Synopses & Reviews
The year is 1896; the place, New York City. On a cold March night
New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate, Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or alienist. On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
The newly appointed police commissioner, Theodore Roosevelt, in a highly unorthodox move, enlists the two men in the murder investigation, counting on the reserved Kreizler's intellect and Moore's knowledge of New York's vast criminal underworld. They are joined by Sara Howard, a brave and determined woman who works as a secretary in the police department. Laboring in secret (for alienists, and the emerging discipline of psychology, are viewed by the public with skepticism at best), the unlikely team embarks on what is a revolutionary effort in criminology amassing a psychological profile of the man they're looking for based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest 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.
Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.
Review
"An original that fits no established mystery niche, Carr's fictional debut could be the start of something big." Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
Review
"A first-rate tale of crime and punishment that will keep readers guessing until the final pages." Entertainment Weekly
Review
"A knockout period mystery, infused with intelligence, vitality, and humor. This novel is a highly unorthodox variant of the Holmes-Watson theme and the best since Julian Symons's delightful A Three-Pipe Solution. It should entice new fans to the genre." Library Journal
Review
"Gripping, atmospheric, intelligent, and entertaining." USA Today
Review
"The result is somehow gripping yet lifeless, as evocative period detail jostles with a cast of characters who are, for the most part, as pallid as the murder victims....Unremarkable as a genre thriller, then, but highly satisfactory as fictionalized social history." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
When a madman begins stalking victims on the streets of 1896 New York, a team of investigators is forced to apply radical and untested techniques that include fingerprinting and the controversial science of psychology. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.
Synopsis
New York Times Bestseller -- "A high-spirited, charged-up, and unfailingly smart thriller." - Los Angeles Times
"Caleb Carr's rich period thriller takes us back to a moment in history when the modern idea of the serial killer became available to us... and] tracks the efforts of a team of farsighted investigators working frantically to solve a string of hideous murders... Absorbing... suspenseful... gratifying." -The Detroit News
Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.
The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
Praise for The Alienist:
" A] delicious premise... Its setting and characterizations are much more sophisticated than run-of-the-mill thrillers that line the shelves in bookstores." - The Washington Post Book World
"The method of the hunt and the disparate team of hunters lift the tale beyond the level of a good thriller - way beyond... A remarkable combination of historical novel and psychological thriller." - The Buffalo News
"Remarkable... The reader is taken on a whirlwind tour of the Gilded Age metropolis, climbing up tenament stairs, scrambling across rooftops, and witnessing midnight autopsies... A breathtaking, finely crafted mystery." - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
Soon to be a TNT original series
New York Times Bestseller -- "A high-spirited, charged-up, and unfailingly smart thriller." - Los Angeles Times "Caleb Carr's rich period thriller takes us back to a moment in history when the modern idea of the serial killer became available to us... and] tracks the efforts of a team of farsighted investigators working frantically to solve a string of hideous murders... Absorbing... suspenseful... gratifying." -The Detroit News
Fast-paced and gripping, infused with a historian's exactitude, The Alienist conjures up the Gilded Age and its untarnished underside: verminous tenements and opulent mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. Here is a New York during an age when questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and mortal consequences.
The year is 1896, the place, New York City. On a cold March night New York Times reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned to the East River by his friend and former Harvard classmate Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist, or "alienist." On the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge, they view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy, a prostitute from one of Manhattan's infamous brothels.
Praise for The Alienist:
" A] delicious premise... Its setting and characterizations are much more sophisticated than run-of-the-mill thrillers that line the shelves in bookstores." - The Washington Post Book World
"The method of the hunt and the disparate team of hunters lift the tale beyond the level of a good thriller - way beyond... A remarkable combination of historical novel and psychological thriller." - The Buffalo News
"Remarkable... The reader is taken on a whirlwind tour of the Gilded Age metropolis, climbing up tenament stairs, scrambling across rooftops, and witnessing midnight autopsies... A breathtaking, finely crafted mystery." - Richmond Times-Dispatch
Synopsis
"A first-rate tale of crime and punishment that will keep readers guessing until the final pages."--Entertainment Weekly "Caleb Carr's rich period thriller takes us back to the moment in history when the modern idea of the serial killer became available to us."--The Detroit News
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Soon to be a TNT original series
When The Alienist was first published in 1994, it was a major phenomenon, spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list, receiving critical acclaim, and selling millions of copies. This modern classic continues to be a touchstone of historical suspense fiction for readers everywhere.
