Caleb Carr's The Alienist is an enticing novel that will keep you engrossed until the last page. Set in New York, Carr's story delves into the history of the era and presents the beginnings of psychology in crime. The Alienist focuses on the murder investigations carried out by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an “alienist” of his time. With the help of Theodore Roosevelt and narrator John Moore, Kreizler earnestly explores heinous crimes in New York City. Narrated in retrospect, The Alienist explains the efforts of Moore and Kreizler to catch a serial killer from 20 years before.

Kreizler and Moore uncover the mutilated corpse of a young male prostitute. Dismayed and disgusted by the NYPD's falsifying reports and similar crimes, Kreizler asks President Roosevelt for help. As they begin, Kreizler and Moore utilize the newly evolving sciences of psychology and forensics to compose a profile of the perpetrator and then doggedly pursue the ingenious killer, who manages to stay one step ahead of them.

Carr accurately evokes 1896 New York and the corruption and scandal of the time. This is an enthralling combination of fact, science, and crime. Due to the author's detailed writing, the reader is kept guessing and the suspense never ends. Fast-paced and thrilling, Carr's The Alienist epitomizes the ideal mystery.