The Alienist

Written by Caleb Carr

Narrated by Edward Herrmann

A new breed of evil in Old New York

New York, 1986: Lower Manhattan's underworld is ruled by a new generation of cold-blooded criminals...Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt battles widespread corruption within the department's ranks...and a shockingly brutal murder sets off an investigation that could change crime-fighting forever.

In the middle of a wintry March night, New York Times reporter John Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a brilliant pioneer in the new and much-maligned discipline of psychology, the emerging study of society's "alienated" mentally ill. There they view the horribly mutilated body of a young boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels. Supervised by Commissioner Roosevelt, the newsman and his "alienist" mentor embark on a revolutionary attempt to identify the killer by assembling his psychological profile -- a dangerous quest that takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who has killed before...and will kill again before the hunt is over.

As rich in vivid period ambience as Ragtime and Time and Again, and as relentlessly suspenseful as Red Dragon or The Silence of the Lambs, The Alienist will take you to a New York that no longer exists -- to confront an evil of timeless savagery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: May 1, 1994
• ISBN: 9780743520089

Caleb Carr

Caleb Carr is the critically acclaimed author of The Alienist, The Angel of Darkness, The Lessons of Terror, Killing Time, The Devil Soldier, The Italian Secretary, The Legend of Broken, and Surrender, New York. He has taught military history at Bard College, and worked extensively in film, television, and the theater. His military and political writings have appeared in numerous magazines and periodicals, among them The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in upstate New York.

Reviews for The Alienist

[sweetzombiejesus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Bit predictable, but still a good read.

[brainella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a fascinating book. Set in 1896 New York City within the scary realm of a stalker and serial killer, this tale drags you along a mystery within the history of psychology and police work. Great historical fiction.

[brian_irons_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Caleb Carr never disappoints. The Alienist begins a saga that I haven't finished yet. ?

[ljbryant_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[knieryk2008 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a time when New York was run by political bosses, it is refreshing to look at the way Teddy Roosevelt cleaned up the city. It is historial fiction based on a grain of truth. An engrossing read.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I admit the fairly high rating may reflect this book hits the spot for me in several ways. I love books that cross genres, and this one is a melange of mystery, suspense/thriller and historical fiction--and one set in my own beloved New York City--albeit that of 1896. I admit I got a kick out of reading of familiar streets and landmarks, and those of the gilded age that have disappeared. This is written as the first person account of John Schuyler Moore, a crime reporter for the New York Times. He's pulled in by his Harvard College classmates Theodore Roosevelt, the future President then a reforming Police Commissioner, and Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an "alienist." A note at the beginning of the book states: "Prior to the twentieth century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be 'alienated,' not only from the rest of society but from their own true natures. Those experts who studied mental pathologies were therefore known as alienists." Moore and Kreizler form an investigating team to track down a serial killer with the detective Isaacson brothers and Sara Howard, who aspires to be the first female police officer. I love the historical details of the city and of the emerging sciences of forensics and psychology, and how the novel takes us from the slums of the Lower East Side to the Metropolitan Opera's Diamond Horseshoe. This was an engrossing, lively yarn I relished from beginning to end.

[nicolewbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in 1896 New York City, this psychological mystery involves a serial killer who kills and mutilates young boys who dress up as girls. The narrator of this book, John Moore, is a reporter for the New York Times and good friends with a psychologist, or as they were known at the time, alienist, Dr. Lazlo Kreizler. Kreizler is the one who figures out that there is a killer loose and contacts the police commissioner, Teddy Roosevelt, a man he met in college to see about setting up an independent and secretive investigative group that would include Moore and the determined Sara Howard, Teddy's secretary, Lucius and Marcus Isaacson, two brothers who are detectives on the police force that can be trusted and who have knowledge of forensic sciences.Kreizler's servants, Cyrus, a large black man who acts as bodyguard and whatever Kriezler needs and the youth Stevie, who drives his carriage and runs errands. Mary keeps the house, but Kreizler has kept her out of it for her safety. All three of them have committed murder and Kreizler has testified for them in court as to their sanity and recommended that they are remanded over to his care rather than go to an asylum.Kreizler believes that by studying the victims they can figure out who the killer is. The methods they use are ones that are used today like examining the possible childhood and its effects on the present. Some of them, though are not. Like taking a picture of the dead person's eye in the hope of catching a picture of the killer.The killer keeps them guessing for a while about how he gets to his victims since no one remembers them ever leaving their rooms. Also, why does he leave the bodies near water and what is the point of the mutilation that occurs after death?The narrator can be overly dramatic at times, but I really do like him. My favorite character though is Sara. She has to overcome so much to prove that she can be a part of the team, and honestly, she's smarter than Moore. She's also a crack shot, which Lucius and Marcus, the cops, are not. It was also pretty cool to see Teddy Roosevelt who is one of my favorite presidents as a character. This was a great book that did hold some surprises for me and was a bit of a mental exercise in a good way. It was like putting together an intriguing puzzle using pieces garnered by what were at the time new found ways. It's amazing to see how far we have come, but it's also amazing to see how advanced they were in their investigation, but not unrealistically so. This was truly a book worth reading.QuotesThe he bolted for the door, leaving me to apologize more fully for the abrupt departure?which,not surprisingly Wissler didn?t seem to mind at all. Scientists? minds may jump around like amorous toads, but they do seem to accept such behavior in one another.-Caleb Carr (The Alienist p 290)

