Titles: The Surgeon, The Apprentice and The Sinner
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Genre: Crime/ Suspense
Date started: 31 July 2018
Date finished: 8 August 2018
I first picked up a Tess Gerritsen book when we were living in Costa Rica, I am not entirely sure which one it was, but I suspect it was Vanish. It had the attraction of being written in English and available. I enjoyed it and as time went by after I purchased a Kindle I picked up the remainder of the series.
I had a lovely binge-read of the first three books in the Rizzoli and Isles series over about 8 days. The books are well-written and tell compelling stories. I love that they feature strong female characters, some of the details about working in male-dominated fields hits very close to home and can probably be attributed to Gerritsen’s work in the medical profession.
I don’t know if it was intentional or accidental, but the gradual introduction of characters is well done. The first novel in the series introduces Jane Rizzoli as lead detective on a murder investigation. The introduction of Maura Isles is in the second novel which allows for solid character development. Additionally, even though there are references made to medical procedures and techniques the books are still light reading and provide a delightful escape.
The Surgeon tells the story of a murderer with medical expertise. The Apprentice picks up on the tale after the antagonist of the Surgeon escapes from prison and begins to work with a new partner. The Sinner continues Rizzoli and Isle’s stories with a fresh antagonist. A move that keeps the series fresh.
Instead of solely focusing on these ladies in their professional environments, Gerritsen humanizes them by introducing bits of their family life into the tales. This is done in a manner that adds to the story and does not feel forced.
If you enjoy suspense novels and books that feature female lead characters this is a great series to read. If you are not a fan of crime novels or gore, these should probably be given a miss.
Love and reading,
Trish
P.S. I feel like I suck at writing book reviews. But it’s okay, one sucks at whatever one is learning. So I am going to be brave and keep on publishing them. (After all, no-one is compelled to read my posts)