The Perfect Place to Die

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Perfect Place to Die in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />This might sound mean, but I'm genuinely unsure of what this book is trying to do which is making it really hard to review. The Perfect Place to Die tells the fictional story of a 17 year old trying to thwart the actual H.H. Holmes but frames it the same way a normal mystery would be told, with the reader following the protagonist as she sifts through false and true leads. It frames Holmes as a twist villain which made sense from a narrative perspective were this a fictional mystery or if the reader didn't know who Holmes was, but the books description makes it very clear that she's trying to solve the H.H. Holmes murders so having a character show up and be like "I'm Henry Holmes! Helpful, good, non-murderer!" was a really weird choice. This story is also really really fictionalized and while I appreciate that it includes an afterword describing what was real and what was fiction, so much of it is fiction that I also don't think this serves as a teaching tool. <br /><br />Moore is definitely a good mystery genre writing, but they'd be well suited for an adult drama/cozy-mystery, not a YA mystery-thriller. This is shelved in YA because our protagonist is 17, but she reads so much like a 30 year old woman that I had to keep reminding myself that she's a teenager. <br /><br />I'd love to read a fully adult mystery by the author, but this one just doesn't work.

I don’t know why I had assumed this book was written by a woman but once I realized a man had written it, it kind of made sense. I don’t think men can write realistic women at all, unfortunately. Zuretta seemed not real but also came off as an old woman. Possibly also because this takes place in the past so that’s why she was written this way? I don’t know but in any case I couldn’t connect to her. It’s an easy read even if it’s a little slow sometimes. It wasn't bad overall but not my favorite! I think it's interesting it is based off real event as well.

3.5 stars<br /><br />This really worked for me, mainly because I’ve already ready the books it’s based on. But still. <b>If you're ALSO obsessed with this era of history, then check this out!</b> Another book to add to the canon of fiction and nonfiction centered on Chicago, the World’s Fair, and H.H. Holmes. <br /><br /><b>Plot:</b> ★���★★<br /><b>Pacing:</b> ★★★★<br /><b>Characters:</b> ★★★<br /><b>Enjoyment:</b> ★★★<br /><br />1890s Chicago. The World's Fair. All the glitz and glamour in the world focused on the Windy City...and yet <b>something darker lurks the in streets</b> beneath. <br /><br />Women are disappearing. They're never seen again. And too many signs point to the Castle, a new hotel built near the grounds of the Fair. <br /><br />Zuretta's sister, Ruby, left their small Utah town to escape to the wilds of Chicago to find a better life. When Ruby's weekly letters stop arriving, Zuretta knows something has happened. She goes to Chicago to investigate. <br /><br />Once in the city, <b>Zuretta realizes that Ruby is not the only girl lost in Chicago...not by a long shot</b>. And the men of the police force and the famous Pinkerton detective agency have bigger fish to fry than helping one country bumpkin find her naïve sister. <br /><br /><b>When all signs point to the Castle hotel, Zuretta decides that she needs to infiltrate it from within. She becomes the Castle's new maid, under the watchful eye of the young owner... Henry Holmes.</b> <br /><br />The Castle's winding, nonsensical architecture entraps Zuretta while the screams in the walls haunt her nights. What's going on at the Castle, and just who, exactly, is behind it all? <br /><br /><b>Zuretta's going to find out—and hopefully escape with her life.</b><br /><br />Ok so right off the bat, this is another one of those books that I think is either going to really, REALLY work for people... or be a huge miss. I think that shows in a lot of early reviews for this story. <br /><br />It's a huge YES from me, but I think <b>a lot of my enjoyment came from knowing way more about this story's real-life historical roots</b>. If you've already read Erik Larson's <i>Devil in the White City</i>, then you're extremely primed to like this one too as <i>The Perfect Place to Die</i> is a "perfect" (couldn't resist that pun) young adult fictional companion to that story. <br /><br />However, <b>if you've NOT read any of the supporting works</b> (<i>Devil in the White City</i>, fictional renditions like Kerri Maniscalco's <i>Capturing the Devil</i>, etc.) <b>then you're left with the main plot itself, which does have some quirks/weaknesses as it attempts to follow the historical accuracies</b>. It's not the most dramatic of stories, and it's also not the most complex—but again, it's because it's following the historical blueprint. <br /><br />An interesting one for sure. I enjoyed the read and will definitely recommend it to the right audience. <br /><br /><i>Many thanks to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.</i> <br /><br /><a href="https://www.amyimogenereads.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Blog</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amyimogenereads/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a>

