As a lover of true crime stories, this book was very interesting and involved a crime that I had not yet heard of. It looks like this book had been published under different names in the past, which makes sense because these murders took place in the 1970s. The American Black Widow is Sharon, a woman who is portrayed as insatiable — she needs more, affairs, love, children, sex. She ends up killing her husbands and getting away with it for some time. The saddest thing about this book is how she treated/failed to raise her eldest daughter. Sharing booze with a teenager, telling her to have sex, acting sexually competitive with her, pushing her to marry young. I really wonder what happened to her daughter.

I really enjoyed the book only thing is it was hard for me to know the time in the book. It was going back and forth it was hard to tell but after a few paragraphs I would figure out where it was. I would have like if they started the chapter with the year to know what part of the time line I was reading.

Gregg always knows how to draw us into a story! I have not heard about the woman’s focus based on her myself and the rabbit hole continuously looking for information on her during the book. Captivating and a great story I absolutely loved it.

More true crime from the master of the true crime genre Gregg Olsen.

We are introduced to Sharon Nelson who we find out has had 2 of her husbands. killed at the hands of her lover Gary Adams, her lover at the time..
We find out how manipulative she was, and what exactly happened to Sharon to make the decision to have both husbands murdered.
I enjoyed this book repeats but some details are repeated, other than that I found the research was., impeccably researched.
The book itself is republished but saying that. if you are a fan of true crime. this would definitely suit you

American Black Widow chronicles the life of Sharon Nelson, a promiscuous adulterer whose bed-hopping is outmatched only by her greed. Her path of destruction left two dead husbands, numerous toxic relationships, and several destroyed families. The author delves deep into the background of Nelson, as well as the victims and their families, in a sordid tale of a woman hell bent on satisfying her own needs without regard for anyone else. While this story is short on any extraordinary police investigative work, it’s still a fascinating look at narcissism to the extreme. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

American Black Widow by Gregg Olsen
Release Date July 13, 2023
Publisher Thread Books

I am a sucker for true crime novels. Always have been. The very first book I ever read was Helter Skelter. That is actually what started me on the reading path that I am on now which is pretty much all of the time.

This novel takes us to 1976 in a town called Rocky Ford, Colorado where we meet the Reverend Mike Fuller and his lovely wife Sharon. Mike is not taken in right away as the congregation thinks he is reserved and cold. But this new town will not stop Sharon from her philandering ways. The people love her kindness and the cakes she bakes for them. They also think they are good God fearing couple but Sharon will prove to be just the opposite. It is not long before she sets her sites on Perry Nelson who just happens to be the richest man in the church and a dr of optometry. Perry leaves his wife and children in hopes of getting with Sharon. What happens next is not what anyone would have expected. Sharon used Perry for everything he had and when the funds ran dry, she wanted him dead. Did Sharon do this by herself or did she have help? Did her husband know what was going on early enough?Both the real and the fake ones…..


Olsen is an amazing author who really digs deep to ensure his readers get the most out of what he writes. The research was well documented and the story was put together in such a way that the characters past were told in such a manor that we can grasp the true victims or killers. Olsen definitely hit one out of the ballpark with this book and feel that it contains society’s views and standpoints on Sharon as the Black Widow.


Get your copy as soon as it is released.

Really enjoyed! Never heard of this case before but of course had to go watch the tv series on Peacock after reading . I was super hooked and i think thats because it wasnt super "court" heavy since she didnt really see a courtroom until the final pages. The only thing i am so desperately missing from an e-book (and maybe it is in the final copies?) is photos!!! i am always so interested to put a face to all the names.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thread Books and the author for an advanced copy of American Black Widow for an honest review.

I haven't read a true crime book in quite a few years and this one was fascinating. I hadn't heard of Sharon Nelson and her string of husbands and lovers before. It was interesting to see the type of family she grew up in and how that probably played a part in some of the behaviors that she had.

Sharon definitely put herself first and tossed away husbands and kids like they were nothing. She was out for money and men.

This was an interesting story and I had to see if there were any true crime shows that told the story as well. I found one that included some narrative from the author as well. I liked being able to see what the people looked like.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this true crime story by Gregg Olsen. Fascinating true story that makes you shake your head in horror at the awful things people do to one another, with no conscience. The sneak peek at the next true story by Gregg Olsen looks like a fascinating one as well.

First I would like to thank Gregg Olsen, Bookouture publishing, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I want to preface this with the fact I am a fan of Gregg's work.

I found American Black Widow to easily be one of the worst books I've ever read. While it was a relatively short book with just about 300 pages, it took me forever to read. Half of the book was just repeating the same lines, the same conversations over and over. Regardless of the fact they may have taken place several times over the years, the writing was just a large practice in redundancies. I wanted to stop several times. The ending did nothing to excuse the lackluster contents of the previous pages. I do not blame Gregg for the bounty of names involved in this story and how easily they get mixed up, nor do I blame him for the outcome. The story writing itself just did not do it for me.

I've read many books by author Gregg Olsen and this one fell a bit short of the mark. There were lots of characters that were hard to keep track of and the ending fell rather flat. A good but not great read.

I have read other books by this author and really enjoyed them. This book felt like it was a little all over the place. There were so many unnecessary characters in my opinion. It wasn’t a book that was easy to pick back up after setting down. I had to constantly remind myself where I was at in the book. I will say after I read the book I immediately did a Google search so I could put a face with the name. Unlike his book If You Tell, this is a book that will not stick with me. I haven’t thought about it again since finishing it.

