The Surgeon (Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles, #1)

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The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles #1)

by Tess Gerritsen (Goodreads Author)

4.05 of 5 stars 4.05 · rating details · 36,195 ratings · 1,586 reviews

In her most masterful novel of medical suspense, New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen creates a villain of unforgettable evil—and the one woman who can catch him before he kills again.

He slips into their homes at night and walks silently into bedrooms where women lie sleeping, unaware of the horrors they soon will endure. The precision of the killer's methods...more

Hardcover, 359 pages

Published October 2nd 2001 by Ballantine Books (first published 2001)

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Jun 05, 2011 Punk rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

Thriller. Trigger Warning for discussion of rape.

Let's review:

1. "He identifies and removes only the organ he wants. Nothing more. And what he wants is the womb." [...] "He hates women," she said. "He cuts out the one thing that makes them women." (p.60)

2. Ignoring the water bottle and the disgusting object it contained... (p.67)

3. "'She thought: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have been so careless." But that's how it is with women.' She looked directly at Moore. 'We blame ourselves for everythin

...more

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May 07, 2012 Nikki rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, crime

Trigger warnings: rape, mutilation, medical details (both descriptions of stuff like cancer and descriptions of accidents/operations).

That had to come first, because I spent much of this book wishing I had something firm and indestructible to crawl into, to keep me safe. The details are just horrifying -- it reminds me very much of my experience with Val McDermid's work. And, as with that, I had to read to the end to find out who the killer/torturer was, before I could begin to feel okay again....more

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Oct 21, 2010 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those who like a murder mystery that's out of the ordinary

Shelves: it-takes-two

The Surgeon is a brilliantly-crafted tale of horror that's just so terrifying that you can't bear not to look. Seriously.

The story begins with a successful physician named Catherine Cordell who was nearly murdered a few years back in Savannah but lived to tell the tale because she blew her attacker away before he could finish the job. With her attacker's death, the string of grotesque torture-murders ends in Savannah, but then resurfaces in Boston. Which is just where Cordell now resides. The n...more

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May 19, 2010 Raíla Soares rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, reviews-written

The Surgeon is a remarkable, wonderfully well-written thriller. I had never read such an amazing story like this in my whole life. I am serious. The killer's speech feels so real! While reading, I had the feeling that someone was watching me, like... It's scary.

So many mysteries behind every little thing of the investigation... There's a moment when they induce hypnosis in the main victim, Catherine Cordell, so she can remember things from the crime scene, which is also minutely described. It's...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Old_airman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Maura Isles is totally missing. Jane Rizzoli is so much different than the TV show. I am a fan of the TV show so I decided to start with book #1. I was not disappointed in the book, but it was a bit of a shock to see Rizzoli as a homely, outsider fighting for her what was due her. The development of the characters was outstanding. The focus upon the impact on the lives of victims was fleshed out more than in any other crime novel that I have read. The surgical element was a bit overdeveloped for...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Vanessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Although this book is labeled as Rizzoli and Isles #1, only Jane Rizzoli appears in it. If you found your way here from the TV show, you'll find the Rizzoli in the source material quite different from the one on the show. For starters, not only is she a short woman but several characters (including Rizzoli herself) mention how plain she is. In other words, the book Rizzoli is no Angie Harmon. She also has a much less affectionate relationship with her family and male co-workers.

I needed some re...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Patricia-k3 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspense

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 10, 2009 Dan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book that I probably would've never picked up on my own but, Amazon offered it briefly as a free download so, I decided to check it out. It is a fairly standard serial killer thriller but, don't let that dissuade you from reading it. "The Surgeon" is gripping suspense and Gerritsen is a gifted story teller.

