One of America’s most notorious serial killers was undoubtedly H. H. Holmes, who went on a murder spree in 1890s Chicago. At the same time Holmes was scouring the city for his next victims, architect Daniel Burnham was working to pull off the shining project of his career – the 1893 World’s Fair, also known as the White City.

Through a nonfiction narrative that reads like a novel, Erik Larson explores how these two seemingly unrelated stories become impossibly intertwined as Holmes discovers that the World’s Fair is the perfect place to hunt for victims. The result is the renowned true-crime long haul, The Devil in the White City.

Rather than the usual true-crime book that simply analyzes the straightforward facts, this one is unique in that it offers a more atmospheric history that allows the story to play out with ease. For that reason, I’d rank it among books like The Professor and the Madman and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. There’s something more interesting about seeing a real-life narrative unfold in this more informal way that beats the average nonfiction account you’d normally expect from the genre.

With that in mind, it isn’t just about the murders – you’ll come out of this reading experience with a deeper understanding of architecture and the Gilded Age in Chicago. It’s informative in far more ways than the typical true-crime book.

This is one I remember my grandma reading when I was younger, and I was always intrigued by the cover. I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but honestly, this one’s cover is pretty cool.

If you’re a crime fan looking for your next long-haul read, this is a great choice for you!