The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles #1)

If you have never seen the “Rizzoli and Isles” tv show, you will really “enjoy” this novel, though enjoy is a verb I am not sure fits. It is a very bloody and “terrifying” plot that will give you the willies. It is, also, the basis for a couple of plots in the tv show.

If you are reading this novel, as I did, because you really enjoy the tv show you will be severely disappointed. The show was a wonderful montage on plots, people, characters and humanity. The two main characters, on the tv show, are great friends, people whom I would like to know, interesting, good, thoughtful and warm, they genuinely like one another and they have great interaction with their colleagues, their families and their jobs. That does NOT happen in the books. Rizzoli, in the books is unlikable, rude, hard headed and totally not someone whom I would trust to find a lost pair of glasses. Isles, in the books, is not at all interesting. She is more like a paper doll than the fascinating and fabulous person she is in the tv shows. Rizzoli’s family is mean and vicious in the books, not the supporting and great group of people they are in the show. In addition Rizzoli has NO redeeming qualities and her “fellow” officers seem to spend all their time waiting for her to fall on her face and fail. And Isles is, actually, a flat paper character.

Now as to the books, if you are looking for the characters on the show in the book, you will not find them.

What you will find is stories based more on the monsters Gerritsen is writing about. In the books, the police are there to, eventually, catch the bad guy. The bad guys are much more interesting and the plots are good. If I had never seen the tv show I would love the books. Unfortunately, I came to the books after the show.

The Surgeon is someone, in the book, whom Isles, of the tv show, would have caught immediately. I caught it, the major clue that led, eventually, to figuring out “who dun it”. And the major plot points of the book are carried forward into the tv show, as well as the “sequel” The Apprentice.

Do I like the novels? Yes, when I can quit “seeing” the tv show.

This is the thing you need to keep in mind, on the tv show the primary point is the interpersonal relationships. I never thought I would say this, but I actually like the way the show is written better than the way the characters are portrayed in the books.

However, the books are better vis a vis the crimes. And that is because the books are about the crimes.

Thus, for interpersonal relationships, family, characterization the tv show is much, much better.

For “crime” the books are more centered and complete.

Both are enjoyable but for different reasons.

My Review Five Stars*****

My spouse’s niece was in the den talking with me the other day when she spotted “Rizzoli & Isles” on the monitor screen (I was on goodreads.com updating my progress reading THE SURGEON). She and her mom have recently started “binge-watching” episodes of Rizzoli & Isles on TV, and she had no idea that the popular TV series was based upon the written works of Tess Gerritsen.

I have been a big fan of Gerritsen since THE HARVEST hit the book shelves in the ’90s. I can recall how much I loved THE SURGEON [2001] and the second novel in 2002 [THE APPRENTICE]. There is the caveat that I relied exclusively on county library systems (and their satellite locations) to buy and stock rentals of unabridged audio books (initially on cassettes and then later on CDs). I went through an armful of audio books almost faster than a carton of cigarettes when my livelihood depended upon extensive travel all over the state. I simply didn’t have the luxury of buying new releases, and for that reason I missed out on many outstanding novels by a number of my very favorite writers.

Recently I received an email for a discount on Kindle versions of Tess Gerritsen’s Rizzoli & Isles book series. I was excited and delighted, hitting the purchase button on all of the available installments that were eligible for the promotional price, a total of eight (8) I believe. I could hardly wait to re-read THE SURGEON [2001]. Currently I have a Kindle Paperwhite and I read each night. A full length novel typically takes me about five to seven days to finish. The moment I read the first page of THE SURGEON I knew that I was in trouble. I read the first third of the book and forced myself to lay it down! The second night I had read 75%, and finished the remaining 25% of the novel on the third night. I’m pretty sure that is a record for me. It was just as riveting as it was nearly a decade ago, and I loved re-reading it.

What do you say about a novel that has logged close to 135,000 ratings between Goodreads and Amazon, and I think with Amazon it’s only the Kindle Edition reviews. That’s a rhetorical question of course. Ratings were 4.01 and 4.5 respectively with a host of glowing and articulate endorsements by many of the most popular authors writing today—Stephen King, John Saul, Michael Palmer, Iris Johansen, and Tami Hoag Indeed, what can I possibly say?

There is an interesting observation I made about these endorsements, though, which should say a world about this novel. Specifically, there are rave reviews from the varied genres of horror, medical thrillers, romantic suspense, and crime fiction.

Moreover, in my opinion, this novel figuratively crowned a new queen of forensic science in the crime fiction genre and its sub-genres. The year 2001 was remarkable for Gerritsen’s release of the incredibly popular and sensational novel THE SURGEON. In review I believe that 2001 was significant for a couple of other authors in this field. Let’s not forget that Gerritsen had hit the NYT Bestseller List with her inaugural medical thriller HARVEST (1996). The inaugural voyage of what was to become the Rizzoli & Isles book series, 2001’s THE SURGEON essentially put the “cherry on the top”.

