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H.H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil
Shares with readers America’s first and most infamous serial killer and his diabolical killing spree during the 1893 World’s Fair in ChicagoThe first comprehensive book following the life and career of H. H. HolmesA fascinating true story about a dark moment in Chicago’s historyH. H. The True History of the White City Devil uncovers not only the true story of Holmes but also how the legend evolved. It uses hundreds of primary sources that have never been studied before. This includes letters, articles, legal documents, and records that have been tucked away in archives for more than 100 years. While H. H. Holmes is now as famous as he was in 1895, a thorough analysis of modern materials clarifies how much of the story as we know it came from reports who were far from the action, an incredibly unqualified new police chief, and lies from Holmes himself. This book is a tale of an outlaw. It covers Holmes’s own story with new insights. The author, Adam Selzer, has uncovered stunning new data about Holmes. He combines turn-of-the-century America, the crazy group of characters who were in and around the famous “castle” building, and the killer’s own background. This book is the first fully accurate account of what truly happened in Holmes’s horror castle. H. H. Holmes, with its exhaustive research and careful detail, is an irreplaceable partner to the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese movie about Holmes’s murder spree based on Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City.
646 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
740 people are currently reading
3101 people want to read
About the author
Adam Selzer
55 books196 followersAdam Selzer blocked Goodreads on his computer for years but now he's on here, so let him have it. His first book was HOW TO GET SUSPENDED AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE (now available in a "Now With More Swearing") edition, his next one is PLAY ME BACKWARDS (for satanic young adults), and his best known is probably I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT, a Twilight satire that was not marketed as a satire.
He also writes the SMART ALECK'S GUIDE series and has published a bunch of Chicago history/ghostlore books.
You can also find him under the name SJ Adams, the name he used for SPARKS: THE EPIC, COMPLETELY TRUE BLUE (ALMOST) HOLY QUEST OF DEBBIE, which won a Stonewall honor and made the YALSA popular paperback list.
He also writes the SMART ALECK'S GUIDE series and has published a bunch of Chicago history/ghostlore books.
You can also find him under the name SJ Adams, the name he used for SPARKS: THE EPIC, COMPLETELY TRUE BLUE (ALMOST) HOLY QUEST OF DEBBIE, which won a Stonewall honor and made the YALSA popular paperback list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
May 30, 2017
H.H. Holmes: The True Story of the White City Devil by Adam Selzer is a 2017 Skyhorse Publishing publication.
Dubbed the “First American Serial Killer’, H.H. Holmes has garnered a great deal of attention in the past, and has been the subject of documentaries and bestselling books. But, recently, the interest in Holmes has spiked.
Just this afternoon, I saw a post on social media claiming a letter had been found in a family Bible, allegedly written by Holmes, expressing remorse for his heinous crimes.
There were also recent headlines involving the suspicion that Holmes faked his own execution, prompting an exhumation of his body.
In the not so distant future, Holmes will be the subject a feature film, starring Academy award winner, Leonardo DiCaprio.
So, with the flurry of rumors and eye catching headlines keeping the notorious serial killer in the public eye, your interest in Holmes might be piqued. If you are looking for a good book that will detail the life of one of the most prolific con men in history, as well as the man who carries the debatable moniker of being America’s first serial killer, this book might be a good place to start.
While I still highly recommend Erik Larson’s book on Holmes, and many of you would probably grab it first because of the bestseller status and the author’s success, I can tell you the book spends nearly as much time detailing the world fair as it does on Holmes. While it was a very good, educational, and interesting book, its focus was not solely on Holmes, whereas this book keeps Holmes as it’s one and only focus. (This author tended to disagree with Larson’s account, but I still think Larson has the killer’s psychology figured more accurately)
The only downfall, and I find it hard to complain about such a thing, especially in true crime, is that it is perhaps too comprehensive.
It is obvious the author has done meticulous research, and has named his sources, providing so much information, at times it got bogged down in minutiae.
The author’s opinion seems to differ from most others, in that he feels Holmes killed out of necessity, rather than any thrill he got committing of the act itself, and he disputes some other common assumptions as well. He deftly lays out his arguments with facts and lots of details, that could support his theory.
But, whether or not you agree with his assessment of Holmes’ reasons for mass murder, the sheer volume of information is mind boggling and paints a picture of Holmes that despite the author’s best efforts to convince me otherwise, only solidified my view of him. Holmes was a grifter, a con man, and a cold- blooded killer. His schemes and cons were outrageous, but so often he got away with them, far longer than he should have.
Even though I was quasi-familiar with the case, I still found myself shaking my head at the horrific way he committed his crimes and, frequency of them, not just the murders, but the con man games as well. Despite some recent claims to the contrary, the man never showed the slightest bit of remorse.
If nothing else, this book paints a very clear picture of Holmes and the author did do an amazing job of bringing him to life, which really gave me the creeps.
