If Gregg Olsen write it then I will be reading it!!! The narrator brought this story to life with her compelling performance. Absolutely recommend this book to readers interested in this genre. Gregg Olsen has an amazing gift of making these characters come to life and makes you feel like you are living in the moment with them. This book is a nail-biting true crime book which once you pick up, you cannot put it down because you need to know what happens next. Highly Recommend this book!



Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, Thread for allowing me to listen to this ARC for my honest opinion.

Having really enjoyed the othercTrue Crimes by Gregg Olson, I was super excited to read this. This was an audiobook I listened to while doing daily chores and found myself stopping frequently thinking "what did she say/do" and "how can that happen" honestly sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. This book was very descriptive in its timeline & I enjoyed the narrations for each character. Hoping to read more true crime by Gregg Olson

This true crime read explores the marriages of Sharon Nelson, a woman who went through multiple marriages and husbands before the law realized their deaths may be suspicious. The book begins with a list of people and a small sentence about their role in the story. The tale then begins near the end of Sharon’s third marriage, and then bounces around throughout her story. Some chapters begin with quotes from people relating to Sharon and the events surrounding her, which I quite liked.

I mostly enjoyed the author’s writing style. It was descriptive and evocative, making this story easy to read. However, the tone of some of the comments included were off putting or judgmental and it was difficult to tell if the author was quoting someone or making the comments himself. One example included stating that a woman who went through hardships was hardworking and frugal enough to stay off welfare (the implications there are quite judgmental). There were also many instances where the discussion relating to Sharon’s way of dressing and flirting came across as condemnatory. But as this was an audiobook, it was difficult to tell if the author was referencing what her peers thought at the time or stating his own opinion.

There were several instances of lurid and unnecessarily graphic sex scenes included. These details weren’t necessary and were only included for gratuitous reasons. The work also didn’t try to get into the psychology of Sharon at all. The way she acted was difficult to believe and was often downright silly for someone trying to get away with crimes, which made me want to know what motivated her and drove her, or why she thought the way she did. Other than a brief foray into her childhood and early issues with her parents, this topic wasn’t tackled. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed anything, but I couldn’t help but wonder how her portrayal would have been different if a woman had written this, if there would have been less a focus on the sex and physicality of Sharon and more a focus on the psychology behind Sharon.

This work also vilified Sharon for her sexual activities, but not the men who chose to cheat with her, or the man who was portrayed as being okay with her black widow tendencies (and even helping her with the murders!). It honestly felt like the author chose to portray every man in Sharon’s life as a saint that she had to come along and destroy or drag down. I think the fact that this book was originally titled “Bitch on Wheels” goes to show how much effort the author put into exploring the entirety of the story.

While I do enjoy true crime, I really can’t recommend this one. The author’s approach is just too problematic on many different levels. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love a good true crime and Gregg Olsen never disappoints.

Sharon was definitely a Black Widow. Three husbands. Divorced. Missing. Dead. And she would bat her eyelashes and explain it away.

This woman was so manipulative and cold hearted. So many lies told. She used her sex appeal and literally stole husbands from their wives, and then offed them - or tried to - for their money, and moved on to the next. The narration was well done and kept me invested!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

American Black Widow tells the true story of Sharon Nelson, the minister’s wife whose two husbands mysteriously ended up dead. This is the perfect book for the readers who enjoy true crime and slow narration: the author Gregg Olsen explores each relationship that Sharon had and delves into the events leading up to the suspicious end of each marriage.

I love true crime, so I expected to love American Black Widow: unfortunately this was not the case. Sharon always had the goal to have a better life, and to reach her goal she used her beauty and attractiveness to lure men into her bed and manipulate them into doing whatever she wanted, including murder. It is obviously essential to understand that she was a master manipulator, and not the person "holding the gun", however I wish the author spent a bit more time showing us the cruel side of Sharon, and less time her sexy side. I swear half of the book is just people talking about how hot she was and how men simply fell for her, despite them being married! There's also some subtle-not-so-subtle judgement on her being such a man-eater, and no judgement at all on the married men who actually cheated on their wives to be with her. All I am saying is... there are no saints here, but the story could have had more layers and way more psychological depth.

And finally... where is the resolution of this case? Where is the police investigation? Why spending so much time talking about her sexual appetite, and not about the CRIME? I don't know.
American Black Widow has a lot of potential, but sadly it doesn't fully deliver.

The narrator of the audiobook, Karen Peakes, did a great job and it was a pleasure to listen to her.

* This book was originally published as Confessions of an American Black Widow and Bitch on Wheels (in 1998).

* I'd like to thank Gregg Olsen, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for providing this ALC in exchange for my honest review. * American Black Widow is out on July 13th, 2023.

I am so excited that I was given the opportunity to hear this book. Like always Gregg Olsen does an incredible job describing the people involved and the events. I already have the previous edition of the book "Bitch on Wheels," however, I liked this one the best. I believe I liked the narration more. definitely worth the listen. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook to review.

While I thought this was very well researched and could have been an interesting story, I didn't love that it was written more like Fiction than True Crime. I'm sure that is just a personal preference for True Crime but I prefer when it's told by a police officer, detective or reporter point of view. I also struggled with the time line jumping, I normally enjoy getting all side of the story but something about the way this was written made this hard to follow and feel disjointed. I have listed to a lot of True Crime audiobooks by this author and this is the first one I didn't really enjoy so like I said it might be a "it's not you, it's me" situation.
The narration was good.

A true crime story so compelling that it reads like a novel - I had to stop and check that I wasn't listening to fiction. Would love to see more from this author

This is the 2nd true crime/nonfiction book by Gregg Olsen I’ve read and I once again wasn’t disappointed. He always does a thorough job of telling the story and keeping it entertaining. I love that he tells the story of not just the offender, but also the victims and their families. I feel that too often, the victims stories are skipped over.

