Love was hard to come by for Winnifred. Enduring an endless stream of suitors was a burden that was best escaped by reading novels. Yet when faced with deciding between not one, but two men that she actually likes, courtship takes a very decided turn from burdened. After witnesseing an abduction, she gains a new job that threatens encreasing danger everyday. While one man speaks to her love of books, the other speaks to her love of adventure. Who will protect her and win her heart when danger comes calling? Find out in the debut novel by Ms Hitchcock.

I loved everything about this book!! It was very well written and full of drama, suspense and romance. This is the kind of book that you don't want it to end, but you just have to know what happens next. I can't wait to read more books by Grace Hitchcock. Thank you Barbour Publishing via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion and I highly recommend this book.

THE WHITE CITY by GRACE HITCHCOCK is a really delightful read. The story takes place in 1893 in Chicago at the time of the White City fair. The novel has a bit of everything - romance, intrigue, humour, murder, and a good Christian message running throughout. I know it is Grace Hitchcock's debut novel and I certainly hope she writes many more of the same caliber!
I love the quotations at the beginning of each chapter, from well loved authors from long ago.
Winifred Wylde is police Inspector Wylde's daughter and seems to want to follow in her father's footsteps. She is not interested in the never ending social engagements that her aunt insists she takes part in, nor in the suitors that she is encouraged to spend time with, as her aunt is afraid of her becoming an old maid. She wants to do something worthwhile with her life. She is an avid reader of romantic suspense, and when she sees a woman being manhandled by a man at the fair grounds she is convinced that he is the White City kidnapper.
I am not going to tell you any more in case I spoil the read for you, except to say that I really loved this book and can highly recommend it.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing Inc. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I am really excited to jump into this series about true crimes from Historical America. The first book in the series is from Grace Hitchcock, and this is her debut novel. The story of The White City takes us to the world of the World's Fair in Chicago. Deanna Guist has also done a series around the World's Fair. It appears to be a popular time period to write about.

But this time around, the novel is a mystery, which I LOVE to read. The idea of a heroine following her instincts from reading way too many mysteries has been done a number of times, but I still enjoyed reading the novel. The plot kept me engrossed as I flipped through the pages. It didn't take me long to finish the novel. I do like the idea of how the villain captured and eluded the police to get away with their crime.

The romance was predictable too. I had a good idea of who Winnie would fall in love with. It is pretty predictable for a strong heroine to fall in love with this type of hero. The romance didn't sweep me off my feet either.

I did enjoy following Winnie as she put herself in danger in order to prove her worth to her father. I do enjoy how she liked to read A LOT. It does remind me of me. I read A LOT and don't feel bad about doing it. It is a wonderful way to pass the time.

Overall, The White City is a different mystery that sparked my interest. The romance and characters were predictable, but I enjoyed hanging out with Winnie. I believe fans of historical mysteries like Jaime Jo Wright might enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The White City by Grace Hitchcock from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

An engaging read based on real crimes. In Chicago, 1893, the World's Fair was in full swing, bringing huge crowds to sightsee, and a wave of crime. The inspector's daughter, Winifred, takes it on herself to investigate one on her own.

This story moves quickly, and picks up the pace with more action towards the end as Winnie digs in deeper. It has a touch of melodrama in parts, like the books Winnie likes to read, but fits well with the era. I liked Jude's character the best. He is brave, loyal, and smart. He and Winnie make a good crime solving pair. She turns to faith when faced with a scary task, and in her loneliness. "I am Yours, Lord. I am never alone."
The author includes interesting historical notes at the end to fill in the details of the actual crimes.

Fans of historical romances with some mystery will probably enjoy this story.

(An e-book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is a fantastic debut novel. I had never read anything by this author, so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this story, but the description and mysterious cover design intrigued me. I was thrilled to find a new author who I will be following and reading her books. I hope she writes quickly. The story is based on factual events, but I went into the story unaware of H. H. Holmes and his crimes. The author writes a fabulous mystery entwined with faith and romance. I thoroughly appreciated the author’s creative depiction of the historical events and her engaging writing brought her characters alive in the story. Since I didn’t know the history behind this story I found the plot had many twists and turns I wasn’t expecting. You know it’s a good book when you don’t want to put it down. This was that type of book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was my first Grace Hitchcock book and it definitely won't be my last. Everything about the plot and characters flowed perfectly from the first paragraph. I truly enjoyed spending time with Winnie and Jude. I always love a character like Winnie who loves books and she is quite fun and witty to boot. Jude is earnest and dependable all in an alluring, charming way. And the supporting cast of characters were lovely as well, including Jude's rival.

