The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

[Kristina]

This book takes place in Chicago during the time of the 1983 World's Fair and parallels the building of the fair with the story of a serial killer who took advantage of the fair to lure his victims. Very captivating nonfiction!

[Melissa]

I enjoyed this book as well. Fascinating story.

[Margo]

I agree 100%. Read it for another on-line book club. Captivating. Interesting. Wish most history books were like this.
Here is a shorten version of my review:
Amazing book. The research alone is incredible. I wish more history books were written this way and that the ones students read would be more like this. I would have liked history much more.
A tale of two cities - one bright with promise that brought fame and fortune to many. Just reading about the amazing details of what had to be done on a daily basis will keep you delighted. Reading about the incredible problems mostly overcome will keep you delighted and intrigued.
The other tale of a serial killer was equally well written. The description of Holmes (ironic name) was chilling and well handled. It kept me coming back for more. I am not amazed he got away with so much. As I read it, I think he was leaving little breadcrumbs on a path for someone to follow but no one could conceive such a path could exist.
This is a must read. If you have a queasy stomach on brutal details, then skip the dark tale or most of it. The main story is of how far and how fast we have come. It is a tale of a vision and the determined support of that vision. The only detail I would have liked is more pictures and perhaps a small blueprint or map of the entire fair. This was a minor flaw however.