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Reviews
Bitter Almonds: The True Story of Mothers, Daughters, and the Seattle Cyanide Murders by Gregg Olsen
claudia_is_reading's review
2.0
Okay, this book was, plain and simple, boring. It goes on and on about Stella's family and her relationship with her daughter, and we never got to know a thing about the other family's victim. And yes, we need some backstory but here there are entire conversations which are repeated, verbatim, twice. All we learn at the beginning of the book is painfully detailed, AGAIN, during the trial.
Maybe the point of some much information about Stella and every person who might have, even tangentially get to known he, was to show how abuse goes from generation to generation and which os its influence in the outcome of those abused. If it was so, it failed.
The story could have been told in half the time and still cover all the facts of the case.
Kevin Pierce, though, does a good job with the narration.
Maybe the point of some much information about Stella and every person who might have, even tangentially get to known he, was to show how abuse goes from generation to generation and which os its influence in the outcome of those abused. If it was so, it failed.
The story could have been told in half the time and still cover all the facts of the case.
Kevin Pierce, though, does a good job with the narration.
leighannsherwin's review
4.0
As someone who suffers from frequent headaches stories like this are alarming and probably why I buy tablets. I first heard this story on a TV show about forensic science in which the author was interviewed. Stella Nickell sounded fascinating to me. Boy did I get more than I bargained for with her. The story opens with Stella's husband Bruce suddenly collapsing under mysterious circumstances and being rushed to hospital where he later passes away. His death is ruled to be of natural causes. Meanwhile in another part of town Sue Snow is found collapsed in her bathroom displaying similar symptoms to those that Bruce Nickell had. Sue too dies shortly after arriving at the hospital. What follows is an at times long winded story outlining the backgrounds of each person involved. From the victim Sue Snow and her family to Stella herself. While overall the book moves along and is well written it often got bogged down with details, to the point where I was getting confused. I get that Stella was a party girl that she went from bar to bar but after a while it felt like it was getting repetitive. If nothing else I truly felt like I was in the head of Stella Nickell and I didn't like it. Given the childhood and family life she had it was no wonder she ended up doing all the wrong that she did. While not the best true crime I've read, it was still an fairly engaging book and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by Gregg Olsen.
erikashmerika's review
4.0
3.5 stars. Interesting, but the fact that most of the players are undereducated and suffer substance abuse and addiction issues make it more of a sad story of generational trauma that culminated in something horrible than a worthy true crime fodder.
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