The blurb:

'SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.

New York City, 1896. Hypocrisy in high places is rife, police corruption commonplace, and a brutal killer is terrorising young male prostitutes. Unfortunately for Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt, the psychological profiling of murderers is a practice still in its infancy, struggling to make headway against the prejudices of those who prefer the mentally ill - and the 'alienists' who treat them - to be out of sight as well as out of mind. But as the body count rises, Roosevelt swallows his doubts and turns to the eminent alienist Dr Laszlo Kreizler to put a stop to the bloody murders - giving Kreizler a chance to take him further into the dark heart of ciriminality, and one step closer to death.

''The Alienist' isn't only an ingenious thriller. Carr brings enormous gusto to the portrait of old New York - the city seems to rise off the page' Anthony Quinn in the Independent

'What distinguishes Carr is his rigorous and extremely imaginative depiction of how Kreizler must make up a whole branch of science as he goes along ... [Carr] is greatly aided in this by a real storytelling verve, the sort of narrative drive that manages to create a crescendo at the end of each chapter without deafening the reader' Stephen Amidon in the Sunday Times'

This is a book that I seem to recall seeing around a lot, but not hearing very much about. It looks absolutely fascinating though - right up my alley. :-) I really look forward to reading it, and will write more when I have done so.

This is a paperback edition from Warner Books, printed in 1995.

I bought this book at Pepita, a used book store in Oslo, on Friday, February 9th, 2007. They had a sale - a whole bag full of books for only 100 NOK. Irresistible! I managed to cram 32 - count 'em! 32! - books into my bag. :-D

Finally read this earlier this year, when I suddenly realized that the TV series based on it has now actually been made. I want to see that, but of course had to read the book first. I really liked it, it's well written, with interesting characters and a good plot. Enjoyable is the wrong word, because it's pretty grisly, but a good read.

Now I will bring the book with me to Bordeaux, France, and release it there at the BookCrossing convention. :-)

On the book buffet! :-)

I picked up the book at the book buffet to be released during the release walk in Bordeaux.

Released during a walk in the centre of Bordeaux.