The story centers around a serial killer in Boston who performs living dissections on his female victims. At times, the story is extremely grizzly but the juxtaposition of descriptio...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-adventure, did-not-finish

I tried, I really did try to finish this book, but I just couldn't. I have had the great pleasure of meeting the author in person a couple of times and have enjoyed her romances from back in her early days of writing. I know that many people have really loved this series, so I had high hopes for it. However, the level of bitchiness from Jane Rizzoli was just over the line for me character-wise. Feisty women who stand up for themselves I can understand and get behind. But Rizzoli was nasty to peo...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective, rizzoli-isles, tess-geritsen, female-writers

Sacha Alexander & Angie Harmon from the tv-series Rizzoli & Islesmade me pick up thisnoel to begin with. It was actually a bargainprice for the first 4 novels of this series in HC edition that made me buy on the premisse of the tv-show. But quite early on in this book you discover the large difference between book and show. Now I get to read if miss Gerritsen can entertain me as much as the show does.

Well I do know that while this book is advertised as Rizzoli & Isles part 1 it is re...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Nathan Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very few authors have the ability to inspire me or grab my attention in the first 20 pages. Even as an aspiring author, I have difficulty opening a book and sticking to it. Tess Gerritsen changed that in recent years, skyrocketing to become my favorite author.

And so I pried open The Surgeon and embarked on a twisted journey following the investigations of Detective Jane Rizzoli.

The plot revolves around the grisly murders carried out by a serial killer dubbed “the Surgeon” for his use of scalpels...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Abbey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: myst-police, myst-set-andor-auth-usa, series, suspense-thriller

BOTTOM LINE: 2001, #1 Jane Rizzoli, police detective, Boston; psychological police procedural. Well-plotted, if familiar, tale of a serial killer who wants to get ‛way too close to a famous surgeon, and the troubled cops who want to bring him down; entertaining page turner, with potential.

The center of this novel is actually Dr. Catherine Cordell, a famous surgeon who was stalked and almost killed by a serial rapist several years ago in Atlanta; she shot him dead and managed to barely survive. N...more BOTTOM LINE: 2001, #1 Jane Rizzoli, police detective, Boston; psychological police procedural. Well-plotted, if familiar, tale of a serial killer who wants to get ‛way too close to a famous surgeon, and the troubled cops who want to bring him down; entertaining page turner, with potential.

The center of this novel is actually Dr. Catherine Cordell, a famous surgeon who was stalked and almost killed by a serial rapist several years ago in Atlanta; she shot him dead and managed to barely survive. Now it seems a copycat has arisen in Boston, where she is currently living, and he wants to impress her...

Jane Rizzoli is a very interesting "female cop" type, who harkens back to Margaret Maron's Sigrid Harald and, unfortunately, seems to replicate the chauvinistic tone of that 1980s-early 90s series which was correct for the time but seems overdone for 2001. As an introductory book showing us where Jane comes from emotionally, I suppose the overt chauvinistic "you're an outsider ‛cause you're female" stuff was necessary, but I found Gerritsen's handling of it to be clumsy; a bit of it might have worked well, but she repeatedly keeps beating on it.

The writing is good, however, and eventually the balance amongst the staff was resolved into what might become a good cast of characters in the future, but this first-in-series was annoying at times, repeatedly hitting the same notes - Jane as outsider, Jane as unwanted tag-a-long, Jane has to Earn Her Spurs, etc. That business got in the way of an otherwise interesting plot and fascinating characters, as did another pet peeve of mine - the killer's voice in italics every couple of chapters or so. Maybe in 2001 this technique was fresh, but now it's tired stuff, not to mention difficult to read. Hope she doesn't continue this in the later books!

Gerritsen is a good writer. I enjoyed getting to meet Jane and Dr. Cordell. No sign of Maura Isles, though, thankfully as, if she's anything like the tv show I'm hating her already - I'm really not too fond of shoes and fashionistas, and so far the show has mostly portrayed Isles as a Sex'n'City wannabe, presumably trying to up the "contrast and compare" quotient between her and Jane. Too bad, as both Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander are very good actors, and overall I was disappointed with the show. It was the reason I picked this book up and finally read it, however, and I'm grateful for that; I'll gladly read more.

Gerritsen's depiction of Boston isn't bad (I love "local stuff"), plus she actually used MY street in a scene! This book has a "feeling her way" attitude about it and I'm hopeful the future entries in this long series will improve. Next up is THE APPRENTICE, which seems (after reading the blurbs, PW, etc) to pretty much be a rerun of the first book. Certainly hope not. The tv show had compacted these two stories into one introductory show, eliminated Dr. Cordell and added Maura Isles, into a serviceable show that, unfortunately, didn't have anything new or interesting to offer; this book was a far better introduction to what might be an extremely entertaining series. But, re. that tv show...