[ntempest_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm a fan of old New York history, so this book is right up my alley. Carr is an historian more than a novelist, but he still creates a fascinating set of characters and puts them through their paces, nestling them neatly within the framework of historical figures and an interesting, sometimes frightening period in New York City.

[lehack · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a wonderful book! The mystery story held my interest, the characters well developed. The time period descriptions were so real, especially of places in New York. This is one of my top ten favorites.

[duevelcm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[arielfl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read a few books in this vein such as The Gods of Gotham and The Yard but this is the grandaddy of them all. The attention to detail is unmatched. Male child prostitutes are being murdered in gruesome ways in Five Points New York and Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an alienist or what we now call a psychologist has been tasked by Teddy Roosevelt to solve the case. He assembles a team including a journalist and a young woman who is interested in proving her mettle to the all male police force. Together they use forensic techniques which are at it's infancy to reveal the killer.I enjoyed this very long and detailed book. By the time you reach the end you will know every detail of the killer. Throughout the hunt the book goes through many side plots, all of which are interesting but do add to the commitment of time it takes to get through this. The murders were described in very graphic detail which led to one nasty nightmare of my dog being tortured to death. This is a very dark book that reveals the unpleasant underbelly of the city of New York's past.

[pidgeon92_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Slow, but almost perfect.... Looking forward to the next installment.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first chapters of this novel nearly ended further reading of this impressive novel. The story presents the new techniques used to track and locate serial killers. Laszlo Kreizler is a doctor of the mind in New York in 1896, and many people are not open to these new methods. The story involves many historic figures such as Theodore Roosevelt and J P Morgan. The conditions in the slums of New York are terrible. John Moore, the narrator, works for the New York Times, but has joined Dr. Laszlo Kreizler and other people in their quest to find the killer of young male prostitutes. Two Jewish brothers, Marcus and Lucius Isaacson, utilize fingerprinting and other methods of finding the killer. A lone woman, Theodore Roosevelt's secretary, Sara Howard, attempts to prove that women can work in the police department. The book starts slowly and like the locomotives in the story, begins to pick up speed and dash to the station.

[pricklybear_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well-researched period piece (1890's), primarily in New York City, about a campaign to expose and arrest a brutal serial killer of children - was a six-month NY Times bestseller. A portrait of the rampant decay and corruption of the 'Gilded Age' at the turn of the century.

[devilish2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A beautiful period piece - the author has obviously researched New York as it was at the turn of the 19th/20th century, and his love for his native city shines through.The copy I read even felt like it had been published around that time, small type, the layout, etc. Nicely done, whoever designed it.This is a moderately standard crime novel, with an historical setting, however I enjoyed it immensely; pace, characters, plot, motives all stood up for me. The voice and way it is written, to me felt relatively true to how I imagine writing of the time, without being long-winded.My only slight quibble is that the story is told from the memory of one of the participants, this device allows the author to explain some historical concepts, however, he uses the device a little too much for my liking.Given that that is pretty much my only reservation, you should go ahead and read it!

[justine_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great book, very engaging.

[sbenne3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Historical fiction set in New York and basically like a Criminal Minds ?? Thought I would love it and really only liked it. It was good and written well, but just too long with too many characters to have to track.

[sarahcoz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On a recommendation from a colleague I picked up this book when I didn't have anything to read. I am very happy I did because it has now earned a place as one of my favorites. A reader can connect with the characters as though they're solving the mystery with them. This book has mystery, suspense, romance, history (love the late 1800's NY back-drop) and humor. I highly recommend picking this up - don't be overwhelmed by it's size, you'll be sorry when it's over.

