The Angel of Darkness

Rating:
Summary: Another fabulous,literate time-travelling experience!
Review: Mr. Carr, I do hope you're writing another book in this series...perhaps from Sarah's point of view? I grew quite fond of "the Stevepipe" as a narrator - and enjoyed seeing the other characters through his eyes. Anyone who loved the Alienist will adore this book - and be eager for more!!

Rating:
Summary: TOTALLY CAPTIVATING
Review: The Angel of Darkness, dark and delightful. The story was well laid out guiding me through the dankest, darkest parts of New York's underbelly. Carr's ability to effectively tie in historical events and personalities with his story's baseline was superbly done. The characters themselves or most of them came eeriely to life in my mind while I devoured each page. Definetly a musst read...... I hope to see more works onlong this line in the future.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books that I have read in a long time.
Review: Althought I have yet to read _The Alienist_, I was presented Angel of Darkness and told it was a "must-read". I approached it hesitantly. It was not a typical book for me. However it was very entertaining. I loved Carr's book. The Doctor's character was extremely entertaining. I plan on starting _The Alienist_ very soon. I dcefinetly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Dull is the operative word
Review: Like the previous book involving the same characters, this one is mercilessly padded, takes forever to get rolling, involves unlikeable and uninteresting characters, and ultimately cheats the reader. The author, however, does avoid one of the mistakes he made in THE ALIENIST. Namely, the villain is onstage a lot more and is a very compellingly wicked character. The slow revelation of the family situation that created her psychosis is the spookiest and most effective part of the book. However, the villain is so much more interesting than the characters who persue her that once she appears, the story falls flat unless she is in the scene.

Rating:
Summary: Perfect blend of history, psychology and forensics.
Review: If you're a student of science, as I am, and have a casual interest in the workings of the female mind, you will truly enjoy this historical glimpse into what is still a taboo issue of society today: a female serial killer. Carr has again taken us on a journey into the past using the archives and records of a time long since gone but still alive with the breath of memory. Though the book is quite long (+600 pages), it does not lack for texture and mood, especially when Carr describes the gangland territory that protects the murderess of the story. If you want bland, redundant description that serves no purpose, read Clancy. If you want to know how forensic techniques got their start, read this. Well worth the time taken to read.

Rating:
Summary: AS GOOD AS THE FIRST
Review: Having read some of the negative reviews posted here I began to wonder if I had even read the same book. Once again Caleb Carr was brilliant. The chracters, both strength and weaknesses were wonderfully developed. The attention to detail was once again superb! All in all I would have to say a must read for anyone who loves a GREAT novel!

Rating:
Summary: Should be ZERO stars
Review: Do NOT waste your time reading this insipid, tedious and ultimately boring follow up to the superior "The Alienist". If it wasn't the middle of summer, I would have used the book (all 750 pages of it) as kindling.

Rating:
Summary: Some strengths, but a letdown overall
Review: I had high hopes for this book, but there was nothing here to compare to the vivid descriptions of old Manhattan and the bloodcurdling suspense of "The Alienist" (and I'm not referring to the gore; the eeriest part of that book for me was the discovery of the killer's stint as a Federal employee). To the comments about Stevie's "what/that" confusion, I would add his constant use of "what you might call" every time he used an unlikely term. The character of El Nino was poorly developed, and the characters from the first book were largely drained of complexity (Moore whines, dines, and gambles; Sara draws her derringer or kicks someone in the shins every two seconds; the Isaacsons bicker; Montrose plays the piano; and the Doctor noises). The book's saving graces were the setting, the scenes involving Darrow, Clara's character, and the relationship between Stevie and Kat. I'll certainly look out for Carr's future efforts, but this was a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment.
Review: The Angel of Darkness finishes stronger than it started, but on the whole it was too long, too childish (I know it was supposed to be written from a child's perspective) and not really suspenseful. Although the book is supposed to be a suspense novel, it should not be confused with a mystery. The killer is identified fairly early on, as are her motives. Most of the rest of the book is spent by the protagonists basically trying to prove their theory to themselves. In the process, they have numerous encounters with just about everyone alive in the 1890's that we would still know about today. This device was interesting in The Alienist in part because it was largely used with Theodore Roosevelt, who was a central and plausible character. Roosevelt makes a return in Angel in, for what this book is, an "oh, come on" cameo, as do several other "celebrities." Though the book deals with grim and gruesome matters, the impact of killings, drug abuse, child prostitution, and other horrors is minimized by the child-like (childish) narration. Though this is deliberate, it doesn't work. Most annoying is the book's length. No rule requires suspense novels to be long, but I can't think of any other reason that this one drags on as it does. Not only could it use to shed about 150 pages, but there are points within the book that a reader can actually skip ahead 150 pages and not be lost. Overall, a disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: A good book on it's own.
Review: I enjoyed the book on it's own merit. Not having read "The Alienist" first, as many people have, I found this work interesting and fun to read. The historical aspect drew me in like a magnet and the association of Stevepipe with the Doctor reminded me somewhat of "Sherlock Holmes". Perhaps the ending wasn't the greatest but the story and setting was excellent.