The Angel of Darkness

Book review by Joel
I had a friend recommend this book because of the historical nature of it. It was very good in that sense, especially the legal scenes in the book. The trial used Clarence Darrow for the defense lawyer. Also had cameos by Teddy Roosevelt and Elizabeth Cady Stanton who seemed to show up to move the story along.

I had a problem with certain characters being used for one dimensional plot devices. It is the rag tag team device I guess. There is the woman, Miss Howard, who always carries a gun in the folds of her dress. She is up to date on women’s rights and the women’s suffrage movement. There is the reporter for the NY Times who is really slow; so that when the author has to stoop to explain things to stupid people he directs it to Mr. Moore. There is Stevie (Stevepipe) the smalltime reformed burglar, the narrator of the story. There are the two Jewish detectives who introduce us to 19th century forensics, there is Cyrus the bodyguard? I guess, and then finally the doctor, Kriezler who is an alienist, or psychiatrist.

Quite a ragtag team. They were introduced in a previous book, The Alienist: A Novel. In this book they are gathered together to discover who kidnapped the Spanish consulate’s baby daughter. It turns out to be a very dangerous female serial killer who is very slippery to catch.

Once I got over the rag tag team issue I started to get into it. I have to say I really don’t like it when the author feels the need to over explain things. It takes away from the narrative and pacing of the book. I rolled my eyes back more than once. The history part was good however. He put me right there in New York 1897, humid summer and smelly city. Gangs and cocaine addicts and horse drawn buggies. That was cool.

Joel.