Caleb Carr is both a military historian and a skilled novelist, probably best known for two historical mysteries --- THE ALIENIST and THE ANGEL OF DARKNESS --- featuring the methods of criminal psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, working in New York City in the late 19th century. His latest effort, SURRENDER, NEW YORK, would seem at first to be a departure from these earlier works. But as fans will soon recognize, this new novel set in the present day continues to participate in the debates and questions Carr has raised in the past.

At the center of SURRENDER, NEW YORK is criminal psychologist Trajan Jones, coincidentally the world’s leading expert on the work of Dr. Kreizler. He and his partner, Mike Li, an expert at collecting and analyzing evidence, have been banished from New York City after years of questioning the high-tech (and often deeply flawed) methods of the modern-day NYPD’s forensic science departments. Jones and Li prefer to base their investigations on much older methods, the kinds of classic investigative approaches pioneered by Dr. Kreizler. They now teach an online course out of their airplane hangar/crime lab, hidden away in the remote hills of fictional rural Burgoyne County, New York.

"Questioning whether or not the newest, most “cutting-edge” way is always the best way is certainly something readers will leave this book contemplating for quite some time."

Given their infamous history, Jones and Li are well known to the law enforcement community of Burgoyne County. And they could hardly ignore significant criminal cases when they’re taking place practically right under their noses. So when multiple teenagers --- all of them so-called throwaway teens abandoned by their parents --- show up dead, naturally Jones and Li get involved. On some level, it may be just an exercise to debunk the technology-driven conclusions that the young “CSI” crew jumps to. But soon enough, Jones is intimately involved with the case, especially when a smart but bored teenager who just happens to idolize Sherlock Holmes joins them, both to learn from the team and also to uncover inside information on area high school scandals and intrigue. Their investigation will take them through the range of desperation in this economically depressed area and even lead them back to New York City in search of answers --- and, of course, it leads them back time and time again to the theories and insights of Dr. Kreizler.

One of the interesting things about SURRENDER, NEW YORK (and a feature that initially may be off-putting to new readers) is that, despite the novel’s contemporary setting, Jones, who narrates the story, does so in a particularly formal, almost old-fashioned way, which can seem jarring given the setting. But Jones is, at least on some levels, old-fashioned in his approach and certainly eccentric in his behavior (he has a pet cheetah, for example), so this narrative style is somewhat fitting. Similarly, the heavy use of foreshadowing can seem like a throwback to an earlier style of storytelling.

That said, SURRENDER, NEW YORK offers an unexpected counterpoint to the privileging of forensic science that drives the plots of so many recent books and television shows. Questioning whether or not the newest, most “cutting-edge” way is always the best way is certainly something readers will leave this book contemplating for quite some time.