In 2001, a new author by the name (of all things) “Slaughter” released her debut thriller BLINDSIGHTED. Admittedly it was accompanied by a serious promotional campaign, but it was indeed the launch of an international star, an author who would become a household name. Meanwhile another female author named Lisa Gardner was already writing bestsellers in 2001, but by 2005 would hit her stride and reach the pinnacle of her creative genius with ALONE. Lisa Gardner would release HIDE a couple years later in 2007, the book many critics would argue was when she hit the highest bar in her entire writing career to that point. Regardless, we experienced the awesome power of Gardner’s genius and were there when she peaked as an unassailable top talent in the field of crime fiction.

Simply put, I see 2001 as the birthday of a trifecta of female authors who would rise above the tides to sit above all others in a few short years. Karin Slaughter would follow up her “realistic and unsparing” BLINDSIGHTED with an incredible roster of novels delivering more of the same in spades. She would become known as “writing with a razor”. Gerritsen would praise Karin Slaughter in the endorsement:

(Karin Slaughter)…”Takes us to the deep, dark places other novelists don’t dare to go”

But of course I might make the observation that Tess Gerritsen had already taken us to some pretty deep, dark places with her works, and certainly with the publication of THE SURGEON [2001]. Additionally, Lisa Gardner’s novels were arguably as dark and daring with the exploitation of women by serial predators as any I’ve ever read.

Finally, I view Tess Gerritsen as one of the most astonishing female authors in the entire genre of crime fiction (and all of its sub-genres). She is a master of the game. I love her works and I am looking forward to (first) reading all of the Rizzoli & Isles books in chronological order, and then reading her earlier works (most of which will be enjoyable re-reads from the ’90s).

I’ve been putting off reading this series due to the Rizzoli & Isles television series, but it wasn’t necessary. Like Longmire, the producers use the authors’ works as springboards to new storylines, so both books and television series can be enjoyed.

I think the detail that threw me the most was the absence of Dr. Maura Isles, who isn’t introduced until the next entry, The Apprentice. I had already been informed of the differences between literary Rizzoli and her TV counterpart– and that’s enough comparisons between the two mediums!

I have to admit that the serial killer part of The Surgeon was a tad old hat, but this was written in 2001 when he would’ve been much fresher. Watching the investigation unfold was fascinating; it took a lot of basic police work, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. Going back over the same ground until some small detail stood out and begged to be followed up on.

Due to Gerritsen’s medical background, readers get an excellent feel for the protocol in hospitals and the split-second decisions that must be made in the emergency room. But the overarching theme of The Surgeon is women competing in what has always been considered a “man’s world.” Jane Rizzoli and Catherine Cordell both have cores of steel; they have to because of their occupations. Too many times women have been treated as victims, as a sex not worthy of being heard, only of being ignored, protected as something “lesser,” or… of being disposed of. Tess Gerritsen makes readers feel every second, every ounce, of this injustice. It’s this passion of hers, along with her fast-paced story, her fascinating characters, and her eye for detail that will keep me reading her books.

Everything in these novels written by Tess screams medicine. The laying out of the surgical tools alone, side by side, and described one by one, would have made you cringed with the sense of pain. It was sick.

This novel has all the ingredients of a nerve-wrecking chilling incision. Some really conjure a chilling freezing surgical theatre some of us may have experienced it before.

The writing is absolutely riveting. The plot ticked all the boxes – gruesome crime, committed detective and strangely a love story within it.

Tess is really good with characterization. So clear that you seem to be looking up from your office desk and be able to observe the few people who are walking through your door and identify them with the characters in the book. The story draws you in psychologically.

I have the second book in this series, should I continue…?

The Surgeon

This is the first book in Tess Gerritsens Rizzoli and Isles book series. The characters were developed from the books into a TV series starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander which ran for at least seven series. However the books and the TV series may have the same characters but that is largely where the similarities end.

In the original book Rizzoli is described as being short, squat and square faced. Angie Harmon who plays the character on TV is a former model. The issues of gender discrimination against Rizzoli in the book are vicious whilst the TV series portrays it as banter. In fact you might argue that in the first book Rizzoli is not even the main character and I cannot really comment on Isles because she is not there. Isles does not feature in this initial book at all.

A serial killer is operating in Boston and has claimed a number of victims. He carries out medical procedures on them prior to killing them. Investigations reveal that the crimes are similar to murders in Savannah but the only problem is that perpetrator was shot dead by the last woman he attacked. However that woman now lives in Boston. Is there a copy-cat killer operating there?

Rizzoli moves from leading the investigation to fulfilling a more marginal role in a task force as the murders escalate. Police gender politics tend to place an onus on Rizzoli to continually justify her role in the eyes of her male colleagues. It is a battle she constantly feels she is losing.

Gerritsens own medical background allows an informed insight into the medical aspects of the story. It moves along at a fair pace and reinforces the precept that most if not all of the sexual predators in society are invisible to others and their behaviour does not become apparent to their victims until it is to late.

A good book but reaction to it could be tempered by exposure to the TV series. If you came to the books after seeing the programme you would not recognise the book characters. Alternatively if you found the books first you could not help but wonder why television had changed so many of the things that make the books such compelling reading. Perhaps the impact of advertising on American TV is the principal reason and the less salubrious content of the books would not sit well with those who purchase advertising time from the networks?

Well worth a look.

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