Group Read - Surrender, New York Part 1 Spoilers welcome

[Ann]

Spoilers are welcome on this topic thread for the first part of the book. If the first to post could add a brief summary to guide the discussion it would be appreciated!
Part One The Curse of Knowledge - three chapters.

[Carol/Bonadie]

I have summaries ready for this section but it may take me a day to post them. Also, since I'm listening some of the names have whizzed by me so I apologize in advance for errors which those of you with print copies can correct.

[Carol/Bonadie]

Part One, The Curse of Knowledge
Chapter One: You Cannot Escape It, In This Country

We are introduced to Dr. Trajan Jones (L.T.) and Dr. Mike Li, a criminal psychologist and a forensics expert, and both teachers of online courses on the subject in upstate New York. LT is a disciple of Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a forensic psychologist in the previous century. They receive a visit from Deputy Chief Pete Steinbrecher who asks them to come to the scene of a murder. A number of police are already on the scene, including the medical examiner Dr. Ernest Weaver, his tech Curtis Kolmbach, and Sheriff Steve Spinetti. 15-year-old Shelby Capamagio was found in a barn. The cops and Medical Examiner think she was killed there and that this is part of a serial killer’s work, although they don’t say why. LT and Mike think it’s impossible she could have been killed there, but the murder was staged to look so. LT also thinks that this was staged in a way to cause the cops to call him and Li into the case.

LT goes through the history of Surrender and some of its prominent citizens. Will this come into play later?

[Carol/Bonadie]

Part One, Chapter Two: The Devil and Marcianna Jones

LT and Mike learn that there have been other deaths of youth of both sexes, and look for connections.

We meet Marcianna, LT’s cheetah, rescued by him from a petting zoo. While LT is walking Marcianna he startles two young boys, Derek and Lucas, who are spying on him. They live nearby under the care of Lucas’s blind sister, Ambyr. Derek is “slow.” They knew the murder victims, and LT decides they will be useful and offers them a role as “consultants.” Lucas jumps at the chance but Derek demurs and heads home. Lucas follows LT back to the fighter plane that serves as their office/teaching lab. Lucas watches LT teach an online course on criminal investigation.

LT and Mike get a call to come to another crime scene -- or so they think......

[Carol/Bonadie]

Part One -- Chapter 3: Siren Songs

LT and Mike are en route to the crime scene. In the meantime, they reflect on a case they are reminded of from some years back. NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) members were luring young boys in the area to NYC and beyond, and some of these boys turned up dead. These cases are different in that both boys and girls have disappeared, but other elements seem the same.

They arrive on the scene. Dr. Weaver (M.E.) is being held hostage by an unknown man and there is also a dead body. There are a number members of law enforcement present, including Spinetti; Steinbrecher; a detective in the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) Frank Mangold; Mjr. Mitch McCarron, head of Troop G, State Police; Dr. Grace Chang, a criminal psychologist known to both LT and Mike, who has a crush on her; Nancy Grimes, head of the Forensic Investigation Center (FIC) and Kolmbach’s boss, and Cathy Donovan, an Assistant District Attorney. Some political posturing takes place but they finally get down to business.

LT and McCarron go in to try to negotiate with the hostage taker. As they move through the abandoned building they come across a horrible smell followed by a horrible sight -- the corpse of a baby upended into a toilet. They are both shaken.

They finally come upon Dr. Weaver and the hostage taker, whose name is Latrell. He agrees to let Weaver leave with McCarron and to have LT remain. Latrell admits that there is a dead body of a young boy on the premises. He was paid to bring the boy to this dumping ground. He is ashamed and seems ready to say more about who hired him. He agrees o leave with LT after LT promises he’ll be in safe hands with the state police rather than the local cops. As they leave the building, tragedy strikes. McCarron is supposed to be waiting at the front of the building but is nowhere in sight. Latrell gets spooked and starts to reach for his cell phone. Someone shouts “he has a gun” and he is shot dead by dozens of bullets. LT is enraged and is not mollified by being told that they thought Latrell had a gun and he was in danger. He gives them all a tongue lashing, accusing them of eliminating the best lead they had in the case, before Mike drags him away.