My only problem with the book was the historical inaccuracy in the account of H.H. Holmes. However, I am a real history buff and a particular fan of the Gilded Age so I am quite familiar with this story. There is actually a lot of accuracy with regards to his crimes and how he operated so the author obviously did a lot of research (great details about the World's Fair too!), but there was no investigation of him until much later. However, I was so absorbed in the story that I enjoyed the book despite what would normally be a deal breaker for me. That says a lot about the quality of the writing and the story. I highly recommend it.

I did receive an ARC in exchange for a fair review of this book.

A great read regarding historical facts surrounding Chicago’s World Fair, 1893.
Winnifred is a likeable character that I enjoyed. Historical fiction with a little suspense and romance. I would recommend this to any fan of this genre as well as true crime.
Thank You NetGalley, Grace Hitchcock Barbour Books for the chance to read for an honest review.

The first thing I enjoyed about The White City by Grace Hitchcock was the care the author took in creating the atmosphere of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. The heroine of the story, Winnifred Wylde, loves to read, so each chapter of The White City begins with a quote from popular books from that time period. The author often used Charles Dickens and Jane Austin quotes to set the scene for the reader, as did the terminology of that historical time and place: reticule and grip car, for instance. Other details such as inserting her hat pin. Scenes such as Winifred and one of her love interests, Detective Jude Thorpe, eating creole food for the first time were delightful. This showed the impact that the World’s Fair had on increasing cultural awareness. It also served as a humorous and romantic scene.

Grace Hitchcock crafted the plot well crafted. I would describe this author as a weaver of words, interspersing, history, romance, mystery and idealism in perfect measure.

One of the things I enjoyed the most was how “clean” The White City was. It never lost its integrity and was never hokey. The White City is absolute proof that you can write a Christian novel without being preachy. Christian values came through naturally and appropriately. This was especially impressive considering the background mystery was drawn from one of the evil serial killers in all of American history. As a reader, I feared for the main characters. Yet never once did the author describe the details of HH Holmes’ gruesome crimes.

I loved every minute of The White City and had a hard time putting it down. This novel is part of the True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime. I hope to see more of the characters we were introduced to in The White City. They came to life on the page and it was hard to say goodbye at the end of the book.

It’s a rare book of which I can’t find something wrong. This is one of those perfect books. I am proud to recommend Hitchcock’s debut novel, The White City, to anyone who likes mystery and romance with a dash of history. This would especially resonate with women young and old (and teenage girls).

I give The White City an enthusiastic 5 stars!

The White City is currently available for presale. It will be released on March 1, 2019.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The White City: True Colors: Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

This is a new series called True Colors by Grace Hitchcock, with The White City being her debut novel in the series. As you can see, they are historical stories of romance and American crime, which is what got my interest. It must have been a late night when I was sleep deprived when I chose this one because somehow I mistook this for non-fiction. But since I agreed to it, I’m going to read and review it anyway. I tend to like my true crime well, true. Strictly non-fiction and the lines have blurred when it comes to putting these books out on that category, despite them being fiction. With that said, I read the book with an open mind and it turned out to be rather good, all in all.

The author chose a real serial killer to base her story on, H.H. Holmes who was active at the time of the Chicago World’s Fair when he had his famous hotel with the strangely built rooms on the upper floors. There were bad rumors of all sorts about it, but it didn’t stop people from staying there anyway, as rooms were hard to come by with people coming from all over the world to see the fair. While I found the premise of the story a bit shaky, the story itself worked quite well and the characters were pretty likable. By the end, I was pretty pulled into it and wanted to see how it was going to end. It is listed as a Christian book but there wasn’t an overload of that type matter as it went along, it just sort of blended in with what was going on. I think romance readers will go for this series, especially those of a Christian nature. My thanks for the advance electronic copy that was provided by NetGalley, author Grace Hitchcock, and the publisher for my fair review.

If you enjoy the era before automobiles, learning about the Chicago World’s Fair, and solving mysteries, you will enjoy this intriguing book! Winnifred Wylde is the police inspector’s daughter, she is the captive of her Aunt Lillian’s stream of suitors, and she is curious and observant of her surroundings.
Winnifred notices a young woman being threatened by a man with a gun at the World’s Fair, and she thought the man might be behind the series of abductions in the White City (Chicago). She was on a date with the boring Mr. Saunders at the time, but she quickly takes a grip car (trolley?) to her father’s police station.
Winnifred tells her father about what she saw, but she has previously led some of the officers on meaningless quests after she thought she had seen something important that pertained to a case. Winnifred was also an avid novel reader with a wild imagination.
However, her father wisely decided if she was going to pursue a criminal, she needed to be protected, so he put his newest detective, Mr. Thorpe on her trail to protect her when she went out.
Winnifred has a daily pass to the World’s Fair, she and Mr. Thorpe spot the criminal and Winnifred learns that he needs a secretary and so she volunteers her services. You will have to read the book for yourself to see what happens to Winnifred, Mr. Thorpe, and a wealthy suitor who is also a writer!

