Ten ladies met at the home of Valerie Taylor-Crow to discuss the non-fiction crime genre in the book "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson. The book depicts the onerous task of the building of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and the people who played an intricate role in the creation of such a magnificent exposition. The main characters of architects Daniel Burnham, John Root, and Frederick Law Olmstead are all defined as the protagonists, while a second theme weaves in and out of the story. The antagonist, H. H. Holmes is a psychopathic doctor, pharmacist, and serial killer who uses his skills of manipulation and charm to commit crimes.
Stylistically, this story follows the lead of many classic works of literature as the story begins where it ends, on the sister ship of the Titanic, the RMS Olympic. Eric Larson skillfully created a full circle of events mirroring the works of other great writers such as Harper Lee and S. E. Hinton.
