tonyhotran's review
3.0
Fun read! Very spooky. Good primer for my upcoming DnD campaign set in Chicago during the 1890s.
arnzen's review
5.0
I backed this book on kickstarter even though I had the privilege of reviewing an advanced electronic copy. Here was my review...
“The Devil’s City is a helluva thrill ride, delving deep into the sick history of serial killer HH Holmes, brutally peeling back the layers of his evil legacy through a series of surprising character studies, viciously unraveling Holmes' evil blood lust, victim after victim, until it reveals an unexpected core lurking behind it all. Holmes experts Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corley have built a whole new underworld around the killer's infamous Murder Castle at turn of the century Chicago, and this book takes you straight down into the twisted intricacies its darkest abyss. LOVED IT.” -- Michael Arnzen, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Play Dead
“The Devil’s City is a helluva thrill ride, delving deep into the sick history of serial killer HH Holmes, brutally peeling back the layers of his evil legacy through a series of surprising character studies, viciously unraveling Holmes' evil blood lust, victim after victim, until it reveals an unexpected core lurking behind it all. Holmes experts Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corley have built a whole new underworld around the killer's infamous Murder Castle at turn of the century Chicago, and this book takes you straight down into the twisted intricacies its darkest abyss. LOVED IT.” -- Michael Arnzen, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Play Dead
motherhorror's review
4.0
Thank you to Matthew Corely & Sara Tantlinger for sharing ARCs of their novella, THE DEVIL'S CITY with the Night Worms Review Team for review consideration.
"I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me I'm a real live wire
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est"
I don't know about all horror readers but this horror reader is fascinated with the lives of natural-born serial killers like the infamous, H. H. Holmes.
Several years ago, I read the historical fiction book, DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson and enjoyed learning about The World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the madman (Holmes) who stalked and killed during the chaos surrounding that event.
Last year, I read the Bram Stoker winning collection of poems inspired by H. H. Holmes written by Sara Tantlinger and it blew my mind--opening my eyes to the way that fiction can tap into the psyche of a madman.
Her poems imagined the encounters Holmes' victims must have had with him, giving them a voice so that we could share in their frightening last moments.
For The Devil's City, Tantlinger is co-authoring this novella with Corley who is a pharmacist (as was Holmes). Their combined levels of expertise, knowledge, and storytelling voices make for a compulsive and disturbing read.
Chapter headings are titled with an individual's name just above a diary entry from H. H. Holmes.
From there, a personal account unfolds leading to an encounter with a serial killer.
Peppered throughout are gorgeous illustrations to enhance the reading experience.
Towards the end, Tantlinger and Corley take a deep dive into what actually happened to the victims in the laboratory of Holmes' Murder Castle. Pretty grisly and gruesome.
This novella is a companion piece to a much larger project involving an RPG tabletop game. If that sounds of interest to you, there's a Kickstarter explaining everything:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37222410/the-devils-city-for-5e
But this review is just for the novella as a standalone story and I enjoyed it.
"I can't seem to face up to the facts
I'm tense and nervous and I can't relax
I can't sleep 'cause my bed's on fire
Don't touch me I'm a real live wire
Psycho Killer
Qu'est-ce que c'est"
I don't know about all horror readers but this horror reader is fascinated with the lives of natural-born serial killers like the infamous, H. H. Holmes.
Several years ago, I read the historical fiction book, DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY by Erik Larson and enjoyed learning about The World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and the madman (Holmes) who stalked and killed during the chaos surrounding that event.
Last year, I read the Bram Stoker winning collection of poems inspired by H. H. Holmes written by Sara Tantlinger and it blew my mind--opening my eyes to the way that fiction can tap into the psyche of a madman.
Her poems imagined the encounters Holmes' victims must have had with him, giving them a voice so that we could share in their frightening last moments.
For The Devil's City, Tantlinger is co-authoring this novella with Corley who is a pharmacist (as was Holmes). Their combined levels of expertise, knowledge, and storytelling voices make for a compulsive and disturbing read.
Chapter headings are titled with an individual's name just above a diary entry from H. H. Holmes.
From there, a personal account unfolds leading to an encounter with a serial killer.
Peppered throughout are gorgeous illustrations to enhance the reading experience.
Towards the end, Tantlinger and Corley take a deep dive into what actually happened to the victims in the laboratory of Holmes' Murder Castle. Pretty grisly and gruesome.
This novella is a companion piece to a much larger project involving an RPG tabletop game. If that sounds of interest to you, there's a Kickstarter explaining everything:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37222410/the-devils-city-for-5e
But this review is just for the novella as a standalone story and I enjoyed it.
readswithdogs's review
5.0
As a murderino, I love reading fiction based on anything True Crime and The Devil's City by @inkychaotics @mattherdcorley didn't disappoint!
findingmontauk1's review against another edition
4.0
Let's go back to the late 1800s and hang out with H.H. Holmes and his murder castle! For those who do not know, Holmes was an infamous con artist and has been labeled America's first serial killer. There have been documentaries and books about him, the most popular probably being The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. But what we do not get a chance to hear are the voices of his victims. All of those men and women he killed had their light snuffed out too early and they were seemingly gone without a trace. This novella explores some of those victims and we get to see their actions leading up to their untimely demise. The chapters/stories end suddenly - the same way their lives ended. We get a glimpse into their last moments before Holmes takes everything from them.
Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corely really have something special with this novella as it is part of a Kickstarter campaign that includes an RPG companion book. Their Kickstarter was a success, and you can learn more about the entire operation here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37222410/the-devils-city-for-5e
Be on the lookout for this! If you enjoy reading about serial killers then you definitely need this one! A huge thanks to Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corley for sending copies to the Night Worms group for our book party review!
Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corely really have something special with this novella as it is part of a Kickstarter campaign that includes an RPG companion book. Their Kickstarter was a success, and you can learn more about the entire operation here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/37222410/the-devils-city-for-5e
Be on the lookout for this! If you enjoy reading about serial killers then you definitely need this one! A huge thanks to Sara Tantlinger and Matthew Corley for sending copies to the Night Worms group for our book party review!
spookishmommy's review
3.0
Oddly enough, I didnt know much about HH Holmes until I read Sara's poetry collection The Devil's Dreamland in November 2019. From there my fascination grew so when I found out about this HH Holmes inspired novella and RPG game being created by Sara Tantlinger and Matt Corley, I knew i needed it!!
A fictionalized version of HH Holmes and his murder castle, The Devil's City is a binge worthy novella. The unique spin on it makes it fun for anyone especially if you think you know everything there is to know about HH Holmes. There were some scenes that honestly hurt my eyeballs but did I stop reading? Never!
A fictionalized version of HH Holmes and his murder castle, The Devil's City is a binge worthy novella. The unique spin on it makes it fun for anyone especially if you think you know everything there is to know about HH Holmes. There were some scenes that honestly hurt my eyeballs but did I stop reading? Never!
More...