It took me a while to get through this one, and I didn’t just sit down and read it through cover to cover, like I do most of my books. I went through it a little at a time, but I’m glad I decided to stick it out, despite the slow going.
I would check out Larson’s version of events as well, in order to get a well -balanced look from all angles. (There are other books, but since I’ve not read them, I can’t speak to their accuracy) I’ll also leave it up to you to decide if you agree with this author’s assessment of Holmes’ psychopathy, or his alternate theories, as well, but for an enlightening view of Holmes, a complete outline of his crimes, and how he was ultimately captured, I recommend making this book your first stop.
4 stars
Dubbed the “First American Serial Killer’, H.H. Holmes has garnered a great deal of attention in the past, and has been the subject of documentaries and bestselling books. But, recently, the interest in Holmes has spiked.
Just this afternoon, I saw a post on social media claiming a letter had been found in a family Bible, allegedly written by Holmes, expressing remorse for his heinous crimes.
There were also recent headlines involving the suspicion that Holmes faked his own execution, prompting an exhumation of his body.
In the not so distant future, Holmes will be the subject a feature film, starring Academy award winner, Leonardo DiCaprio.
So, with the flurry of rumors and eye catching headlines keeping the notorious serial killer in the public eye, your interest in Holmes might be piqued. If you are looking for a good book that will detail the life of one of the most prolific con men in history, as well as the man who carries the debatable moniker of being America’s first serial killer, this book might be a good place to start.
While I still highly recommend Erik Larson’s book on Holmes, and many of you would probably grab it first because of the bestseller status and the author’s success, I can tell you the book spends nearly as much time detailing the world fair as it does on Holmes. While it was a very good, educational, and interesting book, its focus was not solely on Holmes, whereas this book keeps Holmes as it’s one and only focus. (This author tended to disagree with Larson’s account, but I still think Larson has the killer’s psychology figured more accurately)
The only downfall, and I find it hard to complain about such a thing, especially in true crime, is that it is perhaps too comprehensive.
It is obvious the author has done meticulous research, and has named his sources, providing so much information, at times it got bogged down in minutiae.
The author’s opinion seems to differ from most others, in that he feels Holmes killed out of necessity, rather than any thrill he got committing of the act itself, and he disputes some other common assumptions as well. He deftly lays out his arguments with facts and lots of details, that could support his theory.
But, whether or not you agree with his assessment of Holmes’ reasons for mass murder, the sheer volume of information is mind boggling and paints a picture of Holmes that despite the author’s best efforts to convince me otherwise, only solidified my view of him. Holmes was a grifter, a con man, and a cold- blooded killer. His schemes and cons were outrageous, but so often he got away with them, far longer than he should have.
Even though I was quasi-familiar with the case, I still found myself shaking my head at the horrific way he committed his crimes and, frequency of them, not just the murders, but the con man games as well. Despite some recent claims to the contrary, the man never showed the slightest bit of remorse.
If nothing else, this book paints a very clear picture of Holmes and the author did do an amazing job of bringing him to life, which really gave me the creeps.
It took me a while to get through this one, and I didn’t just sit down and read it through cover to cover, like I do most of my books. I went through it a little at a time, but I’m glad I decided to stick it out, despite the slow going.
I would check out Larson’s version of events as well, in order to get a well -balanced look from all angles. (There are other books, but since I’ve not read them, I can’t speak to their accuracy) I’ll also leave it up to you to decide if you agree with this author’s assessment of Holmes’ psychopathy, or his alternate theories, as well, but for an enlightening view of Holmes, a complete outline of his crimes, and how he was ultimately captured, I recommend making this book your first stop.
4 stars
July 28, 2017
Yeah, I'm alive ...finally finished this book. As for my review, I think this book was very well researched but if you are interested in the legend of H H Holmes , then this book will bury your enthusiasm with facts, there is a true H H Holmes and then there is the H H Holmes that has been created by the media and by modern authors and both of them are very different from each other. The book is very slow and it's not sensationalist at all, you will get a glimpse into the real life of H H Holmes and you'll learn about hi life, his crimes and about all his scams. Highly recommend for a person looking for the truth behind an American horror legend, but if you are into sensationalism about H H Holmes you will be disappointed.
June 25, 2017
This is very well researched, but presented in an overly detailed and absolutely boring manner. Very dry read. For a much more palatable and entertaining telling of the Holmes story, read Erik Larson's Devil in the White City.
August 10, 2017
If you are going to do your master's thesis on H.H. Holmes, I will highly recommend this book. It is meticulously researched and I think the author presented just about as much data and speculation about him that will ever be known.
But, if you are expecting an exciting, fun, easy read; I would suggest reading something else. This is not a criticism of the author but I can't give the book more than 3 stars for basically two important reasons.
