Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H.H. Holmes [Hardcover]

Judy Miller Snavely (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 2006

Some say he was Jack the Ripper, but Herman W. Mudgett, alias Dr. H. H. Holmes, was far too busy piling up corpses on this side of the Atlantic to have ever traveled abroad. The basement of his infamous Chicago "Castle" (which The Chicago Times described as a "murder factory") boasted a crematory, lime pits, acid vats, and torture devices. Also in the basement was his "human elasticizer," a basic torture rack that he believed could be employed to create a race of giants. Born in Gilmanton, NH, in 1860, Mudgett/Holmes attended medical school at the University of Michigan, graduating with the class of 1884. To finance his studies, he took out life insurance policies on people he knew, and then delivered a corpse in order to collect.a con on which he would fall back many times during his short life. When the Holmes Castle was searched in 1895, the police found evidence of as many as 200 bodies. The job as "typewriter" at the Castle was truly a dead-end job. Most of the pretty young women who entered his employ became his lovers, and then his victims. Holmes' final confession began with these words: "Yes, I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer no more than the poet can help the inspiration to song, nor the ambition of an intellectual man to be great. I was born with the evil one standing as my sponsor beside the bed where I was ushered into the world, and he has been with me since." An incredible and chilling true story, Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H. H. Holmes, is the biography of a real-life Jekyll & Hyde, told in the killer's own words whenever possible.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judy Miller Snavely is an award-winning journalist who has been honored for her fiction writing, as well. She is a member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She serves as Publicity Chair for Oklahoma Writers Federation, and assists with organizing regional conferences for Mystery Writers of America. Judy has judged several writing contests, from short essays to book-length fiction. She is available for speaking engagements, conferences, and book signings, and serves as mentor to promising new writers whenever possible. While in high school in Skiatook, OK, Judy began her writing career as co-editor of her school paper and was an editor and contributor to her college's student paper. She studied theology through the Seminary of the South in Sewanee, TN, and holds an associate's degree in journalism. Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H. H. Holmes is the first in a series of books on amazing (but forgotten) killers from America's history. The next book in this series will be about husband-and-wife innkeepers who turned murder into a family activity (ca. 1850). The release of that book is slated for spring of 2007. Judy's first novel, The Eighth Angel, will be released later this year. That book is also the first of a series following the professional and personal career of Deputy Sheriff Katy Pearce. The second Katy Pearce novel will be on bookshelves in late 2007. A native Oklahoman, Judy lives in Sand Springs, OK, with her husband of thirty-five years, Wiley; dachshund Oscar Mayer; and four spoiled cats - Freeway, Harley, Bandit, and Smokey. Her daughter, Samantha, is a biologist at the Dallas Zoo and teaches at a local two-year college. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (May 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425926908
• ISBN-13: 978-1425926908
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,517,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devil's Disciple, July 24, 2006

By 

T. Hoy (Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H.H. Holmes (Paperback)

This book reads more like a novel than dry non-fiction. I was hooked at the opening paragraph and couldn't put it down. It's one thing to read about a person from an outsider's view, but this author uses Dr. Holmes's own words to allow the reader to delve into the mind of this serial killer and see him for the devil he is. The blood lust of this murderer, combined with his charm and intelligence, can only make a person feel fortunate they never met him. The story is enlightening, creepy, and an excellent read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devil's Disciple-The Deadly Dr. H. H. Holmes, October 27, 2007

By 

Dianne (Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H.H. Holmes (Paperback)

This was an excellent book. I found it hard to put down. Her research on the serial killer Dr. H.H.Holmes was well done and complete. The writing, photographs and drawings help the reader understand the unpredictability of the criminal mind and the person who committed the crime of the century.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Devil's Disciple - Snavely, July 17, 2006

By 

Carla Jordan (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Devil's Disciple: The Deadly Dr. H.H. Holmes (Paperback)

I don't normally read non-fiction books, but this book reads well and is very interesting. I love the drawings scattered through-out the book. I think it enhances the book. I love the timeline at the back. Helps me to relate to when this psycho was alive and what else was going on when he was doing his dirty deeds. I have recommeded this book to several friends and they have enjoyed it as well.