Another recommend from a magazine, this one focuses on 2 figures of late 19th century Chicago. A serial killer H. H. Holmes and a brilliant architect Daniel H. Burnham who faced seemingly unsurmountable obstacles to create the World Columbian Exposition (1882-1883)

The dual focus on these two separate characters only connected by their proximity at the time of the fair is however largely weighed by architecture and Chicago's historical background, how it came to become host of the world's fair, and the many events that were to make it nearly impossible to become reality

Holmes (an alias) was operating at the same time nearby in a hotel/building he designed himself, would go on and use his manipulative, cold and calculating skills to make hundreds of women disappear

Not badly written but quite lenghty, the book is supposedly based on notes and historical facts so much of it is narrated though there are snippets of dialogue

The strength of the novel focuses on architecture and historical detail even though the macabre acts by Holmes gives it a rather dark colorful shade

Ultimately a little too long for my taste