This book's purpose is a little elusive. I'm getting very close to done, and unless there is a plot twist coming I just don't understand why it's going on the way it is. I mean, Olsen has established the evidence the state had against Stella Nickel, yet, we are going on and on and on about the testimony given at the trial regarding the evidence already established.

I had decided long ago I didn't care for Olsen's style of writing. After hearing a preview of the audio of this book I thought I'd give him another chance. I'm regretting it. It was a 20 hour book that should have been about 14 hours. The repetition is past daunting, it has progressed into something in the realm of slogging through the book rather than listening.

This could have been an excellent book. What we know is that Bruce Nickel died of cyanide poisoning. We know that the wife, Stella's finger and hand prints were found on encyclopedias researching cyanide. We know she purchased the cyanide. We know when, and where it was purchased. We know her daughter testified against her. We know her behaviors were more than strange after Bruce's death. We know that only 3 bottles of capsules were tampered with. One was replaced at the store, the other two were found in the Nickel's home. The rest of the book is an abundance of "he said", "she said".

In the end I am going to rate this book with 4 stars. Why? Because despite Olsen's need to drag a 14 hour book into 20 hours of belaboring work it is still an interesting case, it was still very well researched, and one must assume that just because I don't care for his style of writing doesn't make it bad. ( )