The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

The Devil in the White City is the extraordinary history of Dr. Henry Howard Holmes (1861-1896), one of the earliest American serial killers. What is especially impressive about the book is how Larson situates his story of Holmes within the broader moment of 1890s Chicago and specifically the planning of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. It rises to level of great tragedy to see the side-by-side stories of two very determined — but different — human pursuits. And the narrative is intelligent throughout, full of interesting historical details that don’t distract from the narrative. This is an exceptionally high-quality book.