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Quick answer: If you liked The Devil in the White City, read Erik Larson's Dead Wake, In the Garden of Beasts, Isaac's Storm and The Splendid and the Vile. These narrative histories read like thrillers with real people and places.
Erik Larson's book tells two stories from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair: the architect behind the fair and the serial killer who preyed on its visitors. Readers love its mix of history and suspense. The books below offer more nonfiction that reads like a novel, with true crime, disasters and history.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Wake | Erik Larson | Adult | more Larson |
| In the Garden of Beasts | Erik Larson | Adult | history through families |
| Isaac's Storm | Erik Larson | Adult | natural disaster |
| The Splendid and the Vile | Erik Larson | Adult | wartime Britain |
| Thunderstruck | Erik Larson | Adult | science and crime |
| The Demon of Unrest | Erik Larson | Adult | Civil War origins |
| The Poisoner's Handbook | Deborah Blum | Adult | forensic science |
| The Alienist | Caleb Carr | Adult | historical crime fiction |
| The Great Bridge | David McCullough | Adult | engineering history |
| The Professor and the Madman | Simon Winchester | Adult | word history |
| Killers of the Flower Moon | David Grann | Adult | true crime and justice |
| Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | John Berendt | Adult | southern gothic |
| The Last Days of Night | Graham Moore | Adult | inventors and rivals |
| The Johnstown Flood | David McCullough | Adult | disaster history |
| The Great Influenza | John M. Barry | Adult | pandemic history |
1. Dead Wake by Erik Larson
The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 is told from the perspectives of passengers, the captain and a German submarine commander. Tense and moving.
Best for: more Larson.
2. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
The American ambassador to Germany and his family in Berlin in 1933 watch the rise of the Nazis. Chilling and personal.
Best for: history through families.
3. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson
The story of the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston. Gripping, with a weather expert at its center.
Best for: natural disaster.
4. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Winston Churchill's first year as Prime Minister during the Blitz. Warm and vivid.
Best for: wartime Britain.
5. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
Two stories, Marconi's invention of wireless and a notorious murder, are intertwined. Smart and entertaining.
Best for: science and crime.
6. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
The months between Lincoln's election and the attack on Fort Sumter. Detailed and dramatic.
Best for: Civil War origins.
7. The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum
Two scientists in 1920s New York pioneer forensic toxicology. Fascinating and eerie.
Best for: forensic science.
8. The Alienist by Caleb Carr
A psychologist and a journalist hunt a killer in 1896 New York. A fast historical thriller.
Best for: historical crime fiction.
9. The Great Bridge by David McCullough
The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in the nineteenth century. Epic and well told.
Best for: engineering history.
10. The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester
The strange partnership behind the Oxford English Dictionary. Short and fascinating.
Best for: word history.
11. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Members of the Osage Nation were murdered in the 1920s for their oil money. Powerful and unsettling.
Best for: true crime and justice.
12. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
A visitor to Savannah gets involved in a murder case. Atmospheric and quirky.
Best for: southern gothic.
13. The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
A young lawyer fights Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over the electric light. A fictionalized legal thriller.
Best for: inventors and rivals.
14. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
A dam bursts in 1889 and destroys a Pennsylvania town. Gripping and human.
Best for: disaster history.
15. The Great Influenza by John M. Barry
The 1918 flu pandemic told through scientists and cities. Detailed and compelling.
Best for: pandemic history.
How to Choose
For more Larson, start with Dead Wake or In the Garden of Beasts. For disasters and history, pick Isaac's Storm, The Johnstown Flood or The Great Influenza. For true crime, choose Killers of the Flower Moon, The Poisoner's Handbook or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. If you like fiction set in the same period, The Alienist and The Last Days of Night are a good match. Some of these books describe real violence and tragedy. If you like true stories with a mystery feel, try reading one Larson book each season. His detailed research makes it easy to dive deeper afterwards with museum visits, documentaries or primary-source letters mentioned in the notes.
Related: 15 Best Books to Read Before Visiting New York City · 15 Best Black and White Books for Babies That Spark Development
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Devil in the White City about?
It follows architect Daniel Burnham as he builds the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and murderer H.H. Holmes, who killed visitors nearby.
Is it a true story?
Yes, although Larson uses narrative techniques to tell it.
Is there a TV adaptation?
One has been in development for years; check current news.
What is Larson's best book to start with?
The Devil in the White City is his most famous, but Dead Wake is also popular.
Is the book gory?
It includes disturbing details, but the tone is restrained.
Are there audiobooks?
Yes, most of these are available on audio.
Did H.H. Holmes really exist?
Yes, Herman Webster Mudgett, who used the name H.H. Holmes, was a real American serial killer.
Is the book heavy on history?
There is plenty of detail about architecture and the fair, but the story moves quickly.
What if I want a lighter Larson?
The Splendid and the Vile is warm and inspiring.