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The Scarlet Mansion
The Scarlet Mansion is a novel based on the life of Herman Mudgett, alias Dr. Henry Holmes, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, who, before 1900, murdered no less than 133 people. This is a fascinating view of this highly dangerous person from the time of his first murder, when he is only 12 years old, to his adult years when he has built a huge, 105-room mansion in Chicago, with most of the space devoted to chambers for torture and death. But then an incredible chase begins, involving kidnapping and more murders when a detective gets on his trail.
500 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2000
12 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Allan W. Eckert
80 books294 followersAllan W. Eckert was an American historian, historical novelist, and naturalist.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 17, 2012
Astounding! Eckert's carefully researched telling of the 19th century serial killer Herman Mudgett, alias Dr. Henry H. Holmes, is a great read, although I feel like I should give my brain a shower after filling it with too much information about this deplorable man.
I should probably give The Scarlet Mansion five stars for two reasons. First, I am still thinking about this book even after I have finished it. Why have I never heard about possibly the most notorious serial killer in America until I read this novel? How could Mudgett kill, cheat, and scheme for decades without being caught? Could someone like Mudgett get away with such crimes in 2012? Second, Eckert's thorough research reads like a fast-paced thriller; at times I feel like I am reading James Patterson rather than a true story.
On the other hand, it is the truth in this text that slows down the enjoyment of the novel. Half way through, I had read about so many instances when Mudgett cheated a builder or businessman, so many murders that he committed without scruples, that I had to take a break from the sadness of it all.
I guess my four stars mean that this book is not for everyone. This is the second novel I have read by Eckert, and I would highly recommend them both, but if you are looking for a feel-good read, stay far away! Those who like true crime, horror, or a good detective story will enjoy this book.
I should probably give The Scarlet Mansion five stars for two reasons. First, I am still thinking about this book even after I have finished it. Why have I never heard about possibly the most notorious serial killer in America until I read this novel? How could Mudgett kill, cheat, and scheme for decades without being caught? Could someone like Mudgett get away with such crimes in 2012? Second, Eckert's thorough research reads like a fast-paced thriller; at times I feel like I am reading James Patterson rather than a true story.
On the other hand, it is the truth in this text that slows down the enjoyment of the novel. Half way through, I had read about so many instances when Mudgett cheated a builder or businessman, so many murders that he committed without scruples, that I had to take a break from the sadness of it all.
I guess my four stars mean that this book is not for everyone. This is the second novel I have read by Eckert, and I would highly recommend them both, but if you are looking for a feel-good read, stay far away! Those who like true crime, horror, or a good detective story will enjoy this book.
April 25, 2015
This was a new twist for Eckert. I have been a huge fan of his for years. I love his book on the Native Americans from the Appalachian region.
The Scarlet Mansion was nothing like those books. Yes, it was well researched and written. But this book was about the serial killer Holmes. It is excellent. I must say I was not expecting it to been so interesting. I just was not expecting this type of novel from the man who wrote Sorrow in the Heart. Very excellent book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading history or books about true crime.
The Scarlet Mansion was nothing like those books. Yes, it was well researched and written. But this book was about the serial killer Holmes. It is excellent. I must say I was not expecting it to been so interesting. I just was not expecting this type of novel from the man who wrote Sorrow in the Heart. Very excellent book, I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading history or books about true crime.
October 7, 2009
I read this book years and years ago and had forgotten the titles until today, but the story and many of the scenes I still remember to this day. This is the story of one of the first US serial killers and the insane mansion he built full of traps and torture devices and how he was caught and brought down. This person murdered over 133 people, this book is a truly haunting recount of his life.
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July 25, 2009I've read this book three times now and continue to gain new insights into Mudgett as well as newfound respect for the immense scope of historical research by the author. If you are a history buff, look at "The Frontiersmen," the first in the Narratives of America series.
Currently reading
January 1, 2010H H Holmes was one of the most prolific serial killers in Ameircan history. It happened around the time of the Chicago World's Fair, so that is why he isn't very well known. They still don't know how many he offed.
March 13, 2017
After reading The Devil in the White City, of course I had to run over to this novel. This one provides even more unnerving insight on America's first serial killer. Maybe a bit too much, if I may add.
March 22, 2008
I used this fictional account of the life of H.H. Holmes to help write my 10th grade history fair project. Who knew crime could read so profoundly interesting?
