This book was not my cup of tea.

Sharon, 3x wife and lover of many, is being questioned by police for the murder of her 3rd husband. The book begins with the latest husband being found charred in the remains of his home after it was set ablaze by an unknown person. Sharon is at her home from her previous marriage with her children.

Then, the book jumps back to the very beginning of Sharon's marriages. We start back at marriage 1, when they are leaving their Ohio home because she slept with a member of her husbands congregation. They travel across the country to Colorado where they settle into a new life. The story takes you through her first marriage, a number of lovers, her second marriage, another number of lovers, her third marriage, and a group of lovers in between and during.

Many chapters are from many different narrators viewpoints. There are chapters from husbands, from Sharon, from a 3rd party source, neighbors, coworkers, friends (past and present), and children. It is very confusing and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. At the beginning of the book there is a character list with descriptions of each.

The book wraps up with Sharon confessing in the police station and her lover being arrested as well.

Once you get to the end, you do figure out a loose timeline, but details and specifics are not there. I honestly had no idea what I read or how I got through it, I wanted to finish the book to try and figure out what was happening but now that I have, I still haven't figured it out.

I gave this a 1 star review. I'm disappointed because I like Gregg Olsens writing and his other novels, but this one was not for me.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley.com and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are truthful and my own.


I originally read this book several years ago by another name, and it's still one of my favorite true crime books. This case is not as well known as others but extremely interesting. The author has used lots of first hand quotes and accounts to tell the narrative, and it keeps your interest the whole time. It's never dry or boring. It's on my list of frequent recommendations for any true crime fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thread Books for allowing me to read this book really. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It read like a novel and I could hardly put it down! My only complaint was that a few times the jumping of timelines was a bit confusing.

I tried reading this book but sadly I'm DNFing it. I guess I'm just not a True Crime reader. Rating it 3 stars because while this book wasn't for me it might be the perfect book for you.

Book Releases July 13, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Thread Books for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Another gripping read from true-crime author, Gregg Olsen! Put together meticulously is a story of pure evil and the men who could not stay away. A cautionary tale to be certain!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thread for this ARC!

This is my first book written by Gregg Olsen and I will definitely be seeking out more of his work.

This was an enthralling and interesting true crime story about a woman named Sharon whose husbands just seem to keep dying in strange ways. This was a well written, investigative look at the key players in these deaths as well as interwoven interviews and statements from people who knew Sharon and her husbands - and lovers.

The author really takes the reader into the story and I found myself just wanting to read one more chapter to see what happened next. The story does bounce back and forth a bit and at times I wished it was more of a linear story so that I would be able to easily follow the trajectory of the story, but overall it was an incredibly engrossing story.

The entire time, I kept thinking - where's the mini series of this story?? It would make such a great true crime doc or miniseries and the minute I got done with it, I was googling to find out more.

Perfect for fans of true crime. American Black Widow is the third edition of this novel, previously published as “The Confessions of an American Black Widow: A True Story of Greed, Lust and a Murderous Wife” and “Bitch on Wheels” both published in 1998. Written in Olsen’s true crime style, this story focuses on real-life black widow, Sharon Nelson. I read this one and Starvation Heights after reading Olsen’s “If You Tell” which remains one of my favorite books. While this one doesn’t quite compare to the shocking and horrifying tale in that book, this one still is an enjoyable read and fascinating exploration of real-life horror. I enjoyed going back and reading articles about the case and events after reading this book. If you’re a fan of this genre you will no doubt find something to love in this book. I’m going to be keeping an eye out for other works by this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thread Books, and Bookouture Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this true crime book by Gregg Olsen and wonderfully narrated by Karen Peakes - 4 stars!

Sharon Nelson was a minister's wife, but soon embarked on an affair with a local optometrist, Perry Nelson, which ended both their marriages. She married Perry but he soon disappears. When his body is found and she is able to collect his life insurance, she marries firefighter Glenn Harrelson. When he too is found dead by a gunshot in a house fire, police can't help but look at Sharon.

I love Gregg Olsen's book and this was no exception, with the caveat that I would have liked it more if it would have been in a sequential timeline. I mostly listened to the audiotape and it took me awhile to adjust to the back and forth in time periods. But it is always amazing how some women can get men to do their bidding, no matter what. Another gripping true crime story from Olsen!

I was so excited to read this as the story really did seem gripping. Unfortunately it was quite slow and I struggled to want to pick it up again. I wished there was more updates on where are they now. Interesting story but took me a while to finish.

