Winnie was brave, and defied many stereotypes of women in her era. Jude was a great partner for her undercover activities, and, as it turns out, a great partner for her as well. Although her family may never accept a man of his standing, he was a stand-up guy who alternately protected her and encouraged her. The mystery was a little silly, but the writing and characters made up for it.

The White City turned out to be a really great little book. It started a bit slowly for my taste but once things got moving I had a hard time putting it down. It works well as a cozy mystery but since this a Christian novel it was a bit on the tame side, especially for the subject matter. Winnie and Jude are a wonderful couple and I think many readers will fall in love with their story as well. Grace Hitchcock has done well with her debut novel!

As a true crime fan, I gladly offered to read and to give an honest review when NetGalley offered this title.
“The White City” is promoted as the first of a “new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime,” and this particular joined the villain H.H. Holmes, (who built the murder castle during Chicago’s World Exhibition of 1893) along with an inspirational romance. I was certainly curious to see how the author would combine these two into a captivating tale.

The main character, Winnifred, involves herself in an investigation that eventually leads her to interact with H.H. Holmes. Her father allows her to be a sleuth on her own with the aid of one of his new detectives as a bodyguard, which of course is quite unrealistic, but the plot does put her into an alarming situation that fits within the history known of H.H. Holmes. In the meantime, two men vie for her attention, and she must choose one of the suitable beaus.

In my opinion, this book isn’t so much an American Crime story as it is more in the “cozy mystery” genre. However, it does give the genre of inspirational romance a new twist to its predictable plots. Also, the cover is somewhat misleading as it doesn’t translate that the reader will be reading anything that includes true crime. To the author’s credit, she does give a history of H.H. Holmes and other details in the back of the book that was not included in the story.

In the end, if you enjoy uncomplicated, cozy mysteries and Christian romance, then this book will be a delightful and perfect weekend read.

One of the major events for Chicago was the Worlds Fair in 1853. People flocked to the fair to see all the new and amazing displays. The chief of police is busy dealing with the additional crime the mass influx of visitors brings. His daughter has frequented the fair and is stunned when she witnesses an abduction. She reports it to her father’s precinct and is not happy with his dismissal of her. She decides to conduct her own investigation. Trouble begins and leads her to a surprising conclusion.

This is a very entertaining story. I enjoyed the fresh and new ideas in a historic setting. The character development is not quite as deep as it should be. Because of this, it is hard to bond with the story.

It is fun to read and I look forward to reading additional books by this author.

or the first book in the True Colors Historical Stories of American Crime series Grace Hitchcock has chosen the once almost forgotten, but now well documented story of serial murders during Chicago's 1890's White City World's Fair. Built to showcase world cultures and the latest scientific/technological advances, the fair which ran multiple years brought inquisitive tourists from all corners of the earth. It also called opportunity for young midwestern women who wanted both jobs and adventure, but unfortunately also screamed opportunity to thieves, pickpockets, hucksters, and one man so evil he has earned the title as America's first serial killer.

Hitchcock's main character is fictional Winnifred Wylde, daughter of a Chicago police inspector. With a vivid imagination fed by her love for dime novels, Winnie believes she sees crimes occurring when they aren't, but when she tells her father that she saw a woman being forcefully being abducted at the fair, he indulges her and lets her search for the man. Of course, he sends along a plainclothesman to trail her every move. When she finds the man, she makes contact, assumes an alias, and gets a temporary job in the offices of his under-construction hotel. Her new employer - H. H. Holmes.

The novel has much going for it -- a feisty female lead who does not want to settle for her aunt's (and Chicago's upper crust) chosen life of teas, balls, and arranged courting leading to an appropriate mate.
Then there is the exotic setting of the fair itself (although I felt a bit disappointed on this, as I have read other novels and nonfiction that captured the fair itself in a more mesmerizing light). Hitchcock does a good job building the suspense around Holmes, although I found it a bit hard to be pulled in, since I've read other accounts of Holmes' crimes and knew Wylde could not be the person to capture the killer. But Hitchcock's best writing comes through in the relationship between Winnifred and the young New York transplant assigned to watch over her, Detective Jude Thorpe. I would recommend this title to readers who like Christian romance with a bit of suspense. If you find yourself interested in the White City or H. H. Holmes after reading this book, I would recommend you do further reading



NOTE: I have sent reviews to Amazon and CBD and they should be posted soon.

This is my first book by this author, while it was rather slow in the beginning, it began to get interesting. Hitchcock has created some strong characters and it also has a bit of romance thrown in……The setting is the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Winnifred Wylde believes she has witnessed a woman being kidnapped. right in open daylight at the World’s Fair. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Her father tries to dismiss her claims as an overactive imagination, against his better judgement he agrees to letting her go undercover as secretary to a man in question. But only if Jude Thorpe, a policeman, follows along as her bodyguard. While Jude falls in love with spunky Winifred, her father will not allow courtship because he is a lowly policeman and he desires someone wealthy to marry her……there is much intrigue and danger in this novel as it is based on a true crime that happened in that era. I received this copy via netgalley and these words are my own.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Gracefully weaving a tale, where historical facts are stitched neatly into the fabric of the narrative, Hitchcock has presented us with her well-executed debut novel - The White City, set in 1893 Chicago during the World's Fair.