The White City (True Colors series) by Grace Hitchcock was a wonderful book of suspense taking place during the Chicago Worlds fair. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author. The characters were believable and relate-able. Filled with suspense, danger and romance. When Winnifred visits the fair she believes she sees a women being kidnapped but her father, who is a police inspector doesn't believe her. But she is persistent and he lets her investigate by going undercover as long as she has a bodyguard with her; Jude Thorpe a policeman. Based on a real life crime this is an excellent book by Ms. Hitchcock. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

I received this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Oh I liked this story! How fun that she read penny dreadfuls then saw crime everywhere she looked. Like the boy that cried wolf, no one believes her when she actually sees a crime. And thus the mystery begins. I liked the case of characters and the suspense. I totally recommend this book.

The White City is by a new to me author. I really enjoy getting to read a new author and I enjoyed this book very much. This story is based on real crimes by a man dubbed as the first serial killer in America. Now, this may sound like the book may be gritty or gory. It is not. This is a romantic mystery that has light hearted moments as well as page turning action. This is set during the World's Fair in Chicago. I enjoyed all of the characters and fell in love with the hero, Jude. He showed himself to be a very heroic detective. Especially, at the end of the book. Wowser! The heroine, Winnie is an avid reader and enjoys adventure, while being very prim and proper at the same time. I enjoy a heroine who is feminine but doesn't mind taking risks and to help others. (I wouldn't let my daughter do it, but hey, it's fiction)
The book is easy to read and I read it at a steady pace. 4.5 stars!
*I was given a copy of this book by Barbour Publishing. I was not under any obligation to leave a review. This is my honest opinion.

The White City is a well written story with characters who feel so real that I cared about what was happening to them as I was reading. The setting is Chicago during the World's Fair in 1893. Winifred Wylde is a beautiful young woman who would rather read than spend time with suitors who bored her. She is captivated by mysteries and crime stories and is sure she saw a woman being kidnapped by a man with a gun during a visit to the Fair. When she reports this to her Father, the newly appointed Captain of Police, he is skeptical but without telling Winnie he assigns Detective Jude Thorpe, a new transfer from New York, to follow her.

This book is proof it's possible to produce an exciting and interesting book without graphic sex, language or violence.
My thanks to Barbour Publishing for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
This book will be available in stores and on line March 1, 2019.
#TheWhiteCity #NetGalley

What a lovely debut!

Winnifred Wylde is the daughter of a police inspector and avid reader of romantic suspense novels. She fancies herself as observant and longs to catch someone in a crime. However, she has cried wolf one too many times and no one at the police station believes her crime leads.

The White City is based upon the serial killer at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. The author does a fabulous job of blending fact and fiction. Both Jude and Percival are wonderful male characters.

This novel reminded me a bit of A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin. I absolutely look forward to what this author writes next.

has a good balance between romance and crime, theres romance but not annoyingly so. well written and an overall good historical fiction. eagerly awaiting to read the next book!!

As this book has not been released yet, this is not a real review but I absolutely loved this story. Plenty of action, suspense and romance!!

I didn't know what to expect when I began to read The White City, but it's basically Christian historical romantic suspense. While the heroine, Winnie, investigates a kidnapping she witnessed at the Chicago World's Fair, she has to chose between two men--one her father approves of and one he does not. Some historical romance heroines annoy me, but I liked Winnie: she is brave but not stupidly so, and she has other interests than her love interests. I really enjoyed The White City, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the True Colors series.

What an adventure! I loved this. I am so happy to see a new series in the works, written by different authors, but all based in real history. And, SUPER excited to see Christian Fiction based on true crime.
Winnifred and Jude were just wonderful. Winnifred is a spunky and independent bookworm, daughter of a prominent Police Detective, determined (against the wishes of her Aunt Lillian and her father) that she shares more with her father's humble beginnings and dangerous work than with her Aunt's socialite society.
Jude is an intelligent and ambitious detective transferred from New York with his own secret agenda, but quickly finds himself fighting the distraction of the beautiful and charming Winnifred.
I loved their banter, I loved the mystery, and I enjoyed the historical research that obviously went into creating this story. I could almost taste and see the delights of the World's Fair.
This was such a good mystery. I did not know much about the history of the World's Fair murders, so this was all new to me, but I'm sure it would still be enjoyable for those with some knowledge of H.H. Holmes. The romance is sweet without being syrupy, and the addition of a rival certainly made it that much better. The plot kept me reading, and I would certainly read more of Jude & Winnifred if their story continues.

