Gregg Olsen

Gregg Olsen (born March 5, 1959 in Seattle, Washington) is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of nonfiction books and novels, most of which are crime-related. The 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.

Career

Olsen has received awards and acclaim for his writing. The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine was selected as "Idaho Book of the Year" in 2006 by the Idaho Libraries Association and was a finalist for a Spur Award for best contemporary historical nonfiction book by the Western Writers of America. In 2007, The Deep Dark was also selected by Boise State University as its first-year read for incoming freshmen. Starvation Heights was selected by 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.

Starvation Heights was adapted for the stage by Portland, Oregon playwright Ginny Foster and debuted as a part of the National New Play Festival in July 2008. It was announced in January 2009 that the book was optioned by producer Jason Fogelson and Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Letts for a film adaptation with Letts named as writing the script.^[1] It also was listed as a New York Times bestseller at number 7 on December 28, 2014 in e-book nonfiction.^[2]

In 2012, Envy, a novel by Olsen, was Washington State Library's choice to represent Washington in the Pavilion of the States at the 2012 National Book Festival.^[3]

Olsen has appeared on "Good Morning America," "The Early Show," Court TV, "Entertainment Tonight," CNN, FOX News, 48 Hours, and other US and international TV programs discussing criminal cases. He lives in rural Olalla, Washington, with his wife, a graphic designer.

Awards

Starvation Heights, originally published in 1997, reached number 9 on The New York Times bestseller list in the crime-and-punishment category on February 14, 2016.^[4]

Victim Six debuted on USA Today's bestseller list on October 2, 2014,^[5] with Closer Than Blood debuting the week of April 14, 2011 on USA Today's bestseller list, where it remained for three weeks.

Bodies of Evidence, the first in a book series titled Notorious USA, which Olsen wrote with co-author Rebecca Morris, debuted the week of September 22, 2013 at number 16 on The New York Times bestseller list in e-book nonfiction^[6]

If Loving You is Wrong, one of Olsen's Crime Rant Classics releases, made The New York Times bestseller list in e-book nonfiction at number 4 the week of August 18, 2013,^[7] and USAToday's bestseller list on August 8, 2013.^[8] It also made The Wall Street Journal's list, debuting at number 7 in the nonfiction e-book category the week of August 8, 2013.^[9]

A Shocking True Story, released in 2013, was number 9 for two weeks on The New York Times bestseller list in e-book nonfiction the weeks of June 5 and June 16, 2013.^[10]

His first New York Times bestseller was Abandoned Prayers, which was number 11 for two weeks beginning the week of July 6, 2003 in paperback best sellers.^[11]

Bibliography

Nonfiction

• A Killing in Amish Country: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder, (2016)
• A Twisted Faith, (2010) about a philandering minister who killed his wife ^[12]
• The Deep Dark (2005), about the 1972 Sunshine mine fire in Kellogg, Idaho^[13]
• Starvation Heights, about Linda Burfield Hazzard^[14]
• Cruel Deception, aka, Mockingbird, the case of murderous mother Tanya Reid
• If Loving You is Wrong, the story of Mary Kay Letourneau
• Abandoned Prayers, about the Eli Stutzman case
• Bitter Almonds, the story of Stella Nickell
• Black Widow, about Sharon Lynn Nelson
• If I Can't Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children

Novels

• A Wicked Snow (2007)
• A Cold Dark Place (2008)
• Heart of Ice (2009)
• Victim Six (2010)
• Closer Than Blood (2011)
• Envy (2011)
• The Bone Box (2012)
• Betrayal (2012)
• Fear Collector (2013)
• Shocking True Story (2013)
• Run (2014)
• The Girl in the Woods (2014)
• Now That She's Gone (2015)
• Just Try to Stop Me (2016)

References

1. ↑ Administrator. "IMPRINT and VIGILANTE ENTERTAINMENT TO BRING STARVATION HEIGHTS TO FILM - PRBuzz Press Releases". vee2.net. 
2. ↑ "Best Sellers". 
3. ↑ "- WA Secretary of State - Office". wa.gov. 
4. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/02/14/crime-and-punishment/?_r=0
5. ↑ "Victim Six". 21 June 2013. 
6. ↑ "Best Sellers (e-book nonfiction) - ''The New York Times''". Nytimes.com. 2014-01-22. Retrieved 2014-04-10. 
7. ↑ Best Sellers - The New York Times
8. ↑ "If Loving You is Wrong". 21 June 2013. 
9. ↑ "WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST-SELLERS". U-T San Diego. 
10. ↑ Best Sellers - The New York Times
11. ↑ PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: July 6, 2003 - New York Times
12. ↑ "Local News - The News Tribune". 
13. ↑ "'The Deep Dark' Chronicles Deadly 1972 Mine Fire". NPR.org. 21 May 2005. 
14. ↑ MARA BOVSUN (6 June 2010). "Starvation death diet: Doc was hungry for patients' loot". NY Daily News.