The Stranger and the World's Bravest Little Girl

Notorious USA

by Gregg Olsen, Rebecca Morris

WITH PHOTOSA girl uses her wits to survive a maniacal killer who wipes out her family. A woman is condemned for the “final betrayal of motherhood” – killing her children. A grieving mother becomes convinced that the man convicted of murdering her beautiful teenage daughter is innocent. New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen (If Loving You Is Wrong, Starvation Heights) and veteran journalist Rebecca Morris (Ted and Ann – The Mystery of a Missing Child and Her Neighbor Ted Bundy), delve into their Notorious USA crime files to take a new look at Idaho’s most notorious crimes. Cases Shasta Groene – the brave little girl was the only survivor of a random murder and kidnapping in Coeur d’Alene.Jeralee Underwood – an eleven-year-old who had the bad luck to meet a ruthless killer as she performed her favorite task of the day, delivering newspapers to her Pocatello neighborhood. Robin Row – the only woman on Idaho’s Death Row liked to set fires that killed her children. She just happened to have purchased life insurance before the tragic incidents. Angie Dodge – Carol Dodge grieved her daughter’s murder for years, until she became convinced the police had coerced a confession and convicted the wrong man. Now she’s working for Christopher Tapp’s release. Lyda Trueblood – America’s first female serial killer liked to bake apple pies. She sprinkled in a secret ingredient – arsenic. Sarah Johnson – The teenager with the blonde ponytail shot her parents with a rifle, then hid her blood-spattered pink bathrobe in the garbage. With a bonus essay from Olsen, author of the 2005 Idaho Book of the Year, The Deep Dark – Disaster and Redemption in America’s Richest Silver Mine.About the GREGG OLSEN IS THE NEW YORK TIMES, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of twenty books, both true crime and fiction, including Abandoned Prayers, Closer than Blood, A Twisted Faith, Starvation Heights, and If Loving You Is Wrong. He appears frequently on Dateline NBC, NPR, Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX News; CNN, Anderson Cooper 360, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Extra, Access Hollywood, Snapped, Deadly Women, and A&E's Biography.REBECCA MORRIS IS A VETERAN JOURNALIST and the author of Ted and Ann – The Mystery of a Missing Child and Her Neighbor Ted Bundy. Her writing has appeared in People, Entertainment Weekly, New York Newsday, The Seattle Times, The Oregonian and many other publications. She worked in broadcast journalism in New York. Olsen and Morris’s book about missing Utah mom Susan Cox Powell, her husband Josh, and their boys Charlie and Braden, If I Can’t Have You –Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance and the Murder of her Children will be published by St. Martin’s in 2014. Also by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris The Girl and the Horrors of Howard Avenue (Notorious Oregon) The Boy Who Fired the First Shot (Notorious Washington) If there’s a notorious case you’d like us to write about – anywhere in the country – contact Gregg@GreggOlsen.com Rebecca@RebeccaTMorris.com

Genres: True Crime

83 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2013

About the author

Throughout 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).

Reviews

[Marisia Robus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dissapointing
I found it disappointing, there was not meat on the story as I thought it would be. Sounded like it was a rehash of newspaper & TV stories

[Kristen Davids · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention True Crime junkies! If you are looking for your next true crime read, then look no further. Most people hear the name "Idaho" and think of the "Idaho potatoes" or maybe you don't think of Idaho at all because let's face it, it isn't the most popular state in the United States. This book tells the tale of horrific crimes that are infamous to many of us including people like myself who are true crime junkies.

This was quick but good read, I read in in less than 24 hours. Gregg laid out the major facts of the crimes but did not go into crazy detail about each one (which personally I don't think is needed!). Gregg got down to the nitty gritty and the point which I think personally made me love it even more. I am a huge crime junkie - I have read a ton of true crime books and seen almost every episode of "Forensic Files." All of the tales of horrific crime told in this book I had never heard of - this doesn't happen often for me so that was intriguing!

If you are looking for a true crime book that you can enjoy and don't need tons of details or history of the crime - I would highly recommend this book.

4/5 Stars - This is not my favorite book in the Notorious USA Series, but it was still intriguing nonetheless. If you are wanting a quick read that does not require deep thought or tons of background then this may be the next true crime read for you!

[Tricia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio is about murders in Idaho, in the Notorious USA series. First is a woman, Robin Row, who set her house on fire with her family inside, husband, son and daughter to get insurance money. This wasn't the first time she did something like this. She is still on death row. Second is Joseph Edward Duncan III, he murdered 3 members of the Groene family and kidnapped the 2 youngest children. He is not only a murderer but also a child molester. He is still on death row. There are more killings on this audio. Each shocking, what is wrong with these people. The narrator has one of those voices that you could easily fall asleep to and i like it. I love true crime, maybe it's the shocking details that attract me. I liked this audio and will be listening to the rest of the series.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories

While I do love Gregg Olsen stories, I admit this is not his best. It's not written very well and there are numerous typos. But that doesn't diminish the fact that these are interesting stories.

[Heather Wilkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horribly written!