Even though this is a true story, it almost reads as a fiction novel, which I personally enjoyed. It kept my attention. Sharon Fuller Nelson Harrelson is a truly evil woman and even though the men in her life made poor choices, I really felt sorry for them. Especially Perry Nelson. The control she had over him astounded me.

This was a great read, but I do think I enjoyed his other book, If You Tell, slightly more.

I listened to the audiobook and was shocked by the story of Sharon Nelson. She was very calculating and cold. She participated in the death and destruction of so many people! I literally cannot fathom how people think the way she did. The story kept me interested although I felt like it bounced around a bit. But that could also be my brain having a hard time keeping up in audiobook format.

The narrator,  Karen Peakes, was easy to listen to and understand. I would listen to her again.

A really interesting true crime story, unfortunately this book felt like it was dragged out in some parts and the layout was a bit all over the place, the timeline kept jumping about meaning it was hard to keep up with what was going on.
I would have liked to of known more about Sharon’s accomplice Gary as he seemed just as intriguing as to why he did what he did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to listen to this audiobook.

Sharon Lynn Douglas Fuller Nelson Harrelson was a woman most men found attractive, and most women disliked. She was looking for a man, a man that had money and would take care of her needs. Known as the black widow, she convinced her lover to murder two of her husbands.

I had not heard of Sharon before reading this book. It was interesting how she could easily manipulate men to get them to do what she wanted. I have enjoyed several of Gregg Olsen’s books. My favorite is “If You Tell.” This story was a little slower-paced and had more characters to follow, which was sometimes a little confusing. I would have also liked to hear more about the police investigation. Overall, I enjoyed learning about Sharon. I would recommend it to anyone that likes true crime books. I give it 3/5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The American Black Widow." Having previously watched a video documentary on the case, I found the additional detail provided in the book to be a valuable enhancement. Despite my familiarity with the story, I was captivated by the author's narrative exposition approach, which went beyond a mere repetition of interview quotes from the characters involved. The vast cast of characters presented a challenge in terms of keeping track and following different viewpoints, but the author skillfully managed to maintain clarity while ensuring a well-paced progression of events. Overall, I found the book to be engaging and commend the author for their ability to make a familiar story feel fresh and captivating.

Gregg Olsen has smacked another one out of the park when it comes to true crime novels. Sharon Nelson has her sites set on many men and many items of worth and social status and will do what it takes to get what she wants. She understands the control that she has with her body and her sexuality and is not afraid to use it.
This story tells, in detail, her various men and adventures along the way. She bowled over anyone, including her children, to achieve her goals. This book is a very detailed description of her life, the investigation and her confession.

Thank you Netgalley for the audible version of this book in return for my review

I was really interested in this premise and the content matter is generally very engaging throughout. There was something about the structure of the writing that made it less smooth than I was expecting. I will probably return to this title in a few years in written format.

American Black Widow was my first book by Gregg Olsen. I’ve been sitting on this review for a bit because I wanted to process my thoughts more. I can tell the author has done a lot of research on this case. Speaking personally, I prefer true crime books that are told in a non-fiction format, not this hybrid type where it reads like a fiction book. However, I can see how the majority of people find this style more accessible than the typical true crime reporting format. In this case, it just didn’t work for me because the descriptive language was overwhelmingly sexist and repetitive. I get that she used sex to control men— both to marry and kill. It’s also clear that she was a manipulative narcissist. Don’t forget that she actually didn’t do any of the killing herself. She manipulated the same man to kill both of her husbands. The author’s descriptive commentary was incredibly one dimensional when this story actually had more layers.
I felt that the book would have been better if the psychological lens had focused more on outlining her manipulative behavior (as opposed to always chalking it up to her looks & wardrobe). There were so many ways she faced different levels of scrutiny as a woman— how people perceived her, how she treated people, the way she dressed and behaved, the way she able to use her sexuality to get what she wanted, etc. The nuances and different perspectives were largely overlooked. The one dimensional nature of the portrayal made this story sensational enough, but also less nuanced and compelling because it was so heavy handed.

All that being said, the narrator did a great job!

*Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for this advance audiobook for review.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Gregg Olsen for this audio arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book overall! I love True Crime so I really enjoyed this one and how it read more like a novel. I did get a little confused at times with all the different men and characters but I was so interested and invested in this story that I couldn't stop listening. Gregg Olsen is a fantastic writer and I cannot wait to check out his other books.

4 star read for me!

Great narration, but the writing felt a little disjointed and all over. I struggled to keep up, I will try more of his books in the future, but this one didn't quite capture me.

Despite being true crime, I felt like this read more like a novel in the way that the facts and details were doled out. This was chronologically written and, although, at times, I got the various men confused, I was fascinated by how it all played out. The writing (other than the boyfriends) was easy to follow and kept me engaged in the story and all the drama. I would have liked to know more about who she really was (maybe interviews with her) but otherwise, this was like a soap opera with all the juicy gossip.

If you are a fan of true crime this is a book you have to read. The story of a preachers wife who uses her assets to try to social climb and isn't going to let a little thing like her husband's life get in the way.

American Black Widow by Gregg Olsen. #AmericanBlackWidow #NetGalley thank you for the ARC. I listened to the audiobook and was hooked from the beginning. At times the jumps in the story and especially the timeline were hard to follow in the audiobook. It wasn't too hard to figure out and didn't take away from the story.
If you are a fan of true crime this is a book you have to read. The story of a preachers wife who uses her assets to try to social climb and isn't going to let a little thing like her husband's life get in the way.