I enjoy books that are fiction based on fact. Here, the author created a book with romance, suspense and history that is well researched and well written. I’ll be eager to read more of her work as it’s released.

This book takes you on an intriguing adventure behind the scenes of Dr Holmes an infamous serial killer, following his activities during the 1893 World Fair. Get ready for suspense and a journey that will keep you turning the next page.
The only disappointment I had, was that the book ended before Mr. Holmes is taken into custody. More historical information is included at the very end of the book, however, I was anticipating Holmes capture by the end of the story.

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is a mystery story set during the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. The World’s Fair and all its excitement has come to Chicago. Along with the displays and foods to try comes the inevitable rise in crime from pickpockets to more dangerous criminals preying on those enjoying their days at the fair. Winnifred Wylde, the daughter of Inspector Wylde observes a kidnapping in progress or least that is what she believes. He hurries to inform her father who is not convinced as she often believes a crime has been committed after reading the latest novel by Percy Valentine. While not convinced a crime has taken place, her father assigns his best detective to follow Winifred and protect her as he is sure she will try to get evidence. She quickly spots the detective and they decide to team up to solve the crime. Is there really a case to solve or is it Winifred’s very active imagination? Meanwhile her Aunt is trying to find her a husband as Winifred is almost an old maid at twenty. She is set up with Percival Covington who is the perfect match on paper but will he steal her heart? She is also wanting to uncover the mystery of who Percy Valentine really is. Will she be able to learn his true identity?
I enjoyed this book a great deal and anxiously await the next one. The characters were so realistic and did silly things, worried and forgot to pray like most of us do. The book is based on Christian principles but does not push Christianity onto every character or come across as preachy. The characters routinely read scripture, attend church services and pray, especially when in a bind. I give this book 5 of 5 stars and believe it will appeal to a wide audience. It has a bit of romance intertwined with the mystery as well as plenty of action to keep the reader’s attention. I found it difficult to put down and read it over two days.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The story is based on a real serial killer—H.H. Holmes—who terrorized Chicago at the time of the Chicago World’s Fair. Winnifred, the heroine, fancies herself an observer of mankind and voraciously reads romance novels written by her favorite author—Percy Vallentine. Jude, the hero and a perfect gentleman, is a police detective assigned to protect Winnifred when she says she witnesses an abduction. The novel moves along at a good pace with Winnie & Jude’s romance entwined with Winnie’s sleuthing. This is my first book from Grace Hitchcock and I look forward to the next novel in the “True Colors” series. I recommend this one!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed this book; however... I was enjoying it a lot more before I started doing some research on the Chicago World's Fair. When the song, "The Sweetest Story Ever Told" was introduced into the story, I was puzzled. It's been one of my favorites for years but didn't realize it was that old, so I did a search to learn what year the big fair took place. One thing that came up was an article about how the Chicago World's Fair harbored a murderer and mentioned HH Holmes.

At this point, I realized that this book wasn't merely fiction, and it rather ruined the rest of the plot for me. I am a fan of historical fiction, so I'm thinking had I only realized that, in advance, it wouldn't have bothered me. That said, this is a great endeavor for a first novel. I did find grammatical and spelling errors that bothered me, but since it hasn't been published yet (a Net Galley read), I can hope that those will be remedied.

Moral of the story: read it first; THEN research the story! 😃

PS I did appreciate the fact that it was a clean read with many mentions of prayer and scriptures!

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is a very different novel that I am used to reading. Taking place in the late 1800's and inspired by true criminal events, I didn't know quite what I was getting into. But after many positive reviews and many marking it as To-Read, I thought I would take the plunge and was very pleased with this book.

First off, Winnie Wylde was an enjoyable heroine, full of spunk and imagination. She was a believable character and one that I could understand attracting the attention of various would-be-courters! And the secondary characters were almost great...Jude the detective, Percival the author, Danielle the silly friend, and HH Holmes (who was based on a real character). I found the setting top-notch, the dialogue sounded believable to the times, and the writing was definitely stellar.

My only complaints that kept it from being a 5-star was that it ran a little slow at times, the mystery aspects could have given a little more misdirection.

