I finished out of spite.
December 20, 2023
To quote Stefan from early 2010s SNL culture, "This book has everything".
Amish ✅
Arson ✅
Murder ✅
Conspiracies ✅
Scandalous gay affairs ✅
As ridiculous as that all sounds, mind you, this is a true crime story! Even more so, it's true crime set primarily in the late 1970s in Northeast Ohio (Wooster-area primarily). Growing up in Ohio, I enjoyed the geography of it all and understood the feeling of the small town culture the author was trying to convey.
The author, Gregg Olson, treated this book as a sequel of sorts to his book Abandoned Prayers (haven't nor will read). Not having that knowledge, I felt the author required much of the reader. At times, his writing style came off assumptive, telling this story as if you were fully familiar with his work and this case.
It is a fascinating case at the core. An Amish woman is dead after a suspicious barn fire. There is little investigation from local authorities and the woman's husband, continues to be involved with murders (one of which is his son) with very little recourse. This story tries to get to why that is - is it simply a lack of care from small town police departments? Is due to the secrecy of Amish culture? Or is there a greater conspiracy that ties a local sheriff and the murderer together?
If you like Dateline, you may enjoy this. For me, I DNF at 55%. The author interviews A LOT of people closely and loosely connected to the case - and because some are Amish, the names are similar or identical (like how am I suppose to know who Levi is versus Levi Levi). There were peaks of interest but the valleys inconsequential dialogue that was cumbersome to process.
This story would make a great fictionalized retelling but the author's choices makes this fall flat as a non-fiction true crime.
DNF at 55%. 1 Star.
Amish ✅
Arson ✅
Murder ✅
Conspiracies ✅
Scandalous gay affairs ✅
As ridiculous as that all sounds, mind you, this is a true crime story! Even more so, it's true crime set primarily in the late 1970s in Northeast Ohio (Wooster-area primarily). Growing up in Ohio, I enjoyed the geography of it all and understood the feeling of the small town culture the author was trying to convey.
The author, Gregg Olson, treated this book as a sequel of sorts to his book Abandoned Prayers (haven't nor will read). Not having that knowledge, I felt the author required much of the reader. At times, his writing style came off assumptive, telling this story as if you were fully familiar with his work and this case.
It is a fascinating case at the core. An Amish woman is dead after a suspicious barn fire. There is little investigation from local authorities and the woman's husband, continues to be involved with murders (one of which is his son) with very little recourse. This story tries to get to why that is - is it simply a lack of care from small town police departments? Is due to the secrecy of Amish culture? Or is there a greater conspiracy that ties a local sheriff and the murderer together?
If you like Dateline, you may enjoy this. For me, I DNF at 55%. The author interviews A LOT of people closely and loosely connected to the case - and because some are Amish, the names are similar or identical (like how am I suppose to know who Levi is versus Levi Levi). There were peaks of interest but the valleys inconsequential dialogue that was cumbersome to process.
This story would make a great fictionalized retelling but the author's choices makes this fall flat as a non-fiction true crime.
DNF at 55%. 1 Star.
December 7, 2023
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Gregg Olsen is an outstanding writer. His dialogue, character development, and narrative are natural and easy to follow. Moreover he is an excellent detective who seems to possess both the patience and dedication to find answers even if the endeavor takes ages. To boot, I get the feeling he is a really nice guy and a good human being. Perhaps I need to read some of his novels—and I definitely plan to do so. Where the fascinating tale of The Amish Wife falls short for me is in being so detailed and comprehensive that I began to grow weary of the minutiae. It probably did not help that important characters inevitably had very similar names—Eli, Levi and even Eli Eli. 5 stars for thoroughness for sure and for the heart and energy to find answers to a horrible crime even if the solution took over thirty years. A good tale so worth telling.
Gregg Olsen is an outstanding writer. His dialogue, character development, and narrative are natural and easy to follow. Moreover he is an excellent detective who seems to possess both the patience and dedication to find answers even if the endeavor takes ages. To boot, I get the feeling he is a really nice guy and a good human being. Perhaps I need to read some of his novels—and I definitely plan to do so. Where the fascinating tale of The Amish Wife falls short for me is in being so detailed and comprehensive that I began to grow weary of the minutiae. It probably did not help that important characters inevitably had very similar names—Eli, Levi and even Eli Eli. 5 stars for thoroughness for sure and for the heart and energy to find answers to a horrible crime even if the solution took over thirty years. A good tale so worth telling.
