| Title | : | The Surgeon (Rizzoli Isles, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 416 |
| Publication | : | First published October 2, 2001 |
| Awards | : | RITA Award by Romance Writers of America Best Romantic Suspense (2002) |
A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician - a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them.
But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful doctor with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and shot her attacker dead.
Now the man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her...
The Surgeon (Rizzoli Isles, #1) Reviews
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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 everything, even when it's the man who does the fucking.'" (p.126)
4. Above all, he did not want her to think him condescending. More than any woman he'd ever met, she commanded his respect. (p.136)
5. Hair was so very personal. A woman wears it, sleeps with it. It carries fragrance and color and texture. A woman's very essence. No wonder Catherine had been horrified to learn that a man she did not know possessed such an intimate part of her. (p.195)
6. "He only assaults women who act like victims." (p.247)
1. So a womb is the thing that makes a woman! Glad we solved that.
2. This is Rizzoli thinking and the "disgusting object" is actually a tampon. I'm assuming it's unused because how would a bunch of men get a used tampon, let alone shove it into a bottle of mineral water, but how could a clean tampon be considered disgusting unless you hate women and/or female bodies?
3. Fucking! A word with excellent shock value! HOWEVER, fucking is sex. Rape is not sex. Sorry, but you're only perpetuating the misconception that rape is just a kind of unhappy sex. Also nice is how this character (angry, possibly man-hating, woman) is saying that all women blame themselves for being raped.
4. Oh no, it's not condescending at all to be given respect for being a particular kind of woman, rather than simply a human being. You have to respect the ladies in a different way than you respect men. Because otherwise that might lead to gender equality.
5. Yes, Thomas, that's why Catherine was horrified to find out that HER RAPIST HAD CUT A LOCK OF HER HAIR AS A KEEPSAKE. Because hair smells good, and is infused with womanly essences. NOT BECAUSE IT'S COMPLETELY INVASIVE AND CREEPY AS FUCK.
And that final quote. Do I even have to explain that no woman acts like a victim?
The problem with this book is that it revolves around a murderer who hunts, terrorizes, dismembers, and kills women. So let's assume he hates women, or at least harbors a lot of rage toward them. Then there are the male psychologists who are attempting to understand him, and thus, in a professional setting, use words like "bitch," for instance. Are they trying to mimic what they see as the thought patterns of the suspect or do they routinely refer to women as bitches? It's not clear. There's little to no framing language or verbal hedging that allows us to make that distinction. The male detectives are trying to track and identify the subject, but they don't let that stop them from enjoying a good rape joke at the crime scene; meanwhile Saint Thomas (he of the dead wife) feels vaguely unhappy about it but doesn't do anything to stop them. Even Rizzoli, who is female herself, seems to dislike, suspect, and resent women almost as much as her male colleagues do.
I can't separate the narrative from the authorial intent. All I know is that it sucks, okay? It's full of rape, casual misogyny, and an almost subliminal devotion to the idea that women are VICTIMS VICTIMS VICTIMS. Also, according to this, the sole thing that makes a person female is the uterus or -- god help me -- womb as they insist on calling it half the time. Again, that's probably just what the detectives see as the suspect's mindset, but the conflation of uterus and womb is problematic on any level. Not everybody's uterus is a womb.
After all that it seems petty to complain about the stilted introspection, the purple prose, the lengthy italicized sections where the murderer talks about his craft in the most pretentious language imaginable, or the fact that I didn't like any of the characters, but I'm still going to complain. Rizzoli might grow on me, though, so that leaves me with the difficult decision of whether to give Gerritsen another try.
This is a mediocre book about a terrible subject made worse by clumsy writing about rape, VICTIMS (not, let's be clear, survivors), and being female in a male world. Um, not recommended for anyone. I've read a lot of trashy thrillers in my time and I will shrug off a lot of iffy things in the interest of mindless entertainment, but this set my mind into angry overdrive. Not relaxing at all. -
3,75/5
Przekonałam się do Gerritsen! -
The Surgeon is a brilliantly written medical thriller, that will have you gripped and terrified from page one until you finish the novel. As a avid reader of mystery, suspense thrillers, this novel delivered so much more.
