A review by braynard
The Alienist by Caleb Carr

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I am a huge fan of science-based murder mysteries. I am also a huge fan of period piece. Naturally, this book gave me the best of both world. It was a crime thriller that avoided the cheesiness and stereotypes sometimes encountered in the genre. It also kept a good pace throughout the novel, meaning there were never spots where I got stuck or bored. 

In fact, I managed to finish this book in less than a week. 
There are some content issues within the book. It obviously focuses heavily on death, police corruption, and violence. It also features some of that classic 1890s racism, classism, and sexism. As long as you are prepared for all of those, it's a great read. 

The only plotline I was not a huge fan of was the story of Mary Palmer, Kreizler's maid.
She struggles with speech, so her character in the novel is already ostracized from the main plot. Two thirds of the way in, we fine out Laszlo is in love with her, only for her to die a chapter later. I get that there needed to be some consequences to remind Kreizler of the stakes, but it seemed unfair to me that Mary had to be the one who suffered them.


This is an wonderful book. If you like murder, history, psychology, or all three, please consider checking it out. Or, check out the television adaptation under the same name. 
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