The Alienist by Caleb Carr (3 stars)

It's essentially a Sherlock Holmes novel narrated by the Watson-equivalent, in this case a journalist with a bizarre amount of free time and complete lack of any need to earn a living.

The interesting pieces are the historical setting, that also involves Theodore Roosevelt and J.P Morgan, as well as the early attempt at criminal profiling and psychology.

Prior to the twentieth century, persons suffering from mental illness were thought to be “alienated,” not only from the rest of society but from their own true natures. Those experts who studied mental pathologies were therefore known as alienists.

It's fairly standard Sherlock Holmes fare. God I wish they would eat at a different restaurant, I got so sick of hearing about Charlie Delmonico.

3 stars.