Kibi W. (Kibi) reviewed on 3/9/2006 + 582 more book reviews

I loved this book, but read it ages ago. Since it has been so long since then, I am borrowing a review from Amazon.

one of the best of the kind, March 7, 2006
Reviewer: Aleksandra Nita-Lazar (Boston, MA USA)

Caleb Carr is a historian and it shows. His books are a separate category. Of course, there is a mystery to solve, but there is so much more..."The Alienist" (named after the old-fashioned word for "psychiatrist") is a novel set in New York City, when Theodore Roosevelt (my interest in him as a historical figure and admiration for him as a person date from reading this novel) is the Chief Police Commissioner. The story is told by the reporter John Moore, turned amateur detective, who relates the search for an elusive murderer of young prostitute boys. The technique of fingerprinting is just in its wake and fingerprints are not legally approved as evidence in the US, but this does not stop the investigators from using them, among other novel methods. The most important one is the use of psychology to imagine how the killer's mind works. The cooperation (and friendship) of Moore, detective Sara Hamilton, scientist brothers, Roosevelt, and, last but not least, the renowned psychiatrist Laszlo Kreizler, results ultimately (and unsurprisingly, of course, although after a tantalizing struggle making a great story) in a success. New York City is described perfectly and accurately. It is easy to imagine how the streets and buildings of SoHo and the East Side looked, and what was the street and night life like at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. A delicious treat for the fans of the Big Apple and the dark secrets of its alleys, and although it is not a small tome, it is so fascinating, it reads breezily.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details