August 2, 2008
As dark as they get! If you love books about serial killers, you can't miss this one!
April 3, 2009
I read this years ago. It's about Herman Mudgett, a mass-murderer who lived in the late 19th century in Chicago. It will make your hair stand on end!
March 25, 2012
Title: The Scarlet Mansion
Author: Allan Eckert
ISBN: 9780553259254
Publisher: Bantam
Summary (from BN.com): A novel based on the life of Herman Mudgett, alias Dr. Henry H. Holmes, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, who, before the turn of the century, murdered no less than 133 people. A fascinating view of this dangerous person from the time of his first murder, when he is only 12 years old, to his adult years when he has built a huge, 105-room mansion in Chicago, with most of the space devoted to chambers for torture and death. For many years he has a partner in crime named Ben, but when Ben dies under mysterious and very suspicious circumstances, Philadelphia police detective Frank Geyer is assigned to the case and doggedly sets out to track down the serial killer. As Mudgett/Holmes flees, taking with him Ben’s wife and children, it becomes a race to see if Detective Geyer can apprehend him before he kills the other members of Ben’s family.
My thoughts: One of the first words that comes to mind when I think about this book is “WOW!” I have read many a psychological thriller, serial killer novel, and the occasional true crime thriller in the past, but this one literally made my jaw drop. I found myself frequently turning back a page and saying to myself, “He just did what!” This book chronicles the famous serial killer, Herman Mudgett, in Chicago during the early 1900′s. The words brutal, sick, and twisted don’t even cover this guy’s hundreds of murders.
I found the book particulary interesting and frightening as I live in the greater Chicago area and recognize a number of the places he describes including one of his houses in Wilmette, Illinois which I drive through every day to get to work. BOO! SCARY! Overall, the book is quite long, rather dense, and takes a bit of a committment to read. It can be a bit confusing as it tracks his many, many aliases and frequent travels. As a lover of psychological thrillers, I thought it was worth the read. If you love a good true crime book, this is the book for you. However, I must warn you that the book is very descriptive and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to describing the murders. It isn’t overly graphic or brutal, but it isn’t a Disney book either
I thought the author of this book did a fantastic job of researching this man’s complex history and pattern of murders.
As a note, the book “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson talks further about Henry Mudgett, aka Dr. Henry Holmes, and how he lured his victims to their deaths during the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Soon to be a major motion picture release starring Leonardo DiCaprio!
And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather
Author: Allan Eckert
ISBN: 9780553259254
Publisher: Bantam
Summary (from BN.com): A novel based on the life of Herman Mudgett, alias Dr. Henry H. Holmes, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, who, before the turn of the century, murdered no less than 133 people. A fascinating view of this dangerous person from the time of his first murder, when he is only 12 years old, to his adult years when he has built a huge, 105-room mansion in Chicago, with most of the space devoted to chambers for torture and death. For many years he has a partner in crime named Ben, but when Ben dies under mysterious and very suspicious circumstances, Philadelphia police detective Frank Geyer is assigned to the case and doggedly sets out to track down the serial killer. As Mudgett/Holmes flees, taking with him Ben’s wife and children, it becomes a race to see if Detective Geyer can apprehend him before he kills the other members of Ben’s family.
My thoughts: One of the first words that comes to mind when I think about this book is “WOW!” I have read many a psychological thriller, serial killer novel, and the occasional true crime thriller in the past, but this one literally made my jaw drop. I found myself frequently turning back a page and saying to myself, “He just did what!” This book chronicles the famous serial killer, Herman Mudgett, in Chicago during the early 1900′s. The words brutal, sick, and twisted don’t even cover this guy’s hundreds of murders.
I found the book particulary interesting and frightening as I live in the greater Chicago area and recognize a number of the places he describes including one of his houses in Wilmette, Illinois which I drive through every day to get to work. BOO! SCARY! Overall, the book is quite long, rather dense, and takes a bit of a committment to read. It can be a bit confusing as it tracks his many, many aliases and frequent travels. As a lover of psychological thrillers, I thought it was worth the read. If you love a good true crime book, this is the book for you. However, I must warn you that the book is very descriptive and doesn’t beat around the bush when it comes to describing the murders. It isn’t overly graphic or brutal, but it isn’t a Disney book either
I thought the author of this book did a fantastic job of researching this man’s complex history and pattern of murders.