Jane Rizzoli is written to be HOMELY, people!!! Angie Harmon never was, and is never likely to be, anything but gorgeous. geesh. In the book Jane's awkwardness and feelings of insecurity are central to the storyline, reminding me of early Barbara Havers a bit, when Elizabeth George was writing interesting, evocative stuff. And despite my carping, the main rationale - this policewoman is just trying to make her bones, get accepted by the pack for the great work she does - gets woven into perspective by the end of the book, as does a big element in the book (less so in the show), Jane's quest Not To Be Ignored simply because she isn't softly beautiful. Plus her family situation is far better rendered in this first book than in the tv show, for Gerritsen shows the family dynamic as not at all cute, and quite hurtful at times, quite reminiscent of many families I've known in the past. To her folks Jane is almost completely ignored and treated as "extra" - she is simply not important; this (the males matter, the young females don't) was common in many families when and where I grew up. This sort of behavior marks a woman, and it will be interesting to see where Gerritsen goes with it - if she stays out of the cliches it could be wonderful.

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Sep 20, 2012 Hope rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: boston, crime, thriller, medical-examiner, library, serial-killer, rizzoli-isles

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen is sort of the first in her Rizzoli & Isles series. I say sort of because it feel more like a prequel – we are introduced to Rizzoli who plays a supporting role in the novel, but Isles does not appear at all. That said, The Surgeon is still a very good crime thriller.

The novel, which is set in Boston, revolves around the search for a terrifying serial killer – a killer who has been dubbed “The Surgeon” because of the horrifying way that he precisely cuts open w...more The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen is sort of the first in her Rizzoli & Isles series. I say sort of because it feel more like a prequel – we are introduced to Rizzoli who plays a supporting role in the novel, but Isles does not appear at all. That said, The Surgeon is still a very good crime thriller.

The novel, which is set in Boston, revolves around the search for a terrifying serial killer – a killer who has been dubbed “The Surgeon” because of the horrifying way that he precisely cuts open women and removes their uteruses. The search is headed by Detective Thomas Moore of Boston’s homicide unit, and he is helped along by Jane Rizzoli, who is still fairly new to the homicide unit, and, as the only woman, feels she has something to prove. Their biggest lead is Dr. Catherine Cordell, the only survivor of a Savannah serial killer with an MO that was almost identical to The Surgeon’s. Things begin to get really tricky for Moore and Rizzoli as it becomes apparent that not only is Cordell the surgeon’s next potential victim, but she and Moore are also extremely, and inappropriately, attracted to one another.

This book is one of those that is hard to put down – the action is fairly intense and the details of the crimes so jarring that you feel you must get to the end to reach a resolution and some sense of peace. You know it is fiction, but the writing is so good that you can’t stop until you know that The Surgeon is either in prison or dead.

While many reviewers were drawn to this book after watching the tv series Rizzoli & Isles, I have never seen the show so it has not colored my opinion of the book. I actually became interested in Gerritsen’s work after being a longtime fan of Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta series. Rizzoli & Isles often come up as recommendations for people who like Scarpetta. I have to say that I think this is a fair assessment, as Gerritsen’s experience as an internist and talent as a writer make her work just as compelling and enjoyable as Cornwell’s.
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Sep 01, 2012 Cat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, thriller

This is a hard book to review; I wanted to give it 3 Stars but its effect made me bump it up to 4. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday; when I went to bed on Saturday it stayed with me and gave me vivid, horrible dreams. Most books don't have that effect.

Before going into my review, this isn't the Rizzoli & Isles of TNT's show (which I love); if anything this is what R&I would be on FX or HBO. It's gritty and dark and what a true "crime thriller" is meant to be. Overall, t...more
This is a hard book to review; I wanted to give it 3 Stars but its effect made me bump it up to 4. I started it on Saturday and finished it on Sunday; when I went to bed on Saturday it stayed with me and gave me vivid, horrible dreams. Most books don't have that effect.

