I found The Alienist to be a very quick Jack the Ripper meets Sherlock Holmes-esque adventure. It incorporates a bit of historical fiction in 1896 using Theodore Roosevelt, police commissioner of NYC at the time, to aid fictitious Dr. Kreizler in his investigation into the brutal butchering of young immigrant males. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Using early forensics with the help of the first woman hired by the police department they decode the murderer's M.O. and eventually unravel a very dark past to match the present.

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I liked these characters and appreciated the use of historical plight to support what is basically true crime's greatest hits. The solid background makes it more than just police procedure and gore.