THE ALIENIST

What creature stalks lower Manhattan at the turn of the century and mutilates its victims in unspeakable ways? John Moore, New York Times reporter and Lazzlo Kreizler, "alienist" (psychologist) combine efforts with the police, headed by Theodore Roosevelt, to track down this ruthless killer. Seemingly disconnected events, autopsies and actions build the profile of the mutilator/ murderer as the central question of free will versus psychological determinism is played out. Edward Hermann reads the part of each character with spine-tingling accents which range from New York and Massachusetts vowels to Eastern European intonations. Hermann switches seamlessly from character to narrative, using the natural breaks in the story to punctuate the horror of the plot. The abridgment is subtle, holding the story lines together. The action, investigation and conclusion leave the listener breathless to the very end. M.B.K. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG 94]