Before going into my review, this isn't the Rizzoli & Isles of TNT's show (which I love); if anything this is what R&I would be on FX or HBO. It's gritty and dark and what a true "crime thriller" is meant to be. Overall, the narrative isn't wonderful. It is a good thriller and a page-turner. I needed to know what happened next. And, in the end, I wasn't disappointed with the story.

However, there are a lot of issues I had this with book. First, as some of the other people mentioned, Rizzoli isn't a sympathetic character. I found her brash and annoying. She has a chip on her shoulder that the male detectives don't respect her, but throughout the book I didn't see her act in anyway to warrant respect. She ignored protocol, she went off on her own and kept leads because she wanted the credit, and she lashed out at her partner multiple times. She was a miserable person. One point Rizzoli is home with her family and her brother is in town and she thinks about how they don't respect her, but they respect him. She thinks something along the lines of as a Marine he only played at war, while as a police officer she was living it. This is insulting to soldiers and to police offers -- this shouldn't be a reflection of our police force.

It also felt at times as though Gerritsen was writing about an outdated attitude towards females in the police force; which is insulting as a woman reading. I found everyone's attitudes frustrating.

The POV was confusing. I still don't know if this was meant to be a book based on Rizzoli or her partner Moore. It seemed to flip midway through the book. We follow Moore to Savannah, where we learn a key piece of evidence, and suddenly when he returns the rest of the book exclusively follows Rizzoli. Gerritsen also flips at the end of each chapter and shows us the villain's thoughts -- but never explains why or what this is. Is it just random musings? It gives us insight into the criminal but it felt out of place. Unless we knew more.

The writing is also a bit too much. The medical and technical explanations were well done, if a bit much at time. There was a tendency to be repetitive and to tell the reader something, then show it. I'd say with that there was at least a quarter of the book that could have been cut off.

Will I read the next one? Eventually. I'm curious to see the introduction of Dr. Isles, but I'm not rushing out to read it and will probably allow a few books before I read that. (less)

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Jul 23, 2012 David rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is going to annoy people. What is it with women authors and their female protagonists? They all seem to either a - have an axe to grind, mostly against males, or b - think only they are right.

One thing did annoy me a lot, too much medical jargon without explanation of what it means. If you are using medical terminology at least tell the reader what it means, and does in the world.

The same goes for Rizzoli. She feels she has a point to prove. This gets annoying very quickly. The character is...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Mari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought I wouldn't be so harsh, but what have I got to hide! The book wasn't good at all. Her writing lacked some style - don't know, maybe I'm just the classic cozy-books kinda type, but in terms of personal style and creating the feeling, Gerritsen was a bit too blank page for me. Terrifyng, yes, but too hard to believe. The murderer's point didn't really get across and I started thinking he was only there for provocating some feminism and showing how victim everyone else (all women were) wa...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Simon Jenner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Catherine Cordell, raped and then about to be mutilated, manages to kill the serial murderer. She moves to Boston to start a new life as a surgeon, away from bad memories. When similar murders begin close to her new home and the killer makes a point of letting her know about it, a hunt for a copycat killer begins.

This story is not for the faint of heart. The tension builds steadily and the end is nail-biting stuff. I would recommend this to anyone who likes their fiction gruesome and their nerv...more

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May 28, 2012 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, owned, crime

onceuponareadersblog.blogspot.com

First, let me say that this is not one of the books that I would usually read. I usually read YA fiction and things of that nature. The Surgeon was a happy accident and I am delighted that I've found something that peaks my interest outside of my "comfort zone".

As you can probably tell from the excerpt above, this book is would be categorized as mystery/crime/horror-ish. Basically what happens is this woman--Catherine Cordell--is brutally attacked by a man named...more

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May 16, 2012 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was a great deal about the Surgeon that reminded me of James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Mystery Series. I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I can tell you that this book was more on the creepier gorier side than Patterson and for that, and the more intense writing, I think I have found a new series to follow.

Yes, I know that I am a little late to this rodeo since the book was written in in 2001, but all good things come to those that wait. Since the publishing industr...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Obviously this book wasn't written for people who aren't okay with reading about adult subjects and violence... Just to clarify that. I will be discussing it, also.

