Thank you Netgalley & Bookouture for an eARC of American Mother by Gregg Olsen. I loved Gregg Olsen’s If You Tell, so found myself requesting this one quickly. I found myself bouncing between the audiobook and ecopy of this book, which helped with the length.

This book kicks off in June of 1986 when Stella Nickell makes a 911 call that her husband Bruce was having a seizure. This kicked off a wave of devastation - a shocking true story of a troubled family.

I would recommend this book if you REALLY love true crime. This is a long book, nearly 500 pages, with so many details of different individuals. While interesting, I found that there were so many details that I found myself getting bogged down and lost in them. As always, though, Olsen has a knack for structuring a true crime story in a way that keeps the reader on the edge of their seats.

✨ American Mother ✨⁣
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⁣In June of 1986, a distressed housewife, Stella Nichelle, calls 911 after her husband, Bruce, starts having a seizure. A week later, a forty year old mother, Sue Snow, collapses while getting ready for her day never to regain consciousness. Forensics soon discovers that Bruce and Sue had both consumed painkillers laced with cyanide. This book tells the shocking true story of a troubled family plagued by years of abuse and neglect. ⁣
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⁣Meh. This book started out strong, but soon felt so bogged down with alllllll the details that I lost focus. There was a ton of different characters and Gregg Olsen tried to tell their entire life stories! It was just too long and felt like a big information dump. ⁣
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⁣I did enjoy reading about Stella and Cynthia’s relationship and appreciate the decades of research that has gone into this story. Unfortunately, I was just bored. ⁣
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⁣I’d only recommend this one if you are VERY interested in this crime! Three stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review!

Audiobook provided by publisher and netgalley for a honest review. I have had the pleasure of reading, If You Tell by Gregg Olson, two years ago. I am sad to say I did not love this book. American Mother was previously published as Almond Bitters. There is about 26 years in-between the publishing dates for these two books. I am not sure if this new publishing had any adaptations to the original book but I feel like his writing is much more advanced in his newer true crime books. Gregg has a way of telling a story that keeps the reader interested but this older writing did not do it for me. I made it through half of the book before I had to DNF it. I felt as though this book was so repetitive and took a while to get to the point. Gregg could have easily protrayed the troubled family look without so much repetition. The narrator is good but makes you feel like you're watching forensic files, She was able to successfully alternate male and female voices to help the listener distinguish people. I will continue to recommend Gregg's other books and look forward to future publishings.

Gregg takes us through the cyanide poisonings and how one woman was caught for killing her husband by making the big mistake of accidentally killing an innocent woman.

I really wanted to love this and although I definitely enjoyed it, it felt too long, convoluted and even a bit lost in parts. I found the beginning very thorough and interesting and really setup the book well. Following that the end did an incredible job of tying everything together. However, the middle was a real slog, it didn’t all feel necessary to know and I feel like there were just too many people and opinions brought into the mix.

If you are a real lover of true crime this will be really up your street. The narration is so good and really nicely takes you through the case.

True crime lovers - this is one for you.

This follows the true crime story about the cyanide poisonings caused by tainted Excedrin capsules from the 1980s. I knew some things about the actual crimes but had no idea about all the families involved and their backstories. It was interesting and also heartbreaking learning about not only the victims and their families but also the murderer's life and her family. "Deny, deny, deny" that is all I kept saying to myself as I listened to her story. She is definitely one selfish crazy mamma. I feel true sorrow for her family. This did get a little long, especially with the trial and the repetitiveness of it all, but I guess that is typically how true crime goes. I enjoy this author's writing and am always impressed by how he goes above and beyond to find all the facts, especially ones that are not publicly known. He knows just how to bring his characters to life and keep the reader engaged. The narrator was a excellent choice for story.. If you enjoy true crime I would check this out.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Gregg Olsen for allowing me to listen to an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In June 1986, the emergency call from Stella Nickel, claiming that her husband Bruce was having a seizure, shook the small town of Auburn in Washington State. A week later, fifteen-year-old Hayley finds her mother collapsed on the bathroom floor. Soon, the investigators discovered that in both cases, the victims took painkillers tainted with cyanide...

This was a fascinating true crime story. It starts small and contained, but we understand the panic of customers quite soon, as no one knows if there are more tainted pills. The FBI and big pharmaceutical companies get involved. Moreover, Gregg Olsen has a natural gift for writing family histories. He relates the whole life story of Stella Nickel and her mother in this book and makes this simple story addictive. The amount of time and effort the author has to put into writing his books is incredible. He also writes from a very objective point of view, narrating the story and leaving the judgement to those more qualified.