It was all a game. The Surgeon fed on terror. He attacked women who were victims. He was always in control. The victims had been tied down, raped and gutted.
Three women had been raped but only one victim had reported her rape to the police. All three had sought medical attention in different places. The Surgeon had been attracted to their pain.
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 new murderer, nicknamed "The Surgeon", moves through Boston like air carrying out his sick fantasies that are identical to the string of murders in Savannah. You'd think it was the same killer, but how could it be?
Follow this talented author as she masterfully leads her characters to solving the puzzle of The Surgeon, a terrifying tale like none you've ever read before.
You will never leave your window open at night again! -
“The most intimate emotion two people can share is neither love nor desire but pain.”
He slips into homes at night and walks silently into bedrooms where women lie sleeping, about to awaken to a living nightmare. The precision of his methods suggests that he is a deranged man of medicine, prompting the Boston newspapers to dub him “The Surgeon.” Led by Detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli, the cops must consult the victim of a nearly identical crime: Two years ago, Dr. Catherine Cordell fought back and killed her attacker before he could complete his assault. Now this new killer is re-creating, with chilling accuracy, the details of Cordell’s ordeal and neither Moore nor Rizzoli can protect Cordell from a ruthless hunter, who, somehow understands and savors the secret fears of every woman he kills.
I absolutely loved the way this book was written. You can definitely tell the author of this book was a medical professional, with the way everything is described in such great detail. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the medical talk, as this really interests me. I also loved the tales of Greek mythology that were woven throughout and the great ending when we find out why.
The only thing I was a little annoyed about was the revelation of who The Surgeon really was. The entire time I was reading I was expecting to be totally shocked when his identity was finally revealed, but for me it was a tad bit underwhelming.
That aside, I really enjoyed reading this. It was a quick read, a real page turner! I would recommend this to those who love a good thriller with the added medical aspect.
I read this for my book clubs April pick. -
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 my taste, but I am one of those folks who doesn't like blood and gore. All in all, this makes a nice read and opens up the series to many diverse paths.
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Detective Thomas Moore recognizes a pattern when a young woman is found gruesomely murdered in her home. The details of the crime are identical to that of another young woman he investigated a year ago. Even more troubling is the link to another assault over two years ago. However, the victim, Dr. Catherine Cordell, not only survived the attack but killed the man responsible. Are they dealing with a copycat or something else.
Those looking to see Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles featured at the forefront will need to wait until the next book. The author decided to explore the Rizzoli character after this story and Isles doesn’t make an appearance here.
This was a graphic story so be prepared for that, not only the murders but the ER trauma procedures. Despite that, it’s a well written police procedural and mystery along with the medical. The characters are well defined, flaws and all. Moral and ethical issues abound and are dealt with honestly, not always delivering clear cut resolutions. I really liked the bends and twists, fast paced with a climactic ending. It also has a perfect set up for the next book. I disliked Jane Rizzoli in this story, a lot, but she is someone I want to learn more about and maybe will redeem herself. -
The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1), Tess Gerritsen
Tess Gerritsen is the pseudonym of Terry Gerritsen, an American novelist. The story opens up with the death of Elena Ortiz at the hands of the Surgeon, and Thomas Moore is sent to investigate.
The murder is tied to another murder by the Surgeon, Diana Sterling, a year previous.
Rizzoli and Moore note that both had no contact or connection whatsoever, and are perplexed by these two murders.
Meanwhile, the Surgeon begins targeting his third victim, Nina Peyton, and Cordell continues to save lives, starting with Herman Gwadowski.
The Surgeon is also starting to get closer and closer to Cordell, who is creating a romantic and sexual connection with Thomas Moore.
