In 1896, a serial killer targets boys who work as prostitutes in the seedy parts of New York City. A controversial psychiatrist, then called an alienist, and a reporter gather an investigative team in order to identify the killer through the usage of scientific methods like forensics and an early form of profiling.
I actually thought that I’d like this more because on the surface it has all the ingredients that I usually enjoy, like a well-researched historical background, cameos by a parade of historical figures, and the search for a criminal who is apt at eluding detection. However, all of this never came together into a coherent whole for me, as especially in the first half the pacing seemed to be terribly off which frequently made me grow bored. Another reason was the writing style. The book is written from the perspective of the reporter, and I don’t think that the author managed to give him a convincing voice. I found the narration too verbose and sedate, especially when he describes events where he was in actual peril or otherwise excited; in general, there was very little actual personality shining through.
That said, in the second half, the pace picks up increasingly which made me read the last 150 pages in one sitting. The ending is maybe a little too convoluted, and the character of the serial killer not completely believable but it had definitely become a pageturner at this point. The historical background in general was educational and interesting, as a vivid picture of late 19th century New York is painted, with all the downsides like corruption and social inequality highlighted. I also found the frequent involvement of Theodore Roosevelt, then Police Commissioner, quite enjoyable as he is one of the more engaging characters. The crimes themselves are incredibly gruesome but I appreciated that the descriptions of what was inflicted on the victims were at least not overly detailed but rather matter-of-fact and short.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book more than I didn’t but it should have been better. With such an intriguing plot and colourful background there should not have been any room for boredom. I still recommend it for fans of the serial killer genre but only if there is also a considerable interest in history.
CBR11 Bingo: Pajiba