About the Book

Book: The White City

Author: Grace Hitchcock

 
Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense

 
Release Date: March 2019  

Mysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair

 

 

While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.

 

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About the Author

 

Grace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcockBooks.com.

 

Guest Post from Grace

 

True Colors—Fiction Based on Strange, But True, American Crime Stories

 

True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through 6 unique stories of historical romantic suspense in the exciting new True Colors series.

 

In book one, The White City, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped while attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a detective, for bodyguard.

 

Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

 

 

While Winnifred Wylde is a fictional character, Doctor H. H. Holmes was very real and became infamously known as America’s first serial killer. Learn more about him HERE.  

 

My Review

 

Combining fact with fiction in an engaging historical context, Grace Hitchcock kicks off the True Colors trilogy in style with “The White City”. Scads of books and documentaries exist about Henry Howard Holmes, the man given the notorious distinction of being America’s first serial killer, yet in this novel Hitchcock presents a new, albeit fictional, perspective on his case. Introducing Winnifred Wylde, a young woman who loves nothing more than reading the latest romantic adventure novel by her favorite author, Hitchcock takes the reader along on a thrilling quest of discovery. The action begins when Winnifred believes that she witnesses a kidnapping while at the Chicago World’s Fair, an incident that eventually leads her to the employ of H.H. Holmes as she seeks to pursue her suspicions. However, as the investigation proceeds, both her wellbeing and her heart are in danger.

“The White City” proficiently blends genres to create an absorbing narrative. Each chapter opens with an epigraph from classic literature, hinting at its contents, and all of the characters were 3-dimensional and had emotional depth. Their reactions to events and the lingering effects of trauma made them seem true to life. From Aunt Lillian’s matchmaking to Percy Covington’s romantic idealism to Auntie Ann’s outwardly gruff demeanor, each contributed to the flow of the story. Hitchcock captures H.H. Holmes’ charisma as well as sparks of the violence lurking beneath his façade. Along with catching glimpses of the World’s Fair, recognizing the societal and familial expectations of both women and men during the late nineteenth century further set the scene and linked the historical with the fictional side of the tale. As somewhat of a true crime aficionada, this series held special appeal for me as soon as I heard about it, and I am happy to report that the first book exceeded my expectations for a fictional take on the case. What truly made it a five-star read was its Christian foundation and the way that the main characters relied on the Lord throughout their trials and testing.       

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and CelebrateLit and was under no obligation to post a review. 

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