The first is that the Holmes case is a poor choice of material. The media (newspaper) even in the late 1890's was unreliable and printed out and out lies just like they do today. Holmes, himself, was a pathological liar and contradicted himself continuously. There is so much confusion as to what was true, what wasn't true that one can't make a rational case out of the known material that remains. I don't believe the prosecution even 'legally' proved that he murdered one person. I believe that he most likely was a demented bigamist, con man who was also a serial killer, but this is all speculation based on circumstantial evidence. I found it quite unsatisfying to read a book about a criminal where there are very few black and white facts.
Unfortunately, the material is presented in such a dry as dust manner, that reading an encyclopedia more interesting. Actually, I like reading encyclopedia's. Again, I can't really fault the author too much for an uninteresting presentation because he did not have much of anything concrete of interest. Listing whom he may or may not have married, where he traveled on what dates, even the building of his infamous 'castle' in Chicago with all the secret rooms, vaults, trap doors, etc., doesn't turn out to be anywhere near as interesting as I was led to believe.
All in all, this entire subject should be left shrouded in the past where it belongs since not enough is known to produce an interesting book.
But, if you are expecting an exciting, fun, easy read; I would suggest reading something else. This is not a criticism of the author but I can't give the book more than 3 stars for basically two important reasons.
The first is that the Holmes case is a poor choice of material. The media (newspaper) even in the late 1890's was unreliable and printed out and out lies just like they do today. Holmes, himself, was a pathological liar and contradicted himself continuously. There is so much confusion as to what was true, what wasn't true that one can't make a rational case out of the known material that remains. I don't believe the prosecution even 'legally' proved that he murdered one person. I believe that he most likely was a demented bigamist, con man who was also a serial killer, but this is all speculation based on circumstantial evidence. I found it quite unsatisfying to read a book about a criminal where there are very few black and white facts.
Unfortunately, the material is presented in such a dry as dust manner, that reading an encyclopedia more interesting. Actually, I like reading encyclopedia's. Again, I can't really fault the author too much for an uninteresting presentation because he did not have much of anything concrete of interest. Listing whom he may or may not have married, where he traveled on what dates, even the building of his infamous 'castle' in Chicago with all the secret rooms, vaults, trap doors, etc., doesn't turn out to be anywhere near as interesting as I was led to believe.
All in all, this entire subject should be left shrouded in the past where it belongs since not enough is known to produce an interesting book.
July 26, 2017
This book was incredibly well researched, but that could make the reading tedious at times. I have mixed feelings about the book. On one hand, I appreciate the historical accuracy and the diligent research put into this book. When I read nonfiction I want the most factual information as possible. However, the "Murder Castle" and H.H. Holmes' "serial killer legend" are what got me interested enough to read more about the man in the first place. So finding out that much of the his lore has been romanticized and grossly exaggerated was kind of a bummer.. I look forward to reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America in the future to get that more dramatic effect. But I am glad to have read Adam Selzer's book first to know how it all truly played out.
May 28, 2017
Very interesting... seems to call into question this myth of H.H. Holmes and his "Murder Castle". Indeed it is very well researched with an incredible number of first and secondary sources. I have to say I'm reconsidering my view about this notorious killer aka "America's First Serial Killer".
November 26, 2018
H.H. Holmes, born Herman Mudgett, did more than murder women in his “hotel” during the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. He was all about money and not shy about committing fraud to gain it. He had a number of alias’s, and he lied all the time. He was “married” to three women, but only legally married to the first, since he never divorced her. He eventually wrote a “confession” with more lies, as he confessed to killing people he couldn’t have. He was only convicted of murdering one person, Ben Pitezel, though it’s fairly certain, he also killed three of Ben’s children. There were a few women who worked for/with him in his “hotel” who were most likely murdered by him.
There is so much misinformation out there. Adam Selzer went to primary sources to write this book. Even many of those are not reliable, but Selzer does his best to sift through all the information and try to come up with the most plausible story of Holmes. It was good, and for enjoyment of/interest in the book, I’d actually give it 3.5 stars (good), but I really want to give it an overall of 4 stars for all the detailed research. I feel like this should be the primary book on Holmes, with all the research that went into it. Selzer also looks at other books/articles written about Holmes and looks deeper into where the information came from for those works to determine how legitimate the information is (including Eric Larson’s “The Devil in the White City”). Well worth the read for anyone interested in learning more about Holmes.
There is so much misinformation out there. Adam Selzer went to primary sources to write this book. Even many of those are not reliable, but Selzer does his best to sift through all the information and try to come up with the most plausible story of Holmes. It was good, and for enjoyment of/interest in the book, I’d actually give it 3.5 stars (good), but I really want to give it an overall of 4 stars for all the detailed research. I feel like this should be the primary book on Holmes, with all the research that went into it. Selzer also looks at other books/articles written about Holmes and looks deeper into where the information came from for those works to determine how legitimate the information is (including Eric Larson’s “The Devil in the White City”). Well worth the read for anyone interested in learning more about Holmes.
