Surrender, New York

De: Caleb Carr

Narrado por: Tom Taylorson

Caleb Carr, best-selling author of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, has created a contemporary psychological thriller haunted by the shadowy hands of established power.

In rural, impoverished Burgoyne County, New York, a pattern of strange deaths begins to emerge: Adolescent boys and girls are found murdered, their corpses left hanging in gruesome, ritualistic fashion. Senior law enforcement officials are quick to blame a serial killer, but their efforts to apprehend this criminal are peculiarly ineffective.

Meanwhile, in the county's small town of Surrender, Trajan Jones, a psychological profiler (and the world's leading expert on the life and work of one Dr. Laszlo Kreizler), and Michael Li, a trace evidence expert, once famed advisors to the New York City Police Department, teach online courses in profiling and forensic science from Jones' family farm. Alone and armed mainly with their wits, protected only by farmhands and Jones' unusual "pet", the outcast pair are secretly called in to consult on the case.

Jones and Li immediately discern that the various victims were all "throwaway children", a new state classification given to young people who are not orphans, runaways, or homeless but victims of a terrible phenomenon sweeping America's poor: Abandoned by their families, the throwaways are left to fend for themselves. One of these throwaways, Lucas Kurtz, along with his blind older sister, crosses paths with Jones and Li, offering information that could blow the case wide open.

Racing against the case's mounting stakes, Jones and Li find that they are battling not only to unravel the mystery of how the throwaways died but also to defend themselves and the Kurtz siblings from the threats of shadowy but powerful agents who want to stop them from uncovering the truth. It is a truth that, Jones believes, leads away from their world and back to the increasingly wealthy city where both he and his long-dead intellectual guide, Dr. Kreizler, did their greatest work. But will they be able to trace the case to New York before they fall victim to the murderous forces that stalk them?

Moving at the same rapid pace as his earlier books, yet with the same depth of historical and scientific research, Carr creates another roller-coaster ride of ideas and emotions. Like The Alienist; Surrender, New York brings to life the grim underbelly of a prosperous nation - and those most vulnerable to its failings.

©2016 Caleb Carr (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Narrator Tom Taylorson mirrors the tone of intelligence that characterizes the two main characters in this moving novel. He flawlessly reflects the horror in Carr's depictions of the murders of 'throwaway' children and the impact of those murders on investigators Trajan Jones and Michael Li. Taylorson's resonant inflections and impeccable pacing make this a whodunit reflecting the best of Arthur Conan Doyle." ( AudioFile)

Wanted to love this but...

I loved The Alienist, & generally like Caleb Carr but there were just far too many preposterous points, not to mention the use of the word "indeed", to call this any more than escapism. I hate it when an author I like takes intelligent characters and then takes them down the foolish decision road in order to move the story forward, & that happened far too often here. Plus, there was a lot of pontificating & preaching going on here, even if I generally agreed with the arguments. I stuck to it because I did like the characters, & the story was interesting enough, but just not well delivered on several levels. That said, I still like Mr Carr, & will read him again, in the hopes that better editing will prevail. Tom Taylorson did a fantastic job as narrator.

The Alienist it ain't

Flat characters are crammed into formulaic boxes - their interactions with each other and the story don't mature. The protagonist is stiff and his speaking and thinking are stilted and affected (imagine Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes without a British accent - including the issue Holmes has with women, and with emotion in general). His sidekick/partner is a foul-mouthed, more intelligent version of Dr. Watson, though here he's spoken to dismissively and with unnecessary derision, even though we're told repeatedly how brilliant he is. There's no genuine humor or warmth or sadness at the plight of the children. The "action" is all staged. Add a femme fatal, a brash 15-year-old protege, elected officials with no qualms about hiding the prevalence of throw-away kids (can't stain the state's reputation, now can we?), and aw shucks cops, and you have the whole cast of characters. Nary a one would I like to get to know, and I definitely won't read the next book in what will probably be a series (blatantly augured in the final couple of paragraphs (and that's not a spoiler). Don't waste a credit.

Surrender, New York - An Enjoyable Experience

Where does Surrender, New York rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the first audio book I've listened to. As far as first books go, I believe I hit a winner with this one.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Surrender, New York?

While some parts of this book may seem sophomoric, Carr has masterfully crafted the story to reflect the characters. And the interaction between LT and Marcellano really brought the story to life in a unique way.

Have you listened to any of Tom Taylorson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first performance by Tom Taylorson for me. He's a superb reader, managing to capture the essence of each character as well as the narrator. I enjoyed his reading very much.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There are parts of this book that make you laugh, brings a tear to your eye and evokes disgust and outrage -- a testament to good writing.

Any additional comments?

All in all, this was a very enjoyable experience for me. I am a Caleb Carr fan from way back and am glad to see he's still got the gift. The storyline is unique, the characters full of life and insight. It ranks up there with "The Alienist" and "Angel of Darkness" for me. I could not recommend it more highly.

Excellent!

One of his best book. Looking forward to Trajan's next adventure! A surprise in every corner.

couldn't put it down

interesting, entertaining, loved it
you really should listen to this book. great story, great performance

Performance

Tom Taylorism is the Lon Chaney of audible. Wonderful narration! I’ll be looking for more of his work.

The Performance

I found it very difficult to get into Surrender, New York in large part due to the monotone vocal quality of the reader. I found myself struggling to not
dissociate as I listened. When the narrator took on the voices of the characters it was more captivating and interesting to my ear. Yet, overall his vocal quality made it difficult to stay engaged in the story

love this stye of writing!

Aother wonderful mix of edge of you seat suspence with histical knowledge sprinkled in for a great story.

Informative

It was a great story & informative on the issue of throw away kids. Loved the narrator & the various voices. Recommend it.

With the times

loved the reality of the story and the references that made todayxtie to always