I will temporarily stuff down my feelings about sexism and decency and morality and simply talk about the story and writing itself first. It was written well. The characters were well defined and developed. Despite some complaints about it, I didn't get bored. With my mood lately, that is something right there. Some moments were even...more Obviously this book wasn't written for people who aren't okay with reading about adult subjects and violence... Just to clarify that. I will be discussing it, also.

I will temporarily stuff down my feelings about sexism and decency and morality and simply talk about the story and writing itself first. It was written well. The characters were well defined and developed. Despite some complaints about it, I didn't get bored. With my mood lately, that is something right there. Some moments were even poetic and creative, albeit completely sick. I liked the villain. (*cough* I'm not a psycopath he was just interesting *cough*)

I thought I had who the villain was by the second chapter... I was way off; don't worry; it's not that obvious. In fact, you can't guess it because there isn't enough information.

As for the more important matters, ah, what's the teen term... IT SUCKED.
It was sexist... What are women? Oh, they are victims. Their 'wombs' make them women. Without that, WELL THEN. Hardly human anymore. And, ah! When a woman is raped, there goes her soul. Consistently she becomes a different, disgusted person. She has to be ashamed and blame herself.
In theory, it headed in a 'healing' direction, but it didn't, not really. No one was ever given the freedom to just be comfortable with their own body or see that it wasn't their fault, or be different from ANY stereotypes. The least stereotyped character was the villain, who wasn't all that unique, and completely evil anyway. Even the time it did head this way, something else would push it back the other way. The stereotypical differences in men and women, especially those ones that don't exist, are emphasized.
By... 'feeling bad' for women... It degrades and patronizes them. The tampon is considered dirty and awful. There's a messed up shame thing here that is unfortunately how many people think. Rizzoli, Ms 'Don't look down on me because I'm a woman', quite frankly makes it even worse.

Women are shown as... week. Are the things in this awful? Beyond any doubt! Does that leave people traumatized and needing help? Of course. Are women dirty and filthy and changed by someone else's actions? Do they all react and feel the same way? No, no, no. Do all women blame all men for what one person did? No.

Further, it also stereotypes and so degrades men. (Heck, at least it goes both ways). The women who are raped distrust all men. The 'good man' of the story is supposed to be... different. The sick and mean idiot men are shown as typical instead of the exception. When Moore walks into a women's clinic, he feels bad about entering there himself, instead of disliking the people who actually DO rape people. He attributes actions of single people to his whole gender along with the girls.

Furthermore, the villain was, for all practical purposes, gay, and I think it was the idea that being gay somehow makes you an evil rapist murderer.

Some people might not even notice the sexism and stereotyping. For instance, I am nearly positive my mom would not.

One good quote: "Violence is not sex, and sex is not love." Bingo.

Rating R
Rape, sex, and the villain cuts organs out of living people.(less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Make no mistakes, 'The Surgeon' is an excellent specimen of the crime genre. Were this an exclusively crime-based site I would have little hesitation in giving it one more star. The trouble is, either crime writing is easier than most other writing or the world is blessed with fantastic proponents of it. Being a Michael Connelly fan I can safely say that Gerritsen matches the quality of his works but the problem is neither are 'writers' per se, they are engrossing story-tellers but not artists,...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-read, audible-purchase-2009-to-2011, audiobook

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Purchased: Audible.Com

What I Loved: This was a very good thriller! I was pretty much on my toes the whole time waiting to see how it was all going to play out. The end was chilling and you can see where the next book is going to pick up. I also appreciated the small abbreviated introductions of characters. It will allow them to grow over the series.

What I Liked: Tess didn't make her leads without faults, they seemed very real to me. The story had a great pace and enjoy...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Shweta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scared-the-daylights-out-of-me

The Surgeon deals with a serial killer who hunts down troubled women and cuts them up with the kind of precision which could come only to a man of medicine. When multiple murders lead the investigating team to a surviving victim of an old serial killer case that occurred a couple of years ago they start understanding the pattern. 'The Surgeon' ,the nick name that the killer gains shows a profile and style that matches the murderer who was killed by his victim two years ago. The theory of copy c...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Sam Arnold rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If like me you are addicted to the new American TV drama Rizolli and Isles then this is the book for you. Intrigued to see where it all started I decided to read the first in the series. This book is exactly the beginning of the story and although linked to the show by no way depicts stories that you have seen in the show instead enhancing them.

