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

With this work of narrative historical nonfiction, author Erik Larson showcases American society and its customs during the late nineteenth century. The 1889 French Exposition Universel, featuring the newly-built Eiffel Tower, was a tough act to follow. But the United States was determined to outdo the French and show the world that we could surpass them in matters of culture and innovation. Chicago and New York each vied to be the host of the 1893 World’s Fair; amazingly Chicago was selected to receive the honor. The up and coming Chicago architectural firm of Daniel H. Burnham and John Root was chosen to be in charge of the design and construction of the fairgrounds, which included the creation of buildings, landscape design, and selection of the various exhibits. With time running short, construction troubles abounding, and committee members fighting among themselves it seemed unlikely that the fair would be completed on time, especially with the death of partner John Root early on. But through the labors of Daniel Burnham the fair was able to open on schedule.

At the same time another massive project sprang to life. Serial killer Herman Webster Mudgett, whose alias was Dr. H. H. Holmes, a man of some medical talents and much charm, and a bona fide psychopath, decided to move to Chicago to pursue his own interests of murder and dissection of human bodies. His victims were mostly young women on their own; they were less likely to be missed. Holmes constructed a hotel so that he could rent rooms to the fair visitors. Unbeknownst to all, this hotel also housed a gas chamber and a crematorium that were used in the murder of more than 200 people. Eventually Holmes was caught, tried and put to death.

Throughout the book, we get to meet a variety of well-known historical figures such as landscaping genius Frederick Law Olmsted (also the designer of Central Park), Buffalo Bill, Susan B. Anthony, George Washington Gale Ferris (the originator of the Fair’s greatest attraction , the Ferris Wheel), Thomas Edison, and more. Most importantly, we are able to visit a more innocent time in American history.

Victims: An Alex Delaware Novel

A grisly murder scene, the likes of which have never been seen by detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware, is what starts off Jonathan Kellerman’s latest novel. The victim, a woman well known for her confrontational ways and loved by no one, was found dead of a broken neck; after which the killer skillfully removed all of her internal organs and left them on display. Was this murder a result of the victim enraging the killer, or was it the beginning of a serial killing spree or a continuation of one from long ago? The murder victims keep popping up and there aren’t any connections among them. The hunt leads Sturgis and Delaware to the past and a state mental hospital, now closed, yields the clues. With in-depth detective work, psychological insight and forensic investigation, the killer is captured; albeit leaving the duo feeling more regretful than triumphant about their success.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

In her analysis of personality types, author Susan Cain found that approximately one third to one half of all Americans is introverted, and that the others are extroverted. What is an introvert? Psychologist Carl Jung defines this person as “drawn to the inner world of thought and feeling”. What is an extrovert? This is the individual who is drawn “to the external life of people and activities”. But simple definitions don’t explain the complexity of these personality types and the need for both in our society. In the United States, where the extrovert is the ideal in the worlds of business, politics, law, religion, and more, the introvert often is denigrated. Yet Cain finds that introverts shine in creative activities such as the arts, sciences, inventions, etc. Introverts also can metamorphose into “pseudo-extroverts” when necessary in order to attain their goals. And just as American culture idealizes extroversion, societies in other countries differ in their introvert-extrovert makeup. European nations also lean towards extroversion; Asian nations towards introversion.

This book is in an easy-to-read format with many case studies and ending with fifty pages of annotated bibliographic notes. Susan Cain skillfully presents a wealth of information gathered from years of psychological studies and interprets it for the lay reader.

Death Comes to Pemberley

Famed mystery writer P.D. James tries her hand at a sequel to a Jane Austen classic, Pride and Prejudice. In this novel, characters Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy have been married for six years, have two sons and are living a peaceful, productive life at the Darcy estate Pemberley. On the eve of the annual autumn ball, chaos erupts with the arrival of a carriage containing Lydia, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister who with her husband, the ne’er do well Wickham, have been banned from Pemberley. A distraught Lydia is screaming that her husband has been murdered. She must be sedated before Darcy and the others can investigate what has happened. They discover that fortunately Wickham is alive but unfortunately his friend Captain Denny has been murdered; and at first blush it seems that Wickham is the murderer. With a coroner’s inquest and a trial immediately proceeding, the truth comes out and Wickham is exonerated. A well-crafted murder mystery is resolved and a visit to the world of Jane Austen enjoyed through the efforts of the nonagenarian P.D. James.

The Forgotten Garden: A Novel

Written by Kate Morton, this is the story of Nell; a little girl who is abandoned on an ocean liner bound to Australia from England and is raised by an Australian dock master and his wife as their own. Not until her twenty-first birthday does she find out the truth, and the force of this knowledge changes her whole life. As she grows older, Nell begins to put the puzzle pieces together and plans to travel to England to finally learn the truth of her origins. But fate intervenes when her daughter arrives with Nell’s granddaughter Cassandra. Nell postpones her plans forever when she agrees to care for Cassandra. Years later, after Nell’s death, Cassandra is surprised to learn that Nell had purchased a property in Cornwall, England, which she has left to Cassandra. She travels there herself; and finally is able to learn of Nell’s true parentage among the aristocratic Mountrachet family. Cassandra also finds a true love of her own. This combination of family saga and mystery, with a touch of atmospheric charm, is an enjoyable read.

A Beautiful Mind

A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar

This Pulitzer Prize finalist for biography is based on the life of mathematician John Nash. The book follows the life of Nash from his first entrance into academia, through the onset of his schizophrenic break and his arrival on the other side of said break. This volume not only takes us through the life of Nash but through the period in which he lived; characterizing the world of academia during the middle 20th century as an exclusive and often times anti-Semitic atmosphere. The book also describes the emergence of the new Ivy League, institutions such as MIT and NYU, which won their prestige in part by accepting Harvard and Princeton’s bias cast-offs.

Nasar writes a beautiful biography that any non-fiction reader would enjoy, especially so if they have a mathematic background, however, such background is not required.

In addition to being a Pulitzer finalist, this book was also a 1998 New York Times Notable Book and the Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.

Sylvia Nasar is a professor of business at Columbia University and is a trained economist who has worked for many top news organizations including The New York Times, Fortune and US News.

Read-a-Likes

Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius by Sylvia Nasar

A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder by Rober B. Oxnam

The Man Who Loved Only Numbers by Paul Hoffman

The Soloist by Steve Lopez


P.L.W.

City of Masks

City of Masks by Daniel Hecht

City of Masks is the first in a series of ghost detective stories featuring paranormal detective Cree Black. Cree, after experiencing a terrible tragedy, discovers she has the ability to commune with the spirits of the dead. She uses her ability to try to dispel these spirits and put them to rest.

City of Masks takes place in New Orleans, LA. Cree is hired by Lila Beauforte Warren to investigate a strange manifestation in her family’s 150 year old French Quarter mansion. Cree’s search for ghosts leads her to uncover an array of family secrets that the Beauforte’s matriarch, Lila’s mother, would rather keep hidden.

This book combines spooky ghost manifestations with mystery and would be liked by reads of both genres.

About the Author

Born in New York, Daniel Hecht is an ex-guitarist turned writer. His first book was Skull Session, published in 1998. Hecht holds a MFA from the University of Iowa and currently lives in Vermont. There are currently 3 books in the Cree Black series.
http://www.danielhecht.com

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Aunt Dimity Mysteries by Nancy Atherton

Fever Devlin Mysteries by Philip DePoy

Ghost Hunter Mysteries by Victoria Laurie

Haunted Bookshop Mysteries by Alice Kimberly

Bailey Ruth Mysteries by Carolyn G. Hart

Ghost Dusters Mysteries by Wendy Roberts