In the end, Jane manages to save Cordell from the Surgeon, and Moore marries Cordell.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش
عنوان جراح؛ نویسنده: تس گریتسن؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
داستان با مرگ «النا اورتیز» به دست «جراح» آغاز، و «توماس مور» برای پژوهش آستینهایش را بالا میزند؛ این قتل با قتل یکسال پیش توسط جراح «دیانا استرلینگ» ربط دارد؛ «ریزولی» و «مور» گیج شده اند، در همین حال، جراح شروع به هدف قرار دادن سومین قربانی خود، «نینا پیتون» میکند، و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 12/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی -
Thriller A Thon: Book on your TBR the longest
Jar of Death Pick #9 (6th Finished)
50 States Thriller Challenge: Massachusetts
I'm going to start this review with a disclaimer. The Surgeon is listed as Book 1 in The Rizzoli & Isles series but Jane Rizzoli is only a side character in this book and Maura Isles isn't in it at all. So if you were a fan of the show and wanted to read this book because of that just be warned its not like the show.
The Surgeon was a lot darker and much more gory than I thought it would be. I think I enjoyed more because of that. You guys know I like my crime thrillers dark, so this was a welcome surprise. As I mentioned above Jane Rizzoli isnt the main character in this book, Thomas Moore is(I'm Catholic so I laughed when I read that name). I don't know if he's in the rest of the books but I really like him as a character and I hope he's at least in the next book.
The Surgeon is about a serial killer who appears to be recreating the kills of a dead serial killer. I didn't guess who the killer was but I should have. All the clues were there I just missed them. This book was dark, creepy, and briskly paced. I liked it a lot. -
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 new murderer, nicknamed "The Surgeon", moves through Boston like air carrying out his sick fantasies that are identical to the string of murders in Savannah. You'd think it were the same killer, but how could it be?
Follow Gerritsen as she masterfully leads her characters (who are real and well-developed) to solving the puzzle of the Surgeon, a terrifying tale like none you've ever read before. You won't regret it. -
“Did you ever stop to think what a medical lab knows about you?” he said. “All the personal information you give them when you open your arm and let them stick a needle in your vein? Your blood reveals your most intimate secrets. Are you dying of leukemia or AIDS? Did you smoke a cigarette or drink a glass of wine in the last few hours? Are you taking Prozac because you’re depressed, or Viagra because you can’t get it up? He was holding the very essence of those women. He could study their blood, touch it, smell it. And they never knew. They never knew that part of their own body was being fondled by a stranger.”
Aunque se considera la primera novela de la serie “Rizzoli & Isles”, Rizzoli tiene poco protagonismo en la misma, e Isles ni siquiera es mencionada a lo largo de todo el volumen. Aquí la parte protagonista se la llevan el inspector Moore y la Dra Cordell. Hecha la aclaración, diré que he disfrutado enormemente la novela. Muy bien construida y ensamblada, con las dosis justas de misterio para tenerte enganchado, y con unos capítulos dedicados al “Cirujano” soberbios. En la parte negativa solo destacar que el personaje de Rizzoli se me hizo un poco antipático, y que el final no está al mismo nivel que el resto. Por lo demás, como ya he mencionado, la he disfrutado, por lo que seguiré con la serie, aunque sea alterando el orden de la misma. -
The Surgeon is book one of the Rizzoli and Isles Series by Tess Gerritsen. Detective Thomas Moore and Detective Jan Rizzoli caught murder of a woman whose uterus is missing. Both Detective Thomas Moore and Detective Jan Rizzoli started to think is there a serial killer on the loose in their city. The readers of The Surgeon will follow the twist and turns of Detective Thomas Moore and Detective Jan Rizzoli investigation into the murders.
