Rating: 
Summary: Not the best but good reading for a rainy afternoon
Review: I too found the use of the word "what" as the only form of Stevie's dialect fairly annoying. Still, I enjoyed the book and found it to be historically and socially interesting. It was wordy and sometimes a little too fanciful ( El Nino should have stayed a weather abberation.) I found the villianess to be on par with that of Cathy in East of Eden. Too bad we were never allowed a deeper glimpse into her mind. Mr. Carr's major fault is that he seems not to want to take the time to research his villians motives and explain them in more than half truths and bad prose in the climactic scene. I liked the book and I will read others that Mr. Carr has written. However they are not defining literature, rather a good read for a day that has nothing else more important planned for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Hit For Caleb Carr
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Another hit for Carr, perhaps a little long, but anyone who does not enjoy it is full of burny. This was a fascinating look again into this interesting subject- Alienists- a term I was not really aware of until I read his first book. I eagerly look forward to Dr. Kreizler's next adventure with this cast of characters. Perhaps we'll see Sara as the principal and see her investigative skills further develop. It will be good, whatever Carr does.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read !
Review: I was elated to find this book in the store and I haven't been disappointed. Carr picks up where he left off in The Alienist - with a fascinating story and wonderful detail of 1890's New York. The Alienist made me fall in love with the history of the time period, and Angel fueled the fire. Thanks for a great read - I look forward to Carr's next novel !
Rating:
Summary: The adventure continues...
Review: Mr. Moore, Sara Howard, Kriezler and the Isaacsons come to life once again in The Angel of Darkness. This time the story is told through the eyes of Stevie, a youngster in the care of Dr. Kriezler. While readers don't need to read The Alienist to follow the plot and understand the characters of The Angel of Darkness, those that did will thoroughly enjoy the book as it reunites the characters, takes another look at psychology, law and society in the turn of the century. This time, the character leave New York City and head upstate to prosecuete Libby Hatch of a crime that is chilling even by today's standards.
Rating:
Summary: Historic, action-packed mystery with a psychological bent
Review: This startling sequel to the author's previous work, "The Alienist", holds the same punch. Crammed full of authentic details that bring the reader back to the late 1800's, the characters are vividly drawn and the mystery that engages them a delight to unravel.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book has only one thing going for it: the author's knowledge of turn of the century New York City. Everything else is problematic. The plot (a thin premise to begin with) is drawn out endlessly, seemingly for the purpose of having something on which to hang the author's historical knowledge. The characters are politically correct (for our times) but absurd for the era in which they're placed. The language of the narrator, Stevie Taggert, (supposedly an adolescent street urchin of almost no education) is that of a very well educated and literate person, with a single exception: inability to correctly use the word "what". Consequently, we have long and perfectly grammatical sentences rendered ridiculous by the sudden intrusion of this word. One can't help thinking that someone went through this document, searched for every instance of the word "that" and changed about half of them to "what." So, while Stevie is able to find the correct word and proper grammar for describing everything from ladies' fashions to a myriad of other things that an uneducated child of his era would have no knowledge of, we are asked to believe that he can't understand the simple principle that determines whether "that" or "what" is grammatically correct. This, more than anything else, is the one thing about this book "what" drove me crazy! Although this is far from the book's only problem, its occurrence on almost every page, sometimes several times, makes it impossible to ignore and annoying beyond belief.
Rating:
Summary: The Big Apple has a rotten core!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Mr. Carr is an expert at weaving fictional and historical characters in a psychological nightmare with murder and mayham to spare. It is a long read, but I hated to see it come to an end. "The Alienist" is on my nightstand now.
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Journey
Review: Caleb Carr is one of the greatest writers I have ever come across. His books are emotional on subjects I never had an interest in, and his characters are more personable and real than some people I've met. The New York of the 1890's is where he sets both books in this series, the Alienist being the first, and from the first page, it enthralls and captivates. His people and places are gloriously defined, and his history is flawless. I, personally, have never read something so appealing and breathtaking. It's a genuine thrill to read on of Carr's books - something rare these days. Take the time to stop and become engulfed in what is sure to be a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric,informative, but alas too wordy.
Review: The Angel of Darkness lacks the suspense and fascination of The Alienist. The plot moves very slowly, with subplots and minor characters galore that are interesting and sometimes funny, but that ultimately bog things down. Carr excels in characterization, but this populous book seems to specialize in characters who ought to be forcibly evicted and moved to another novel. The reader is left with lots of unanswered questions. For example, why does Carr use the literary device of a narrator dying of cancer? Is the lead female character a lesbian? What is the meaning of the prosecuting attorney's prescience about his own death? Would the real Clarence Darrow defend a vicious killer with such unbridled zeal? After these and other questions pile up over the length of the book, and go unanswered, it's obvious that Carr is either preparing us for a sequel, or that it doesn't occur to him that his readers want all of the various plot threads wrapped up. Or at least this reader does.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping and entertaining
Review: As far as historical mystery story goes, this is a superb one. Carr captures both the decay and glamorous side of New York City of the 1890's. It is a well researched piece of work. The story started off with the kidnap of a baby girl from the Spanish Consulate and the "team" was drawn once again to track down the kidnapper. The story began to get intense from then on. Some parts of the plot are a bit unrealistic though, especially the bit where they got Teddy Roosevelt and the Navy involved. The final scene between Libby, the Doctor and Stevie is too Hollywood. How could they manage to have a meaningful conversation with a psycho when she was about to shoot. All in all, a good and a different sequel to "The Alienist" .
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