I received a free copy of, American Black Widow, by Gregg Olsen, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sharon Nelson is a piece of work, she is so self absorbed and narcissistic. Nobody not her kids, husbands, friends, matter in her life, unless she can use them for her own gain, usually monetary. I do not like Sharon at all, I have no idea how she was able to have so many men fall for her. Sharon murdered two of her husbands and I think she would of kept on doing it too. A well written book, about a truly horrible monster.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and was excited to read it because I really enjoy this author’s true crime books. Imagine my surprise when I quickly realized that I had read this book before. After a little research, I found out that this book had been published in 2013 under the title “Bitch on Wheels: The True Story of a Murderous Wife and Her Mountain Man Lover”. I don’t have issues with authors republishing their books but I feel that there should be a disclaimer on the cover for full disclosure.

That being said, this book did grab me from the beginning and held my interest throughout. Sharon Fuller Nelson Harrelson is truly an evil person and it is almost hard to believe how she was able to manipulate so many people around her. My only disappointment was the ending….it just seemed so abrupt. I felt that since there was a 10 year gap between publishing, there could have been an update added. If you enjoy tue crime, I would recommend this book.

Sharon Nelson, sexpot extraordinaire, convinced/sexed her lover Gary Adams to kill two of her husbands, optometrist Perry Nelson and fireman Glenn Harrelson. Women mistrusted her, most men adored her, and Sharon didn't care as she collected her dead husband's life insurance. She wasn't much into make-up, but she flirted shamelessly, and often dressed inappropriately.

I had not heard of Sharon Nelson prior to reading this book. Her story is fascinating and even more fascinating is how easily she manipulated and took over the lives of the men she was involved with. Sharon had a skill of getting men wrapped around her finger. People were either drawn to her or uneasy in her presence. Sharon began as a preacher's wife and soon became a black widow.

I enjoyed Gregg Olsen's books and jumped at the chance to read this book. I have always been fascinated by what motivates people and how some can be easily manipulated and controlled. Although I enjoyed this book, it was not my favorite book by him. I would have enjoyed a more straightforward timeline in this book, the police investigation, etc. I enjoyed reading about Sharon and how she got her lover to do her bidding. But I do feel that there were a lot of unanswered questions, again in terms of the investigation, etc. Plus, I found this book to be slow in parts.

I had both the book and audiobook versions of this book. This made for an immersive reading experience. While reading and listening, I thought this would make a good true crime docuseries (if it hasn't been made into one already).

Fascinating true crime about a woman responsible for the death of two of her husbands.

3.5 stars

As a lover of all Gregg Olsen's true crime books I was delighted to have a possibility to read :'American Black Widow'. I like his very descriptive style of writing, full of details and people involved. This book did not disappoint.
Waiting for other his books in the near future. Mr Olsen please write faster!!!!

An unbelievable story, for me personally I don’t think this was my cup of tea. Nothing against the author or the book, I just prefer fiction/psychological thrillers. Overall an interesting true crime story.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is my first non-fiction true crime book I’ve read and it didn’t quite keep my attention. I am a lover of all things true crime- tv shows, books, podcasts… but this book was unfortunately a very slow burn and kept you wanting more.
This was a story of Sharon Nelson and her many husbands. I wish the storyline focused more on the murders and not so much on Sharon’s promiscuity- it was very repetitive. I understand it was a very important part of her but I don’t think it should have been the main part.
I wouldn’t recommend this to a friend- the slow burn was too much for me unfortunately.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been getting into true crime more and I enjoy Gregg’s story telling skills. I’ve read a couple books by him before so I was happy to be approved for this one! I felt like I was reading a documentary.

I was intrigued when I came across this book and the fact that it was based on a true story. However, I found it hard to get into the story. The timeline was a bit confusing and I couldn't really keep track of all the characters. The story ended up leaving me with more questions about Sharon.

Nonetheless, it is a well researched crime novel which crime fiction fans will love. It just wasn't my cup of tea, unfortunately.

This book was very enjoyable for me I got a soft spot for true crime and is one of my favourite genres. The only downfall for me will be the lenguaje that was a bit dated. I never hear about this story before but I enjoyed the book. I think is well writen for all the true crime fans this book is the book you need to read. Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the autor of the book for the access to this ARC I just reviewed American Black Widow by Gregg Olsen. #AmericanBlackWidow #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great one from Olsen.
Enjoyed this a lot. He puts a lot into his books and they are very thorough. This one is no exception.

I had never heard of the Sharon Nelson Harrelson case and was intrigued.

I expected to have this researched and laid out much like all true crime books.
I was mistaken.

First the author focused way too much on the sexpot and sexual exploits of Ms. Sharon Harrelson. To the point that it was overwhelming and really did not add much to the story.

I had no idea the timeline.

I still have no idea why Sharon confessed or how the police were finally suspicious of her.

I was left with more questions then answers from this book, these included:
What happened to the kids Danny and Misty?
Was her first husband the preacher interviewed? What did he think?
What happened to Gary Starr Adams and his family?
What led the police to Sharon?
Why did she confess?
How much did Sharon ultimately get from murdering Perry?
Why did she murder Glenn?

All of these questions but none were answered in the book.

This is NOT a good true crime book and I would not recommend it.

When it starts with a Who's Who at the beginning you know it's going to be a bit hard to follow. There's lots of people so it was a but confusing at times.
This is unlike other other books I've read, it's a true crime murder book. I'm not sure it's my style of book, I think I prefer fiction, but it's well written of you like that.