<b>Overall Rating : A-</b><br><br><i>"Lately, like the man-eating tiger of the tropical jungle, whose appetite for blood has once been aroused, I roamed about the world seeking whom I could destroy."</i><br><br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1641342389i/32405962._SX540_.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>It seems serial killers is a popular topic for authors lately, but I got to say this one was a breath of fresh air. I'll even go so far as to say that this is what the <i>Stalking Jack the Ripper</i> series tried and failed to do. That focused more on the relationship between the two MC's, with very little attention on the actual murders. This had the drive and passion of finding and stopping a dangerous man no matter what happens.<br><br>Zuretta, coming to Chicago to find her missing sister Ruby, slowly finds her way from country girl with no clue, to hardened, stalwart detective, with the help of her new friends, one even a Pinkerton! I will also let reader's be aware, no romance withing sight of this book, so don't go in expecting a hot, broody man to come to the rescue!! XD<br><br>At points in the story, you feel her frustration at being ignored and mocked at for being a woman. And also sorrow over the fact the we all truly know what happened to her sister and all the other missing women. If you know your murder history, you know exactly who it is and what happened, and you get a sense of urgency for Zuretta to find it out before she's next on the killers list.<br><br>And the killer? He was terrifying, scary real, and even fools you, the reader who knows exactly who he is. Horrifying.<br><br>The ending was as tense and exciting as I wanted it to be, even if it went a little cringe after the climax. But definitely a read for all you murder buffs!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC fore review!<br /><br />Zuretta's not worried when her sister Ruby runs away from their abusive home. She knows Ruby will be much happier in Chicago, and away from their abusive home. But when Ruby's letters - which, up until then, had been coming reliably every Tuesday - suddenly stop, Zuretta knows something is wrong. So she catches a train to Chicago in the hopes of finding her sister. And this search leads her to the doorsteps of the World's Fair Hotel. Or, as it's more commonly known - The Castle.<br /><br />If you know the history of Chicago in the late 1800s, and are familiar with the string of grisly murders there, then the Big Bad won't come as a shock to you. I unfortunately read a few reviews before diving into this and had it spoiled for me since I was NOT too familiar with the specifics of the real case, but even so, I enjoyed this book immensely. I am not usually a fan of period dramas, but Moore so wonderfully describes the streets of Chicago, the hotel, and Zuretta's wonder at everything, that I very much enjoyed the setting!<br /><br />Honestly, even knowing that all the red herrings were just that, I still found myself on the edge of my seat. The suspense of Zuretta trying to investigate the hotel without getting caught, of the secrets she finds, of her tense run-ins with all the suspects - it was all so clear in my head that I didn't even mind that I knew where the story was going. It was still gory. It was still heart-racing. It was still a tense game of cat-and-mouse as you BEGGED Zuretta to see what was really going on.<br /><br />My only note is that Zuretta wasn't really written like a 17 year old, though I'm okay chalking that up to the fact that people, especially women, had to grow up so much faster during that time. She made one hell of a final girl, regardless of how unrealistic some things were. The way she found her strength through her memory of her sister, the way she went headfirst in to danger even when she was scared, was admirable. Yes, it was a bit mary-sue-ish, but the story kept me so engaged that it really didn't bother me. I enjoyed Zuretta's shift in character. It made me want to root for her.<br /><br />I loved the real confessions from the killer at the beginning of every chapter, too! It was riveting to connect the names from history to the names in the story. Moore blends the two seamlessly.<br /><br />Overall, a really quick thriller about one of the most prolific serial killers in American History!<br /><br />3.75 stars.