Tess Gerritsen has provided the readers of The Surgeon a new strong women detective Jane Rizzoli. I enjoy reading The Surgeon. I like the way Tess Gerritsen describes the problems women have in law enforcements. I also enjoy the way, Tess Gerritsen describes the interaction between Detective Thomas Moore and Detective Jan Rizzoli. I like the way Tess Gerritsen portrays her characters especially Dr Catherine Cordell.
Readers of The Surgeon will learn about the consequences of rape for women and how a rapist can come back and attack their victims a second time. Also, Readers of The Surgeon will learn about the law enforcement procedures. Readers of The Surgeon will learn about hospital procedures and what is involved to be a surgeon.
I recommend this book. -
“Hell, no one ever knows who the monsters are.”
Detective Thomas Moore was heading to Maine on his vacation when he is called back to Boston. There has been a murder. The lead detective is Jane Rizzoli. The reason Moore is called back is that the latest murder bears striking resemblances to another murder a year ago where he was the lead detective. Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli are to work together on this case and she is not happy. She is the only female detective in the homicide unit and it is not easy. There is no doubt that some of the other detectives treat her badly but Rizzoli has an attitude that does not help her ... or her career. She wants to solve this crime and prove herself ... without help from her male partners.
The two cases that force Moore and Rizzoli to work together involve attacks on women. A killer is targeting women. Breaking into their homes in the middle of the night, performing ritualistic acts of torture, and then killing them. Soon other cases come to light and it looks like they have a serial killer on their hands. The press dubs the killer "The Surgeon" because he appears to use a scalpel in his attacks and has anatomical knowledge.
As the investigation intensifies Moore and Rizzoli learn of a similar crime spree in Savannah two years ago. The last victim, Catherine Cordell, managed to free herself and killed her attacker. Now Cordell is living and working in Boston ... a surgeon. The killer in Boston seems to be recreating the crimes that took place in Savannah with chilling accuracy. He appears to be taunting her, targeting her. Recreating the details of Cordell’s ordeal in Savannah. Invisible.
This is the first novel by
Tess Gerritsen that I have read and I enjoyed it very much. It won't be the last. Thomas Moore was very likable. A man they call Saint Thomas who mourns his wife and is honorable. Jane Rizzoli was not as likable. Especially if you have a preconceived idea from watching television. However, I found that Rizzoli grew on me. She reminded me of Detective Erika Foster in the series by
Robert Bryndza. Started out as someone with a bad attitude, a chip on their soldier. But, her dedication and hard work in solving the crimes wins you ever and by the end of the book perhaps you see another side of the character. -
2.5
I did not enjoy this book. Starting with one of the most horrifying things people can experience - yes, people - which I expected because it is implied in the blurb, to the annoying stuff I didn't expect (like Rizzoli's behaviour, among other things).
I haven't seen the TV show yet and I hope Rizzoli there is not like this.
If the point of her behaviour has been to make her seem flawed but likeable and someone a reader would root for, I'm afraid she only gets the flawed part well. Fortunately, even though her name is in the series name, she wasn't in it that much.
Moore, the other detective, is more likeable.
Overall, I got almost what I expected. Almost. I'll probably try the second book. -
Heart stopping read that kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails while reading as fast as I could turn the pages. Intense suspense at its best!
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Opening Line:"Today they will find her body."
The Surgeon has been dubbed as Rizzoli and Isles book #1 and even though this was a very good read I think anyone coming here as a fan of the TV series will be disappointed as the only similarities between the two is the name of one of the characters. Maura Isles is not in this story and Rizzoli is no Angie Harmon, (and probably one of the most dislikable heroines I’ve ever read- more on that later) If you’re at all sensitive to blood and vivid medical details (or rape) then this probably won’t work for you either as the surgical element here is graphic, bordering on overdeveloped –it’s pretty obvious that author Tess Gerritsen is a physician.
Having said all that, this was still a fantastic read. The writing is excellent, the story fast paced, and all the characters are well developed. The plot is suspenseful, gritty and terrifying concluding with one hell of a bad guy. In fact I would say this was hard to put down except for the fact that I was so creeped out I dreaded picking it up (does that make sense?) Anyways, I definitely felt the need for a change of pace after this, like chick-lit or something fluffy with puppies.