Though this took me longer than I was expecting the detail in this novel is amazing! I can tell that Olsen did his research on this one! It's a crazy true crime story, crazier than I have heard in a long time. Woman really want what they want and will do whatever it takes it seems. Sharon will do whatever she needs to do to get what she wants and I think she brings a bad name to us all! It's insane and I'm glad she was caught who knows how what she would do if this wasn't ended. True Crime books are always interesting to read especially this one because I feel like you get many sides to the same story. Olsen found lots of people to talk to that were near Sharon and it shows how she was through the whole thing. Not just one side but everyone's sides it feels like.

This is my first true crime read. I love watching true crime television series and documentaries so I thought I could try a book. It reads as easy as a television show so that will surely garner more readers for this book. I was hoping for a more in depth look at the mindset and psychology of Sharon. I struggled with the format of the book so it took me much longer to finish than usual.

Thank you to Thread Books and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

American Black Widow was such a crazy story; it shocks me to know it's true. I really love reading about true crime, so this book intrigued me. Overall, the book was well written and there was obviously a lot of research done. Sharon managed to manipulate and control so many people around her. I loved reading about the people who immediately had a dislike for her and how they tried to get others to see what type of person she really was. The book had tons of detail and really painted the picture for me as I read. One thing that bothered me was how the storyline jumped back and forth. I don't usually have a problem with books doing that, but for some reason, in this book it confused me at times. That could just my issue, though. Overall, I liked this book. The author did a good job including all the details and relevant information to really tell Sharon's story. I felt like the book ended kind of abruptly and wish there was a 'where are they now' section at the end that included information about everyone we read about throughout the book. This was the first book I have read by Gregg Olsen and I look forward to reading others by him.

When Sharon and her reverend husband, Mike Fuller, arrive in Colorado, many in their congregation are charmed by the couple and their 2 children. Little do people know that they were run out of their former congregation for infidelity by Sharon and Mike's overbearing, controlling ways.

A new town does not change Sharon's cheating ways and she sets her sites on who she believes to be the wealthiest member of their church. Sharon charms married optometrist Perry Nelson into leaving his wife and children to marry her which will be the worst decision of his life! Sharon continues to seek affection else where while basically bankrupting Perry and once she's used him for all he's worth, she convinces her current lover that they would be better off with Perry dead!!

But, Sharon still isn't satisfied and seeks another husband...and more life insurance!! When Glenn Harrelson is found dead is home, it's time to bring The Black Widow to justice!!

The Black Widow has it all, scandal, greed, sex, and murder! If you're a fan of true crime, you'll enjoy this read! My only frustration with the writing was the story jumped in time with poor transition with repetition of time and events. I did enjoy the story and there were some jaw dropping moments!

Thank you Netgalley and Thread Books for this E-arc in exchange for an honest review!

#netgalley #advancedreviews #truecrime #blackwidows #greggolsen #reader #nonfictionreads #nonfiction #advancedreviewer #books #bookrecommendations #bookishmamaof3 #summerreads

I don't normally read true crime but it had me hooked from the start. Gregg does an excellent job of writing the story of murderer Sharon Nelson. This book reads like a thriller but it's a true story, highly recommended.
I received this book free from Thread books and Netgalley for a review.

A chilling true story of a female murderer who began to be investigated when authorities discovered she had been widowed twice over. Sharon Nelson had a childhood enveloped by overbearing religious parents who almost forbade the modern world of the time (1970’s). She grew up with a reputation, one of a woman on a manhunt and a potential danger to any married man. Her first husband was a minister who wasn’t so angelic himself, however Sharon had him wrapped around her little finger and she was charming the congregation with more than smiles and cakes. An affair leads to both parties' marriages breaking down and the couple themselves get married. Is it an accident when Perry then dies as it was so convenient for Sharon? It was ruled so until Sharon’s next husband was found mysteriously killed in an arson attack on their home which is where the story and investigation begin. We get the backgrounds of the main players and the scenarios that both the killer and victims found themselves in through meticulous research, in the lead up to the main events.

Wow! It is said that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction and most certainly holds true in this case. A person who, understandably perhaps, rebels against the way she has been raised but then takes this to a whole new level on the wrong side of the law and certainly morals and conduct. A woman almost on a mission, but quite what no-one knew. She had a family and money but always wanted more, the more someone else had generally. A stunning story, very well told, that left me reeling.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter@nickisbookblog
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4.25⭐️ | 📖American Black Widow by: Gregg Olsen | 📅 Pub Day: Tuesday July 18, 2023

Happy (RE) Pub day to the wildest non-fiction book I’ve read in my life, thus far, and another recommendation for my “stranger than fiction non-fiction” book list! While I don’t read many true crime non-fiction books (I usually consume true crime content in true crime documentaries) this completely read like a big network true crime documentary manuscript and had my attention from page one!

This book was a very well written account of a series of horrific and vile crimes committed by the “American Black Widow”, Sharon Nelson and includes her husbands (both real and fake), all her lies and manipulations, and how she ultimately got caught. A true wild ride of a story!

A special thanks to @netgalley and @threadbooks for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is a very well written dive into true crime and how lives have many twists and turns. Just goes to show you can’t take people at face value as they may want more from you!