Zuretta (Etta) and her sister Ruby live what appears to be a quiet life in Utah, but underneath it all, they are dealing with an angry and abusive father. When Ruby discovers the extent to which Etta has been beaten and abused, she urges her to run away to Chicago and find a better life. Etta decides not to go, but Ruby leaves with dreams of finding a job in the exciting city that is host to the World’s Columbian Exposition (World’s Fair) in 1893. When Ruby’s letters stop coming and Etta begins to have frightening dreams, Etta decides to go to Chicago to try and find her sister.<br /><br />This is a fascinating novel that combines the true crime and thriller genres, as well as adding in a touch of magical realism. Fictional and real-life characters combine to tell the story of an actual serial killer in Chicago who ran a “murder house” hotel. Each chapter of the book is headed with a part of the actual confession letter the killer wrote after he was caught, a fascinating and genius addition to the story. We learn a little about the World’s Fair and a lot about the killer and the Pinkerton Detective Agency. It is easy to connect with the serious and determined Etta, who has an admirable ability to focus and analyze events in unfortunate or perilous situations. The two sides of the killer—his public face and his private murderous personality, are shown to great effect. The underbelly of Chicago, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting young women who have been lured to the city by the famous and popular fair, is almost a character in and of itself. Riveting and sometimes horrifying, this is a combination of true crime and historical fiction that readers will find irresistible.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire via Historical Novels Review magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

This is not a book for anyone who knows who H.H. Holmes is. If you have even a vague idea of who he is, the entire book is spoiled for you; it borders on parody to read this story when you see a main character spending pages agonizing over whether or not Holmes can be trusted. <br /><br />Aside from that, just... It wasn't especially well-written, and it had that absolutely aggravating Thing that a lot of historical fiction (especially nowadays) does where it just wastes time <i>whining</i> about the condition of women and women's rights throughout history. I can only take so much self-pitying bullshit before I tune out. <br /><br />IDK if it's just bad writing, like authors don't know how to talk about gender inequality in any nuanced way and only know how to do it while standing on a soapbox and preaching about it, or if it's a calculated attempt to get a pat on the back from your female audience. Personally, as a woman, it absolutely turns me off, especially since it's a common trend now. Stop telling me how bad I have/had it and tell the murder-mystery story for fuck's sake.

Despite knowing the killer at the heart of this mystery, this could have still been an intriguing story to follow. However, the narrative was lackluster, the MC was unremarkable, and that ending was wholly unbelievable. A sad miss.

3.5<br /><br />If you are knowledgeable about serial killers this story will feel extremely familiar. I personally don't have much knowledge of the history of murder in Chicago so I went in blind. I thought it had a great protagonist and good suspense. I do have to admit that I predicted the killer a few chapters in without the historical knowledge. One thing that I think would be a great addition would be to add a map of the hotel. Many of the realizations that something is wrong is related to the building. So having the map slowly filled out throughout the reading could guide the reader. I would have enjoyed a little more gore considering the cover art but I understand this is a YA novel. Overall, great characters, suspenseful, wonderful but predictable plot, and a map would help understand some aspects of the book. <br /><br />Ps. I haven't read Jack the Ripper but there are many references throughout the book. So if you enjoy it this is one you might want to read this story.<br /><br />Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Bryce Moore for the arc.

The Perfect Place to Die is full of horror and mystery. I enjoyed the writing style and character development, and the story was entertaining. The pacing had a few hiccups, and I would have liked more involvement from Thomas. I had hoped for a bigger plot twist but I was not aware the story was founded from fact until I read the Author's Note at the end. Interesting, indeed. Thank you to NetGalley for offering an e-ARC. <br /><br />**Check me out on Bookstagram/Instagram! I'm @Iheartya311 <br /><br />**Looking to make new book friends? Join LiterALLy BOOKiSh on Facebook to read reviews, play games, join discussions and more!