The Surgeon centers around a series of murders taking place in Boston. The young women are all found at home, in their bedrooms and the crime scenes are a bloody mess, the bodies sliced up and missing…an internal body part. The precision of the killer’s methods suggests a medical background and the media dub him “the surgeon”.
Investigating the murders are detectives Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli -described as homely, self-loathing, jealous (and just downright bitchy) Through their investigation the police soon discover almost identical killings several years back in Georgia. However that case was closed when the victim fought back, shooting her attacker. Are these Boston slayings the work of a copycat then?
Seeking out that last victim, Moore and Rizzoli find Dr. Catherine Cordell, now also living in Boston. After consulting with her they discover that these new slayings are being recreated with chilling accuracy. As the murder spree continues “the surgeon” gets closer and closer to his intended victim, almost taunting the police and they can’t catch him, and they can’t protect Cordell from a ruthless hunter.
There is a bit of romance here to break up all the medical procedures but Rizzoli remains an unlikeable character throughout, with her guard up to such a degree that it’s no wonder none of her colleagues want to work with her. Luckily we get several other POV’s to choose from and Detective Thomas Moore was a welcome distraction. We also get inside the head of intended target and former victim Catherine Cordell and “the surgeon” himself who remained anonymous to me until the very end. His internal dialogue is freaky. Speaking of which this whole book freaked me out, it’s so well written but just not an enjoyable read, as it’s dark, vivid, bloody and quite the ride. I’ll be looking for more from Tess Gerritsen. -
If you're just coming into the Rizzoli and Isles books, be aware that these are very different from the AMC series. Dark, gruesome, and complicated, the series follows the strong Detective Jane Rizzoli through several fascinating cases. (Maura Isles plays a bigger role in the later books, though I'm not as big a fan of those that focus on her.) The writing is excellent, the stories are mostly consistently good, and they're terrific thrillers for fans of Chelsea Cain or Karin Slaughter.
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Picked this one up on a whim and WOW did I enjoy it. I'd never read a Tess Gerritsen book before and I was hooked!! I can absolutely see why a TV show was made from her books - THE SURGEON reads like it's made for the screen. This book was fast-paced, totally addictive, and also totally chilling. It's a cop-vs-serial killer story with a twist: Gerritsen applies her own background in medicine to add a whole extra dimension to her crime novel. I loved the hospital setting, the medical details, and the creepy serial killer "The Surgeon." This is really just fast-paced entertainment!
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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 been carried with me forever, I don't know why, but I always remember this part. And, then, the end is pretty unexpected (at least, it was for me). I didn't even imagine who the killer would be, where he'd live, how would he act under certain circumstances of the story.
Tess is one of the best and I am so honored to have the opportunity of reading her books. -
Tess Gerritsen Fans Group Link - **my 2nd read**
The first book in series. Tess has medical school education at University of California. With that she writes with "extensive Medical terminology" easily understood. Her knowledge of Boston is nice.
Boston Homicide Unit's Jane Rizzoli & Thomas Moore lead a murder investigation in the South End with Elena Ortiz(22) raped, tied with duct tape, "catgut" stitches & a missing Uterus (female organ). They find Diana Sterling(30) was murdered last year with same technique & missing Uterus. They both lived near the same hospital. Anna, Diana's sister, claims a necklace on Elena belong to Diana, is it a murderer's souvenir from victim to victim link?
Boston Homicide finds Uterus' missing murders in Georgia. Dora Ciccone(22) a medical student is killed first. VICAP's database (violent criminal apprehension program) list 3 killed. Dr. Catherine Cordell attacked, escaped Dr. Andrew Capra, the suspect.
Catherine moved to Boston's Back Bay 1 month after the attack. Claims she got away & killed Dr. Capra? Took 1 year off, being afraid, now works at Boston's Pilgrim Medical Center/Hospital.