And for fun, try and count how many times Winnie blushes/face turns read throughout the course of the novel :)

I received this book free from Netgalley and publisher Barbour in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel from Grace Hitchcock. It was all the more fascinating as it was based on the true story of America’s first serial killer. Winnie Wylde is at the World’s Fair in Chicago when she witnesses a woman being abducted. However, her inspector father isn’t sure if it really happened or if it’s a product of her overly active imagination. He reluctantly lets her go undercover to see what she can find out if she is shadowed by one of his detectives.
Winnie is a great character. She is ready for an adventure and is willing to do whatever it takes to save lives. She doesn’t want to settle into a gentlewoman’s life of receiving callers and attending balls. She is courageous. She finds herself in a love triangle when her aunt wants her to marry one man but she finds herself always thrown together with another. I liked both Jude and Percy. They are both so passionate about their very different callings. It made for a great read.
Thank you to Barbour Books and Netgalley for providing me an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I am not ashamed to admit that I enjoy a well-written romance. There are those who would say that most of them are predictable and formulaic and there are times I would agree. But they are still a frequent guilty pleasure on my "to be read" list.

Just last year, I read a book titled "The Devil in the White City" which is a non-fiction re-telling of the infamous serial killer H. H, Holmes, his infamous murder house, and the Chicago World's Fair so when I read the synopsis and discovered that the author wrote the romance around Holmes' crimes? I was MORE than intrigued. Winnifred is endearing and believable and her romantic complications progress in a way that feels very natural.

The thing I appreciated the most was how well the author describes Holmes, his bizarre hotel, and Winnifred's experiences while working for him. Even a reader with no prior knowledge of Holmes and his crimes would get an accurate picture of him and his schemes. The author used the names of real women who were believed to be victims of Holmes and simply inserted a fictional character into the story - Winnifred - who was secretly working with the police to find evidence of Holmes crimes.

Hitchcock beautifully blended real-life crime with a fictional romance to create a story I enjoyed reading. This title is due to debut in March of this year (2019) with a sequel due out in 2020. I look forward to reading that title as well!

It took a bit for me to get into this story but once I did, I was hooked. I had never heard of the infamous serial killer, H. H. Holmes. Was interesting to learn about him in the book and then google him afterward and see some pictures of him and his hotel, which is described in the book.

The White City by Grace Hitchcock leads off a new multi-author series from Barbour Books that, at least in this first outing, weaves together a fictional historical romance with notorious American crimes.

Set mainly at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and in a building that became notorious as the “murder castle” of America’s first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, this short novel centers around a would-be female detective and the police officer assigned to keeping her out of trouble. This novel mixes the fun of a historical romance between a spunky and determined Winifred Wylde and the stalwart, handsome Jude Thorpe with a true tale of a monstrous man whose criminal career almost reads like an unlikely work of fiction.

The premise intrigued me, as I could not imagine wrapping a historical romance around the horrible crimes of H.H. Holmes. And this story itself is a bit implausible at times, but this does not detract from it’s odd mix of entertainment and horror.

This is a novel, and perhaps a series, that will appeal to those who enjoy historical romance with a faith element and for fans of true crime mixed with fiction. An interesting choice for Barbour Books, and I find I’m curious to see what true American crimes this series will tackle next.

This review refers to a digital galley read courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Clean historical romance. I was aware of the "Murder Castle" as I had seen stories on TV about the events. The book contains many facts about the incidents of the past but is primarily focused on the spirited Winnie's escapades and romance. The details of the courtship of the time are fun and interesting. There are no gory details and it gives a glimpse of life during that time period. There are Biblical quotations and references throughout the book. It would be quite suitable for a young innocent pre- teen to read. Takes you back in time to customs of old, much like an episode of the TV show, 'Murdoch's Mysteries'. The author has done a lot of work in capturing the customs and conversation of the time period. Fun easy read.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I received this book as a complimentary copy for an honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

I just loved Winnifred Wylde in this wonderful book that Grace Hitchcock wrote! She is a very likeable, strong willed woman who knows what she wants and does not want to settle. And the amazing protector Jude Thorpe is absolutely adorable as well! This is a definite page turner, especially at the end! I was late putting my kids to bed because I couldn't stop until I was finished!

Since my early days of hanging out with Wilder, Alcott, and Montgomery and more mature interactions with Janette Oke and Tracie Peterson, I’ve always had a soft spot for historical fiction. It is still my favourite genre to date. There is something about being transported to another time and place in history that absolutely thrills me – the experience without the discomforts.

I was hopeful when I requested a copy of The White City by Grace Hitchcock. I was excited when I received the notification that a copy was mine for the reading.

The White City was set in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair. It is the perfect blend of historical fact and intriguing fiction. (I never knew the Fair was a hunting ground for a serial killer!) The elements of romance, danger, and intrigue were exquisitely intertwined resulting in a fast-paced, emotionally balanced tale.

