Destined To Be A Classic
Review by Kim Cantrell
Stella Nickell liked to spend lavishly. And what better way to get your hands on some cash than to kill your husband for life insurance money?
And if he dies accidently, it pays double the indemnity.
When Bruce Nickell came home from work one day with a headache, Stella had the cure: Excedrin laced with cyanide.
Unfortunately, all didn’t go as planned and Bruce’s death was declared the result of emphysema – a natural cause.
So Stella had to do something.
One morning, while getting ready for work, Sue Snow took some Excedrin capsules for a headache.
She died soon after.
Reminiscent of the Tylenol poisoning cases of Chicago that occured just four years earlier, the media latched on to case of Sue Snow. And, in turn, after the Excedrin similarity was noted, Bruce’s death was also thrust into the spotlight.
In the end, Stella didn’t get a double indemnity payment but a extensive prison sentence that would equate to the rest of her life.
Veteran true crime author Gregg Olsen juxtaposes the murders of Bruce Nickell and Sue Snow in his 1993 book Bitter Almonds.
As true crime readers know too well, you learn that those capable of murdering someone come from all walks of life; from “white trash” to “upper crust.” But I have never seen in one single book so many candidates for the Redneck of the Year Award.
From their outlandish attire to their whacked-out conspiracy theories, they left quite an impression on this small town southern girl (where I’ve seen more than my fair share of rednecks).
With so much contradicting information and complicated characters to work with, Gregg Olsen did an excellent job of creating an intruguing account of cold, calculating Stella Nickells’ crime against her husband and the innocent woman she killed by more product tampering in an effort to cover up her first crime.
And the way she gets caught – well…it will stun and shock you. (And leave you with a good belly laugh later on)
While carrying on with this sordid tale, Olsen also brings to the light possibility that Stella didn’t act alone. Although the answer just isn’t there, readers are left with a great debate topic: Just what was Cindy’s [Nickell's daughter] involvement?
I love a book that leaves me wanting to know what happened to those involved. And this book definitely did!
Destined to be a true crime classic, Bitter Almonds is a mandatory read for any fan of the genre.
You know you want to read it, so go on…get it now!
Updates from this book:
Stella Nickell celebrated her 67th birthday in August 2010. She will be eligible for parole on December 7, 2017, and is serving her term of imprisonment at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California
The online Find A Grave site hosts online memorials for Bruce Nickell and Susan Snow.
Pingback: Lessons You Can Learn Just By Reading True Crime