April 4, 2022
I was disappointed. For a true history there are cases still unsolved and the author provides no new information. Maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!
July 26, 2019
Book received from Edelweiss
Re-read 2019
After reading The Devil in the White City, I needed to read a book that had more about Holmes than the building of the Chicago World's Fair. I suggest reading this one over the Larsen book.
I thought this book would be the same old stuff on H.H. Holmes, but this author dug a little deeper into the serial killer. He questions some of the things that we "know" about Holmes, like how many women he killed in the murder castle. He even brings up the subject if it was actually a hotel like many others have claimed. The author used documents that are believed to have never been used as background into who Holmes really was, and while he was a criminal was he as horrible as his legend portrays. I definitely want a copy of this book so I can re-read it at some point.
Re-read 2019
After reading The Devil in the White City, I needed to read a book that had more about Holmes than the building of the Chicago World's Fair. I suggest reading this one over the Larsen book.
I thought this book would be the same old stuff on H.H. Holmes, but this author dug a little deeper into the serial killer. He questions some of the things that we "know" about Holmes, like how many women he killed in the murder castle. He even brings up the subject if it was actually a hotel like many others have claimed. The author used documents that are believed to have never been used as background into who Holmes really was, and while he was a criminal was he as horrible as his legend portrays. I definitely want a copy of this book so I can re-read it at some point.
February 25, 2018
Actual rating 4,5 stars
“I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”
I had been looking for a book that could provide me with more background information about Henry for quite some time and this book met my expectations. Adam Selzer has been able to gather all the information that he could find in all the national archives and put them together into this book.
I wanted to know what Herman Webster Mudgett's childhood life was like and what drove him to commit his first schemes and murders. It is rather unknown when Henry started with murdering spree, but there are some theories that he drowned two of his cousins during his childhood.That was not mentioned in this book.
Henry was highly intelligent and knew how to manipulate every person that crossed his path, and especially the women in his life were all falling head over heels for him. It's hard to imagine that he had all these women that he married and had affairs with but they must've only seen a charming and wealthy man that could provide for them. They were unaware of the monster that lurked in the shadows.
In this book Adam gives the idea that Henry only ever committed these murders because people knew about his swindling and needed to be removed. Personally I believe that Henry murdered people because it gave him a satisfaction to see people suffer. He even studied at medical school so that he knew how to dissect his victims and to use this knowledge during his killings.
When he moved to Chicago he started to use the alias of which the world will know him for for centuries to come, H.H. Holmes. He began building a horror hotel with the intention to murder and torture innocent visitors of the Worlds Fair. There was a maze, an asphyxiation room, a hanging room, dissection room and countless of rooms with doors that only opened on the outside and some vaults with the intention to trap people. There were peepholes in the wall so that he could watch his victims suffer and trying to fight to breathe as he released a gas inside the room to make them suffocate. There cannot be anything more exhilarating to a sociopath than that because he was in control about who would live or not and it gave him a rush whenever his victims would scream his name while they suffered and eventually died. There would be plenty of people that would never make it out of his hotel alive.
People who knew Holmes were charmed by him and only saw him as a respectable doctor who was offering them a place to stay during their visit in Chicago. Holmes was a swindler and there was about seventy sue-cases against him in Chicago during the eight years that he lived there. Every thing that this man did and told others was nothing but a lie. He was constantly busy with swindling money and selling the skulls of his victims to medical school.
He built a murder castle TWICE.
This was outside of Chicago when he left. This castle was bigger than its predecessor but it was an exact copy of his first one built with the intention to kill people. The exact number of victims of Holmes remains a mystery even today. It variate's from 9 from 200 people and the exact numbers will forever be unknown. Holmes himself confessed to 27 murders when was writing his autobiography in prison. Only about 15 people of these murders that he confessed to were still alive so no one knows what is the truth with this man.
Holmes was a highly intelligent man and he has used his manipulation to make people do his bidding and to get away with every thing for a long time. It is certain that the devil resided inside of him and he was capable of committing the most heinous crimes without batching as much an eye. He only ever cared about himself and was able to murder anyone that got in his way. He even married three wives at the same time without them knowing of the other wives their existence's.
Just reading about this man and his murder spree sends chills down your spine. He knew how to get rid of his bodies so that the police wouldn't be on his trail and wouldn't connect him to all the missing people in Chicago. He was a true predator and he was able to continue with his killings for many years without anyone ever suspecting him. No one knew what was actually happening inside the murder castle. I am convinced that if Holmes was never caught for being careless that he would've continued with his murder spree without anyone knowing. People had only ever known him to be a swindler and not as a murderer. That changed after he he was arrested for murder and the truth about his murder castle came to light. He has never once showed any remorse towards his crimes and was only ever sad that he was caught.
