After having read a couple of Greg Olsen’s true crime/ non fiction reads, I was excited to request this on Netgalley. However, while the writing was good, I found I wasn’t that invested in the story. Where it’s such a wide net for a crime, it didn’t have that personal feel and I’ve realized that is something I tend to find the most interesting. The intricacies and psychology. I’m also not interested in reading about the Unabomber so I think this is just personal preference here. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

Readers expect exhaustively researched true crime with a compelling story from Olsen, and American Mother is no exception. Thank you to Net Galley, Gregg Olsen, and Grand Central Publishing for digital review copy.

Thank you to Gregg Olsen, Thread Books and Netgalley for this advance copy.
An interesting read and account of some shocking events surrounding cyanide killings in America. An engaging story which I sometimes felt confused by due to the multiple characters and the way the story unfolded but on the whole an engaging story.

I love true crime so I was so happy to be able to read this book. It was such an interesting read that really went in depth to the crime and how the pieces all fit together. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Net Galley, Gregg Olsen, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC of American Mother The True Story of a Troubled Family, Motherhood, and the Cyanide Murders That Shook the World in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a true crime junkie. Shows, podcasts, books, I love them all. So, I was thrilled when I got an eARC of American Mother.

This book didn’t disappoint, it had everything I wanted in a true crime book. But I will say that at the start of the book with the interdiction of all of the people it got a little muddy and I found myself flipping back to figure out who people were and how they were connected. I feel this could have been solved with a family tree at the beginning or even a little chart showing the key people of the book.

But that being said, I really enjoyed this book. There was good lead up to what happened and the families lives before the murders and the trial, giving you depth into who the players in the story were. It was well researched and the story and the case flowed nicely all the way to the trial. The trial portion of the book didn’t go over everything again, but did highlight the important aspects of the case as well as key people and details. I was never bored with this book.

I feel like this book would almost read like a true crime podcast as an audiobook.

The story is engaging, and the evidence is presented in a way that is easy to digest and follow. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the cyanide murders that occurred in the United States.

Thanks to an advanced reader copy offered by NetGalley, I received Mr. Olsen's newest book. His writing is always very detailed, and you feel right there with the characters. This story is lengthy but explains the possibility of why all of the pieces came together in this tradegy. Never a disappointment when you chose this author!

At 5.02 pm on June 5, 1986, an emergency call came into the local sheriff’s office in the small town of Auburn, Washington State. A distressed housewife, Stella Nickell, said her husband Bruce was having a seizure. Officers rushed to the Nickell’s mobile home, to find Stella standing frozen at the door… Bruce was on the floor fighting for his life. As Stella became the beneficiary of over $175,000 in a life insurance pay-out, forensics discovered that Bruce had consumed painkillers laced with cyanide thus beginning the 1980 cyanide killings.
I was excited to get my hands on this true crime book from NY Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen. Although it was clearly very well-researched, I’m sad to say it did not live up to my craving. I'll note that this is a reprinting of one of Olsen's much earlier works, "Bitter Almonds", he's come a long way since then!

This book was just ok but was nowhere near as good as If You Tell.The back and forth timeline was a bit confusing. I was hoping for more out of American Mother. It was incredibly well researched and well written of course - Like many other reviewers have said though, the book was very redundant and long.
Thank You NetGalley and Thread Books for an advanced copy.

I received an ARC of, American Mother, by Gregg Olsen. What would you do, if you think your mom is a murderer? Would you turn her in, or keep it to yourself. I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation. Cindy has to deal with this situation, and she is not dealing with it to well. A well written book.

At 5.02 pm on June 5, 1986, an emergency call came into the local sheriff's office in the small town of Auburn, Washington State. A distressed housewife, Stella Nickell, said her husband Bruce was having a seizure. Officers rushed to the Nickell's mobile home, to find Stella standing frozen at the door. Bruce was on the floor fighting for his life.
As Stella became the beneficiary of over $175,000 in a life insurance pay-out, forensics discovered that Bruce had consumed painkillers laced with cyanide.
A week later, fifteen-year-old Hayley was getting ready for another school day. Her mom, Sue, called out 'I love you' before heading into the bathroom and moments later collapsed on the floor. Sue never regained consciousness, and the autopsy revealed she had been poisoned by cyanide-tainted headache pills. Just like Bruce.
While a daughter grieved the sudden and devastating loss of her mother, a young woman, Cindy, was thinking about her own mom Stella. She thought about the years of neglect and abuse, the tangled web of secrets Stella had shared with her, and Cindy contemplated turning her mom into the FBI.
Really enjoyable read totally read
Thank You NetGalley and Thread Books
I just reviewed American Mother by Gregg Olsen. #AmericanMother #NetGalley

