Outcast and snubbed by NYC police, but truly feared criminologists, Drs. [Surrender, New York] allows Carr to deploy his indisputable gift for the gothic and the macabre, and the pursuit is suspenseful and believable.” — USA Today “The crime novel, in its most serious form, has always been used to reflect trends and lament loss and clang the bell of warning to the ills of society. I felt like I was walking through quicksand, watching paint dry and watching grass grow all at the same time. And an extraordinary pet! I had really wanted to like this book. Mix it with tin-eared, unrealistic dialogue uttered by uninteresting characters. Caleb Carr is an American novelist and military historian. Surrender, NY was DREADFUL Here's why: I loved Caleb Carr's books The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, so I was thrilled to see that he'd written another mystery. -I look forward to getting the next sequel. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Imaginative and fulfilling . Start with the prospect of 591 dense pages. Once famed advisors to the New York City Police Department, Trajan and Li now work in exile, having made enemies of those in power. Jones and Li had been run out of New York because of their unorthodox methods and opposition to “forensic corruption” that has dominated some news cycles. Cover art, synopsis, sequels, reviews, awards, publishing history, genres, and time period. Their bodies however are arranged to look like they were murdered. Protected only by farmhands and Jones’s unusual “pet,” the outcast pair is unexpectedly called in to consult on a disturbing case. As the main characters entered the trailer to investigate the initial murder, it took them pages and pages just to get through the first room. Senior law enforcement officials are quick to blame a serial killer, yet their efforts to apprehend this criminal are peculiarly ineffective. Where oh where can I possibly find pages and pages and pages of information on how to rehabilitate a captive cheetah and turn it into a house cat? An. (By the way, as usual, I wrote this review before reading any other Goodreads reviews, many of which I then found to be equally negative. Tautly written, with great psychol. . Then season it with pedantic observations on the state of present-day criminal forensics, and a sophomoric competition between rival observers of a pathetic, depress, What's a good recipe for a DNF book? Follow LT and Mike through a labyrinth of deceptions and political posturing as they try to unravel the mystery of 4 suspicious deaths. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Imaginative and fulfilling … an addictive contemporary crime procedural.”–Michael Connelly, The New York Times Book Review. So pacing - not great. Mix it with tin-eared, unrealistic dialogue uttered by uninteresting characters. Better luck next time, I hope Carr returns to his original greatness soon! returns with a curious whodunit that weds leisurely 19th-century storytelling with 21st-century unpleasantness. (Thank you, Net Galley, for your digital ARC of Surrender, New York). Had it not been me, had it been just another actor in a different case, I would have called the behavior common enough. Besides Mike and LT, Marciella, Luther, Grace, Mitch etc compliment every turn the story takes. Publisher: Random House, 598 pages, $30. August 23rd 2016 Characters and events come off the page and into your imagination to keep you reading. Caleb Carr was amazing in *The Alienist. Sadly, something went awry, and this book... Well, first off, I think it would have benefited from a more stringent editor who could have easily cut say 100 pages out of it - there are only so many times I need to hear the same complaints, observations, or elitist musings before it gets really old. Caleb Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, returns with a contemporary, edge-of-your-seat thriller featuring Dr. Trajan Jones, a criminal psychologist—and the world’s leading expert on the life and work of one Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, the hero of The Alienist, in whose brilliant but unconventional footsteps he follows. . Tautly written, with great psychological insight; a not to be missed novel in Mr. Carr's cannon! I had hoped he would be doing the same here, in Surrender. Reading *Bag of Bones* by Stephen King was much the same. