The DEVIL in the WHITE CITY
Eric Lawson
Rating - 4/5
"So good, you find yourself asking how you could not know this already." - ESQUIRE
"Engrossing ... exceedingly well documented ... utterly fascinating." - CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Summary
The purpose of this book is to inform the reader of both the Chicago World Fair and the serial killer known as H. H. Holmes.
Concepts, Principles, Techniques
B) Another notable concept, this one from the Serial Killer chapters, is how easily humans can be manipulated if you know how to interact with them. Holmes is able to easily convince others of whatever he wishes with a disarming smile and warm personality, going so far as to convince debt collectors to leave him alone.
C) Lastly, the use of foliage, flowers, shrubbery, etc., to enhance the look and feel of surrounding buildings in ways I'd not thought of before.
Passage #1
Or he could open the door and look in on Anna and give her a big smile- just to let her know this was no accident- then close the door, slam it, and return to his chair to see what might happen next. Or he could flood the vault, right now, with gas. The hiss and repulsive odor would tell just as clearly as a smile that something extraordinary was under way.
He could do any of these things.
...
He filled the vault with gas, just to be sure." - Pg.295-296
Modus Operandi
Earlier chapters had explored his seduction of young women, his ability to influence people's actions, and generally win over anyone he met. In this chapter we learn it is his desire for power over others that drives these things. The final moments of his victims' lives, cut short by suffocation in his vault, gas in their rooms at night, or a simple chloroform rag over their mouths; Holmes could choose how to end their lives from many options, which he held to be a testament to his power.