At 5.02 pm on June 5, 1986, an emergency call came into the local sheriff’s office in the small town of Auburn, Washington State. A distressed housewife, Stella Nickell, said her husband Bruce was having a seizure. Officers rushed to the Nickell’s mobile home, to find Stella standing frozen at the door… Bruce was on the floor fighting for his life. As Stella became the beneficiary of over $175,000 in a life insurance pay-out, forensics discovered that Bruce had consumed painkillers laced with cyanide.

Did I enjoy this book?, not really, I find this author a bit hit and miss and have read many of his books. I found myself putting the book down and when picking it up not even sure if I wished to continue reading but I did. I love books that have me calling out for them to reach out and devour their stories but this just did not grab my attention or make me really care as to where this was going or what would happen. I do not like leaving negative reviews but also care about telling the truth in how I feel so I guess it is what it is.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't manage to finish this book, although the premised was interesting the constant jumping about with the story's left me confused and it couldn't hold my attention. Was well researched it just wasn't put together in a way that would hold me.

An enjoyable non fiction read. I found the plot quite hard to follow in terms of the way the characters were introduced, but regardless I thought it picked up and was well written overall.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC to review.
I kind of had high expectations for this book after reading If You Tell. This book was ok but was nowhere near as good as If You Tell.
The back and forth timeline was a bit confusing. I guess I also just did not find this one as interesting.
The author did do a good job of researching and providing information. Not bad just wasn’t as interesting for me.

A couldn't put down, true crime book concerning Stella Nickell. We've got two families that suffered deaths of loved ones due to cyanide poisonings. The family dynamics of Nickell is gobsmacking. Author Olsen does a great job with telling the story. A little long at times, I did find myself skipping some "extra" info, however, I couldn't put it down, and that gives it a 5/5.

Gregg Olsen, a well known mystery/thriller writer, is the author of this true crime book about Stella Nickell, the Seattle cyanide tampering killer from the 1980s. Olsen explores the twisted, selfish history of Stella and her daughter Cindy. Through multiple marriages and affairs, Stella arrives at a plot with her daughter to imitate the Tylenol cyanide tamperings of Chicago.

Sorry, really couldn't follow it. Not for me. Very well researched but just couldn't get my head around it.

I read this book long ago under its original title. Much of it was like reading a new book for me, as my memory isn’t what it used to be. I would have preferred a new true crime story from this author. I’ve read and liked many of his other non-fiction crime reads through the years, but it seems like he’s been into crime fiction more in recent years. This remains a good read for this genre, about a case so many remember.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book by a usually great author. I didn’t finish the book as I was weary of the various relationships and convoluted, back-and-forth scenarios. The concept was compelling and could be interesting if more compactly presented. Other books by Greg Olsen have been interesting reads but this one was not for me. Again, thank you for the ARC.

Gregg Olsen has done it again- really drawing you into the crime and life of his subjects in each book- American Mother is no different. The death of Sue really “stuck” in my mind as a mother with a daughter myself- just imagining how her daughter and the rest of the family felt was jolting within the first pages- and the horror and chaos that followed, thanks to Stella.

Thank you ti NetGalley for allowing me to receive an arc in exchange for my honest review!

Much Anticipated…
The complete and updated true story of Stella Nickell and the cyanide poisonings that shook small town America and resonated everywhere. With sleight of hand the author paints a detailed and credible picture of the the main players in this real life drama, the families concerned and of Stella herself. The narrative takes the reader right up to and after the court case and never lets interest wane. An account which is as unsettling as it is compelling and immersive. This is a much anticipated update of the author’s original book ‘Bitter Almonds’ - should the reader have read the original book, as I have, this updated edition contains recent enlightening and intriguing information which is more than well worth a visit. True crime aficionados should not be disappointed.