The Alienist

Mystery/thrillers are always great reads for me, add this one to the list.  The Alienist by Caleb Carr is set in the late 1890s in NYC!  Most of the action takes place in the Greenwich Village area ALL around NYU!  Love it.  Addresses I pass everyday where referred to throughout the book.  The story begins when a NY Times reporter is asked by his friend, a psychologist (referred to as an alienist at the time), to the scene of a horrific murder, the mutilation of a young boy who was believed to be a young prostitute.  The police chief was none other than future President, Theodore Roosevelt, when he actually served as the commissioner.  The two men (Schuyler Moore the reporter) and Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (the psychologist) are joined on their investigative team by a secretary in the police department (Sara Howard).  Their work becomes even more critical when more cases are discovered that used the same way of killing young victims.  Since using psychologist in investigations was seen as “taboo,” the undercover work of the team had to be supported by Roosevelt in private.  The using of psychological profiles to find their murderer was highly unorthodox and working around the corrupt police, whom did not support Roosevelt, made things even more difficult. The story is quite intricate and brings one back to a day and age where looking into the mind of a murder was a new direction in police work.  The author presents a fast-paced, yet long book, which reads quickly and hard to put down at times.  For those who love psychological thrillers, this one is for the ages!  The concluding chapter is what every murder mystery reader hopes for!  Add this to the list a terrific read, especially if you love the NYC backdrop (a bonus if you are familiar with it), as you will want to visit all of the addresses you see in the book, kind of like what happens when I watch Law and Order!