Catherine's internet username is CCORD & tells Det. Moore of a car's license plate "POSEY FIVE". They confirm Elena's internet user name was POSEY5. Catherine says they both used Boston's chat room, POST ("post-traumatic stress disorder") for "RAPE".
Boston Herald's headlines are bad "The Surgeon Cuts Again". Then you will need to figure out the link between the dead Dr. Capra & "The Surgeon from Chicago to Boston?
FYI only - this is the first book in the "Rizzoli & Isles" series - Det. Thomas Moore is Det. Jane Rizzoli's partner not Dr. Mauri Isles. -
5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Het verhaal begint met een veelbelovende proloog die nieuwsgierig maakt, maar ook het ergste al doet vermoeden. Deze proloog wordt verteld vanuit het perspectief van de dader en is, in tegenstelling tot het eigenlijke verhaal, geschreven in de ik-vorm. Door deze opzet, maar ook omdat het verhaal van de dader cursief gedrukt is, bestaat er geen enkele onduidelijkheid door wiens ogen gekeken moet worden. Gerritsen slaagt er hierdoor in om de lezer vanaf het begin te boeien. Dit wordt versterkt doordat de spannende momenten per hoofdstuk toenemen. Daarover hoeft sowieso niet geklaagd te worden, want zelfs een spoedoperatie wordt dusdanig beschreven dat de spanning hiervan zienderogen toeneemt.
In een vlot geschreven stijl loodst de auteur de lezer in een aanvankelijk rustig, maar soms ook wel verhoogd tempo door het boek heen. Omdat het een medische thriller is, komen er vanzelfsprekend medische termen in voor. Maar om de spanning te voelen heb je geen medische kennis nodig vind ik. Maar ik heb een medische achtergrond. Misschien is dat de oorzaak.
De chirurg is het eerste uit, zo is inmiddels gebleken, een serie met rechercheur Rizzoli. Haar personage wordt voldoende uitgewerkt om al een goede indruk van haar te kunnen krijgen. Toch valt het op dat haar partner Thomas Moore het belangrijkst lijkt en misschien ook wel is. Over hem kom je meer dan genoeg te weten om je een duidelijk beeld van hem te kunnen vormen. De uitwerking van deze twee personages, maar in feite ook dat van Catherine Cordell, draagt dit eerste deel in de serie. -
This is a pretty creepy, fast paced medical thriller. Three years previously Catherine Cordell, an emergency trauma surgeon survived a viscous rape and attack by a depraved junior doctor who had raped, butchered and killed three other young women in Savanna. Living now in Boston, Catherine is slowly regaining her confidence and starting to feel safe when the police call to inform her that a similar series of murders have been occurring in Boston. At first Catherine doesn't believe there could be a link with the man who attacked her as she fought back, shooting and killing him. However, soon it becomes apparent that the present day killer is interested in her.....
The first book in the Rizzoli and Isles series, introduces us to Homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, a plain looking, dowdidly dressed but feisty woman with a chip on her shoulder from being unappreciated in her large family of brothers and constantly harrassed by her male colleagues. The writing is excellent with the medical and surgical scenes realistically described and the torture scenes almost too real. The plot moves along at a good pace gradually building the terror that Catherine feels as she worries that her worst nightmares about her past torture may be repeated. An excellent start to this series! -
This one grabbed me from the first chapter and kept the pages flying. Not since "The Silence of the Lambs" have I felt so compelled to finish a book. This one creeped me out! I found myself hearing noises in my house late at night.
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review and rating to be revealed soon
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I've been wanting to start reading this series for a while, and I was very lucky to find this book at a book swap library thing at the Botanic Gardens (I can't remember exactly what it's called, but basically you can take a book when you put a book there, or return the book you took...now I am confusing myself...).
