The Angel of Darkness Mass Market Paperback – May 27, 1998

In my recent nostalgic look back at books I’ve read and enjoyed from a few decades ago after re-reading Caleb Carr’s “The Alienist” decided to also read his sequel to that story, “The Angel of Darkness”. In it Carr reunites his team of memorable characters from “The Alienist”; Dr. Laszlo Kreizler a psychiatrist (or “alienist” in turn of the last century parlance), newspaperman John Schulyer Moore, former NYPD secretary, pistol-packing Sara Howard, and Kreisler’s ward former street ruffian Stevie “The Stevepipe” Taggart, ably assisted by NYPD detective brothers Marcus and Lucius Isaacson . Set in old time New York City Mr. Carr captures the period nicely and the setting is as much of a character as any of the people we encounter. Told from Stevie’s perspective as if told in a memoir we find Kreizler in a bit of a funk since a child under his care at his institute committed suicide and he’s under investigation. Banned from his workplace until things are sorted out the good doctor needs a diversion and a child abduction from the family of a Spanish diplomat serves the purpose. Matters become complicated quickly and soon our investigators find themselves on the trail of a sinister woman serial killer of small children (including her own). Carr is an excellent writer but unfortunately this novel moves at a glacial pace and the level of suspense never approaches what readers experienced in “The Alienist”. The plot slows down even more so when the team takes a road trip to upstate New York to Ballston Spa and Saratoga to investigate the background of their suspected murderess, Libby Hatch (AKA Elspeth Hunter among others). Things move very slowly at this point until eventually Kreizler & Co. assemble enough evidence (some of it unethically manufactured) to see Hatch arrested and put on trial for the murder of her two young sons years earlier. There’s a fairly long, boring trial that’s only enlivened by the appearance of none other than famous defense attorney Clarence Darrow and his court room theatrics. Things proceed badly for the good guys but when some last minute evidence promises to put our killer behind bars she stages a daring and deadly escape. The pace then picks up as our heroes relentless track Hatch down ending with a climactic rooftop confrontation (just like in “The Alienist”) and justice is finally served. The reappearance of Kreizler’s of friend former NYPD Police Commissioner turned Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt is a welcome event but I wish Carr contrived to bring TR on board sooner than later. It took me some time to get through “The Angel of Darkness” and I remember that it was a bit of a slog when I read it back in the 90’s too. These are solid characters placed in a fascinating historical period and despite the pacing problems in this book it’s surprising that Mr. Carr chose not to bring them back for a third adventure. Perhaps the recent adaptation of “The Alienist” by TNT into a series might motivate him to do just that.

This is the chilling and just-as-good sequel to Carr's "The Alienist".Refresher: Set in late 1890's New York City; Dr. Laszlo Kreizler is a well-known, but controversial Alienist (an early form of a Criminal Psychologist/CSI Investigator).This tale begins 1 year after the end of "The Alienist" and is told from the point of view of Stevie Taggart (one of Kreizler's students and a protégé of sorts). The team has returned to their "normal" lives and jobs until the distraught wife of a Spanish diplomat begs Sara's aid. She works to get the team to reunite to help her find the kidnapped infant daughter. What they uncover is a suspect who appears to the world to be a heroic nurse and a loving mother....but who may in reality be a ruthless murderer of children! This villain proves to be a most worthy and capable opponent of Kreizler and his team.....not all of whom survive to see whether or not justice is served or whether the kidnapped infant is returned to her mother.The most sobering line of the novel: "True to the Doctor's beliefs, the REAL MONSTERS continue to wander the streets unnoticed, going about their strange and desperate work with a fever what looks to the average citizen like nothing more than the ordinary effort required to ge through an ordinary day".This is a long read (625+ pages)...and the first 1/3 of the book is pretty slow in setting up the necessary back stories and character developments. The pace picks up about half-way in and the remainder of the book is a page-turning flurry of exciting and surprising events. As with "The Alienist" Carr again weaves into the story historical events and characters: The U.S./Spanish War; suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton; painter Albert Pinkham Ryder; Theodore Roosevelt; and famed attorney Clarence Darrow.

Great continuation of some of the characters from the Alienist but a stand alone story. I always tell people you can pick up "Angel of Darkness" without the background history from the Alienist. Love the suspenseful writing style and steady pace, very hard to put the book down. As always love the details and descriptions the author,is so great at and makes the reader feel as a part of the environment. Love the psychological aspects of the story and how modern criminologist had there start in the field.

I read The Alienist years ago and was enthralled by the authors ability to draw the reader in to its time period and its ways. Not knowing at the time what an Alienist was, I soon realized the intricacies of the specialty of the main character Dr. Kreisler, who primarily worked with children. Both books take place in a dark period of New York City for children of the street one could describe as very Dickensonian. The second book Angel of Darkness revolves around the case of a kidnapped 14 month old in which the main characters are drawn in to find. They get more than what they bargained for in the woman known as Libby Hatch whom they suspect is the kidnapper. The story moves swiftly with well known people of that time making appearances: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Clarence Darrow, and Theodore Roosevelt. I thoroughly enjoyed how Mr. Carr tells the story and his writing is superb!

I had enjoyed the Alienist, and in The Angel of Darkness, the atmosphere and historical setting of the late 19th Century were well-described and appreciated. For any book over 500 pages though, the author needs to hold the attention of the reader through adept and clever plot development, but I think for long parts the author didn't achieve this. After 300 pages in I was thinking, "oh God, another 470 pages to trawl though!"I felt the book did speed up in the second half and there are many good things to enjoy about this series, but this book was impacted by its sheer length, at least 200 pages too long without the plot to support that many words.

Sequel to the alienist, the second book from caleb carr, follows doctor kreizler as he tries to find the kidnapped child of a Spanish diplomat and more about the kidnapper who could be a potential killer.

Incredibly well written. Discriptive writing puts you right there in the scene. The first series also a book called 'the Alienest' was excellent. Can't wait for this book to be made into a series too!

The Angel of Darkness succeeds in being its own story, standing apart from it's spiritual prequel, The Alienist, with a good sense of flow and an intriguing plot. Viewing the story from the perspective of a character not blemished by pessimism or 'grown up' societal stuffiness is a refreshing read. Dwelling into society's reluctance to accept that a woman can be capable of such evil even against her own flesh and blood is as contemporary in the present day as it was now, offering a poignant contemplation on just how much society has really progressed since the mid-1800s.Carr writes with the eye of a historian and the mind of a true character studier, bringing together suspense and all too realistic heart-crushing anticipation.

Great