As a note, the book “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson talks further about Henry Mudgett, aka Dr. Henry Holmes, and how he lured his victims to their deaths during the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Soon to be a major motion picture release starring Leonardo DiCaprio!
And remember,
Books Are Life,
Heather
November 5, 2012
I borrowed this book from the library. I really wanted to read Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City", but it wasn't available....Scarlet Mansion's was ok, a little (ok, a LOT) overlong..I don't think every swindle, fraud, murder he committed needed to be told in such detail as many of these people had little bearing on the book....Mudgett was a monster, plain and simple, and I think a better book could have been written by, say, Lincoln Child & Doug Preston, although they did have one set in Chicago I believe (Cabinet of Curiosities?)...anyway, may still read Larson's book, or will look for Mudgett's grandson's book " Bloodstains" (Jeff Mudgett).
March 3, 2012
A gruesome and twisted tale told in Eckert's masterful tone that brings history to life.
That the life of Holmes/ Mudgett was even more gory than told thanks to Eckert leaving out some of the episodes that were unnecessarily sensationalist episodes.
A terrific account of a serial killer and his ultimate undoing.
That the life of Holmes/ Mudgett was even more gory than told thanks to Eckert leaving out some of the episodes that were unnecessarily sensationalist episodes.
A terrific account of a serial killer and his ultimate undoing.
January 16, 2011
Creepy, graphic and scary! Just what you want a book about H.H. Holmes to be. Great research and depth of character.
February 18, 2014
So many plot twists that if it were fiction we would criticize it for being unbelievable , yet it is based on and is true to the facts.
December 6, 2023
Having read 'The Devil in the White City', I was interested in more about Mudgett/Holmes. Having read 'The Frontiersman', I appreciate Alan Eckert's writing. This book was more novel than I would have preferred. this story is indeed quite interesting, but stretched my credibility limits.
March 28, 2025
Excellent novelization about the life and times of HH Holmes
May 19, 2017
The Scarlet Mansion had its vivid moments of terrifying believable scenes where I would catch myself wanting to shout out warnings to the unfortunate numerous victims in the pages but left me in the dark many other times at the uneven dialogue, repetitive chapters (containing either flashbacks of schemes, senseless murders with animated violence dominating the passages or meetings with another trusting mark) and ultimately so many wasted opportunities for this novel to really shine with an ominous lingering glow of any kind of character development. I usually enjoy a beyond gloomy entertaining book with historical essentials that keeps me up but The Scarlet Mansion just wasn’t it and I was actually hoping to get a reimagined look into the mind of the historic narcissistic psychopath and con artist known as H. H. Holmes. Sadly he was just a shadowy villain who: lurked, traveled, plotted, showed anger and then left the scene in a trail of gore. Not exactly much to think on or what I was hoping for when I picked this novel up after reading so many excited reactions to this title. Perhaps this type of story is exactly what others have been looking for an extremely dramatic: suffocate’em, poison’em, drag’em and drop’em batting of history. If that is what the curious reader has been looking for, you found a chilling example of real life inspired horror but if there are those who wanted more without awkwardly wedged lite facts in long conversations and disappearing atmosphere or even enough details to fully capture the potential of the enduring mysteries from late 19th century Chicago, you may want to look elsewhere or put this one down and pick up The Devil in the White City, Depraved or H. H. Holmes: The True History of the White City Devil. I don’t know about you, but I have always found true historic accounts and depositions more frightening than any fiction.
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September 22, 2013The lightly fictionalized story of America's first known serial killer, Herman Mudgett alias Dr. Henry Holmes, who, during the 1800's, murdered at least 133 people. His 105-room Chicago mansion contained mostly toture devices, gas chambers, and incinerators. In a dramatic cross-country pursuit by Indianapolis Detective Frank Geyer, Mudgett is finally arrested in Boston and executed.
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A true story about a psychopath who builds a house in Chicago where he murders people. He sometimes sell their bodies to labs/universities after he's removed all flesh. Sometimes he claims insurance that he took out on them. Or just for the pleasure. He just arbitrarily killed people. It details his beginnings through to his capture.
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A true story about a psychopath who builds a house in Chicago where he murders people. He sometimes sell their bodies to labs/universities after he's removed all flesh. Sometimes he claims insurance that he took out on them. Or just for the pleasure. He just arbitrarily killed people. It details his beginnings through to his capture.
July 25, 2012
One of the best mysteries of all times. Allan was a personal friend of mine; so I read almost everything he wrote.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews