I had never heard of this case before reading this true-crime novel. It is extremely well researched, and detailed, just like other works by Gregg Olsen. It does jump timelines (or more follows different people involved with the case) so you need to pay attention because there are a lot of side characters.

I want to thank Netgalley and Thread Books for an ARC of this book. I do wish that it was disclosed that this was a republishing under a different title.

I think I had high expectations diving into this book because I LOVED If you tell. Although this was researched a lot this just didn't do it for me. It somewhat dragged for me. This book just had way too many family members for me to keep up with.

Thanks to Thread Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

I always find it hard to write a review for a True Crime book - often because of the fact that readers might already know a lot about the incident, or they may know too little and i don't want to give too much away.

For me, it's not just about the crime but about the people, the writing and the pacing. All of this was really well done in this book. There are plenty of twists and turns - unexpected turning points and questions, so many questions.

I did find the trial covering a little bland, but hey, sometimes trials can get super technical and it's hard to keep facts and times in my old head.

All in all this was an equally great and horrific story - and you should read it.

Unfortunately, I have tried getting into this book several times and have found myself losing interest in it. The writing of the book does not keep my attention, is very choppy and is hard to follow at times, and I eventually decided to DNF around 20% in. I haven't read any Gregg Olsen books in the past, not sure if this is his style or if it is just me that isn't connecting, but I felt it was best to move on because it felt like I was trudging through a book I wasn't interested in finishing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This review contains my own opinions.

I love true crime and was excited to read this book. I feel like true crime presenters whether they are authors or podcast hosts fall into two categories - those who keep the story moving along and those who get bogged down in the details. This book fell into the latter category. While it was interesting, it did drag on more than necessary. I found myself skimming certain parts The book did hit the high points and convinced me early on Stella was guilty. I did enjoy the book and will read more from this author!

This book was ok. I probably wouldn't recommend it to friends/family.
Thank you to Gregg Olsen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel.

I do not like to rate nonfiction books. Gregg Olsen paints a very sad portrait in this novel. But, I think that the novel was a bit long and was hard sometimes to follow. That does not mean that the story was bad, because it wasn't. Just a bit lengthier than was needed.

Gregg Olson's book American Mother is about the 1986 murders of Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow when they unknowingly took cyanide-laced headache pain relievers. This well researched novel is the story of the investigation surrounding the victims and those accused of the murders. Olsen offers a fresh perspective and answers questions with the latest shocking facts. This account includes the relationship between Stella Nickell and her daughter Cynthia. The in-depth look back at the psychological aspects and relationships of all those involved including the innocent bystanders is an interesting read for true crime fans. Gregg Olsen leaves no stone unturned in his intriguing account of the premeditated brutal murders.

I couldn't get into the style of writing, I found it difficult to follow. Its a very interesting story and usually this would be the kind of book I'd like to read but the way it jumps around made it difficult to keep track of. For me personally, I found the style of writing a challenge but the book and what it's about is very interesting.

I was obsessed with his other true crime book so I thought this would be a slam dunk unfortunately I found this to be an absolute snooze fest

3 stars

This book was good but a little too detailed in my opinion. Gregg could have really shortened the book by about 150-200 pages too long. I love some of the detail but at a certain point it becomes too much. Will definitely try another book by this author though.

This book was well researched and detailed.. Im a big fan of this author both his non fiction and his fiction. I couldnt put this book down.

Wow! Every time I read a Gregg Olsen book I have to remind myself that the story is not fiction. He has a wonderful way of sharing the facts of a case with character development and humanizing all the participants.

Reading the story of Stella Nickell you can almost understand how she came to make the choices she did when you factor in her childhood, the lack of options for women at the time.

This was a really slow read for me. I was hoping for something similar to the authors book if you tell. I find his writing to be a bit repetitive on specifics and tends to mention the same fact in multiple chapters. The story itself was interesting and reminded me a lot of the Tylenol stories.

I would rate this 3.5 stars.
When 2 people from different families drop down dead from cyanide poisoning after taking painkillers that have been tampered with there is a complex investigation into who the killer was and why. This was a really gritty true crime story which uncovers a large web full of many secrets and lies until we finally have a good idea of what happened.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

American Mother is one of those books that didn't capture my interest right from the start. I got a few chapters in and realized every time I was reading, I wasn't honed in on the writing.

For now, I'm setting this one aside to read other books. Rest assured, I will pick it up again and update my review if my thoughts change.

I greatly respect Olsen as a writer & storyteller, but also think it's alright that not every book connects with every reader. I hope others will enjoy this unsettling tale and inspire me to get back into it!

This is the story about the Excedrin murders that happened shortly after the Tylenol tampering back in the 80’s. Stella was married to Bruce, who died from cyanide poisoning after taking 4 pills for a headache. This book drags quite a bit in the middle and the timeline jumps back and forth which made it hard to read. I’d give it 2 1/2 stars

This book did not live up to the hype. Normally an Olsen book will totally blow your mind and keep you reading. This was not up to his normal standard for sure. It felt repetitive and jumbled.

This book was well understood but it dragged the story out so much. This book was written with so much detail it was already made for a netflix docuseries and you did feel like you were there. For me if the book was slashed in half it would have been 5 stars

Gregg Olsen is one of my favs when it comes to true crime. This book is about the cyanide murders in Washington several years ago, I really appreciate the time and effort Olsen puts into portraying the story realistically--lacking sensationalism and sticking to the gritty (often horrifying) facts. If you like true crime as well as dipping into the legal system, how the FBI works, etc., this will be a good read for you.