The eighties were a decade of excess, money fashion, music and murder were all bigger and more bizarre than ever before. The Tylenol poisonings made headlines around the world. If you couldn’t trust a bottle of over the counter pain killers from your local pharmacy, what could you trust? Of course it didn’t take long to discover that the tampering of the capsules to include cyanide was not a production line mistake, this was the result of a person or persons bent on committing the “perfect” murder and not caring who got caught in the crossfire. The most famous cases took place in 1982, but there were copycats, including the Washington state cases in 1986, which is the subject of this book. The book riffs on both the technicalities of the poisonings and the desperate search by the FDA and the authorities, and the twisted relationship between a mother and daughter and how easy it is to keep a family secret buried, even if murder is involved

Very wordy and informative. There are definitely a lot of players in this game called murder and by the end of this long, long book, we know the life story and background of every single one. Even the day one of them was spanked too hard by her mother in elementary school, and it left a bruise on her upper thigh, and the school nurse got concerned. That detailed. The kind of detail that almost has nothing to do with the people who were killed by the cyanide laced Excedrin pills back in the 80s. I feel like this book needs an editor, cut about 40% out.

Kudos to whoever did all that research! And the narrator was great, I could definitely tell when a character was speaking, as opposed to just the story progressing forward.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the audiobook so that I can share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛

I love nonfiction that is written so well that it doesn’t feel like nonfiction: the story unfolds like a news story, is easy to follow, and while well researched, is not bogged down with facts. I didn’t know much about the cyanide murders in Washington state but was fascinated from the very beginning, about the plotting, and the relationship between Stella and her daughter, Cindy. Recommended for true crime fans,

Uh this one was a trial of my life. I have never listened to an longer one. The book has many characters, all complex. Maybe a little confusing for one that is not home in this sector. But I like to discover new information and how different people can judge eachother. Very well and nice written stors. It sure got my attention and I am curious to read more about this author.

Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for this audio opportunity

One of the most compelling true crime books I have ever read. The presentation of the crime, interviews, family dynamics and generational trauma was chilling.
Enjoyable read and totally recommend this book!
Please check TW before reading.

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

I'm not a big True Crime reader, but American Mother was fascinating and quick moving. I was immediately drawn into the story and the accounts of the deaths and families. Gregg Olsen does a wonderful job pulling all the details together to write a cohesive narrative. I was too young to be aware of the Cyanide Murders in the mid-1980s, so I went in with no knowledge. The short chapters made it easy to read quickly. I listened to the audiobook which was perfectly narrated. Definitely recommend this book if you're looking to read well-written narrative nonfiction about a notorious case.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.