[fyrefly98 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: In the New York City of 1896, corruption was rampant, particularly in the city's police department. New Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt was attempting reform, but a number of cases still fell through the cracks. An apparent pattern in several of these cases is brought to the attention of Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist (or "alienist") who is obsessed with the ways in which childhood experience can shape later life. The cases all involve the violent and disturbing murders of immigrant children - specifically those who had been making their living at one of the city's numerous brothels. Kreizler, along with reporter John Moore, two of the top (and first) forensic scientists of the time, and a young woman determined to become the city's first female police officer, must push police work beyond where it has gone before, creating a profile of this shadowy serial killer... and finding him before he can strike again.Review: While I didn't always love the packaging, the story at the core of The Alienist was an excellent detective mystery. The pacing is excellent, the historical detail is fascinating, and the action/thriller parts were properly exciting. It's not a mystery in a whodunit sense, where the clues are all given to the reader, and that reader can piece together the solution on their own; because the detectives are working on profiling the killer, who could be anyone in the city, there's not really that element of solving the mystery for yourself. Nevertheless, I was kept thoroughly engaged by Kreizler's team's efforts, even when I couldn't see (or even guess) where they were going.But really, the best part about this book for me was the historical atmosphere. While I like the idea of Gilded Age NYC in theory, several of my past encounters with it in fiction have been rather disappointing (a problem of the prose, not the setting, but a strong enough association to make me wary.) Carr, however, brings the era wonderfully to life, taking readers from the glitzy world of Delmonico's Restaurant to the dankest and darkest slums and brothels. He also manages to smoothly incorporate not just the feeling of the city itself, but also some aspects of the wider political and social climate of the time, which doesn't always happen in historical fiction. And most of all, I found the glimpse into the history of mental illness and the early days of forensics completely fascinating; it was a time in which the idea that fingerprints were unique and invariant was still considered quackery, but it was widely believed that the retina retained an image of the last thing a person saw before death.This book is written as a memoir from Moore's point of view. While this did lend some reflective, larger-picture aspects to the story than it would have had if it hadn't been told in the first person, I think the lack of immediacy hurt the story more than it helped. For starters, it's clear that if Moore is telling the story, he must have survived its events, which diffuses some of the suspense of what would otherwise have been very tense scenes. But what mostly annoyed me was that the memoir framework was used to put these really broad, portentous "teaser" hints throughout the book: a lot of "we didn't know it at the time, but..."-type statements that would take chapters to be revealed and resolved. But in the grand scheme of things, that's relatively minor; most of what this book does, it does very well indeed. 4 out of 5 stars.Recommendation: The comparison that kept coming to mind while I read was to Devil in the White City; despite the fiction/non-fiction divide, they're actually very similar not only in subject matter but also in tone. But more broadly, I think this one should definitely be on the radar for any fan of historical mysteries, or fans of modern mysteries who are interested in the early days of serial killers and forensic detective work.

[wanderlust_lost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Powerful and gripping. I read this book in a day while I was laid up with some awful kind of flu. It's very well written and the subject matter is interesting and dark without being too horrific. Excellent psychological thriller and historical fictino.

[arouse77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

a better than average murder mystery/ crime novel set in turn-of-the-century New York. with a motley band of trailblazers who are on the trail of a vicious serial killer.intelligent, and peppered with real life characters like Theodore Roosevelt and Paul Kelley, this book recreates an atmosphere of possibility, corruption, mystery, and hope that is almost palpable. the investigators use methods which are utterly commonplace now, but in this time would have been unorthodox in the extreme. the nascent science of forensics is here paired with psychological profiling in order to trace a murderer who is elusive yet longing to be caught.intelligent, engaging, entertaining, and worthwhile.

[michaelc0oliveira · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Casually suggested by a friend, much darker than I expected. In listening to the abridged version, the story moved quickly. A great change of pace from my regular reading/listening material.

[pamplemousse_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written in the style of Victorian myteries (e.g. Wilke Collins), the story concerns the tracking down of a serial killer in turn of the century New York, by a small team led by the Alienist of the title -- a pre-Freudian psychiatrist. Aside from being a first class mystery, this also brilliantly recreates the atmosphere of the period.