When Winnie (the main character) believes she saw a kidnapping, the story begins to unfold.

With austenesque descriptions, Grace has penned a historical masterpiece based on true crime. Latching onto the history of an infamous serial killer, the narrative is a pleasurable mix of mystery & suspense, innocent romance, and history.

Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction.

Grace Hitchcock creates a world one doesn’t want to leave in The White City. Set as the Chicago World Fair opens in 1893, our leading lady Winnifred sees before her a woman kidnapped and yet, aside from her word, she has no evidence so is brushed aside by the local police force. Her father, and inspector, knows better than to believe she’ll let it slide and assigns her a detective. The two fast end up in the midst of a mystery. I know a little of the true crime behind this novel so found the portrayal of the happenings around it all the more eerie as Winnifred steps straight into danger.

Alongside the mystery, romance is mingling amongst the characters, each of which is beautifully developed and enjoyable. Christianity is woven throughout and used to show the light of hope in darkness.

Fast-paced, I couldn’t put this one down and particularly enjoyed Winnifred’s passion for books, in her I saw much of myself! If historical mysteries are your thing, this is one not to be missed! I can’t wait to explore the rest of this series and look forward to many more great books from Grace Hitchcock. It’s a five out of five on the en-JOY-ment scale for me.

interesting story, complex characters. lots of twists and turns, mystery and intrigue. Winifred must avoid becoming H.H. Holmes next victim. I enjoyed this book

The White City by Grace Hitchcock was a balance of sweet romance and suspense. Grace is a new to author to me and I will definitely be following her writing. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance and the suspense. I am not a fan of love triangles and she did not drag this one out it was almost just a teaser which was perfect.
Grace created characters that you could not help but love. Winnifred was a book lover and wanted to experience adventure. He father is an inspector with the Chicago police. When she thinks she has seen a kidnapping her father does not immediately believe her. However he does send Jude to watch over her. I loved Jude immediately. I was #TeamJude all the way. He was the perfect balance of touch policeman and gentleman. Winnifred goes undercover to try and find evidence on the man she is convinced kidnapped the lady in green. The story of Winnifred meeting her favorite author was a wonderful addition to the story and did not distract from the main storyline but added to it.
The tension between Winnifred and Jude is that her dad refuses to allow her to date a lawman because of the danger. Jude realizes she has another suitor that can give her more financially and is safer. Great tension as this storyline is worked out in addition to the mystery.
The author’s note at the back made the story even that more intriguing. This is going to be a great series. I highly recommend this book.
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

I had never before read a book by Grace Hitchcock, and I am please to say this will not be the last one I read by her. This book set in the Chicago Worlds Fair is a great historical detective novel, with a quirky main character that really pulls you in from the start. 
I can not wait to read more from this author.

This is a good story that I enjoyed! I loved main characters Winnifred and Jude. Winnifred was so fun and delightfully spunky, and being an avid reader myself I could totally relate to her fabulous bookishness! And, Jude, well let's just say that he is a hero who made me swoon more than once! I love the concept behind the True Colors series of books, blending history and story. Grace Hitchcock skillfully wove together fact and fiction to create an engaging story! This book has tons of great romantic moments that I just had to highlight on my Kindle!
I was expecting this book to be a suspense, and while there was a great action packed climax, I was disappointed that even though there was a mystery thread there was not really any suspense throughout the rest of the book.
Overall, while I would have liked more suspense, this is a very good story that I am glad I read! I recommend it and plan to read more of this author's work in the future.
(4 Stars!)


I received an ebook copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit team. Which did not influence my review in any way, all thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

I admit that before I read this book, I had no idea who H. H. Holmes was, but once I was introduced to the character, I had to go look him up and find out more. And that, to me, is what makes a great read.

Though a fictionalized version of America’s first serial killer, The White City, engages readers in the city of Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair, both the fair and Holmes’s hotel are brought to life on the pages as Winnifred Wylde goes undercover.

Winnie’s father is a police inspector and when she reports a kidnapping, it’s not the first crime she’s brought to him. While he seems to brush her off, he also knows his daughter’s tenacity and assigns his new detective to watch over her.

Grace Hitchcock spins a tale of suspicion without revealing the details (and not as graphically as many of the reports I read online did) until the very end. Amidst the mystery, there are two suitors, an aunt determined Winnie will marry well, beloved books, and a second mystery for Detective Jude Thorpe.

