Rating: 
Summary: Historical thriller, but less history, more thriller
Review: A mismatched group of investigators, spearheaded by a touch-feely Dr. Kreizler, investigate the crimes of a suspected kidnapper in Angel of Darkness. The story is narrated by a rootbeer-drinking adolescent with ties to New York's underworld. The investigators seem to build a firm case against Libby Hatch, and come close to understanding her psyche (clearly Munchausen's syndrome--not even mentioned in the author's acknowledgements) but she slips through their fingers. The novel seems to deteriorate after that, with the author turning to street brawls and other cliches to keep the story going. The novel seemed to have very little connection to New York in the 19th century, and the tv-movie type ending is really pathetic. The reader is never really convinced of Libby Hatch's ferocity, there's very little suspense, and many aspects of the story are unconvincing.
Rating:
Summary: Well researched but not the Alienist
Review: I would probably rank this book a 3.5 if I could. I really did enjoy a lot about it but it was just too long and boring in certain areas. Frankly, this ain't no Alienist. However, Carr loads up so much interesting turn-of-the-century history; at the same time, in providing so much history, he puts in far too many real life characters. Of course, I can't complain when good ol' TR shows up. While I hope there are further sequels with the same crew from this book and the Alienist, I certainly hope it's a better book. Finally, the last 100-200 pages really are exciting!
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful trip into history & psychology...a fun read
Review: I found this novel to be a bit slow at the start and my interest was not fully captured until after 20+ pages. I was however, very glad that I gave the book a chance since I really enjoyed the rest of the story and found I had a hard time putting the book down. I admire the amount of research that went into this book and the great ability that Caleb Carr has in describing his characters. I found an error on page 334 of the hard back book I read, it was a slight error, but one the author may want to correct in subsequent printings (possibly it has already been corrected). I don't want to give away any of the story by saying what the error was, but if you pay attention, you will see it (unless, of course, it has been corrected). All in all, if you enjoy history, great characters, mystery and a book that takes a while to read...you will enjoy this one.
Rating: 
Summary: a disturbing book but good nonetheless
Review: As I am an extremely timid person, this book left me feeling rather disturbed and frightened. However, I will not hesitate to say that ANGEL OF DARKNESS was a good book. Stevie Taggart's lively narration kept the lenghty story moving at a lively pace. Although the sight of a thick 700+-paged book may seem intimidating, I had no trouble finishing the book and stayed up late to finish it. Once you get involved in the plot, you will find the book difficult to put down. The book deals with the actions of a dangerous woman, Libby Hatch (who also goes by many other names), who killed her own children, many infants in the hospital she worked at, two husbands, a lover, a contractor who remodeled her house, and countless others. The team, including Dr. Lazlo Kreizler (the alienist and psychologist), Stevie Taggart (the narrator, a boy the Doctor saved from prison), Cyrus (another man saved from prison from the Doctor), John Moore (a Times journalist), Sara Howard (an independent female detective), and Lucius and Marcus Isaacson (two brilliant detective sergeant brothers), are on a search for Libby's past. According to the Doctor's theory of "context," each person's actions can be explained, although not necessarily excused, by his/her childhood. So, the team goes on a wild chase through the state of New York to try to uncover details of Libby's past that will help them understand her actions and help them save an unfortunate child who has fallen into Libby's hands before Libby decides to do away with the child as she has done many times before. The plot is intriguing; the dialogue is intelligent as well as often humorous; the book is, overall, a success! However, for those of you who enjoy savoring the pages of the book for days after and having a great deal to reflect on, this book is not exactly the book for you. After reading it, you will not think about it for days or feel as if you have learned a profound lesson. You will have gotten a few days of entertainment, that's all. In other words, although I enjoyed the book, I do not feel as if it has touched a part of me inside or left me much changed. It has not occupied my thoughts for days after. It is one of those books that you enjoyed but could have done without, if you know what I mean. But to those timid beings out there who are much like myself, I would suggest that you make a decision between reading the book (which will lead to nights of fear of the darkness as you picture the face of Libby Hatch and her evil yellow eyes) and leaving it on its shelf (as well as missing out on an interesting novel).
