The Beast of Chicago: The Murderous Career of H. H. Holmes (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) [Paperback]

Rick Geary (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Treasury of Victorian Murder | Publication Date: April 1, 2004

He was the world's first serial killer and he existed in the late 19th century, operating around the Chicago World's Fair, building a literal house of horrors, replete with chutes for dead bodies, gas chambers, surgical rooms. He methodically murdered up to 200 people, mostly young women. The infamous H. H. Holmes is the next subject of Geary's award-winning and increasingly popular series.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this graphic novel series, Geary covers some of history's most famous murders in meticulously researched, beautifully drawn volumes. This one takes on H.H. Holmes, one of America's first serial killers, whose "murder castle" shocked and stunned the era. It's 1886, and Holmes arrives in Chicago, a seemingly clean and enterprising young man but actually a murderous con artist with a spectacular ability to talk people into trusting him. Over the next five years, he spins an insanely complicated web of cons and evasions, as acquaintance after acquaintance disappears. He acquires three wives and numerous children-all unaware of each other-and his "boarding house" (aka the "murder castle") becomes a place where tourists check in but don't check out. This boarding house houses everything from a gas chamber to an abattoir for victims. Holmes's murder spree ends with an increasingly desperate flight from the law covering several states and involving the murders of three children. Geary renders all of this in a bouncy pen and ink style, the cheerfulness of which belies the horrid events, complete with maps, diagrams and charts to help readers follow the complex story. Despite its charming outward appearance, Geary's art has a chilling subtext that makes the story even more creepy. He's able to make everyday conversation as unsettling as the gruesome violence that figures prominently in every story. Geary is an underrated master of comics, and this book will equally interest history buffs, true crime enthusiasts and fans of good comics.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Geary chronicles the man thought by some to be the world's first-known serial killer. Estimates on the number of men, women, and children murdered by the ghastly H. H. Holmes are as high as 200. In fin de siŠcle Chicago, he ran the cruelly efficient "Castle," a twisting maze of secret doors, airtight rooms, gas chambers, and ovens where he secretly dispatched his victims. He was also a con man and fraud, keeping several wives and families, and using any means of deception to further his many nefarious schemes. In a matter-of-fact style, Geary places the unequivocally evil Holmes against the promise then held by the city of Chicago, where the glow of electric lights from the World Exposition turned night into day. In the recounting of Holmes's ever-changing aliases, schemes, coconspirators, families, and victims, the inherent complexity of the tale reduces many of the episodes and characterizations to a blur. The black-and-white artwork is confident and compelling, and comparisons to Edward Gorey (in theme and style) are inevitable. Although it lacks Gorey's dark drollery, Geary's work is certainly stylish in its own right. This macabre tale is certainly not for the squeamish, but older readers who are fans of Gorey, murder mysteries, or true crime may enjoy it.
Douglas P. Davey, Guelph Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: NBM Publishing (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561633658
• ISBN-13: 978-1561633654
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars H. H. Holmes, Plain and Simple, May 4, 2004

By 

Joshua Koppel (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Beast of Chicago: The Murderous Career of H. H. Holmes (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) (Paperback)

This is the latest in Rick Geary's series A Treasury of Victorian Murder. Many people have become fascinated with H. H. Holmes thanks to the book The Devil And The White City. But unlike that book, this is not a dramatization. Instead it is a simple chronological account of the man based on what little evidence actually exists.

Not a whole lot is know about Dr. Holmes, much is supposition and here say. Geary does an excellent job of recounting the facts as well as highlighting many inconsistencies in the legend (i.e. at one point Holmes admitted to the murder of 27 people but some of them were still alive).

Although Geary's series is written in a comic book format, this is not really a comic book. The reader is drawn in quickly and then the story is presented in a very clear and straightforward manner.

Whether this is your first account of Holmes or your tenth, I am sure you will find the story fascinating.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A story of a Victorian murder scenario, October 10, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beast of Chicago: The Murderous Career of H. H. Holmes (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) (v. 6) (Hardcover)

Rick Geary's Beast Of Chicago is a story of a Victorian murder scenario and one H. H. Holmes is presented entirely in black and white graphic novel format, providing readers with a blend of insight, humor, and survey of the world's first serial killer who operated in the late 19th century around the Chicago World's Fair. Holmes murdered up to 200 people, and his reputation comes to life in this exciting graphic novel story.

5.0 out of 5 stars SO different!, December 15, 2011

By 

A. Melrose (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Beast of Chicago: The Murderous Career of H. H. Holmes (A Treasury of Victorian Murder) (v. 6) (Hardcover)

If something on this subject matter can be called "cute", then this is it. This book is amazing! The story is all factual and the comic styling makes it a little easier to get through if this kind of stuff bothers you. BRILLIANTLY done! Love it!