This is the first truly comprehensive book examining the life and career of the murderer who has become one of America’s great supervillains. It reveals not only the true story but how the legend evolved, taking advantage of hundreds of primary sources that have never been examined before, including legal documents, letters, articles, and records that have been buried in archives for more than a century. Although Holmes is just as famous now as he was in 1895, this deep analysis of contemporary materials makes clear how much of the previously known story came from reporters who were nowhere near the action, a dangerously unqualified new police chief, and lies invented by Holmes himself.

A historian shares strange-but-true stories of the city and its unsolved mysteries, from the nineteenth century to today.

From Chicago historian Adam Selzer, expert on all of the Windy City’s quirks and oddities, comes a compelling anthology of forty unsolved mysteries from the 1800s to the modern day. Among many other topics, he explores what really started the great Chicago fire; who was the first “automobile murderer;” the identity of the Tylenol killer; and whether there was actually a vampire slaying at Rosehill Cemetery.

The result is both a colorful listen separating true crime from urban legend and an offbeat historical tour of this Midwestern metropolis, from the person behind the Mysterious Chicago blog, podcasts, and tours.