January 11, 2024
Not my favorite
This is not my favorite book from this author. I felt it was too long and drawn out. It took me a while to get through it.
This is not my favorite book from this author. I felt it was too long and drawn out. It took me a while to get through it.
December 25, 2023
I received a hardcover copy The Amish Wife by Gregg Olsen in the mail. I'm not certain if it was directly from the publisher Thomas & Mercer or from the publicist Jennifer Musico, who has sent me quite a number of e-books. The Amish Wife was about a real life monster.
The Amish Wife states that the Amish believe that saying negative things about someone reflects poorly on the speaker. This belief is probably why Amish were unwilling to say things they knew about killer Eli Stutzman. Olsen calls Eli "an Amish fabulist". I understand "fabulist" to mean someone who tells stories that are either not completely true or absolutely false. The stories with elements of truth are the most insidious because listeners need to determine when the fabulist is lying.
Olsen tells us that the only way a marriage could be ended in the Amish community was death. He believed that Eli killed his wife, Ida. Eli was evidently gay and wanted out of his marriage. So Olsen thinks the fabulist manufactured a story about her death that would allow him to evade responsibility for it.
I found Eli Stutzman's mug shot at a website called Daily Crime for those readers who are interested. He killed quite a number of people. He looked like the sort of person who didn't care about anyone or anything. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 1985, but was released in 2005. Stutzman committed suicide in 2007.
I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but it was eye opening that this happened in the Amish community. I suppose that the Amish are like everyone else. They run the gamut of personalities. Some Amish people try to behave decently toward their fellow human beings, and there may be a few who perform notable acts of benevolence, and then there are the people whose lives are horrors like Eli Stutzman. I could never write one book about Stutzman, let alone two. I wouldn't want to live with Stutzman's terrible actions for the length of time it would take to research and write about him. This book was about terrible events. It was well-researched and convincing, but I would be very happy not to encounter such a monster in the pages of a book in the foreseeable future. True crime isn't a genre that appeals to me. I hope my next read deals with people who don't make me feel sick.
For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
The Amish Wife states that the Amish believe that saying negative things about someone reflects poorly on the speaker. This belief is probably why Amish were unwilling to say things they knew about killer Eli Stutzman. Olsen calls Eli "an Amish fabulist". I understand "fabulist" to mean someone who tells stories that are either not completely true or absolutely false. The stories with elements of truth are the most insidious because listeners need to determine when the fabulist is lying.
Olsen tells us that the only way a marriage could be ended in the Amish community was death. He believed that Eli killed his wife, Ida. Eli was evidently gay and wanted out of his marriage. So Olsen thinks the fabulist manufactured a story about her death that would allow him to evade responsibility for it.
I found Eli Stutzman's mug shot at a website called Daily Crime for those readers who are interested. He killed quite a number of people. He looked like the sort of person who didn't care about anyone or anything. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison in 1985, but was released in 2005. Stutzman committed suicide in 2007.
I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but it was eye opening that this happened in the Amish community. I suppose that the Amish are like everyone else. They run the gamut of personalities. Some Amish people try to behave decently toward their fellow human beings, and there may be a few who perform notable acts of benevolence, and then there are the people whose lives are horrors like Eli Stutzman. I could never write one book about Stutzman, let alone two. I wouldn't want to live with Stutzman's terrible actions for the length of time it would take to research and write about him. This book was about terrible events. It was well-researched and convincing, but I would be very happy not to encounter such a monster in the pages of a book in the foreseeable future. True crime isn't a genre that appeals to me. I hope my next read deals with people who don't make me feel sick.
For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
January 5, 2024
The title “The Amish Wife” almost evokes the currently popular literary genre Amish romance (chaste “bonnet rippers” that are written for denomination-curious Christian evangelical women), but the real story of this Amish woman is far more tragic and gruesome. Back in 1989, Gregg Olsen first explored the murder of a little boy abandoned in a field, which led back to the death of a pregnant Amish woman in a barn fire (but not adjudged to be foul play) and produced his debut book “Answered Prayers.” Olsen did his best to investigate the story of “Little Boy Blue” at the time and his very graphic non-fiction book determined even then that psychopathic Eli Stutzman murdered his son and got away with it. Olsen had encountered numerous coverups and roadblocks 30 years ago and was prompted to revisit what happened to Stutzman’s pregnant wife when her brother, still a member of one of the strictest Amish sects, contacted him again with a box of letters.
