by Caleb Carr
First published 2016
Dr. Trajan Jones teaches online courses from his family farm in Surrender, New York. The criminal psychologist once advised the NYPD but now lives in exile with his partner Dr. Michael Li, a trace evidence expert. Their quiet life ends when local authorities ask them to investigate a series of brutal murders. Teenage victims are turning up dead across Burgoyne County. All belong to a new category called "throwaway children," abandoned by their families and left to survive alone. Senior officials blame a serial killer but their investigation stalls mysteriously. Two surviving throwaways, Lucas Kurtz and his sister, approach Jones and Li with crucial information. As the pair digs deeper, shadowy forces try to silence them and the Kurtz siblings. Jones suspects the truth leads back to New York City, where he once worked alongside the legendary Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. Racing against time, Jones and Li must solve the case before they become the next victims. The investigation exposes the dark reality facing society's most vulnerable children.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, psychological-thriller, academic
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, race-against-time
Setting: Burgoyne County, New York City, Surrender, New York
Period: 21st-century
598 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: child-abuse, murder, violence