The book features tough cop Rizolli and her relationship with her partner Thomas Moore her first partner. It gives you an insight into her character and...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Rebecca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

If you like mysteries where you can try to put the clues together yourself, this book is not for you. You aren't getting the clues much before most of the characters, and you're not going to be able to guess the murderer early on. On the plus side, this means you don't spend much time frustrated at the characters for being idiots. But it was disappointing to discover that most of my theories were pretty much invalid and there was no way I would have been able to work it all out on my own.

But if...more If you like mysteries where you can try to put the clues together yourself, this book is not for you. You aren't getting the clues much before most of the characters, and you're not going to be able to guess the murderer early on. On the plus side, this means you don't spend much time frustrated at the characters for being idiots. But it was disappointing to discover that most of my theories were pretty much invalid and there was no way I would have been able to work it all out on my own.

But if you like thrillers, this one works quite well. The pacing is good and the protagonists generally aren't stupid. It's nothing we haven't seen before--deranged serial killer is seriously screwed up, sex crimes, attempts at psych profiling, escalating violence, women in peril. But it's perfectly enjoyable, even if it's nothing special.

I do have some bones to pick. Rizzoli has good reasons to be prickly, but it still gets grating. Moore, on the other, hand, apparently falls in love in about three days and is rather too gooey. I would have liked some more red herrings--I would also have liked some more development of the clues. (The murder has a weird skin condition that sounds like a huge deal, but then gets completely dropped, for example.) I'm not entirely sure how they managed to make the arrest at the end, unless they swept some of Rizzoli's rule-breaking under the carpet.

The thing that actually bothered me most, though, was the treatment of the whole uterus-removal thing. Over and over again, especially at the beginning, they hammer home the idea that this is the one thing that makes the victims a woman and that this is the worst possible thing that could be done to them. I don't think most women who have had such procedures done on purpose consider themselves to be no longer women. For that matter, I suspect my trans friends would have Things To Say about this. Is it horrifying and scarring, both physically and mentally? Of course. But were I to be a kidnapped by a deranged serial killer and operated on and managed to survive the ordeal, I'd rather him take that than, say, my hands or my eyes. It just seemed kind of ridiculous and insulting for this to be harped upon as the Worst Thing that could possibly be done. I guess we're talking about a genre where every possible horrible thing has been explored, and the author wanted to make sure that her Horrible Thing was sufficiently Horrible. But it just seemed unnecessary.

Anyway, competent but not inspiring. Triggery as all hell, but if you're inclined to be triggered, you really shouldn't be reading murder mysteries featuring sex crime serial killers.(less)

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Oct 01, 2011 Babs rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, thriller

Wow! What an intense psychological thriller/mystery. This book is a bit grittier and more graphic than I prefer, but I was so caught up in the story, I just had to keep reading to see how this ended.

This is supposedly the first book in the Rizzoli and Isles series and I’m sure it is. If this was the author’s maiden effort, I can conceive that the original focus may have changed since characters and the author grow, evolve and develop. However, I became interested in this series after watching t...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I tend to read more cozy mystery and less 'thriller' but on the recommendation of patrons I decided to step out of my comfort zone and I did love this book. The characters are strong and quite vivid -- the reader really can hear them talking. The suspense of what is happening now and what happened before was well developed and kept you guessing on what would happen next and when was the bad guy going to be caught.

Dr Catherine Cordell was a victim of a rape/attempted murder in Georgia and she ha...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Cate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads

This is a Reading Good Books review.

Like I said in my review of Freaks, I am not very familiar with Tess Gerritsen’s work. In fact, this was the first novel that I’ve read from her bibliography. I’ve read a lot of murder mysteries in the past and this was just okay.

