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Book Cover for: Abandoned Prayers: An Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession, and Amish Secrets, Gregg Olsen

Abandoned Prayers: An Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession, and Amish Secrets

Gregg Olsen

True crime journalist Gregg Olsen, author of the instant bestseller If You Tell, unravels the twisted tale of a shocking murder in Amish country.

On Christmas Eve in 1985, a hunter found a young boy's body along an icy corn field in Nebraska. The residents of Chester, Nebraska buried him as "Little Boy Blue," unclaimed and unidentified-- until a phone call from Ohio two years later led authorities to Eli Stutzman, the boy's father.

Eli Stutzman, the son of an Amish bishop, was by all appearances a dedicated farmer and family man in the country's strictest religious sect. But behind his quiet façade was a man involved with pornography, sadomasochism, and drugs. After the suspicious death of his pregnant wife, Stutzman took his preschool-age son, Danny, and hit the road on a sexual odyssey ending with his conviction for murder. But the mystery of Eli Stutzman and the fate of his son didn't end on the barren Nebraska plains. It was just beginning...

Olsen's Abandoned Prayers is an incredible true story of murder and Amish secrets.

Book Details

  • Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
  • Publish Date: Aug 24th, 2021
  • Pages: 416
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.30in - 1.20in - 0.80lb
  • EAN: 9781250823977
  • Categories: Murder - GeneralCriminals & OutlawsUnited States - State & Local - New England (CT, MA, ME, NH,

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About the Author

Olsen, Gregg: -

#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gregg Olsen has written more than thirty books, including Lying Next to Me, The Last Thing She Ever Did, and two novels in the Nicole Foster series, The Sound of Rain and The Weight of Silence. Known for his ability to create vivid and fascinating narratives, he's appeared on multiple television and radio shows and news networks, such as Good Morning America, Dateline, Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and MSNBC. In addition, Olsen has been featured in Redbook, People, and Salon magazine, as well as in the Seattle Times, Los Angeles Times, and New York Post. Both his fiction and nonfiction works have received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including prominence on the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Washington State officially selected his young adult novel Envy for the National Book Festival, and The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year.

A Seattle native who lives with his wife in rural Washington State, Olsen's already at work on his next book.

More books by Gregg Olsen

Book Cover for: If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Starvation Heights: A True Story of Murder and Malice in the Woods of the Pacific Northwest, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: The Amish Wife: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: American Black Widow: The Shocking True Story of a Preacher's Wife Turned Killer, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Cruel Deception: A True Story of Murder and a Mother's Deadly Game, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: A Killing in Amish Country: Lies, Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Murder, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: If I Can't Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Final Victim: A completely gripping crime thriller packed with suspense, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: American Mother: The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood, and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Cougar Point: A totally addictive crime thriller with a shocking twist, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: A Twisted Faith: A Minister's Obsession and the Murder That Destroyed a Church, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Stillwater Island: An absolutely gripping mystery suspense thriller, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: The Last Thing She Ever Did, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine, Gregg Olsen
Book Cover for: Silent Ridge, Gregg Olsen

Praise for this book

Praise for IF YOU TELL, the instant #1 Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller:

"This riveting account will leave readers questioning every odd relative they've known." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Olsen presents the story chronologically and in a simple, straightforward style, which works well: it is chilling enough as is." --Booklist

"An unsettling stunner about sibling love, courage, and resilience." --People Magazine (book of the week)

"If You Tell accomplishes what it sets out to do. The result is a compelling portrait of terror and a powerfully honest, yet still sensitive, look at survival." --Bookreporter

"This disturbing book recounts the unimaginable abuse and torture three sisters Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek endured from their own mother, Shelly...the strong bond they form to survive and defy their mother's sadistic tendencies is inspiring." --BuzzFeed

Praise for ABANDONED PRAYERS:

"A searingly tragic look behind the headlines that broke America's heart. Brilliantly researched, wonderfully written." --Ann Rule

"A riveting and deeply disturbing chronicle of true crime. Olsen has done a superior job." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Among the top true crime books published. Once picked up, it's hard to put down." --New Philadelphia Times Reporter

"A superior true crime account that should not be missed." --Jack Olsen, author of Doc and I: The Creation of a Serial Killer

"A tough new voice rises in the ranks of true-crime writers. Even the reigning giants of the genre are taking notice and offering praise." --Seattle Post-Intelligencer