If the rest of this series is as enjoyable as Hitchcock’s introduction (and I should add here her debut novel), readers are in for a treat.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The White City is Grace Hitchcock's debut novel, but it reads like it was written by a seasoned writer. Initially I would have described the story as lighthearted fun, but near the end it took a dark turn. I would love to say more about that, but no spoilers here!

Winnifred Rose Wylde, daughter of Inspector Randolph Wylde, is an avid reader, especially of romantic mystery novels. While her aunt wanted Winnie to focus on making a good marriage match, Winnie was able to convince her father to allow her to spend the summer doing some undercover work. Of course the agreement came along with a bodyguard in the form of the handsome Officer Jude Thorpe. If Inspector Wylde or Officer Thorpe had had an inkling of who Winnie would be dealing with, permission would never have been granted.

It was interesting to learn in the Author's Notes that the villain in this story was a real person, a notorious criminal. I am sure fans of romantic suspense and historical fiction will enjoy The White City, set in 1893 Chicago during the World's Fair. I give it four stars. I am grateful to have received a coy from Barbour Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

What a delightful debut novel! Mystery, intrigue, suspense and romance blended together seamlessly to tell a stunning tale during the Chicago World’s fair. The full story will leave you guessing until all the pieces are found and properly put in place. I love Winnie’s independence and ability to state her mind. I also couldn’t help but chuckle while picturing her leading other detectives on all sorts of crazy adventures. This time, she knows she’s right and sucks up poor Jude in the whole affair. I enjoyed the building of their friendship into something more. They both had to fight for what they wanted and found that, oftentimes, even when we can’t see the outcome, standing for what we believe in is the right thing to do.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The White City is a debut novel by Grace Hitchcock and is first in the True Colors series of historical stories of American Crime and I can't wait to read the next books in the series. The White City introduces readers to Winnifred, or Winnie to her friends, a plucky young woman who is an avid reader of mystery novels, and just wants to be taken seriously when it comes to investigating what she thinks may have been a crime. When handsome and heroic Detective Thorpe is assigned by Winnie's father to be her bodyguard, the action begins and sparks fly. The author takes readers to the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 to begin Winnie's journey into her undercover role to find a kidnapper and with an engaging writing style and witty dialogue readers are quickly drawn into the story. The story is a compelling read with just the right amount of suspense, character development, and romance (and there is a bit of tension in the romance with two possible love interests). The Author's Note at the end was informative regarding the infamous criminal the story was based on and begs the reader to do more research about the man and his Murder Castle. Lovers of cozy mysteries based on true life won't want to miss this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions are my own.

"She was not a weak heroine" , my favourite sentence of the book and a great summary of this great book. Set in Chicago in 1893 Winifred is a modern woman, who is independent! We explore Chicago during the World Fair in a way where we are almost there experiencing it with her. Winnie loves reading (like me), a very active imagination (also me) and a father who is the inspector (not me).
She sees a woman getting kidnapped during the world fair and raises hell and earth to find out what happened. She goes undercover with her crush, detective Jude Thorpe, (dreamy) as protection in, H.H. Holmes' house (I GASPED) as a secretary to solve the mystery.
Shenanigans ensue, romance comes and Winnie is in a whirlwind of a life.
I definitively recommend this novel. READ IT!

A Serial Killer Stalks the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

In 1893, the Chicago World’s Fair was a huge attraction. People came from all over the country to wander through the White City. The gathering also attracted crime.

Winnifred Wylde is attending the fair with a would-be suitor when she thinks she sees a woman kidnapped at gunpoint. She races off to tell her father, an inspector of the Chicago police force, what she’s seen. Winnie loves romance novels and sometimes lets her imagination run away with her. This is what her father thinks happened.

Winnie is convinced of what she saw, and she plans to find the kidnapper. Knowing his impetuous daughter, Inspector Wylde assigns a policeman, Jude Thorpe, to follow her. Winnie spots Jude almost immediately and convinces him to help her in her quest. As the two work together, they find a growing attraction. It makes Jude even more convinced that he must protect Winnie, especially when she goes undercover to trap the kidnapper.

This is much more a romance than a mystery although it’s based on actual events. I felt the story of the serial killer got overshadowed by the romance between Winnie and Jude. Winnie is a vivacious character throwing herself into dangerous situations without thinking about the consequences. Luckily Jude is a well-trained policeman who makes it his mission to keep her out of danger.

This is a Christian mystery so there is little violence and no inappropriate sexual behavior. It’s a fun read. I particularly liked the fact that it was based on a historical incident.

I received this book from Barbour Publishing for this review.

I really enjoyed this book! I hadn’t read anything by Grace Hitchcock before, but now I know that I will be looking for new books by her! I loved Jude and Winnifred. The romance between them was great! The parts about H. H. Holmes were suspenseful. This book kept me hooked the whole way through. I didn’t want to put it down! I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of this series!






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