When the five One Book—One Lincoln finalists were announced in May the selection committee already knew what book would take the 2006 title. I tell you this in the interest of transparency. I mean did you think the Oscar winners were just plucked out of a hat minutes before the ceremony?

Of course not. Seating charts must be made. All those little “And the winner is” cards must be pre-printed.

And thus it is with a citywide reading program.

Organizers need time to plan programs and order books and try to woo authors to town.

The books are here. The programs are planned. And Erik Larson can't make it.

Nevertheless, I'm very happy to report we will soon be reading his fourth book: “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.”

“It just stood out above all the others,” said selection committee chair Tami Works. “I can’t imagine how you could not be drawn into it.”

The four runners-up are: “Broken for You” by Stephanie Kallos, “Prodigal Summer” by Barbara Kingsolver, “Crow Lake” by Mary Lawson and “Glass Castle: A Memoir” by Jeannette Walls. Good reads all.

As for Larson's book, I found “The Devil in the White City” utterly enthralling and terrifically researched.

It’s a page-turning history lesson, said Works.

“When we first started reading we said, ‘Do we care this much about the Chicago World’s Fair? But, really, it’s about America.”

Buffalo Bill makes an appearance. Susan B Anthony. Helen Keller. Clarence Darrow.

A guy named George Ferris. (Just guess what he came up with.)

And a little-known serial killer named H.H. Holmes. (You have to read the book to find out more.)

 It helps that it's set in Chicago, a city Lincoln can almost aspire to emulate. Mother Seng, When we grow up can we be Chicago?

It's Midwestern, like us. It's gritty, like us. It's windy, like us.

It has the Miracle Mile and Lakeshore Drive and Oprah and the Cubs and the Art Institute, just like, well, you get the idea.

Still it's a mere hour away by plane and lots of us have visited and loved it. This spring I took the architectural river tour for the first time and filled my digital camera with oddly angled shots of extremely tall buildings.

A few months later a co-worker started talking about this great book she was reading about a serial killer. Except, she said, it wasn't just about a serial killer and anyway she couldn't put it down.

So I picked it up. And couldn't put it down. (Not only did it have murder, it had stories about the architects who designed those tall buildings I saw on the river tour.)

Larson is a former staff writer for The Wall Street Journal, and it shows. The nonfiction book reads like a novel, but is filled with details that could be ferreted out only by hours in historical society reading rooms. He has published three previous nonfiction works. His account of the killer Galveston hurricane of 1900, “Isaac’s Storm,” became an international bestseller.

Programming for One Book— One Lincoln officially kicks off in October — more information to come in a resource guide this fall.

There will be fewer discussion groups this time around, but people with established book clubs, or those who want to get together with co-workers, friends or neighbors are encouraged to call the library to have a discussion leader attend their One Book gathering.

Two programs are set:

 n Gary Plank, of the Nebraska State Patrol, will talk about profiling. Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m., Gere Branch Library, 2400 S. 56th St.

n  Ed Zimmer, the city's historic preservationist, will discuss local architecture influenced by turn-of the-century Chicago architects. Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m., Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St.

The library also plans to have two DVD showings, one about the serial killings and a second about the “White City.” Details to follow.

“The Devil in the White City.”

Read it.

Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.