The Alienist/ Caleb Carr / 496 pgs

The Alienist was on my TBR list when I heard that TNT was turning it into a TV series. So I moved it up the list and started reading. John Moore is a New York Times reporter in 1896. He attended Harvard with Theodore Roosevelt, the new commissioner of police, and Dr. Lazlo Kreizler, an alienist (or in modern terms, a psychiatrist). A serial killer has struck, attacking and mutilating young boy prostitutes. Reluctantly, Roosevelt allows Kreizler to form a secret team of investigators that includes himself, Moore, Roosevelt's secretary Sara Howard, and two detectives. Essentially, the team is attempting to "profile" the serial killer, though of course that term was not used. The book is rich in historical facts and details and for the most part, the characters are well drawn. The investigation itself was intriguing and though the book is long, the story is not boring at all. There were one or two plot points that I found gratuitous but overall I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the TV series.