A review by catbrigand
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

2.0

Let me preface by saying this is not a book about HH Holmes, the titular Devil. This is a book about the design of the World's Fair and its history, in which Holmes is so secondary a character as to seem irrelevant to the book Larson is trying to write. Holmes is well established, and yet his purported murders are not. He captivated no fewer than 6 women--and disposed of most of them. He soothed creditors and entranced customers. And so is the bulk of his role in Larson's story. The last fourth of the book recounts his insurance scheme to kill his long term partner and escape with the partner's children (whom he later killed, a fact that Larson does not attempt to explain). Almost as an aside, figures and estimates as to how many Holmes killed during the fair are thrown in near the end. If you're looking for a well written and occasionally humorous tale of the making of the World's Fair, this book is for you. If you're looking for a scintillating nail-biter about a prolific psychopath, look elsewhere.