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The son of Lucien Carr, a former UPI editor and a key Beat generation figure, he was born in Manhattan and lived for much of his life on the Lower East Side. For summaries and selected critical reception of Caleb Carr’s other fiction and non-fiction works, please use the side menu. And then I blinked." So disappointed by the writing in this novel. The only character I liked was Marcianna, Trajan Jones' "rare African hunting dog". A harrowing look at the "throwaway children" epidemic and the psychological affects of that epidemic on the children involved, all rolled into a fascinating novel involving conspiracy, on line classes, death, suspense, and a cheetah (which by the way has an absolutely beautiful moment in the book that will reduce you to tears). It took me approximately 100 pages to determine if I would continue, but because it was Caleb Carr, I knew to give it time-and I am so glad I did. It just didn't work for me. by Random House. Their classroom is an old fuselage of a pre-World War Two Junker that Jones’ father purchased and flew to his sister’s farm in Burgoyne County, NY. Additionally, great writers usually master the art of "Show, Don't Tell." The son of Lucien Carr, a former UPI editor and a key Beat generation figure, he was born in Manhattan and lived for much of his life on the Lower East Side. I keep expecting time travel (it's possible that happens later in the book, but I doubt it), and the plodding pace, with digressions into local history, is less atmospheric and more just... tangential. That's not to say they deal with them. ), A harrowing look at the "throwaway children" epidemic and the psychological affects of that epidemic on the children involved, all rolled into a fascinating novel involving conspiracy, on line classes, death, suspense, and a cheetah (which by the way has an absolutely beautiful moment in the book that will reduce you to tears). That's WHY they are given. * I wasn't able to finish *Angel of Darkness* or this latest novel. Selected critical reception has also been included. Then season it with pedantic observations on the state of present-day criminal forensics, and a sophomoric competition between rival observers of a pathetic, depressing crime scene in a remote decrepit trailer. I truly enjoyed this book as much as I did Caleb Carr's first, "the Alienist". Start with the prospect of 591 dense pages. Loved the Alienist. DNF after 42 pages for me, maybe DNS for you. DNF @ 25%, which is over 150 pages. Caleb Carr, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, returns with a contemporary, edge-of-your-seat thriller featuring Dr. Trajan Jones, a criminal psychologist—and the world’s leading expert on the life and work of one Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, the hero of The Alienist, in whose brilliant but unconventional footsteps he follows. Both men have a low opinion of CSI types who are so popular on television. . The reviews on Goodreads are not stellar but I hope that people give it enough time to let the story finally get rolling, because it really is a wonderful story. . This page may contain affiliate links and advertising. I even tried the habit that Mike and I consistently warned our students against, listening to my gut; but all my gut told me was that I had fallen in love with a girl who had brought me out of years of torment, however briefly, yet who was still involved in something beyond shady. I know what you're thinking. Sounds delicious, doesn't it? * I wasn't able to finish *Angel of Darkness* or this latest novel. This novel could use a serious editor to reduce the instances of redundant and over explained themes. Carr is the author of The Alienist, which was very good. Write it in a turgid, clunky first-person style. Two of these throwaways, Lucas Kurtz and his older sister, cross paths with Jones and Li, offering information that could blow the case wide open. Be warned. The second is what the reader read just prior to this book-if it was something on the fluffy side, it may take some time to get used to his style of writing-suffice to say it is NOT fluffy. I had a very hard time with this book. Flawed characters all but each aware of their flaws and face them head on. Carr once again delivers a high-stakes thriller featuring a new band of clever, determined outcasts … With gut-punching twists and the potential for a sequel, this intelligent, timely thriller will be savored by Carr’s fans and new readers alike. "And then I took another breath. I felt like I was walking through quicksand, watching paint dry and watching grass grow all at the same time. Outcast and snubbed by NYC police, but truly feared criminologists, Drs. When Dr. Ernest Weaver, the Medical Examiner pronounces that the death of the fifteen year old girl “is cut and dried, murder of a teenage runaway, with possible sexual implications,” Jones and Li are very skeptical, as Weaver’s conclusions make little sense. It is never a good sign when you start thinking about what you're going to read next when you are only on page 100. I had really wanted to like this book. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Imaginative and fulfilling . It's no secret that television is getting in on the book adaptation game. It had, as usual, excellent real life characters and a rather convoluted plot but sooo good. As the stakes grow higher, Jones and Li must not only unravel the mystery of how the throwaways died, but also defend themselves and the Kurtz siblings against shadowy agents who don’t want them to uncover the truth. See all 5 questions about Surrender, New York…, Group Read - Surrender, New York General No spoilers.