This is a book review, but my Friday category is “Fiction Friday.” So, a nonfiction book doesn’t quite fit. “Scattered Saturday” it is!
This is a crossposted review of The Devil in the White City from my Goodreads account. The original review can be read here.
I don’t read too much nonfiction, but I am looking to change that. This was a fantastic audiobook, and the level of detail was incredibly immersive. It definitely made the length manageable – I greatly enjoyed listening to this while doing chores or walking my dog. Like a true crime podcast for someone who doesn’t listen to podcasts!
A lot more of this book was focused on the build-up to (and of) the fair than I thought it would. I was more so looking forward to the serial killer aspects and mystery intrigue, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well the two elements blended together. Most of the book is based very heavily on true accounts, with only two murder scenes being fully Larson’s creation. In the endnotes of the book, he explains the research he did to make them accurate, and they certainly add a deeper level to H.H. Holmes’s exploits as a whole.
The Devil in the White City is detailed, mysterious, and certainly worth a listen.
