A Novel (Dr. Laszlo Kreizler) - The Angel of Darkness

Caleb Carr knows history and this is evident in his writing and storytelling. Every detail of old New York jumps out at you with such clarity that it's almost as if you're there experiencing life in turn-of-the-century New York. Fascinating and informative, I would read anything he writes and this series (sadly, only two novels) is his best work.

I think I liked this better than The Alienist! Since the killer is a female it deals with concepts of man toward women in that era. So interesting to be reminded of how far we've come. Too bad for all the female killers and other criminals out there.
I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this sequel to The Alienest . In Angel of Darkness, Carr further developes his characters taking the reader deeper into the dynamics that holds this interesting group together. He again mixes historical figures in a sinister and taunt mystery . A great read!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, "The Alienist," but since I liked this one better, I have to go with five stars to mark the difference.

While "The Angel of Darkness" is a work of fiction, the crimes and their perpetrator read like real life. One odd but fairly straightforward crime (a kidnapping) leads to a long and complicated investigation. The further the team digs, the weirder and darker the case becomes and the more bodies they uncover. The whole while they are fighting against a prejudice that insists that all mothers are naturally and unfailingly maternal and loving and could never harm their children.

Of course, I was reading this book through the eyes of someone who knows about Susan Smith and more cases than I could name where either mothers or fathers snuffed out the lives of their children. But in the late 1890s, this was a taboo subject. The "family" was sacrosanct and it was blasphemy to even HINT that beating or otherwise abusing children could have ill effects later in life and that the parents would be to blame. There is, in this book and its predecessor, hostile and threatening resistance to Dr. Kreizler's theories and work, that is fascinating.

Intelligent Historical mystery thriller set in the fascinating world of fin de siecle Manhattan and New York state. The philosophical discussions of societal attitudes toward the inherent nurturing vs destructive and evil capabilities of the female gender is fascinating. The introduction of new characters in addition to those of whom we've become fond from The Alienist are intriguing and immediately believable.

To repeat my review's title, excellent, engaging read.

I enjoy the blending of real historical facts with a good fictional mystery. This book also gives a good understanding of the development of forensic psychology and foresenic criminal science work. Great story and character development!!

This book held my attention throughout. Could not wait to finish to see how they were going to catch the murderer and then was so disappoint when I reached the end. Just wanted the story to keep going. I hope that there will be another "alienist" book.

Not quite as good as The Alienist, and, initially, the writing style of the narrator was annoying, but the plot took a much more interesting and entertaining turn halfway through the book with the introduction of two interesting characters who livened things up. Historically, the book was just as informative as The Alienist.

Very good book, with interesting characters and plots. Once you get into it, it's 5 stars, but it took a little while to become interesting. I would recommend it for people who like mysteries and crime novels.

This book receives a special award: the 1st book that I stopped reading after 500 pages. Since I had enjoyed reading the Alienist so much, it very well could have been a case of inflated expectations. The author continued to excel at the character development, but the plot just plodded along like the surrey in the story. I kept reading, awaiting a return to the excitement of his earlier book. But when the the journey seemed like it would end in a courtroom, it was time to get out of the carriage and walk another direction.

written with well researched knowledge of the time period, this is a gripping tale that I found hard to put down. The characters are well developed, the culture and politics of the time made me feel as though I was right in the middle of the action. Most of all, the psychological understanding of human motivation was very well portrayed. An excellent read!

The fabulous follow up to The Alienist. A delightful mix of history, characters, the darkness of the human soul, and the amazing men who fought to shine lights into the cause of what makes monsters and how technology that we take so for granted today was challenged.

Angel of Darkness (AOD) wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the first of Carr's books I read, The Alienist. AOD has the same set of characters as the Alienist, but the narrator in this one is Stevie, the boy who was rescued from a life on the streets of New York by Dr. Kreizler (the Alienist (psychologist)). This time they are chasing a woman who’s kidnapped a baby and whom the team believes is responsible for the death of several babies and possibly, in the more distant past, her own children. I found the characters flatter and less interesting, perhaps because I’d come to know them in The Alienist and found little new to learn about them in AOD. I also didn’t believe the story hung together quite so well, and I found some of the plot’s details more than a little farfetched. I continue to feel that Caleb Carr is an amazing writer and have The Legend of Broken on my shelf to read at some time in the future.

Caleb Carr brings Victorian-era New York City alive, with his carefully researched locations, and descriptions of everyday life. I was so happy to be reunited with all of the great characters from "The Alienist". So good!