Rating: 
Summary: Basil Rathbone could do no better!
Review: Perhaps it was the picture on the cover, like something from a chilling episode of "In Search Of" that caused me to pick up the ALienist. Whatever the reason, this novel appealled to me in a big way. Like some character from a Billy Wilder film, the darkness, and forbodeing creep in, and nothing, not even his, at times, caricatured Alienst could derail this terrific yarn. Richly told and intelligently pieced together, the Alienist stands as a classic story. Though it is a lavish piece of literary candy, it isn't Madame Bovary, and shouldn't be read as such...it is a black and white movie, full of camp, suspense and chills,(yes chills).
Rating: 
Summary: More Complex Than an Escher Drawing
Review: The Alienist is a book that is filled with both mystery and horror and it is absolutely riveting. Although a little over five hundred pages long, The Alienist is so fantastic and reads so well that we barely notice the pages going by. I read it in two evenings, something that is very rare for me; when a book is as good as this one is, I like to savor it and make it last.The first thing that most readers will wonder about is the somewhat strange title. What, exactly, is an alienist? Well, as Carr explains, prior to the twentieth century, those who were mentally ill were thought to be alienated, from society and from their own true nature as well. Those who studied the pathology of mental illness were thus known as "alienists." The plot centers around three friends: a journalist, John Moore; an alienist, Lazlo Kreizler; and a newly-appointed Police Commissioner who just happens to be Teddy Roosevelt. The three are working to solve a series of brutal murders that involves a string of boy prostitutes. Teddy, as would be expected, is on top of everything and appoints Dr. Kreizler to head the investigation into the murders. Moore is included by association only, it would seem, since he and Teddy went to Yale together. Coincidentally, Moore has only recently returned from England where he was busy covering the Jack the Ripper murders. Kreizler immediately begins to track the murders using what is known and what is unknown and via assumption as well. The twists and turns in this book are so complex and varied that both information and assumptions change almost as quickly as the team of investigators can piece them all together. As would be expected, tracking a serial killer in New York City isn't an easy job. People die, disappear and are murdered with frightening regularity and, usually, with little rhyme or reason. Roosevelt, however, is determined. Not only must he solve the murders, he must also clean up the NYPD in the process. There are, of course, the usual assortment of people who simply do not want the murders solved, in this case, corrupt policeman, underworld bosses and even the city's elite. Virtually everyone seems to hold the attitude that the murder victims, being prostitutes, shouldn't matter. In fact, there are those who think the city should be glad to rid of them. This is a book filled with both social and political turmoil, turmoil that threatens to overwhelm the murder case and make it impossible to solve. The writing is fluid and really first-rate. The pages fly by and the suspense builds like a danse macabre. The characters are fully-developed but a little dark. The only bright spot in this fascinating but bizarre book is Teddy Roosevelt, himself. But it would, of course, be impossible to paint Teddy all somber, all of the time. The Alienist is a dark and offbeat book and one that borders on the macabre, but it is also one that is fascinating and extremely well-written. All in all, an enormous accomplishment.
Rating:
Summary: Triumphant
Review: One of my better 'bargain bin' discoveries, this one. I picked it up for a mere 20% of the cover price. Let's get to the point: what makes for a good character in a book or film? A character that you can really identify with? One that you really care about? Caleb Carr will show you the answer to that question: each of the characters in this book has a history, a background of events that caused them to become who they are. Result: as the reader, you actually give a damn about what happens to them. You understand the basis for the decisions they make, the actions they take, the feelings they have, and ultimately what becomes of them. The plot is well thought out, with a few sub plots and red herrings thrown in for good measure. Mr Carr's writing style is perfect for the job too: reminiscent of old classics from the 19th century, yet fast-paced enough to keep the reader interested. The setting of old New York is vividly brought to life, street by street, building by building, and the communities it houses are portrayed with sympathy and realism. Truly Caleb must have spent many a long night doing his research. The conclusion is logical and satisfactory - no need for a hackneyed twist in the tail or a cliched moral lesson. ... Curiously, I recently picked up the sequel to this book ("Angel of Darkness") in another bargain bin. Hardback, £2 instead of £16. What's the problem here? Don't people appreciate a good read any more? Not enough action or controversy in it, I suppose. I read one review on Amazon.co.uk that gave the book a poor review due to it's lack of fear and tension. I feel that's missing the point somewhat. If you want horror, go read Stephen King or one of his ilk. This book is about criminal psychology - what makes a man into a killer? And as such nobody - but NOBODY - has done a better job than Caleb Carr.
Rating:
Summary: A mesmerizing tale of criminal profiling and methods!
Review: If you want to read a historical mystery that you can't put down, look no further than The Alienist! Set in New York in 1896, Caleb Carr transports the reader to the smells and sights of that period. The reader is whisked away to dine at Delmonico's, sit in box seats at the Opera, and learn about Theodore Roosevelt's efforts to reform the NYC police department. The Alienist focuses on Dr. Leo Kreiszler and John Schuyler Moore, who Roosevelt calls in to investigate a serial killer who is targeting boy prostitutes. The three men join to put together a top-notch and thoroughly modern investigative team (including one of the first women allowed to work at the Department) to delve into the crimes with a combination of psychological profiling and novel techniques like finger-printing and crime-scene analysis. What I found most fascinating was the insights Carr provides into the formation of criminal science techniques that we now take for granted. Carr is a gifted writer with the ability to transport you to another time and place within pages. In addition, he knows how to write a good detective thriller. This one of the finest historical mysteries I've ever read and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Hard Edged Historical Fiction
Review: Caleb Carr's superb novel "The Alienist" brings history alive by using it as the backdrop for an expertly told murder mystery. Set in New York City just before the turn of the twentieth century, the novel features such historic figures as Theodore Rossevelt and J.P. Morgan as supporting characters. Also presented are the dawn of modern psychoanalysis and the birth of the notion of the serial killer. All of this narrative fabric is expertly woven by Carr, who perfectly captures the feel of life in the Big Apple at the turn of the last century for all of its modernistic glory and all of its decadence. Anyone who loves a great mystery should read and savor this fine novel.