It is hard to talk about favourite moments or characters in a book like this, but I found Hayley’s story especially appealing. Her young age makes her narrative emotional and heartbreaking. I recommend this book to all fans of true crime stories, especially those interested in the family drama surrounding those tragedies.

This book started out OK. I will remember the crime. It was well researched. But it just went on for too long. I got bored in the middle a lot of repetition. If you’re really into minute details then this book is for you. The narrator was very good. It was very difficult to finish the book however. Thank you Nead Kelly and the publisher for providing an advanced audio copy for

2 stars - Unfortunately, this was a bust for me. I love true crime, but this was painfully boring. It could not keep my attention, and was much too long. I appreciate Olsen’s attention to detail, but I found myself forgetting (and ultimately not caring) who everyone was and speeding up the audio simply to get through the 14+ hrs. Sadly I do not recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Excellent. I'm a huge fan of True Crime and Gregg Olsen once again shows us why he's one of the best in this genre. I didn't know much about this story prior to reading / listening to this, and was fascinated. This read like fiction - partly because of Olsen's ability to present the details of the case in a way that is not just interesting, but gripping, and partly because the case itself is gripping. I alternated between the audiobook and the e-book and found I enjoyed the audiobook so much that I preferred listening over reading, which is rare. The narrator is excellent. There are a lot of moving parts in this story and a lot of players, and I did have a bit of trouble keeping some of the many individuals straight - there are two different families affected by the tragedy of this case, and early on I had difficulty keeping track of who was related to which family / case. I felt like I needed a "family tree" of sorts to work out all the different relationships. If you read / listen to this, it might help to jot down names with a note of who they belong to! Otherwise, I loved this. I'll pretty much read anything by Gregg Olsen and hope he continues to give us more. Highly recommend this and any of his work to fans of true crime.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was easy to listen to and didnt turn me off at all which sometimes happens. The story of what one woman did to murder her husband and the impact it had beyond the walls of her home is amazing. The story breaks down where you really wonder are is she really responsible , how will they prove it. And wow! The backkstory of the Stella and her family and history was really interesting as a backstory for sure. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that loves true crime like i do!

Such an astonishing story. Stella....oh Stella. A true crime story that reads like a story rather than just facts and figures, but makes the people come alive off of the pages. The story is about Stella and how she has big dreams but little cash and little prospects in making those big dreams come true. Over time, I'm not sure if it's boredom,or lack of cash and hard times, or if it's just time flying by and realizing she needs to do something, but Stella starts making moves that prove to be deadly. This book goes over all the details, but like listening to a story unfold in real time, and at the end Stella is brought forth in a trial to decide her fate. I remember hearing about this so many years ago, and now really feel as if I got a deeper view of this story.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

I love the way that Gregg Olsen handles true crime. It’s serious without being overly heavy and I appreciate it.

When I started listening to this, something felt so familiar to me and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Then looking at the cover, I see “Previously Published As Bitter Almonds” and guess what? I’ve read Bitter Almonds! So of course it felt familiar - it was! Now it’s been a long time since I’ve read that one so while it felt familiar, I can’t say it felt like a reread.

NetGalley granted me access to the audiobook and I am very grateful for it! The narration was great and I really can’t complain. I enjoy true crime and this book gave a decent look into the cyanide murders.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just love Gregg Olsen's non fiction books. True Crime is my weakness. This book is so good and well written. I had never heard about this case til I listened to this book. It's all so sad, I don't feel bad for this woman. Seems the cops got this one right. I like the way Gregg Olsen tells his stories, It keeps a person interested.

This was my first opportunity to listen to this work, as i had never heard of it before when it was previously released as “Bitter Almond”.

It is clear that Gregg Olsen puts a lot of time and energy into his works, doing thorough research and providing as much detail as possible - although sometimes the amount of detail was slightly overwhelming.

The narrator did an excellent job recounting the story, and it really seems like it would be the perfect candidate for a true crime podcast special! It was a bit overwhelming to listen to in long segments, as there are many people involved with names that were easy to confuse (not the fault of the author, just a coincidence), but it was really good broken up into 1 hour segments.

I will definitely be going back to read or listen to his other works!

