[2] Surr wrote several novels, including Consequences (1796), The Magic of Wealth (1815), and Richmond, or, Scenes in the Life of a Bow Street Officer (1827), some of which were translated into French or German.
The first volume includes a subplot about an abandoned, possibly haunted, abbey which is thought to be the meeting place of a secret society.
[4] In the novel, Barnwell is torn between his parents' desire for him to enter the world of work, and intellectual interests shared with his atheist and republican friend Mr Mental, a radical philosopher.
The critique of Mr Mental's modern philosophy is one expression of Surr's conservative point of view, which is shown throughout his works.
[5] Surr's most famous novel was A Winter in London, or Sketches of Fashion, a bestseller which went into thirteen editions.
His childhood is shown in the first volume; in the second, he enters London society, guided by a doctor who provides information and satirical commentary.
[3] A Winter in London contains several descriptions of upper-class conspicuous consumption, intended to satisfy the curiosity of the middle class; however, unlike other season novels, Surr had a conservative streak and criticised the nouveau riche.