What baffles me is that after Holmes was buried in 1896 he had requested that he would be buried in two attached graves. He asked for his coffin to be contained in concrete and buried 10 feet deep, because he was concerned grave robbers would steal his body and use it for dissection. He must've swindled some people in prison to make that possible because something that like has never happened before. Holmes was someone who was always going to have the last word even after his dead.
This book is a dry read because it exists of so much information about Holmes which was what I was looking for. It really reads like a biography that gives you an insight inside the mind of a serial killer in the White City.
“I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing.”
I had been looking for a book that could provide me with more background information about Henry for quite some time and this book met my expectations. Adam Selzer has been able to gather all the information that he could find in all the national archives and put them together into this book.
I wanted to know what Herman Webster Mudgett's childhood life was like and what drove him to commit his first schemes and murders. It is rather unknown when Henry started with murdering spree, but there are some theories that he drowned two of his cousins during his childhood.
Henry was highly intelligent and knew how to manipulate every person that crossed his path, and especially the women in his life were all falling head over heels for him. It's hard to imagine that he had all these women that he married and had affairs with but they must've only seen a charming and wealthy man that could provide for them. They were unaware of the monster that lurked in the shadows.
In this book Adam gives the idea that Henry only ever committed these murders because people knew about his swindling and needed to be removed. Personally I believe that Henry murdered people because it gave him a satisfaction to see people suffer. He even studied at medical school so that he knew how to dissect his victims and to use this knowledge during his killings.
When he moved to Chicago he started to use the alias of which the world will know him for for centuries to come, H.H. Holmes. He began building a horror hotel with the intention to murder and torture innocent visitors of the Worlds Fair. There was a maze, an asphyxiation room, a hanging room, dissection room and countless of rooms with doors that only opened on the outside and some vaults with the intention to trap people. There were peepholes in the wall so that he could watch his victims suffer and trying to fight to breathe as he released a gas inside the room to make them suffocate. There cannot be anything more exhilarating to a sociopath than that because he was in control about who would live or not and it gave him a rush whenever his victims would scream his name while they suffered and eventually died. There would be plenty of people that would never make it out of his hotel alive.
People who knew Holmes were charmed by him and only saw him as a respectable doctor who was offering them a place to stay during their visit in Chicago. Holmes was a swindler and there was about seventy sue-cases against him in Chicago during the eight years that he lived there. Every thing that this man did and told others was nothing but a lie. He was constantly busy with swindling money and selling the skulls of his victims to medical school.
He built a murder castle TWICE.
This was outside of Chicago when he left. This castle was bigger than its predecessor but it was an exact copy of his first one built with the intention to kill people. The exact number of victims of Holmes remains a mystery even today. It variate's from 9 from 200 people and the exact numbers will forever be unknown. Holmes himself confessed to 27 murders when was writing his autobiography in prison. Only about 15 people of these murders that he confessed to were still alive so no one knows what is the truth with this man.
Holmes was a highly intelligent man and he has used his manipulation to make people do his bidding and to get away with every thing for a long time. It is certain that the devil resided inside of him and he was capable of committing the most heinous crimes without batching as much an eye. He only ever cared about himself and was able to murder anyone that got in his way. He even married three wives at the same time without them knowing of the other wives their existence's.
Just reading about this man and his murder spree sends chills down your spine. He knew how to get rid of his bodies so that the police wouldn't be on his trail and wouldn't connect him to all the missing people in Chicago. He was a true predator and he was able to continue with his killings for many years without anyone ever suspecting him. No one knew what was actually happening inside the murder castle. I am convinced that if Holmes was never caught for being careless that he would've continued with his murder spree without anyone knowing. People had only ever known him to be a swindler and not as a murderer. That changed after he he was arrested for murder and the truth about his murder castle came to light. He has never once showed any remorse towards his crimes and was only ever sad that he was caught.
What baffles me is that after Holmes was buried in 1896 he had requested that he would be buried in two attached graves. He asked for his coffin to be contained in concrete and buried 10 feet deep, because he was concerned grave robbers would steal his body and use it for dissection. He must've swindled some people in prison to make that possible because something that like has never happened before. Holmes was someone who was always going to have the last word even after his dead.
This book is a dry read because it exists of so much information about Holmes which was what I was looking for. It really reads like a biography that gives you an insight inside the mind of a serial killer in the White City.
February 9, 2025
Loved this as an alternative to Devil In the White City. Definitely more fact driven and it shows. Perfect for anyone who loves history, probably boring for anyone looking for sensationalism.
February 12, 2017
This is an important true crime novel. Excellent in all aspects. Not only that, but Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are filming the movie based on The Devil In The White City by the great author Erik Larson. H.H. Holmes: The True Story of the White Devil will be released April 4th 2017.
Here is my review...