Rating:
Summary: The Alienist part two
Review: In this book, Carr continues the story of Dr. Kriezler and his team. This time they are tracking a kidnapped baby and a deranged nurse. The suspense is thick and often has you turning the pages faster than you can read them. If you have not read the original Alienist, you should do so before reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Now THIS is mommie dearest
Review: Not the page turner of its prequel, THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS is still a really good book. The intrepid team has been reunited one year after concluding the last case, under somewhat contrived and only marginally convincing circumstances, this time to apprehend a kidnapper who has failed to make any demands and appears to be free from any threat of official inquiry. As compared to the first book, the plot is less titillating and the identity of the antagonist is known early on in what is a reasonably long text. While the bustle of New York City serves as the background, the story also involves excursions to the pastorial settings of upstate New York. In some respects, the mid-section of the book tends to mirror the slower pace of that region. Historical personalities are once again integrated. In fact, it is the appearance of Clarence Darrow that brings new energy to the middle portion. Carr also elects to use Stevie Taggert as the narrator instead of John Moore. Taggert's lower class status obligates a change in diction which is distracting until you become acclimated to the rhythm. Due to the nature of the story, I thought utilization of the third person narrative would have been a better choice than using any team member. Overall, the book is as well-written as its predecessor, but ANGEL has a few more flaws in how the story plays out.
Rating:
Summary: it left me speechless...and nothing leaves me speechless!!
Review: Now, it's true that I read this book before I read the Alienist, and I wonder how my opinion would have been altered had I actually read them sequentially but it doesn't change the fact that this book made me remember why I love to read in the first place. Caleb Carr effectively takes you into another world, and few people could drag me out of it if I was on a kick. Told by the perspective of young Stevie (a rather minor character in the Alienist) it really is more of a story than a novel. I had no idea where the book would wind up at the end and that was part of the reason I kept flipping the pages. The bond between the group, lead by Dr. Laszlo Kreizler once again, has really seemed to come together and they work magnificently while tracking the infamous Elspeth Hunter (or Hatch, or whatever name was determined to be hers) who they believed murdered her own children, along with others, while portraying herself as a good natured caring mother and nurse who was merely a victim of this terrible crime. Seeing them unravel the mystery and work their ways into the mind of such a woman was fascinating, and although the ending was not what I expected at all I was very pleased. It was one of those books (much as the Alienist was) that I finished and was sad that it was over. I hope to soon see more from Caleb Carr!! And hopefully these amazing books will not be butchered if and when they are brought to screen.
Rating:
Summary: A good mystery novel
Review: Very often, when you see a 750 pages book written in small print it is quite scary, but this one, you will barely notice it has so many pages. I am not usually a fan of mystery novels (I don't like Mary Higgins Clark at all, but Patricia Cornwell is fine), but this one must be one of the best I read so far. It is not only that the plot is well managed, but also it really has literary value and historical value. Now when I walk through New York City, I remember some of the things that were described in the book. Even though the main character is a psychiatrist, the author is not trying to make it a psychological novel, the professor's knowledge is just being useful in this inquiry, at least that's how it feels. Neither is the story some complicated and unbelievable serial killer story, with low class psychology. The reader progresses with the characters through the story, thinking and discovering new things at a steady pace. There are no lengthy parts in this book and no fantastic discoveries, everything is well balanced. Everything is believable and in a way expected (except maybe the scene in the courtroom cell that is a bit too theatrical). That does not mean that the plot is plain, it is just that you discover everything by leading the inquiry yourself. The part on the trial is pretty good but maybe a little bit too simple minded. Don't be on a diet when you read this book, they spend half of their time eating!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Follow Up To The Alienist
Review: Caleb Carr brings back Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, John Schuyler Moore, Sara Howard and the rest of the gang on this intriguing sequel to The Alienist. Again, the group must find a killer, again reconstructing the case through psychological sketches. The difference is that they discover the killer is a woman, Libby Hatch. The book again incorporates real life characters including the famed lawyer Clarence Darrow and the woman rights activist Elizabeth Cady Staton. The book also moves out of New York city into the upstate town of Saratoga. As with the first book, Mr. Carr's description of turn of the century Saratoga is vivid. One change from The Alienist is that the book is not told from the perspective of Moore, but of the young hood, Stevie Taggart. Mr. Carr has again crafted another intriguing, interesting and excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent 19th century thriller
Review: Caleb Carr's follow-up to his bestselling "The Alienist" is another top-notch historical thriller set in 19th century New York. I know a lot of reviewers have criticized him for the length of this book, but I found it absolutely enthralling. The further adventures of Dr. Kriezler and his stalwart band of investigators makes for great reading. And this time they match wits with a villainess who may just get away with murder... Highly recommended, especially for Carr's on-target descriptions of New York life and landmarks in the 19th century.
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