Anyway, it was a great read! It took me a while to really get into it, but after about a quarter of the way through I found it difficult to put down. I have watched a couple of episodes of the TV show and I must admit while I liked the way the tv show portrayed Rizzoli, I think I preferred her in the book. I like my characters to have flaws and not be the most attractive person in the whole world. Rizzoli is a gutsy and courageous woman and puts up with crap from the other male detectives that she shouldn't have to. Tess Gerritsen shows off her medical knowledge quite extensively within the book, and at times is quite detailed and a bit gory. The story was clever, held my attention and I was kept guessing right until the end. Gerritsen is a great writer and I look forward to reading the next one. -
The 1st book in the Rizzoli and Isles books by Tess Gerritsen. I was hooked by this series from the very start and quickly read the the subsequent books. Well written and the characters are well developed.
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This the first in the Rizzoli & Isles series. I have read a few others but never this one. Certainly grippng right from the start - there is a serial killer, either one who has risen from the dead or a copycat. He has surgeon Catherine Cordell firmly in his sights. Catherine being the 'one who got away' in the first series of macabre killings.
Rizzoli is almost a background figure in this book and it surprised me that she was so unlikeable. Described as plain and quite bitter about being overlooked by everyone. No sign of Isles as yet, but keen to get on with book number two now.
Highly recommended and a great start to this popular series. -
The majority of the book sounds like a clinical police report of a horrible crime. Extreme level of detailed violence to the point that it just becomes disgusting and irritating. Too much medical terms.
I liked the TV show and that’s why I decided to give it a chance, but the two have pretty much nothing in common. -
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. (The part of me that's done a course in Crime Fiction remembers that the end of a crime novel typically ends with the criminal being contained or killed, and therefore that provides a feeling of safety and the reassertion of the rules of society, for a reader.)
I wasn't really a fan of the characters' attitudes to rape. The idea that rape makes the victim belong to the attacker in some way is just repugnant, and the idea that what makes a woman a woman is their womb is just -- ugh. It seemed to be an ongoing theme in the story, rather than an opinion expressed by just one or two of the characters.
Overall there was a lot that upset/troubled me, and despite Sasha Alexander being in it, I don't think I'm going to watch the tv series. It's not actually a bad crime/mystery book: it's very good in that sense, and I'd recommend it to people who like, for example, Val McDermid. But it was just not the kind of thing I should be reading at all, and I'm going to steer clear. -
Trigger warning: this book is heavily focused on sexual assault and rape.
This novel is certainly very captivating. I found it difficult to put it down once I had picked it up! I loved the crime and mysterious criminal and I loved the pace of it all. Sometimes, these crime novels can burst with excitement for one second, and then fizzle out until the last few pages, or, completely the opposite of that, be total non-stop action, but feel really over the top and unrealistic. This, on the other hand, had a great mix of action and downtime.
I loved the setting for this, it felt so retro with its mention of floppy disks, pagers, and cassette tapes! This whole book was really well described and brought to life. It felt so real, you completely lost yourselves in the characters worlds. The horror of each murder and plot reveal really grabs you by the throat and give you goosebumps. There’s no escaping the terror in this one.
As for the crime, this one is certainly unique… and gruesome! If you’re like me, and don’t like the thought of surgery or human anatomy, then this will certainly be a struggle to read as it contains many in-depth scenes where we’re walked through what’s happening on the inside of the body. That certainly made it a little hard for me to read because I have this slight fear of our insides and all descriptions of it, but I was too intrigued as to who the killer was, to put it down. While not a particularly twisty turny story, there are plenty of characters in this novel to keep you guessing on who the real killer is.
This always seems to happen to me, but I just can’t seem to get on with female detectives in these kinds of series. Rizzoli wasn’t the worst I have come across, but she still got on my nerves. I’m well aware the message this book was trying to put across was all to do with a “woman in a man’s world”, and I can feel for Rizzoli, it would be hard to be taken seriously in a homicide department in 2001 as a woman… But!!! It was not necessary for her to act as though every single man she encountered was an enemy, needing to be destroyed and put in his place. If she wanted to be taken so seriously as a woman, I’m surprised she couldn’t utter the word “tampon” and described it as being a “disgusting object”. (I have seen this point mentioned by other reviewers and some have said the “fear” of tampons could be a generational thing).
