...1896. fame grew from the discovery of a bizarre hotel he had built in Chicago, where he tortured, killed, and skinned numerous victims. While several writers have penned books about this sadistic offender, the author whose book topped the New York Times bestsellers list in both hardcover and paperback was Erik Larson, thanks both to his stylish writing and unique angle.

Larson wrote Holmes' story in parallel with that of Daniel Hudson Burnham, the chief architect and organizer of Chicago's 1893 World's Fair, also known as "the White City." As readers learn about the difficulties and triumphs of setting up this impressive international attraction, they're also exposed to one of its darkest sides: the Gilded Age was a new era, with young women exercising their independence and criminals like Holmes exploiting it.

Larson's book remained a bestseller for over 2 years, while he researched his next work, Thunderstruck, a similar parallel tale with a different type of criminal--the meek Hawley Harvey Crippen, who murdered his wife in 1910 so he could run off with his lover. Unfortunately for him, Guglielmo Marconi had invented wireless communication, which was used to catch Crippen as he fled.

Both books fully develop the worlds in which these narratives unfold, requiring prodigious research and skillful writing. The Devil in the White City, optioned for film by Paramount, was a finalist for a National Book Award. Obviously, along with the technical inventions, Larson also had to grasp the diverse criminal minds of two principal characters and the strategies used by the investigators who brought them to ground. Thus, his narratives both intrigue and offer useful information to forensics professionals.

The Writing Process

Larson agreed to answer a few questions about his research, which are compiled in this inter view.

Ramsland: What inspired you to write about H.H. Holmes in the context of the fair?

Larson: Back in 1994 I read The Alienist by Caleb Carr and loved its evocation of old New York. So I thought, wouldn't it be interesting to try to do a nonfiction book about a murder from the past and try to achieve the same kind of effect? Here's the sausage being made: I took out a book called The Encyclopedia of Murder, and began reading from the As onward. I can't remember where I came across Holmes--whether it was in the Hs or the Ms, for Mudgett, his real name. I was titillated of course, but had no desire to write about him--I didn't want to do crime porn. I wanted a book full of mood and manner.

So, I continued searching. I came across a different murder, which I pursued for a while, until I realized it wasn't particularly compelling or mysterious. It did, however, have a hurricane, which had the effect of accelerating the murder plot. I got totally sidetracked. I became entranced with the hurricane, and that became the storm in Isaac's Storm [the story of Isaac Cline in the Galveston Hurricane of 1900]. Once that was out and doing well, I again set about trying to find an idea.

I went through probably a dozen ideas and again thought about a murder--and again dismissed Holmes as just too sleazy. But in thinking about Holmes, I also remembered a reference to the World's Fair of 1893. I had known nothing about it,...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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