I love Gregg’s true crime style — he really should turn his updated books into podcasts. In this narrative, he’s once again trying to track the truth, hopeful that enough has changed (and enough participants have died) to shake the memories and tongues of the survivors of that period. As usual, he unfolds his tales as if they were fictional thrillers — you’re rooting for him to find the truth, even if the final proof is revealed in the epilogue. 4 stars!
Thank you to Thomas and Mercer/Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for a free reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
I love Gregg’s true crime style — he really should turn his updated books into podcasts. In this narrative, he’s once again trying to track the truth, hopeful that enough has changed (and enough participants have died) to shake the memories and tongues of the survivors of that period. As usual, he unfolds his tales as if they were fictional thrillers — you’re rooting for him to find the truth, even if the final proof is revealed in the epilogue. 4 stars!
Thank you to Thomas and Mercer/Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for a free reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
December 23, 2023
2.5 stars
I chose this book as my December Kindle First Read, because nothing else appealed to me. I do like crime stories from time to time, so it wasn't a hard decision.
But this book was all over the place. The first half to two-thirds of the book were so full of asides, descriptions of Olsen's rental cars and hotel rooms, unrelated commentary (including references to Weird Al Yankovic and Schitt's Creek), bad coffee, weather...and so much of Olsen's experiences (car accident, descriptions of each flight to Ohio...) while investigating and researching the murder, that I didn't know what to think.
Also, he meets so many people, many of whom having same or similar names to others (which is, apparently, not unusual in Amish culture), that I got lost and confused several times. Who is this person? What did he do? Olsen also repeats himself a lot, which is helpful, I guess. I could have done with a "cast of characters" list, although flipping back and forth on a Kindle is not ideal.
I was ready to quit the book several times, but I persevered. I give Olsen a lot of credit for the balance and respect he shows the Amish and the LGBTQ characters in the book.
Because of this wide-ranging, somewhat structureless (at least for me) approach, I think The Amish Wife is a misnomer. Relatively little of the book is actually about Ida Stutzman. All we know is that she was an Amish woman, quite well-liked in the community, and loved by her family. The book is really about Eli, her husband and how trauma and societal rules of the time formed him and caused many horrific events. And yes, "a conspiracy that let a killer go free." So much wasted time and humanity.
I gave the book 2.5 stars, because the last part of the book picked up for me, as certain facts and information became available, and we were coming to some conclusions. It started to make more sense, although the ending was still less organized than I would want.
So I leave this book with sadness and a sense of loss for the people involved...and also a wish that the text had been more structured and easy to follow.
I chose this book as my December Kindle First Read, because nothing else appealed to me. I do like crime stories from time to time, so it wasn't a hard decision.
But this book was all over the place. The first half to two-thirds of the book were so full of asides, descriptions of Olsen's rental cars and hotel rooms, unrelated commentary (including references to Weird Al Yankovic and Schitt's Creek), bad coffee, weather...and so much of Olsen's experiences (car accident, descriptions of each flight to Ohio...) while investigating and researching the murder, that I didn't know what to think.
Also, he meets so many people, many of whom having same or similar names to others (which is, apparently, not unusual in Amish culture), that I got lost and confused several times. Who is this person? What did he do? Olsen also repeats himself a lot, which is helpful, I guess. I could have done with a "cast of characters" list, although flipping back and forth on a Kindle is not ideal.
I was ready to quit the book several times, but I persevered. I give Olsen a lot of credit for the balance and respect he shows the Amish and the LGBTQ characters in the book.
Because of this wide-ranging, somewhat structureless (at least for me) approach, I think The Amish Wife is a misnomer. Relatively little of the book is actually about Ida Stutzman. All we know is that she was an Amish woman, quite well-liked in the community, and loved by her family. The book is really about Eli, her husband and how trauma and societal rules of the time formed him and caused many horrific events. And yes, "a conspiracy that let a killer go free." So much wasted time and humanity.
I gave the book 2.5 stars, because the last part of the book picked up for me, as certain facts and information became available, and we were coming to some conclusions. It started to make more sense, although the ending was still less organized than I would want.
So I leave this book with sadness and a sense of loss for the people involved...and also a wish that the text had been more structured and easy to follow.
