Curious Toys

The Alienist meets The Devil in the WhiteCity: An intrepid young woman stalks a murderer throughturn-of-the-century Chicago, in the transfixing new historicalnovel from Elizabeth Hand.In the sweltering summer of 1915, Pin, the fourteen-year-olddaughter of a carnival fortune-teller, dresses as a boy and joins ateenage gang that roams the famous Riverview amusement park,looking for trouble.Unbeknownst to the well-heeled city-dwellers and visitors whocome to enjoy the attractions, the park is also host to a ruthlesskiller who uses the shadows of the dark carnival attractions toconduct his crimes. When Pin sees a man enter the Hell Gate ridewith a young girl, and emerge alone, she knows that somethinghorrific has occurred.The crime will lead her to the iconic outsider artist HenryDarger, a brilliant but seemingly mad man. Together, the twonavigate the seedy underbelly of a changing city to uncover amurderer few even know to look for.