During the late 1800's, murders, thieves, safe blowers, highwaymen, pickpockets, and all species of criminals would inevitably descend at the Chicago's World Fair originating it into a temporary home. Author Adam Selzer firmly grasps the perfect incarnation of abnormal wickedness known as H.H. Holmes. He immerses the reader into a serial killers reality of hidden rooms and secret passages, verbally painting the Holmes torture castle. Selzer elaborates on this gripping true crime novel positioning an American Folklore super villain that preys on patrons who are lured to their deaths.
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Here is my review...
During the late 1800's, murders, thieves, safe blowers, highwaymen, pickpockets, and all species of criminals would inevitably descend at the Chicago's World Fair originating it into a temporary home. Author Adam Selzer firmly grasps the perfect incarnation of abnormal wickedness known as H.H. Holmes. He immerses the reader into a serial killers reality of hidden rooms and secret passages, verbally painting the Holmes torture castle. Selzer elaborates on this gripping true crime novel positioning an American Folklore super villain that preys on patrons who are lured to their deaths.
image1.JPG
July 9, 2017
This is a very useful book in that the author has gone back to the primary sources and convincingly demonstrated that most of the H.H. Holmes myth is just that. Very timely, considering Holmes' great great grandson is currently peddling a TV series that suggests Holmes was Jack the Ripper. No, Holmes was mainly Jack the Rip Off Artist, and his murders, few in number compared to legend, were tied directly to his almost byzantine web of money making schemes.
That said, it's very tedious as well. A good editor could have trimmed this down considerably and made certain the author focused on vital information and left some of the minutia out. By the end I was pretty much down to skimming.
That said, it's very tedious as well. A good editor could have trimmed this down considerably and made certain the author focused on vital information and left some of the minutia out. By the end I was pretty much down to skimming.
July 17, 2017
This book took the salacious and intriguing story of mass murderer HH Holmes which we read about in the Devil in the White City, and proved all the compelling parts of the story weren't true. Most of the things that haunted me about the story were based upon sensationalized reporting and Holmes' bizarre statements... not on truth. In other words: "fake news." So, the book has every detail that can be found about the crimes and took the excitement out of it. Kind of no fun. But good research, and of course perfect timing since it debunks White City just before the movie comes out.
December 6, 2020
4.5 stars. A great description covering any angle you could think of regarding HH Holmes, including his full life history, all his escapades through many states, his associates and their stories, the consequences of his crimes, analysis of media coverage (during, after, and long after the events), analysis of fictionalizations (again during, after, and long after the events), and how rumors, common misconceptions, tall tales, and superstitions formed the urban legend Holmes came to be.
Selzer goes very far out of his way to be un-biased and completely lacking in melodrama, deflating the excitement of any other Holmes story. I imagine trying to read any other book about Holmes will now seem sensationalized and hysterical. I've been curious about reading The Devil in the White City, which is usually considered the go to book on this topic, but Selzer has done slashed through so many of the connections commonly associated between Holmes and the World's Fair (apparently the two happening at the same time was 100% coincidence and one never really affected the other).
Selzer depicts Holmes as a con artist and a swindler, and any murders he committed were all of convenience or necessity to hide his financial crimes. Murder never really seemed to be the goal, which makes it hard to classify him as a serial killer at all. Are gangsters serial killers, or do they just happen to have a long list of victims? The Holmes Hotel (aka Murder Castle) with its secret rooms is really much more reminiscent of a smuggling vessel, rather than torture chambers.
Overall, Selzer does a great job of keeping it professional and making sure to back up all his information with facts, being careful to weed out unreliable sources while still acknowledging their existence. The narrator of this audiobook has a tendency to switch between droning and overly dramatic at the wrong times, making me have to concentrate to still listen, but overall it was a very good experience. The audiobook was 17 hours long - usually I don't make it through such a long book, but this I did.
Selzer goes very far out of his way to be un-biased and completely lacking in melodrama, deflating the excitement of any other Holmes story. I imagine trying to read any other book about Holmes will now seem sensationalized and hysterical. I've been curious about reading The Devil in the White City, which is usually considered the go to book on this topic, but Selzer has done slashed through so many of the connections commonly associated between Holmes and the World's Fair (apparently the two happening at the same time was 100% coincidence and one never really affected the other).
Selzer depicts Holmes as a con artist and a swindler, and any murders he committed were all of convenience or necessity to hide his financial crimes. Murder never really seemed to be the goal, which makes it hard to classify him as a serial killer at all. Are gangsters serial killers, or do they just happen to have a long list of victims? The Holmes Hotel (aka Murder Castle) with its secret rooms is really much more reminiscent of a smuggling vessel, rather than torture chambers.
Overall, Selzer does a great job of keeping it professional and making sure to back up all his information with facts, being careful to weed out unreliable sources while still acknowledging their existence. The narrator of this audiobook has a tendency to switch between droning and overly dramatic at the wrong times, making me have to concentrate to still listen, but overall it was a very good experience. The audiobook was 17 hours long - usually I don't make it through such a long book, but this I did.