Women who are murdered in the most grotesque way have been popping up all over Boston. Their throats are slashed, abdomen cut open, their uterus removed. The cuts made were clean and precise, hinting to the police that the unknown su...more This is a Reading Good Books review.

Like I said in my review of Freaks, I am not very familiar with Tess Gerritsen’s work. In fact, this was the first novel that I’ve read from her bibliography. I’ve read a lot of murder mysteries in the past and this was just okay.

Women who are murdered in the most grotesque way have been popping up all over Boston. Their throats are slashed, abdomen cut open, their uterus removed. The cuts made were clean and precise, hinting to the police that the unknown subject has medical knowledge. They call him “The Surgeon”. Two years ago, similar murders were committed in Savannah, Georgia. The only survivor of these heinous crimes now reside in Boston. Dr. Catherine Cordell works as a trauma doctor and it seems that the murders followed her there. But she killed her attacker before he could cut into her. Is this a copycat? Did Catherine’s attacker have a partner? Was he after her now? Detective Jane Rizzoli and her partner Detective Thomas Moore are on the case.

If you are a fan of the show and are just starting off with Gerritsen’s books, I advise not to expect much. Yes, the first season of Rizzoli & Isles, especially the show pilot episode, was based on this and the next one, The Apprentice. But this book did not have Dr. Maura Isles yet so there will be no playful banter between the two. Jane was not even the main detective on this one. It’s Detective Moore. Sure, Jane ends up being the hero in the end but for the rest of the book, she’s at the sidelines. And I also did not like the constant “because I’m a girl” bitching. It was okay for the first two or three times but every time Jane Rizzoli came in to the picture, that was what she was thinking. Alright, you’re a girl so they don’t see you as an equal. We get it.

What set it apart was the medical aspect. I understand that Gerritsen was a doctor before she became an novelist. Her medical knowledge was brilliantly used here. Dr. Catherine Cordell performed a couple of life-saving procedures and it was described almost in full detail. It reminds me of Kathy Reichs’ work (coincidentally, both authors hold degrees in Anthropology) when she mixes her scientific field with her literature. I have read reviews where people thought it was so gruesome but I liked those parts. I felt that it gave Catherine Cordell depth; that it showed a side of her entirely opposite from what you’d think of a rape victim. In her world, she had complete control, thus it gave the unsub a goal. To rattle her protective cage and send her falling to pieces.

Overall, it was a good read. Nothing much to talk about.

Rating: 3/5

Recommendation: It will appeal to those who like medical murder mysteries. I’m not sure how it will appeal to the fans of the TV show as Dr. Isles is not yet introduced in this book and there are differences between the TV and book Rizzoli and Frost. I’m a huge fan of the show and I liked it.(less)

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Apr 23, 2011 Jerome Parisse rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Precise. Exact. Anatomical. Surgical. Bloody. Horrific. Scientific. Scary. Exciting. Tess Gerritsen’s novel The Surgeon is all of this. And much more. It’s easy to see Gerritsen trained as a doctor. Her knowledge of anatomy shows throughout the novel, almost too much at times for neophytes like me, but it gives the story instant credibility. Moore and Rizzoli are two of several detectives in charge of a murder investigation: several women are found brutally raped and murdered and a part of their...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Mrs. Foley rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good murder mystery by Tess Gerritsen. This is the first book of the series that inspired the TV series, "Rizzoli and Isles." I do watch that series, but had not read the books. It is harder to read about murder and gore in detail than to watch it! But, the book is (of course) much better. It is disturbing to get into the mind of the killer and be able to read his thoughts, though. Yuck! Our faculty book club is reading murder mysteries that inspired TV shows right now, so I will be in that genr...more

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About Tess Gerritsen

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unusual route to a writing career. A graduate of Stanford University, Tess went on to medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D.

While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction. In 1987, her first novel was published. Call After Midnight, a romantic thriller...more

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Quotes from The Surgeon

“Evil doesn't die. It never dies. It just takes on a new face, a new name. Just because we've been touched by it once, it doesn't mean we're immune to ever being hurt again. Lightning can strike twice.” — 40 people liked it

“Where we go depends on what we know, and what we know depends on where we go.” — 17 people liked it

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The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles #1)

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