Set in turn of the century NYC, early crime fighting with a Sherlock Holmes flavor, where the alienist, a psychologist, is the key investigator of a serial murderer. Foggy, wet, Victorian, another fascinating look at psychology and crime from the outside in.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook. It was well done but dragged by the time end finally rolled around. In total it was in excess of something like 20 hours. Ow. I appreciate the author's research of New York in the 1890's and it definitely enriched the story. But at times it felt like I was being subjected to, "I had to research it so you have to read/listen to it."

Do only what helps you advance your story and create the mood you want, don't overdo it. ( )

This book has it all -- serial killing, mystery, forensic science, the beauty and grit of a city -- all set in New York City in the 1890s. Carr makes you feel like you're actually wandering the streets, smelling the smells, and feeling the dirt of the city. The life that Carr breathes in to his writing is a thing of beauty. ( )

An engaging murder mystery set in turn-of-the-century New York City. A team of sleuths investigate a series of murders in some very seedy areas. The team consists of a psychologist, a reporter, a troubled young man, a female would-be cop, and two bickering policemen who are brothers. The premise revolves around the new concept of a serial killer, the emergence of forensics, the use of psychology and the interaction between the team members. This is one of my favorite books. ( )

An unconventional investigative team takes on a serial killer on the streets of 1896 New York.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as its sequel, (THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS), but it was still a damned good read. I love the way Carr writes. His books are big and detailed, and each piece of the puzzle carries you on into the next. I found myself crowing with delight as Moore and the rest discovered some illuminating new fact, and I gasped in shock when things went against them. There were a couple of areas where my interest waned a wee bit, but for the most part I remained involved and engaged. This is the sort of book you just want to wallow in. The plot, the characters, their world... it's good stuff, people. It's very, very good stuff. I had a blast with it, and I miss it now that it's over.

Carr mixes real historical figures in with his fictional protagonists very nicely indeed, and he makes great use of historical detail. There's a ton of information here; so much, in fact, that I've read a few other reviews that mention his propensity for info-dumping. To be honest, he does do rather a lot of this, but it's all so interesting that I really can't see it as a negative. It fits in perfectly with the narrator's character, too. Moore is a reporter, and he's looking back at a pivotal period in history. He's going to want to talk about his city and the changes it's gone through over the years. It fits, and it works well within the context of the novel.

The characters, too, are wonderfully drawn, but I'm not sure I'd have felt as much of a connection to them if I hadn't already met them in THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS. I think this is mostly due to the differing narrators. Stevie, (who narrates the second book), is obvious in his affections for his fellow investigators; Moore is much more circumspect. The lot of them still come across as fully-formed individuals in their own right, but the spark wasn't quite there for me. I did enjoy spending more time with them, though, and I found it interesting to see how Carr had introduced these people I already knew so well.

And the science! THE ALIENIST is very much concerned with profiling, of course, but there's also some good stuff with fingerprinting and other modern investigative techniques. It's fascinating, and not all of it actually pans out. There's a great scene where one of the detectives tries to photograph a victim's eye in the hopes that it'll reveal the killer's face. I got a big kick out of all these little sidetrips and tangents.

All in all, this was a great read. I really do wish Carr had written more with these characters. If he ever does publish them, I'll read 'em. You'll have to lock me up to keep me away.

(This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina, in a slightly different form). ( )