Book Review: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

I acquired this book during our visit to Chicago last summer. I had read years ago about the horrible Dr. H.H. Holmes and I wanted to read more about it and about the World's Fair that took place in Chicago. Erik Larson's book did not disappoint and in fact I have become a fan of Mr. Larson and plan to read more of his books in the future. This book is chock full of historical information. I was amazed at all of the things that came into being because of the World's Fair. What a feat that its very existence was. And then mixed in with the thrill and frustrations of one of the most famous events to ever take place in America, was the madness and cunning of a very evil man. The juxtaposition of evil and goodness, ugliness and beauty makes this book a fascinating read. I highly recommend it if you are interested in history or the criminal mind. But if you are squeamish, you might want to steer clear of this book about this famous serial killer (or just read the chapters about the fair and Larson goes back and forth throughout the book).