January 6, 2024
I understand the case of H. H. Holmes itself is not as sensational as it has been made out to be, and it is extremely convoluted in nature. That has no bearing on my feelings toward this book.
However, I did find the book itself quite confusing and convoluted in its presentation as the author tried to cover as many bases and possible accurate angles, which ultimately came together a giant muddle.
There were numerous typos/grammatical errors and misspellings in the actual writing of the content (ie. not direct quotations). Furthermore, with the number of parties involved, the author chose to introduce them each time they hadn't been mentioned in a while, which was very repetitive. Perhaps a list of parties at the beginning of the book/each chapter would have been more clear.
I also found the quotation at the start of each chapter ill-fitting for the succeeding content. Almost every chapter was opened with a comment on how Holmes had asymmetrical eyes or that he would never look one in the eye. It seemed odd to me to do so, when we had already moved well on past establishing the character (even when we were at the trial, execution, and aftermath phase), and I wondered why the author didn't choose a quotation from the relevant period instead.
At least now I know to not expect maniacal murder castles from Holmes, and will not be reading The Devil in the White City.
However, I did find the book itself quite confusing and convoluted in its presentation as the author tried to cover as many bases and possible accurate angles, which ultimately came together a giant muddle.
There were numerous typos/grammatical errors and misspellings in the actual writing of the content (ie. not direct quotations). Furthermore, with the number of parties involved, the author chose to introduce them each time they hadn't been mentioned in a while, which was very repetitive. Perhaps a list of parties at the beginning of the book/each chapter would have been more clear.
I also found the quotation at the start of each chapter ill-fitting for the succeeding content. Almost every chapter was opened with a comment on how Holmes had asymmetrical eyes or that he would never look one in the eye. It seemed odd to me to do so, when we had already moved well on past establishing the character (even when we were at the trial, execution, and aftermath phase), and I wondered why the author didn't choose a quotation from the relevant period instead.
At least now I know to not expect maniacal murder castles from Holmes, and will not be reading The Devil in the White City.
May 1, 2021
I'm in two minds about this book. On the one hand it is very well researched and incredibly thorough packed with details and analysis of what is truth and what is fiction. But then on the other all of this good work is undermined by the dry and slightly confused manner that this information is portrayed. Given the subject matter making such a story so dry is quite an achievement, even sticking with the facts Holmes' story should be fascinating and gripping but somehow this gets lost in this book. I don't know whether it just needs a good editor to trim things down, or a bit of a rethink in terms of what Selzer is trying to achieve (it seemed to alternate between telling Holmes' story as it happened and undermining the legend that grew up around him decades later), either way this has the potential to be a superb book but sadly the execution (pardon the pun) just isn't quite there. Still worth a read if you are interested in the truth behind the legend, but just be ready to skim read in places.
November 15, 2022
I went into this blind, and knowing very little about H. H. Holmes so for me this was a very informational book, but left a lot of room for me to think the events were inconclusive. It was apparent H.H. Holmes was a schemer and a scammer, but I felt that although maybe he did commit a few murders the information surrounding them was inconsistent or lacked solid proof. There was nothing exaggerated or seemingly added to attract attention to this book, and based on some of the more wild readings I looked into, I wonder if this may be a more factual and accurate telling. Although Holmes was sentenced to death, I do feel that the evidence was lacking to really convict him- but I also feel he was not an innocent man. Perhaps lack of resources and scientific evolution were on his side and helped to offer a glimmer of innocence.
A very well written and researched chronicle of one H. H. Holmes.
A very well written and researched chronicle of one H. H. Holmes.
June 1, 2018
Comprehensive examination of the life and career of America's first serial killer, using contemporary letters, documents, court records and newspaper articles. The book traces the infamous Holmes through several marriages, medical experiments and early attempts at insurance fraud, to the many individuals he may and may not have murdered.
Adam Selzer leaves no corpse unturned in this fascinating account of evil doctor HH Holmes. The details are at times gory, and include particulars of the deaths of several children, which some readers may find upsetting. The author also has a tendency to repeat himself a little, though as the text runs to a smidgen under five hundred pages, it was useful to be reminded of earlier events and misdemeanours as the story came to its conclusion.
Selzer paints a thought-provoking portrait of Holmes, showing the many and varied versions of himself played out by the killer over the span of a relatively short life. While he was plainly a crafty individual, Holmes does not fit the usual criteria of serial killer and may have simply knocked off people who got in the way of his plans, rather than killing from a psychological or sadistic motivation. Nevertheless, some of his victims – such as the slaughter of several members of the Pitezel family – demonstrate a distinct lack of feeling for his fellow human beings.