I absolutely loved the headstrong, impetuous, intrepid, confident nature of Winnie, our heroine. She was also a book-lover, so what’s not to love? The romance element was delightful and I enjoyed the contrast between the two possible suitors. The portrayal of the era’s societal norms and conflicting desire for a woman to be her own person while being perceived as capable and intelligent was nicely depicted. There was no objectionable content for my friends who like their books G-rated (well, maybe PG with the focus of the investigation.)

An excellent read overall! I’ve already recommended it to a few of my friends. I look forward to exploring other titles from Ms. Hitchcock.

I was provided with a copy of this title via NetGalley, courtesy of the author and/or publisher. All opinions are my own, given with thanks for the opportunity to review this book.

Published by: Barbour Publishing, Inc., Barbour Books;
Publication Date: March 1, 2019

I thought this was a rather fun read with a hint of mischief and romance! I enjoyed the playfulness of the main character and the love that eventually blossomed. As a Christian book, I appreciated that the author drew it back to good morals and the idea to help one another, thus finding fulfillment in self.
This was my first read by this author and I dare say, won't be the last.

NetGalley ARC.

White City was a refreshing first book in a brand new series called True Colors: Historical Stories of American Crime. Since it is published by Barbour, I knew that it would be a well-written Christian fiction book.

The author, Grace Hitchcock does a wonderful job of making the characters and their actions resonate with the time period they are from. I love how the women and men treated each other respectively the way I imagine life would be in 1893. I especially enjoyed the main character, Winnifred; her love of mystery books and how her somewhat impulsive actions propel her into investigating a crime that so far has been unsolved. Because of past mistakes, there are those who think she couldn't possibly have a lead on anything important.

The plot was well thought out. The romance in the book isn't what I've come to think as the typical girl dislikes boy from the moment they meet, and then within days they fall madly in love with each other. The book offers a romance that falls in the category of an actual courtship with an aunt and father having a lot to say about who Winnifred should date. I also liked that the characters rely on God, and that fact is mentioned. This is a Christian fiction book with Christianity in it.

This book was every enjoyable, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, clean mystery.

The White City is quite an interesting read. I have read about H H Holmes and it was fascinating to see him part of a story in a fictional book. I enjoyed the suspense and mystery that surrounds Winnifred Wylde. I had no problem reading this whole book in just a few hours.
I am giving The White City a well deserved five plus stars. I can not wait to find out where Grace Hitchcock’s imagination takes the reader in her next release.

I really enjoyed this historiical crime novel about a young, independent woman who wanted more from her life than the expected marriage proposal and wedding! Taking place at the time of the World Fair in Chicago in the 1860s, the story used the real life criminal, serial killer H.H. Holmes, as the focus of Winnifred Wylde’s desire to be a detective. She is sure she sees a young woman kidnapped at the White CIty, but has difficulty getting others to believe it. So sets the drama of Winnifred setting out to prove what she saw while being sure that this is the person responsible for the many missing women reported during the Worlds Fair.. With the help of another detective tasked by her father to keep an eye on her, she arranges to meet and then work for H.H. Holmes, living under an alias. I recently read another book detailing this White City serial killer and was curious to see how this story followed along with the story, I was happy to see that it definitely was based on factual happenings and built the fictional story along with it. I look forward to reading the other books that will follow in this series. I believe Grace Hitchcock has the makings of a popular series with this first book following the sleuthing abilities of Ms. Winnifred Wylde. I was given an ARC of this book from the author, publisher and Net Galley in return for an honest review, which this has been. #TheWhiteCity #NetGalley

What a great start to a new series! The characters leap off the pages. This is a story that will hold you til the end., and stay with you for a while. Hitchcock has taken true crime and intricately woven this story. Thanks to Barbour Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an interesting read. While it's fictional, it's based on a real serial killer. Most of the info is correct but it just whets your appetite if you love true crime. It doesn't go in depth to H.H. Holmes heinous crimes, most of which occurred outside of the time frame of the book. It is a very sweet romance at the same time (albeit NOT with H.H. Holmes!). The fictional characters are believable and relatable. Winnifred is the main character and she is very headstrong in a time that that wasn't really acceptable. All in all a very good read. I would definitely read more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is historical fiction based on True Crime. This book has elements that will please most readers mystery, suspense., thrills, murder, romance and Christian values. I liked the historical details since I am Intrigued by H.H. Holmes and how he was able to hide his criminal acts for so long. The White City is very fast paced with a daring heroine and is light reading despite its serious aspects.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