I was absolutely captivated by this real life tale. I read and enjoyed another book by Olsen, If You Tell and his talent for writing true crime books is apparent from the first pages. American Mother is the true story of murder by cyanide poising. Stella Nickell makes an emergency call in June 1986 to say her husband Bruce is having a seizure. A week later, Sue a young housewife dies suddenly. The story of how these two incidents are linked is a non stop roller coaster ride.

Olsen has a remarkable talent for sifting through every intricate detail of a crime investigation and presenting it in a way that reads like a wonderfully constructed fiction. The terrifying thing in this case is that it’s all true. Stella has a complex and troubled background and if you don’t know the outcome, the investigation and subsequent court cases are presented in such a way that it’s difficult to second guess the outcome. Stella has motivation in the form of an insurance payout. But her defence is convincing. The jury is found wanting and the difficult interpersonal relationships between family and friends is all part of a rich tapestry. These are individuals struggling at the lower end of society. Poor, violent, volatile and with complicated personal lives, it all makes for a compelling read. He explores the detail of ever changing relationships based on mistrust and lack of love. But although poor, the central characters are clever and both the police and FBI are given the run around as they attempt to gather evil to bring the perpetrator to trial. The story also gives insight into the American judicial system, with pre trial hearing, jury selection and the actual court case. There are so many surprises along the way, I was blindsided more than once. Very well paced and in the audio version, the narration is superb. The character voices are distinct and at times it was like listening to a radio drama. Loved this book .

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for gifting me an advanced listener’s copy of American Mother. This book was originally published under a different title, Bitter Almonds but has now been re-released with an afterword by the author, Gregg Olsen and given a new title; American Mother. In exchange for the ALC I offer my unbiased review.

It is clear that Gregg Olsen spent an enormous amount of time researching the case against Stella Nickell. He provided tons of background about Stella’s childhood and her years as a young mother to her daughters Cindy & Lori. While the crime committed makes for a riveting story, Stella’s life along with her daughter Cindy’s is quite the page turner as well. I found the first third of this book fascinating, but the middle section began to drag. Too much information overload, leaving me bored and at times overwhelmed with so many names and unnecessary details. The last few chapters, especially the new afterward was wonderful and very compelling. I feel like some editing would have helped elevate this book from three stars to a five star rating.
I vaguely recalled the case of cyanid tampering back in the late 1980’s so delving deeper into the story now was really interesting. Narration by Karen Peakes was very good.
American Mother is available Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

Very interesting for those who are interested in true crime! I did have a hard time keeping up with all the different people and how they were connected because the story seemed to jump around quite a bit. But overall, a good one for true crime fans!

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book was originally published in 1993 but is now being released as an audiobook. I really enjoyed the narrator and the intro from the author was great for context before getting to the bill of the story. I watched a show about these cyanide murders on investigation discovery so I was familiar with the case but had no idea of the family’s backstory. It was very detailed and informative and if you’re into true crime, I would definitely give this a listen!

DNF at 32%.
This book is way too long for what it talks about. I was so interested in the beginning but then it just dragged with this family’s story.

I was not familiar with the Stella Nickell’s case until I read the synopsis for this book. The 1980’s cyanide murders is an extremely fascinating case about a woman looking to kill two birds with one stone, receive a large sum of money, while also ridding herself of a husband she hated. She used the very famous Tylenol murder case as the vehicle to do so.

I liked the overall format and layout of this book. We begin with the actual crimes and immediate aftermath, and are then taken through Stella Nickell’s upbringing as well as her relationship with several men. We also take a deep dive into her relationship with her daughter Cindy, whom she physically abused, and who ultimately brought Stella to justice. Olsen then takes us through the entire investigation and court proceedings in which Stella is found guilty and sentenced to prison.

My only criticism of this book is that it is way too long. Coming in at 500 pages, there were parts of the book, Stella’s history for one, that dragged on a bit. I think it would have benefited significantly by being 150 pages shorter. Most of the criticism I have seen has been in relation to the length and some parts being very slow moving. A shorter book would have allowed for more even pacing.

All that said, I still really enjoyed the way Olsen presented the cyanide murder case and the vast amount of research and background he did for it. It is a fascinating case that gripped the country back in the 1980’s and has had decades long repercussions.

Read if you like:
•domestic suspense
•legal procedurals
•infamous criminal cases
•family dramas

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted finished copy, and Bookouture and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.