If you liked
Books like The Devil in the White City
by Erik Larson
The Devil in the White City braids the building of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with the murders of a serial killer working its edges, and Erik Larson makes the history read like a thriller. If you want more narrative non-fiction that grips like a novel, read on.
The shortlist
What to read next
Killers of the Flower Moonby David Grann
“Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann 2017 review. The 1920s murders of dozens of Osage people in Oklahoma after the discovery of oil. The Apple TV / Scorsese film source and Grann's narrative non-fiction breakthrough.”
The Wagerby David Grann
“The Wager by David Grann 2023 review. The 1741 shipwreck of HMS Wager off Patagonia and the two contradictory mutiny narratives that returned to England. Grann's third major narrative non-fiction book and the canonical contemporary maritime-disaster story.”
Say Nothingby Patrick Radden Keefe
“Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe 2018 review. The 1972 disappearance of Belfast mother Jean McConville and the broader IRA history of the Troubles. Keefe's first major book and the basis for the 2024 FX Hulu limited series.”
Bad Bloodby John Carreyrou
“Bad Blood by John Carreyrou 2018 review. The Theranos and Elizabeth Holmes blood-testing fraud. Carreyrou's investigative account built from his Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal reporting.”
Empire of Painby Patrick Radden Keefe
“Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe 2021 review. The Sackler family and the operational mechanics of Purdue Pharma's OxyContin marketing strategy across three generations. The canonical contemporary investigative non-fiction book on the opioid crisis.”
The Demon of Unrestby Erik Larson
“The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson 2024 review. The five months between Lincoln's November 1860 election and Fort Sumter. Larson's follow-up to The Splendid and the Vile and one of the canonical narrative non-fiction books of the year.”
FAQ
Common questions about The Devil in the White City read-alikes
- What is the single best match?
- Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. It applies the same true-crime-meets-history approach to the 1920s murders of the Osage, and Grann is Larson's closest peer at turning archives into narrative. If you liked Devil, this is the next one to read.
- I want more Erik Larson.
- The Demon of Unrest is his recent book on the tense months before Fort Sumter, the same you-are-there approach to a moment of American history. Same author, same method, a war instead of a fair.
- I want investigative non-fiction that reads like a thriller.
- Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe (the Troubles), Empire of Pain by Keefe (the Sacklers), and Bad Blood by John Carreyrou (Theranos) are the modern gold standard. All three carry the propulsive momentum that makes Devil so readable.
- I want a gripping historical adventure.
- The Wager by David Grann tells the story of an eighteenth-century shipwreck, mutiny and the competing accounts that followed. Pure narrative drive, if the fair-building half of Devil was your favorite thread.
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