H. H. Holmes ─ The True History of the White City Devil

H.H. Holmes: How a Murderer Became a Devil is the first truly comprehensive book examining the life and career of a murderer who has become one of America’s great super villains, revealing not only the true story, but how the legend evolved.

Hundreds of primary sources that have never been examined before, including legal documents, letters, articles and records that have been buried in archives for over a century.

Though Holmes has become just as famous now as he was in 1895, a deep analysis of contemporary materials make very clear how much of the story as we know it came from reporters who were nowhere near the action, a dangerously unqualified new police chief, and, not least, from lies invented by Holmes himself.

Tons of stunning new data about Holmes, his background, his era, and the wild cast of characters who circulated in and about the famous ?castle’ building.

There has never been a particularly accurate book on Holmes - those published to date have relied heavily on pulp re-tellings of his story from the 1940s.

Exhaustively researched and painstakingly brought to life.

Adam Selzer is the host of the Mysterious Chicago blog, podcasts, and tours, and has spent many years researching the more gruesome side of Chicago history?criminals, ghost stories, gangsters, mysteries, and folklore. He regularly writes Chicago history stories for websites such as TimeOut.com and Atlas Obscura, and speaks about it on WGN radio. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.