I also wasn’t a fan of the underlying tone this book had, that “all men are capable of evil”. Everyone is capable of evil, why were only men being targeted in this book? Now, I don’t want to sound anti-feminist or something with me saying all this stuff, but I felt the book was a bit radical with some of it’s points about men being raping, murdering bastards. Again, I would like to put my hands up and say I’m really not trying to trivialise or undermine rape “victims” (I prefer the term survivors myself) because I’m close to several, I know how much it fucks them up, but I did feel like this book was a bit heavy hitting towards the male gender as a whole, rather than to the select few scumbags who do that sort of thing (just to rehash this point, I’m not some kind of rape apologist, I just didn’t feel the book needed to be so anti-man).
Another problem I had with this book was sometimes it seemed to have an undermining stance on rape, calling it a woman’s “shameful secret” as though it was their own fault they had been abused in this way. There was also a moment where Rizzoli called herself a “victim of The Surgeon” because she had fucked up part of the investigation, which I thought was completely inappropriate. Comparing a job related incident that was your own fault to being kidnapped and raped is just disgusting. That really got on my nerves. Another thing that grated on me was the overuse of the word “victim” when it came to the rape survivors, but I can imagine that’s more to do with the time this book came out than anything else.
Also!!! (Not a spoiler) There is a disgusting comment on suicide nearer the end of the novel, where Rizzoli calls a man who killed himself a “loser who ate his gun” and “pathetic enough to blow his own brains out”.
Even after having those couple of issues with this novel, I still enjoyed it enough to finish it but I won’t forget the offensiveness of it. I’m going to give myself a break from this series for a month or so, just to really review whether use want to continue with writing I find so problematic. If any of you have gone on to read more of this series, please let me know if it gets any better by not taking digs at traumatised women and mental illness. -
Boston: Ein brutaler Serientäter treibt sein Unwesen. Alleinstehende Frauen werden überfallen, gefoltert und getötet. Detective Thomas Moore und Inspector Jane Rizzoli sind mit der Aufklärung der Mordserie beschäftigt, doch die einzige Spur führt bislang zu Dr. Catherine Cordell. Die Chirurgin wurde vor zwei Jahren auf ganz ähnliche Art und Weise überfallen, konnte dem Täter aber entkommen. Kann sie zur Aufklärung der Mordserie beitragen?
Mein Leseeindruck:
Wer Krimis, Thriller oder einfach nur spannende Romane mag, hat bestimmt von der Autorin Tess Gerritsen schon gehört. Ihre Serie um "Rizzoli & Isles" ist ja sehr bekannt. Für mich war es nun endlich an der Zeit, diese Buchreihe auch einmal anzufangen und so habe ich mir den ersten Band "Die Chirurgin" gekauft und nun auch endlich gelesen.
Dieser erste Band der Reihe hat mich absolut überzeugen können. Von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite war ich gefesselt von dieser Geschichte. Die Spannung war durchweg vorhanden und wurde im Laufe der Geschichte immer noch gesteigert.
Die Charaktere sind glaubwürdig und authentisch. Zwar sind nicht alle sympathisch, aber das müssen sie auch nicht sein. Gerade die kleinen Ecken und Kanten machen die Figuren so glaubhaft.
Der Schreibstil ist so, wie ich ihn mag. Das Buch hat sich schnell und flüssig lesen lassen.
Ich freue mich, dass es schon einige Teile dieser Reihe gibt, so dass ich noch viele, hoffentlich ebenso spannende Geschichten rund um "Rizzoli & Isles" (auch wenn letztere in diesem Buch noch gar nicht vorkommt) lesen darf!