Another excellent true crime story by Author Gregg Olsen that kept me on the edge of my seat. I am so glad he started the book off with a list of who's who in this very complex story. Sharon Lynn Douglas grew up in a very strict Seventh Day Adventist home in North Carolina and married a minister of the same faith, Mike Fuller, to excape her family. She was cheating on her husband with members of the congregation so her husband was transferred to a church in Colorado. It wasn't long before she began cheating on her husband again and she set her sights on a wealthy married optomitrist, Perry Nelson. After divorcing her husband for Perry and marrying him, the cheating started again. You had better hang onto your hat for this read as it gets really complicated and you are going to be constantly shaking your head over the events that occur.

Thank you NetGalley and Thread Books for the ARC of this fascinating read! It is another hit out of the ballpark for Author Olsen.

Another excellent true crime story by Gregg Olsen.
Sharon Lynn Nelson was a callous cold-hearted woman, only interested in money.
It is hard to believe that people like this exist, but they sadly do.
Lots of research and well written. Read the whole book over the course of a weekend.
Highly recommended.

I love a good true crime story! I enjoyed If You Tell by this author, as much as anyone can enjoy the horrors that occurred to those poor girls, but this one I didn't love. The writing followed the storyline chronologically most of the time. There were chapters of the final murder and investigation mixed throughout, ending with the confession and incarceration of Sharon and her former beau. At times, I wasn't sure what period the author was referencing, so it confused me a little. The story was extremely slow. I would have preferred the main focus to be on the murders, but the book just spotlighted Sharon and her obscene behavior. I would have also liked to hear more from Mike Fuller, her first husband, at the end of the novel after Sharon confessed. I'm guessing that he refused to talk with anyone regarding his former wife. It was interesting and disturbing to learn about what Sharon Fuller Nelson Harrelson did and how she lived her life. I had never heard of this story before so I jumped on the chance to read it. To all the true crime fans, I would recommend this to you!

A new true crime story about Sharon Fuller Nelson Harrelson, a woman who mysteriously ended up with two dead husbands. It takes the reader through her various marriages and affairs, and her plots to have two of her three husbands killed.

Story: this was a really interesting story! I listen to a lot of true crime but had never heard of this one before. I was really curious to see how Sharon's life played out, especially once she got to her second husband (her first victim). However, I feel like after her third husband's murder, the book just finished. There was not really much investigation covered. The epilogue just says they confessed. I was really wanting to see what lead up to that, since Sharon had denied so much before that. I think it could've covered that more in depth, but maybe the source material for that was just missing?

Writing: I had some problems with some of the actual writing. There were some descriptions of women that I felt were unnecessary in the way they were written. This was also the case in some other areas too - sometimes the writing just made me cringe a little in terms of describing women or repeating certain phrases that really didn't need to be repeated.

Overall though, an interesting true crime story of what I think is a lesser known case (at least on the east coast, maybe it's more well known in Colorado!).

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If it's by Gregg Olsen you can expect it to be good and this book doesn't disappoint. It's a blow by blow account of a murderous sexy female that many men could not turn away from. Amazing that creatures such as this exist. But it's all here, brought to us by one of our excellent American writers.
I won't ruin anything for you by getting specific but basically she is a con artist on an emotional level, looking to benefit in any way with no brakes. Murder not a problem.
Like I said, amazing that people like this exist but what's doubly weird is that people fall for these characters.
Excellent writing.

"American Black Widow" by Gregg Olsen unravels a chilling true story set in Colorado in 1976. The arrival of Reverend Mike Fuller and his captivating wife, Sharon, in the quiet town of Rocky Ford raises suspicions among the locals. While the minister appears stern and distant, Sharon's charisma and manipulation quickly win over the congregation and lead her into an illicit affair with a married optometrist, Perry Nelson. Their affair ends two marriages, and Sharon and Perry marry soon after. However, Perry's sudden disappearance and subsequent discovery of his lifeless body in a canyon raise questions.

Sharon, now a grieving widow, claims his substantial life insurance pay-out. Moving forward, she remarries a firefighter named Glenn Harrelson. But when Glenn's burnt remains are found with bullet holes in his skull, law enforcement begins to suspect that Sharon's involvement in two mysterious deaths is more than mere coincidence.

"American Black Widow" presents a shocking and captivating narrative of greed, sex, and murder that will enthral fans of true crime. With echoes of compelling documentaries like "The Staircase," "American Mother," and "Making a Murderer," Gregg Olsen's tale grips readers from beginning to end, delving into the dark depths of Sharon Nelson's black widow persona.

Thank you, NetGalley and Thread books fir this ARC.

I enjoy true crime books and this was no exception. Gregg Olsen did a great job of describing how evil Sharon was. She had no heart. She used the men in her life and a couple lost their lives because of her. No sympathy for Gary though. This book was well written and drew me in from the beginning. A definite must read for anyone who enjoys true crime.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Gregg Olsen for an ARC of American Black Widow! This is my first Gregg Olsen book and will not be my last. I’ve really gotten into true crime podcasts and this book has now created a new obsession with true crime books. This is honestly a wild ride - I can not grasp how Sharon could do what she did! I wish there was a bit more added to the epilogue with how things turned out and more clear and concise verbiage to what time period we were reading, but overall fantastic work explaining this “bitch on wheels”.