Secrets in the Cellar, John Glatt
Secrets in the Cellar, John Glatt
19 Rating(s)
List: $16.99 | Sale: $11.89
Club: $8.49

Secrets in the Cellar
The True Story of the Austrian Incest Case That Shocked the World

Author: John Glatt

Narrator: Gildart Jackson

Unabridged: 7 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/08/2013

Categories: Nonfiction, True Crime


Synopsis

Josef Fritzl was a 73-year-old retired engineer in Austria. He seemed to be living a normal life with his wife, Rosemarie, and their family—though one daughter, Elisabeth, had decades earlier been "lost" to a religious cult. Throughout the years, three of Elisabeth's children mysteriously appeared on the Fritzls' doorstep; Josef and Rosemarie raised them as their own. But only Josef knew the truth about Elisabeth's disappearance . . .

For twenty-seven years, Josef had imprisoned and molested Elisabeth in his man-made basement dungeon, complete with soundproof paneling and code-protected electric locks. There, she would eventually give birth to a total of seven of Josef's children. One died in infancy—and the other three were raised alongside Elisabeth, never to see the light of day.

Then, in 2008, one of Elisabeth's children became seriously ill and was taken to the hospital. It was the first time the nineteen-year-old girl had ever gone outside—and soon, the truth about her background, her family's captivity, and Josef's unspeakable crimes would come to light.

About John Glatt

English-born John Glatt is the author of more than twenty books, and has over thirty years of experience as an investigative journalist in England and America. He is the author of Lost and Found, Secrets in the Cellar, Playing with Fire, and many other bestselling books of true crime. He has appeared on television and radio programs all over the world, including Dateline NBC, Fox News, A Current Affair, BBC World News, and A&E Biography.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ruth on August 24, 2014

I can't really say that I enjoyed this book, because of the content. However, it was well researched and well written. The ending was a little abrupt, but apart from that it was a great read.......more

Goodreads review by Maxine on August 01, 2019

I had super high hopes for this book. The entire case completely fascinated and disturbed me at the same time. So I bought the book and settled in for a good read. 3 months later after picking up the book at different times and reading more I realised that the book for me just lacked something I had......more

Goodreads review by ♥Milica♥ on June 14, 2022

I listened to the audiobook, and that made my reading experience better. I didn't learn many things that I didn't already know from reading articles online, but it was still an enjoyable read. I hope hell is ready for Josef Fritzl, because that's where he's going. 3.5......more

Goodreads review by Jeannie on March 16, 2009

This true story is horrifying and since I remember it happening I was glad to see this book come out. It was a very quick read but I felt the writing was somewhat choppy. The author tended to flit around and back and forth. I feel deeply for Elizabeth and her children and hope they have made a full......more

Goodreads review by Shaun on November 20, 2015

A friend recently recommended a book titled Room. She briefly described the plot which sounded eerily similar to a true life scenario I had read about in the recent past. A little investigation proved that my memory is still functioning well. Room was loosely based on this story, Josef Fritzl's story......more