[Carol/Bonadie]

There was so much good detail in these chapters that I couldn't put it all in. I forgot what a gorgeious writer Carr is; he made even the historical recitations interesting.

I love the juxtaposition of the different characters and personalities. There is also a thread of humor throughout, almost like John Sandford's writing but a different type of humor. I find myself laughing out loud at LT's exchanges with Lucas and with Mike.

The mystery is unfolding and is intense. I am barely holding on to all the details. There was much description of the other dead kids -- I think there were three others, but I left that out and other details. I am sure we'll get to focus on each of them as LT and Mike pursue their investigation.

I sort of groaned when I saw the book was over 600 pages, but it is flying by.

[Ann]

Carol
I have read only chapter one of this part, but wanted to check in. I also found the story to take me in right away so even though it is a big fat book this looks to be quite easy to listen to. I found myself rewinding a bit during the historical recitations about Surrender's history to not miss anything.
The first chapter with the murder of Shelby in the trailer was a good introduction to the characters and political aspects as well as some of the science that LT and Mike will employ as they profile the case. I find forensics interpretations very interesting and I was intrigued to consider how the forensics will likely play an integral part with the different interpretations of the same clues in the hands of skilled and unskilled investigators. Right down my alley!

[Carol/Bonadie]

Thanks, Ann; it's good to know where you are in moving through the book. I have some questions about summarizing going forward but I will GR-mail those to you.

I am loving all the detail about background in this book. Sometimes that puts me off but not here.

I didn't really read any book summaries before I started but it took me a minute to realize we were in current time. I'm so used to the settings of The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, and with the mention of LT being a disciple of Dr. Lazslo Kreizler, I expected it to be a few years later than those two books. I'm delighted at the transition.

I'm also delighted by the humorous and sometimes profane back and forth between the characters. To me it makes the story even more accessible and is a nice offset to the heavy and dark story that fuels the mystery.

[Ann]

I just read chapter two Carol, and it was a delightful one with the encounter of LT and his cheetah out for a training stroll meeting Lucas and Derek, young teens out on a truant adventure with their fishing poles into Devil's Head hollow. I loved the insights into both the lives of the boys and the family history of Dr Jones.
It seems rather sudden to take Lucas into the investigation so deeply but he does seem an eager pupil and likely to be a good investigator, but they just met him and the case could have some danger. I sensed some foreshadowing of that in fact. Derek may end up being a wild card in this scenario.
What a neat place this farm and the hangar and WW II era plane must be. I like that the tale is set in contemporary time though I also initially expected something more historical.

[Ann]

Chapter three was a heartbreaking visit to another crime scene. I found it disheartening to see such animosity between the various agencies and such dysfunctional interactions. Grace Chang looks to be another possibly ally and Frank Mangold an even more dangerous enemy.
Another facet of the contemporary nature of this tale is the author's take on current social issues and law enforcement policies. The militarization of police forces, the hostile nature of the hostage "negotiations" plan, the shooting of an unarmed teen. Tough things that Carr doesn't shy from criticizing.

[Carol/Bonadie]

Ann wrote: "I just read chapter two Carol, and it was a delightful one with the encounter of LT and his cheetah out for a training stroll meeting Lucas and Derek, young teens out on a truant adventure with the..."

I had the same thought about the speed with which they pulled Lucas fully into the investigation. I get the useful info he can provide, and the role they can play as mentors to him, but they don't seem to have many if any filters on what they tell him, which can't be good. Especially since he is such a headstrong young man.

[Carol/Bonadie]

Ann wrote: "Chapter three was a heartbreaking visit to another crime scene. I found it disheartening to see such animosity between the various agencies and such dysfunctional interactions. Grace Chang looks to..."

I was outraged by Latrell's shooting, even as I predicted it. There didn't seem to be a racial component to the developments, at least not an overt one, but it is hard not to make comparisons to the many instances of black men and boys being shot by police.