Winnifred Wylde is the daughter of a local police inspector, living in Chicago during the World's Fair. She fancies herself as a Victorian era Nancy Drew, but unfortunately her overactive imagination has led to her making too many incorrect speculations and accusations. When she really does see a kidnapping, her story is brushed aside as another absurd tale. Her father, worried that his daughter may follow up on her conjectures and find herself in trouble, sends along a new recruit, Jude Thorpe, to follow her from a distance and keep her from harm.
As a light romance, this tale is delightful and fast paced, despite much of the action taking place in tea parlors and other seemingly innocuous locations. The main characters are likeable and arguably free from any glaring flaws without coming across as cloying. Winnie does jump the gun more than once, often placing herself into potentially dangerous situations, but it feels like a natural part of her character instead of a plot device.
Other reviewers have mentioned that this book may have been mis-categorized. I agree, as it is marketed as true crime, but reads as general Christian fiction or historical romance. There is little detail or psychological insight regarding the serial killer. Instead, he is used as means to draw our two characters together into a relationship that the reader knows is coming from their first introduction. However, I am not going to base my rating on that since the author is not to blame for how the publisher chose to market this book. Putting the true crime label aside and reading it for its own merit, I enjoyed the story as it was written and was instantly swept up into the setting. Although the outcome was predictable, I was invested in seeing how they got there in the end. 3.5 stars.

I would like to thanks Barbour Publishing and netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC which did not influence my honest review.

What an endearing debut!
Winnifred had her head in the clouds and for a moment I thought she'd border to be too naive. No fear though, this lady has gumption and determination! And this courageous personality is one the things that first draws investigator Jude Thorpe to her, to the point that almost makes him lose his mind in worry.

Winnie knows Jude is only doing the job her father assigned him by looking out for her, nevertheless she can't help but notice how well they work together and her differently he treats her compared to those who easily dismiss her. But Jude has his own secrets, and Winnie's dad has firmly stated his disregard for her to find a suitor in the law force.

Will these be strong enough reason to keep Winnie and Jude from developing feelings towards each other? Or can they find a way to be together before the dangers be the final straw to keep them apart?

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is the story of Winnifred Wylde, daughter of a Chicago police inspector, and an avid reader, believes she witnessed an abduction of a woman at a time when many women mysteriously disappeared during the 1893 World’s Fair. Winnifred is determined to follow the clues and find the man responsible. Her father assigns Detective Jude Thorpe as her bodyguard and together they hatch an undercover plan to catch the man they believe is behind the disappearances, a Mr. H.H. Holmes. As her focus becomes stopping the man, she believes is evil, Winnifred must also contend with her Aunt Lillian’s determination to see her married very soon. With suitors vying for her hand and her desire to catch Holmes, Winnifred must decide how far she’s willing to go. Will Winnifred find the evidence she needs to capture this man? Will Jude be able to keep her safe in this dangerous game of cat and mouse? Or will Winnifred become another victim in Holmes’ dangerous game?
More and more people are familiar with the evil H.H. Holmes in recent years and as I am familiar with his horrific crimes, I was curious how Ms. Hitchcock would portray him in a book marketed as “historical stories of American Crime.” I loved how Ms. Hitchcock blended a mix of his crimes with investigative methods of the day as well as Christian faith. I loved Winnifred as she was fun, imaginative and fearless. I enjoyed Jude as a man with a personal mission to solve another crime and protect Winnifred. I loved how the romance between the two was developed. It wasn’t forced or felt unnatural. The objections to the relationship was real for the time and the pressure for Miss Winnifred to be married before she was deemed a spinster was very real. The White City was a fast read for me as it held my attention easily. Since I am familiar with Holmes, his role in the story was no surprise and I liked that Ms. Hitchcock captured how slick he was. I highly recommend The White City.

The White City
will be available in paperback
on March 1, 2019

The White City by Grace Hitchcock was a very pleasant read for me. I love how the author went to great lengths to make the reader feel like they were in the time period in the book. Very well done. I fell in love with the characters and wanted to know how things were going to turn out for all of them.

Winnie is the daughter of a police inspector and loves to read romantic suspense novels. When Winnie lets her imagination get away with her in real life a few too many times, her father tends to not believe all that she says about her suspicions. There were times I wondered about Winnie as well, but she always had a great argument to make you think that she was onto something.

When Jude, one of the new guys at the police department, is put on Winnie to make sure that she does not get herself into any trouble by her father, we get a cute head over hills romance. Jude quickly falls for Winnie and is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, even though she is into something all the time.

I thought that Percival added a great twist to the story too and loved the relationship that he and Winnie had even though it never really goes anywhere.