As someone who has consumed quite a bit of true crime in the past, it’s always interesting reading about a case that I haven’t heard about before. Gregg Olsen does a good job of weaving together the story of Black Widow, Sharon Nelson that is respectful of both the victims and their families. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't enjoy the way this book was written and found ir difficult to follow in the beginning and then got bored.

Thank you for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed this book overall, there were a few things that bothered me. I found it very hard to follow along throughout most of the book because not only did it often change timelines in the middle of chapters, it also would change perspectives frequently, even if we had not “met” the characters yet. I also would have enjoyed this more if it wasn’t mentioned constantly how “sexy” she was and how her body looked.

I enjoyed the book while reading it, but I had no desire to pick it back up because it almost seemed slow sometimes. I throughly enjoyed the book If You Tell and I was hoping this book would be written like that one, but unfortunately, it seemed like it was written by two different authors.

Another great read & listen by Gregg Olsen. He seamlessly retells the events of Sharon's life while including things from her past to give you a clearer picture of who she is.

Another story that completely blows my mind how one person can manipulate so many people and get away with causing so much grief and chaos. Knowing that it's a true story breaks my heart for the kids involved. I just can't imagine living and going through everything they all faced.

I so enjoy his clear retellings of events, and the narrator did a fantastic job with the audio!

Greg olsen is the master of true crime fiction. This lengthy tale kept me dripped ax it added much more details. The history of the characters and the nonlinear story meant i teally developed a better understanding of all the vhatscters especially Sharon. The trouble was I didnt want the dtory to end.
Alrhough hhis gocudes mainly on the actual ctime i would like uo gave tead moreabout the trial etc. The ending serms a bit rushed lkke he was scared of loising the teadrrs attention.
I was lucky to received both digital and audio arc and enjoyed them both so thank you net gallwry and publishers. I hoghly tecomthis as a true crime thriller that wi leave you wanting more i relly hope he brings out another soon.

While I typically LOVE Gregg Olsen’s books both fiction and nonfiction I found this one to be particularly slow in most parts.

It follows the story of a scandalous preacher’s wife Sharon who was always the talk of the town and how she convinced her lover to murder her husbands and the investigation into the murders. I had not ever heard of her prior to reading this book so while I appreciated the long back story to bring it all up to the investigation I found it rather dry in a lot of parts and left with more questions about the investigation instead.

Thank you NetGalley and Thread Books for the ARC of this novel.

One thing I've come to expect from Gregg Olsen is that he will paint a picture so vibrant that you are imagining yourself in the story. This book did not disappoint! I've heard about this care before but never in depth. It was a wild ride!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!!

American Black Widow is the true story of Sharon Nelson, a woman who was involved in the murders of two of her husbands. The book reads like a Desperate Housewives soap opera which a tinge of Oxygen network style true crime. The story unwound dramatically, as Olsen foreshadowed the crimes and reputation of our black widow, while building the psychological profile of Nelson. Her relationships are chaotic and her magnetic effect on men moves the action of her life story forward.

I thought the book read well, with a section for each husband. The detail is incredible and immerses the reader in the time and place.

I’d highly recommend American Black Widow to anyone who likes fascinating domestic crime with sultry female vixens.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Gregg Olsen and Thread Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of American Black Widow, to be published July 13, 2023. Olsen always delivers great detail and this true crime police procedural was no exception. Sharon, who had multiple last names, husbands and lovers, lived a life in the Cluster B Section of the DSM-V — Antisocial, Borderline, Narcissistic personalities. She sought sexual pleasure regardless of cultural and societal norms. Most people (except for the men in her life) saw through her facade. She was an interesting individual who made me want to know what made her tick. 5/5 Stars. #NetGalley #GreggOlsen. #ThreadBooks. #AmericanBlackWidow

Well that true story was more exciting than I expected.. Sharon is definitely a character like in a movie. She is manipulative but to the extreme extreme, a sex addict, a homemaker, wild party girl...you name it ..she is it. I was hooked from page one. I never heard this story in the news. Read the book, it's hard to believe she got away free for so long!

Another great true crime story by Gregg Olsen. I was riveted as the story unfolded. My heart goes out to the families affected by this heartless and selfish woman. I appreciated reading about the victims prior to their deaths. It helped add to all the emotions this book evokes. If you enjoy true crime this a great one! Thank you Netgalley.