A historical non-fiction book presented in a novelistic style, it tells the story of World’s Fair architect Daniel Burnham and of H. H. Holmes, a criminal figure widely considered the first serial killer in the United States.
The book covers two major storylines: the killers' evolution leading up to the attack, and the survivors' struggles with the aftermath over the next decade. Chapters alternate between the two stories.
Considered by many to be the prototypical true crime novel, it is also the second-best-selling book in the genre's history, behind Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter (1974) about the Charles Manson murders.
The book recounts and assesses the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of Charles Manson and his followers for the notorious 1969 murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, pregnant actress Sharon Tate, and several others.
The book investigates a series of murders of wealthy Osage people that took place in Osage County, Oklahoma, in the early 1920s after extensive oil deposits were discovered beneath their land.
The book is about the rape and murder of teenage girls Amber Dubois in 2009 and Chelsea King in 2010 at the hands of John Albert Gardner.
The book is a nonfiction novel about Jim Williams, an antiques dealer on trial for the killing of Danny Hansford. The author combined his own experiences living in Savannah with stories recounted by locals.