Overall I really enjoyed this read and look forward to what Grace Hitchcock brings her readers in the near future.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for a copy of this book.

“Charming” and “sweet” are probably not the typical words used to describe crime novels based on true events, but “The White City” is not a typical crime novel - and those words are exactly how I felt about the debut novel of Grace Hitchcock’s True Colors series. While I was expecting more of an emphasis on the crime elements, the story was very engaging and I enjoyed the adorable romance that the book presented instead.

From the adventurous leading lady to the dashing detective who supports her in her investigation, the cast of characters quickly captured my interest and held it right up to the end. The plot may have been somewhat predictable, yet I never found myself bored while reading The White City - in fact, I finished this novel just one day after starting it. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys a sweet Christian romance with a touch of crime and danger. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Barbour Publishing, and author Grace Hitchcock for the opportunity to experience this tale as a free e-book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. (Review also posted on GoodReads.)

Wow! I could not put this book down. I ordered pizza for dinner so I didn't have to cook so I could keep reading!

This is the story of the murders that took place during the Chicago World's Fair. We meet Winnie Wylde while she is on a date, a set-up by her aunt, at the World's Fair. She is certain she has seen a man with a mustache abduct a woman in a green dress.

Winnie's father this the police inspector. She tells him what she saw, but he does not believe her. He does assign a detective to follow her around since she is set on finding the man with the mustache. She does find him, and spends the next month or so trying to gather proof that he is the man who has been taking all the women.

While all that is going on, Winnie's aunt is still trying to find her a husband. She finds the perfect man, he just doesn't appear to be perfect for Winnie, or does he just need more time?

Between Winnie's search for love and her search for the man in the mustache, you will not be able to put this book down. As a fellow book-lover and chocolate aficionado, I could not have enjoyed my time with Winnie more!

What a wonderful suspense story!!! The characters were well done and the detail about the Worlds Fair activities and the timeframe the story was set in were very well done!!! Great story for those who love a strong female character and great mystery with romance woven into the story!

A delightful new Historical Christian Fiction series by Grace Hitchcock. The novel takes place in the late 1893 in the midst of the Chicago World’s Fair and is based on H. H. Holmes who was considered to be America’s first serial killer. Laced with history, Hitchcock does a nice job of letting us know Holmes committed horrific crimes without telling us in great or graphic detail. Winnie is quite the endearing sleuth and her relationship with Jude was quite refreshing. A totally engaging story that left me anxious to see what’s next in the series!

What an unusual story! The subtitle indicates this is the first of a series of “Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime.” Quite a combination that I really enjoyed! The historical American crime part focuses on H. H. Holmes, considered the first American serial killer, the subject of Erik Larson’s excellent THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY. The romance part includes Winnifred Wylde, a young woman in 1893 Chicago who reads popular romance novels and poetry of the time, including Jane Austen, Tennyson, Browning, and more. The combination of the two provides an intriguing story.

While exploring the newly opened Chicago World’s Fair, Winnie thinks she witnesses an abduction of a woman. Crime has increased in Chicago since the Fair opened, and women especially are disappearing. Winnie decides she must investigate, as the heroines in her novels would do. Her father is a police inspector, and agrees to allow her to investigate, as long as one of his detectives can protect her. Meanwhile, Winnie’s aunt is trying to marry Winnie off to a handsome eligible bachelor who has a mysterious secret. Winnie finds herself torn between two very different men while digging deeper into the dangerous investigation.

The author’s writing style is readable and descriptive, providing very visual images. I love the way she creates a heroine in the style of Austen’s heroines, presents a romantic triangle that could be pulled straight from those novels, and uses books as a fun plot device. I especially like the quotes presented at the start of each chapter that fit perfectly with the actions in those chapters.

The one thing I found odd were the seemingly random insertions of prayers into the plot. I have no problem with characters praying, if it comes naturally in the story. I didn’t think that was the case here. It felt like the prayers were added later, as an afterthought.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a preprint of this book.

What a wonderful debut novel! A fictionalized tale of H. H. Holmes, America's first serial killer, is sure to grab your attention and not let go until you have finished the book. I loved the bookworm, Winnifred, who always had the latest Perceval Valentine novel read and almost memorized. These stories seemed to dictate many of her actions, to the point where she became the heroine in his latest writing. Her amatuer sleuthing found her in a number of dangerous situations, causing her bodyguard a great deal of stress. Would she even survive to prove she had been right all the time? An interesting opportunity to learn a bit more of what life was like in 1893 around the time of the Chicago World's Fair.
I received this fabulous book through Barbour Publishing, Netgalley and CelebrateLit. These impressions and opinions are my own.