The Alienist: A Novel (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler Book 1)

Set in 1896 New York, this novel follows newspaper reporter John Schuyler Moore, who is called by his friend Dr. Laszlo Kreizler—a psychologist known as an "alienist"—to examine the mutilated body of an adolescent boy found on the unfinished Williamsburg Bridge. The two undertake a pioneering approach to criminology by constructing a psychological profile of the killer based on details from his crimes. Their investigation leads them into the murderer's past and psychology as he continues to kill. The story is set against the backdrop of Gilded Age New York, depicting its tenements and mansions, corrupt police, gangsters, opera houses, and gin mills. It explores a time when questioning the prevailing belief that killers are born rather than made carried dangerous consequences. The novel combines historical detail with suspense and the psychological dimensions of criminal investigation.