The year is 1896. The city is New York. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler--a psychologist, or "alienist"--to view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. From there the two embark on a revolutionary effort in criminology: creating a psychological profile of the perpetrator based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who will kill again before their hunt is over.
Fast-paced and riveting, infused with historical detail, The Alienist conjures up Gilded Age New York, with its tenements and mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. It is an age in which questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and fatal consequences.
Praise for The Alienist
" A] delicious premise . . . Its settings and characterizations are much more sophisticated than the run-of-the-mill thrillers that line the shelves in bookstores."--The Washington Post Book World
"Mesmerizing."--Detroit Free Press
"The method of the hunt and the disparate team of hunters lift the tale beyond the level of a good thriller--way beyond. . . . A remarkable combination of historical novel and psychological thriller."--The Buffalo News
"Engrossing."--Newsweek
"A ripsnorter of a plot . . . a fine dark ride."--The Arizona Daily Star
"Remarkable . . . The reader is taken on a whirlwind tour of the Gilded Age metropolis, climbing up tenement stairs, scrambling across rooftops, and witnessing midnight autopsies. . . . A breathtaking, finely crafted mystery."--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Gripping, atmospheric . . . intelligent and entertaining."--USA Today
"A high-spirited, charged-up and unfailingly smart thriller."--Los Angeles Times
"Keeps readers turning pages well past their bedtime."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Harrowing, fascinating . . . will please fans of Ragtime and The Silence of the Lambs."--The Flint Journal
Synopsis
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - SOON TO BE A TNT ORIGINAL "A first-rate tale of crime and punishment that will keep readers guessing until the final pages."--Entertainment Weekly
"Caleb Carr's rich period thriller takes us back to the moment in history when the modern idea of the serial killer became available to us."--The Detroit News
When The Alienist was first published in 1994, it was a major phenomenon, spending six months on the New York Times bestseller list, receiving critical acclaim, and selling millions of copies. This modern classic continues to be a touchstone of historical suspense fiction for readers everywhere.
The year is 1896. The city is New York. Newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore is summoned by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler--a psychologist, or "alienist"--to view the horribly mutilated body of an adolescent boy abandoned on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. From there the two embark on a revolutionary effort in criminology: creating a psychological profile of the perpetrator based on the details of his crimes. Their dangerous quest takes them into the tortured past and twisted mind of a murderer who will kill again before their hunt is over.
Fast-paced and riveting, infused with historical detail, The Alienist conjures up Gilded Age New York, with its tenements and mansions, corrupt cops and flamboyant gangsters, shining opera houses and seamy gin mills. It is an age in which questioning society's belief that all killers are born, not made, could have unexpected and fatal consequences.
Praise for The Alienist
" A] delicious premise . . . Its settings and characterizations are much more sophisticated than the run-of-the-mill thrillers that line the shelves in bookstores."--The Washington Post Book World
"Mesmerizing."--Detroit Free Press
"The method of the hunt and the disparate team of hunters lift the tale beyond the level of a good thriller--way beyond. . . . A remarkable combination of historical novel and psychological thriller."--The Buffalo News
"Engrossing."--Newsweek
"A ripsnorter of a plot . . . a fine dark ride."--The Arizona Daily Star
"Remarkable . . . The reader is taken on a whirlwind tour of the Gilded Age metropolis, climbing up tenement stairs, scrambling across rooftops, and witnessing midnight autopsies. . . . A breathtaking, finely crafted mystery."--Richmond Times-Dispatch
"Gripping, atmospheric . . . intelligent and entertaining."--USA Today
"A high-spirited, charged-up and unfailingly smart thriller."--Los Angeles Times
"Keeps readers turning pages well past their bedtime."--San Francisco Chronicle
"Harrowing, fascinating . . . will please fans of Ragtime and The Silence of the Lambs."--The Flint Journal
Synopsis
Now back in print this fast-paced, convincing New York Times bestselling thriller is set in New York City in 1896, where two men and a brave, determined woman embark on a quest that takes them into the tortured mind of a barbaric serial killer.
About the Author
Caleb Carr was born in Manhattan and grew up on the Lower East Side, where he still lives.