A fascinating and well-researched book that will no-doubt sell in shed-loads when the forthcoming Martin Scorsese/Leo DiCaprio movie (The Devil in the White City) is released.
Adam Selzer leaves no corpse unturned in this fascinating account of evil doctor HH Holmes. The details are at times gory, and include particulars of the deaths of several children, which some readers may find upsetting. The author also has a tendency to repeat himself a little, though as the text runs to a smidgen under five hundred pages, it was useful to be reminded of earlier events and misdemeanours as the story came to its conclusion.
Selzer paints a thought-provoking portrait of Holmes, showing the many and varied versions of himself played out by the killer over the span of a relatively short life. While he was plainly a crafty individual, Holmes does not fit the usual criteria of serial killer and may have simply knocked off people who got in the way of his plans, rather than killing from a psychological or sadistic motivation. Nevertheless, some of his victims – such as the slaughter of several members of the Pitezel family – demonstrate a distinct lack of feeling for his fellow human beings.
A fascinating and well-researched book that will no-doubt sell in shed-loads when the forthcoming Martin Scorsese/Leo DiCaprio movie (The Devil in the White City) is released.
February 9, 2022
This is an unbelievably well researched book, fascinating and extremely in depth, possibly to its determent. The book focuses on letting us know the real H.H. Holmes, not the legend that has built up around him, but the man behind the myth. I found this book extremely interesting but also very dry. There might be a little too much information here honestly. As interesting as some of this was, parts of it didn’t really inform anything and were a little unnecessary. Overall, an interesting read that informed me on all that I could have ever wanted to know of H.H. Holmes, even if it was a little boring at times.
December 7, 2023
Having read a number of books in articles concerning H. H. Holmes, I found this book to be authentic in its research and the information concerning his crimes to be a balanced perspective of the Devil in the White City.
Adam Selzer does a thorough and complete analysis from the remaining archives to bring about a vivid image of Holmes' daily life, scams, and deception. Selzer weighs the information rationally and draws out the compelling facts that send Holmes to the gallows.
For those who are interested in historical serial killers, this book is an interesting read.
Adam Selzer does a thorough and complete analysis from the remaining archives to bring about a vivid image of Holmes' daily life, scams, and deception. Selzer weighs the information rationally and draws out the compelling facts that send Holmes to the gallows.
For those who are interested in historical serial killers, this book is an interesting read.
May 3, 2020
Too many people, too many names, too many deaths and too many lies. It's so confusing. How do you know what's true? There was so much written about Holmes and his castle and it seems like 90% of it was rumor or just incorrect. At least this one had a ton of research and footnotes. It seems as though this one is probably the most truthful. Still, I'm disappointed that, as bad as he really was, he wasn't the monster the stories said he was.
March 11, 2021
Fascinating and complex true story of the White City Devil without the sensationalism that the media has always told.
Full review here:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
Full review here:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
April 10, 2021
3.5/5 rounded up. Very well presented research! I guess it never occurred to me that some of the Holmes case could have been due to gossip, lies, and guessing that people just blew out of proportion. No doubt though that he was an awful guy and did commit murder.
February 12, 2022
It was great to read a fact based book on this man rather than the many sensationalist books I've read so far. Really fascinating.
September 20, 2022
I appreciate how factual this book is, but it was exhausting to read
June 21, 2024
It started off interesting & then just got so bogged down in details that it became extremely dry and boring. I kept trying to stick with it, but ultimately couldn’t.
December 4, 2022
Though it was a chore at times to read through so many facts, you have to commend the author for his commitment to accuracy and thoroughness. This book will make you wonder what other “true stories” from history are actually embellished or totally fictional…
October 17, 2017
I read this after reading Devil in the White City, because I felt Devil was very heavy on historical/architecture background (which i loved!), but very scant with details on HH Holmes himself.
This book was a good read and I learned a lot about the mystique of HH Holmes, and really his reputation is more fantastical than his actual crimes. Yes, he murdered people, but he was more a scammer than than serial killer. This book will be disappointing to you if you are expecting to read about the sensationalized version of him, but if you want to know what actually happened, this is a good read. It can be a bit slow at times.
This book was a good read and I learned a lot about the mystique of HH Holmes, and really his reputation is more fantastical than his actual crimes. Yes, he murdered people, but he was more a scammer than than serial killer. This book will be disappointing to you if you are expecting to read about the sensationalized version of him, but if you want to know what actually happened, this is a good read. It can be a bit slow at times.
August 21, 2017
Considering that the topic was so interesting, this turned out to be an extremely dry read. While it is obvious that Mr. Selzer did his research, the novel had more of a textbook feel. Instead of the expected sensational read replete with gory detail, there was more of a letdown to find he uncovered that HH Holmes was perhaps NOT America's first serial killer after all - that perhaps many of the newspapers of that day didn't check their facts or weren't in a position to do so. Stripped of myth, Holmes turns more into a swindler and cheater.
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