December 20, 2023
Bland.
December 12, 2023
This was such a well researched true crime. I read it not realizing that this is Gregg Olsen's second book on this murder. You don't have to read the first one to make sense of what his further research has come up with. I am now reading the first book. This is a haunting story of the cover-up of an Amish woman's murder. Well done!!
December 6, 2023
One man's determination to uncover the truth
Although this solves a crime in which all acting parties are deceased, it really matters! The focus is finding the truth about the fateful night of the barn fire and the real cause of Ida's death. But the book actually chronicles the life of Eli, the Amish man behind a wall of hurt and lies. Olsen takes you into the Amish community to see their routines, and he delves into the personalities of the people present in Ida's life at the time of her death. This book contains a dearth of information and is like a diary of the research involved to obtain this information. Sometimes disjointed, it lays out all the puzzle pieces until you can't help but see the full picture. Olsen is a great researcher and writer ... can't wait to see what the officials make of it and if Ida's cause of death is ultimately changed.
Although this solves a crime in which all acting parties are deceased, it really matters! The focus is finding the truth about the fateful night of the barn fire and the real cause of Ida's death. But the book actually chronicles the life of Eli, the Amish man behind a wall of hurt and lies. Olsen takes you into the Amish community to see their routines, and he delves into the personalities of the people present in Ida's life at the time of her death. This book contains a dearth of information and is like a diary of the research involved to obtain this information. Sometimes disjointed, it lays out all the puzzle pieces until you can't help but see the full picture. Olsen is a great researcher and writer ... can't wait to see what the officials make of it and if Ida's cause of death is ultimately changed.
December 6, 2023
Could Not Put it Down
Fascinating reading. Lies and deception, chasing a thirty year old murder to find the simple justice of truth. The author treats the Amish with great respect while seeking his way through the mystery of of both their culture and a serial killer's life. Not even the whys to but the fact that certain professional persons who should have and could have prevented deaths hid the truth for years. This author earned himself a new reader.
Fascinating reading. Lies and deception, chasing a thirty year old murder to find the simple justice of truth. The author treats the Amish with great respect while seeking his way through the mystery of of both their culture and a serial killer's life. Not even the whys to but the fact that certain professional persons who should have and could have prevented deaths hid the truth for years. This author earned himself a new reader.
December 20, 2023
I question the title "The Amish Wife" since readers are told that this is what the book is about. I have to disagree. Maybe "An Amish Killer" or "An Amish Conspiracy." Hard to believe the required outcome was to have a coroner change the cause of Ida's death. There was not, nor would ever be, positive proof of whom the killer was, though the evidence gathered proved that Ida was murdered. I would have been more intrigued if the story delved into more of why Eli might have been led to these crimes, his psyche. I did not feel that the twisted interactions of same name characters helped to understand what happened, nor was the graphic detail necessary to depict gay and pedophilic choices. I won't be reading Gregg Olsen in the future.
January 15, 2024
So, I didn't read 'Abandoned Prays' before picking this up, but that didn't diminish this book at all. Pertinent information was all explained for this book. I haven't liked most of Gregg's books up to now but I keep trying because I love true crime. This book was a pleasant surprise for me as I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It had mystery, intrigue, puzzles, and I loved Greer's point of view. Excellent tale. Riveting.
January 12, 2024
Gregg Olson has a way of researching true crime stories and I love it! It’s a sad, heartbreaking, twisted story that I just couldn’t put it down.
January 9, 2024
3.5-4 stars
December 21, 2023
2.5 DNF after 40%. I enjoyed the beginning. The frequent jumping around and self talk from the author drove me to boredom. I was interested in knowing what really happened so I did my own research on Eli instead. Interesting.
December 12, 2023
Secrets Never Last
This was a fascinating book of details, repeated over and over and over. For decades. Lies that everyone knew but nobody cared to be involved. I had a hard time after the first half of the book reading the repeat of the repeat. It could have been organized better .
This was a fascinating book of details, repeated over and over and over. For decades. Lies that everyone knew but nobody cared to be involved. I had a hard time after the first half of the book reading the repeat of the repeat. It could have been organized better .
January 4, 2024
Uneven writing and poor editing as if the book was rushed to be published. Compelling story poorly told.
December 22, 2023
I really enjoyed the writing style and I was engrossed in the story from the very beginning.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews