Friday 15 April 2011

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

The Surgeon: with Bonus ContentTitle: The Surgeon
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Series: Rizzoli & Isles (book #1)
Next in series: The Apprentice
My rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: A sadistic killer, who enjoys immobilizing and removing his victims’ organs, is on the loose in Boston, and the police have only one significant lead: his apparent obsession with Dr. Catherine Cordell, a prominent surgeon and the only survivor of a different killer with a similar modus operandi. Can the police make the necessary connections and find the killer before it is too late?

Review: As someone who enjoys serial murder books, I am always on the hunt for well-crafted and gripping tales, and The Surgeon certainly fits the bill.
The author’s background in medicine adds credible detail to the plot, and the characters are gritty and believable with very human desires and flaws. I particularly enjoyed Jane Rizzoli’s character and I was not surprised to learn that subsequent books in the series focus on her rather than the male lead, Detective Thomas Moore. As the only female homicide detective in her unit, Jane must cope with the prejudices against women in her profession.  At times she comes off as overly aggressive and belligerent but it becomes clear that this conceals a profound vulnerability and need to prove herself. I found her to be a realistic and engaging character and look forward to seeing the direction in which her character develops.
The plot is intelligent and it is possible to work through clues and follow the investigation with the fictional detectives. It is necessary to warn readers that some scenes are particularly disturbing with vivid and gruesome descriptions.
In short, this is a brilliant read and I can definitely recommend it for lovers of thrillers and mysteries.

1 comments:

  1. I chose this as my next bookclub read which will be for June.

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