[zmrzlina_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The story is initially fascinating. Love how psychology is described as such a young and really quite threatening science! And the details of old NYC are also wonderful. I've been to NYC many times, so I am able to image the sites as they might have been just before the turn of the 20th century, when this story takes place. My complaint is that the author takes too much effort to be "politically correct" when talking about the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans. He has the character make sure to mention how some of the massacres carried out by NA are understandable when one takes into consideration the atrocities whites dealt out to the natives. However, I really don't think someone of that time period, in the position of this character (journalist for NY Times) would be so intent on making that clear. Perhaps I am wrong, but it just doesn't seem to fit. It is late 20th century attitude projected onto a late 19th century character. Also, the climax is way too crowded. I won't give away details, but the author tried to gather too many characters into the end. The story is interesting and I adore the descriptions of old NYC. I also like the strong female character, though I wonder how historically accurate she is.

[lisalynne_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Alienist is really about the first criminal profiler. Dr. Lazlo Kreizler is enlisted by the police to help catch a brutal killer, butchering young rent boys. With few physical clues to follow, the doctor's team tries to develop a psychological profile of the killer.This book was fabulous - great characters, descriptions that really capture the feel of the time period and a truly compelling mystery. I was dreadfully disappointed in the follow-up, The Angel of Darkness, after such a terrific first effort.

[orchid_circle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had probably too high expectations for this book so at first I was a bit disappointed. The book starts very slowly even if shockingly.I don't know precisely why but as brutal as the first murder was it just didn't make much impression on me.I didn't make me care at all about this crime, the victim and all. It's difficult to pinpoint the actual reason but if I were to buy this book myself then judging only from the beginning - I wouldn't.I think one of the reasons is that it starts very slowly and I just can't get to like the protagonist.This changes a bit after the investigating team eventually forms. I still don't like the protagonist but fortunately there are other characters that I like.I'm not form US so guest appearance of Theodore Roosevelt and other real historical figures makes absolutely no impression on me and I probably don't get half of the historical detail that's included in this book.I do see that he did massive research but also I think that it is one of the reasons the book seems so slow.What I really, really liked was the profiling part. It was really nicely shown even if I suspect the portrayal is a bit too modern.In the end, it's quite a decent book. It even gets exciting in the end and has some less predictable plot twists.

[horomnizon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While reading Carr's Holmes take (Italian Secretary) several people told me I must read The Alienist. So, I decided I would. While overall I enjoyed the historical setting and hunt for a serial killer in 1896 New York City, it was a bit long (and long-winded). You could take about 200 pages out and condense a few things and I would have liked it better.The idea of using psychoanalysis to catch a killer, before there really was such a thing (or at least established theories of such) is different. We can read it knowing that some of the methods the detective group uses will become standard procedure (fingerprinting) while others are merely a footnote in history (the idea that the last thing you see is imprinted on your eyeball at the time of death). So, I did enjoy the characters, but some of the really long passages describing detailed sessions where they make assumptions about the killer's childhood in order to try to figure out who he is were just quite boring and difficult for me to get through. It could have helped were it written in a more conversational style instead of our narrator blathering on about what others said. I'm not sold on it enough to pick up the sequel any time soon. Perhaps some day....

[rlb727 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Starting with the death of Theodore Roosevelt and rewinding to New York City of 1896, this novel tells a complex detective story about identifying and apprehending an unusual serial killer from the viewpoint of New York Times police reporter, John Schuyler Moore. This Victorian novel by Caleb Carr, even his name evokes the past, brings us the city in its full malodorous dysfunctional glory. Three killings that the police and society at large are loath to even investigate but that Roosevelt, police commission at that time, deems worthy of a special team involves our protagonist in dangerous events, morally, physically and politically. The team is filled from the outset with remarkable characters: Laszlo Kreizler, the alienist (psychologist) of the title; Sara Howard, another friend of John's and a gun totting police secretary; and two brothers, Lucius and Marcus Isaacson - police detectives specializing in the new fields of criminal science and forensic medicine. All are seen through John's eyes and the tale progresses only as he does. Like a thickly woven carpet closely observed the plot and its details are exposed in pieces and whole can only be known at the end. Its a tough read as elements of psychology, forensics, criminology elite and mundane society, a tumble of events and red herrings all combine into a spellbinding tale.

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was exciting and hard to put down. The characters were well thought off. I especially like the Isaacsons and our narrator Moore but I can't find Laszlo Kreiszler endearing. I didn't even feel sorry for him when Mary died. Over-all it was a good historical fiction book.However, I found it too long. It had a difficulty maintaining momentum and the ending is kind of disappointing.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very interesting read. The first 100 or so pages are quite slow but after that it picks up pace. He captures the duplicity and difference of victorian era New York quite well.