Rating:
Summary: A serial killer in the 1890's! A suspenseful read.
Review: Murder investigation in the 1890's in New York City is very different than we know it today. The science of criminal profiling is just being developed and "modern" police heiarchy doesn't believe there is any usefulness to it. This proves to be a problem when young boys (of ill-repute) are being found brutally murdered. The police force is having no luck solving the case. That's where Theodore Roosevelt, the police commisioner, looks to unorthodox means to help the investigation. He turns to his old friend Dr. Lazzlo Kreizler, a prominent psycologist, to head a side investigation, one that he must keep secret from the police department for fear of losing his position as commisioner. From the condition of the victim, location of the crime scene, and especially from a handwritten note from the killer, himself, Kreizler's team methodically paints a portrait of what the killer might be like: his upbringing, his fears, his beliefs. Will this lead to the real killer? The book is very easy to read. It is so engrossing that I wasn't steered from this book even when a book I'd been waiting to be released for six months finally came out. I was only 200 pages into this one, but I wanted to finish it and had no trouble keeping my concentration. Now, I'm looking forward to the sequel. This is a must-read for readers who enjoy murder mysteries (especially serial killers). The atmosphere created by the time period (1890's) adds dramatically to the sense of baseness that the killings no doubt would have induced. A marvelous book that I highly recommend.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books I Have Ever Read
Review: I will not reveal any of the plot points of this amazing historical thriller. To do so would take away from the amazing experience of discovering this novel for yourself. I will tell you that calling this book a must read would be an understatement. Carr is an amazing author and the historical details of this book are fascinating. This is a truly scary book with great character development. To be honest, there are not enough good things I can say about The Alienist. So all I will say is read this book, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Good sense of place, less of concern
Review: This book did a wonderous job catching the atmosphere of late 1890's New York (I suppose, not having been there). And watching the mystery unfold was quite interesting. However, I didn't care about any of the characters - it was sort of like reading a technical paper on crime solving. Having Theodore Roosevelt in his real-life role of police commissioner was more of a distraction than anything. Also, the character flaws became annoying - there were scenes where the character (and the reader) knew information, yet the character forgot about it, that made me want to yell at the guy! Anyway, the atmosphere was absorbing in its own way, the logistics of the crimes very well thought out ... except for one. Why were the city's bishops involved?
Rating:
Summary: A Tin Man thriller with an ego of gold.
Review: Oh, the ravings that this book enjoyed! Let me tell you. Caleb Carr doesn't waste any time letting you know about his expertise in historical details -- almost every page of "The Alienist" is filled with extraneous details that, while failing to create atmosphere and a sense of flow in the story, do indeed succeed in letting us know that Caleb Carr is quite the little history buff. But I'm getting ahead of myself. "The Alienist" is an acute thriller that details the work of a Dr. Kreizler and his cohorts as they cavort about in New York attempting to locate a serial killer that has been murdering and defiling his young male victims. It is part police procedural, yes, but Caleb is far more concerned with the psychological aspects of the crime -- the motivation before the criminal, so to speak. And it is good, yes. There is a sense of atmosphere created by many situations in the novel that are unique to this reader - things and places that I would enjoy revisiting if it weren't for a few minor problems I ran into that, darn it, spoiled some of the fun. I've mentioned one. The other is the problem of character -- while focusing on the pathology of the major antagonist, Carr has managed to subvert any character development on the part of any single protagonist. Every protagonist including the narrator. And I ask you this: in an insubstantial (in the most non-perjorative sense of the word insubstantial) novel about catching a slaughterer should there NOT be some protagonist to care about lest we delve purely into plot? I ask you this knowing that the item of greatest importance is the plot itself. I hasten to mention that the novel does feature some fine writing by Mr. Carr that received some well-deserved praise several years ago. I say this to Caleb Carr: you've done well with the historical novel. Time to move on, friend!
Rating:
Summary: An enticing thriller reaches into the darkness
Review: This enticing thriller reaches into the darkness of human torment. This is my first Caleb Carr read, and I was not disappointed. It took me about 25 pages to get into Mr. Carr's rhythm, but I was swept away by the drawing in of the puzzle. Mr. Carr's historical insight was a treat. This novel lept off the pages at me. I felt I was there. At twists and turns I thought that perhaps the parochial Dr. Kreitzler might himself be the murderer. Coincidentally, having just 50 pages to go this morning, I turned on the television to hear on the news that 5 bodies have been found, submerged under water, encased in plastic bags. The bodies are not intact, nor are they complete. The search for more continues tonight. The waters where these bodies have been found is near Sacramento, California, very near to where my husband windsurfs, and I kayak. It makes the hair on my neck stands straight, and sends a shiver up the back of my head.
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