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In October 2003 I picked up The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen—book #1 in the Rizzoli & Isles series—and right away knew I had found an author worth following.
While waiting for The Apprentice, I went back and discovered her earlier medical thrillers. Within a few months, I had read three more and was all in. If you like fast-paced, smart thrillers with a medical edge—read them.
Why Tess Gerritsen Works
Gerritsen brings something a little different to the genre—real medical knowledge. As a former physician, her books feel grounded, and that adds an extra layer of tension. The crimes are brutal, but the science behind them makes everything feel just a little more real.
And then there’s the pairing of Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles—cop and medical examiner—which gives the series both procedural grit and forensic depth.
From Tess Gerritsen Webpage
While on maternity leave from her work as a physician, she began to write fiction and in 1987, her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published. It was just the first of 31 suspense novels that she’s written over a 36-year writing career. She also wrote a screenplay, “Adrift,” which aired as a 1993 CBS Movie of the Week starring Kate Jackson.
Tess’s first medical thriller, Harvest, was released in hardcover in 1996, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her novels have hit bestseller lists ever since. Among her titles are Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, The Bone Garden, and The Spy Coast. Her books have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 40 million copies have been sold around the world. Tess Gerritsen About Page
Awards
- Nero Wolfe Award –Vanish
- Rita Award – The Surgeon
Press
“Pulse-pounding fun” (Philadelphia Inquirer),
“Scary and brilliant” (Toronto Globe and Mail),
“Polished, riveting prose” (Chicago Tribune).
Publishers Weekly has dubbed her the “medical suspense queen” and Time Magazine named her novel The Surgeon one of the best mystery/thriller novels ever written.
Rizzoli & Isles Series
| Title | Series/ No. | Series/No. | Date Read | Notes |
| The Surgeon | (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) | 2001 | 2003/10/20 | |
| The Apprentice | (Rizzoli & Isles, #2) | 2002 | 2003/11/20 | |
| The Sinner | (Rizzoli & Isles, #3) | 2003 | ||
| Body Double | (Rizzoli & Isles, #4) | 2004 | 2004/10/16 | |
| Vanish | (Rizzoli & Isles, #5) | 2005 | 2006/10/29 | |
| The Mephisto Club | (Rizzoli & Isles, #6) | 2006 | 2006/11/18 | |
| The Keepsake | (Rizzoli & Isles, #7) | 2008 | 2008/10/06 | |
| Ice Cold | (Rizzoli & Isles, #8) | 2010 | 2010/10/19 | |
| The Silent Girl | (Rizzoli & Isles, #9) | 2011 | 2013/07/28 | Post |
| Last to Die | (Rizzoli & Isles, #10) | 2012 | TBR Shelves | |
| Die Again | (Rizzoli & Isles, #11) | 2014 | ||
| I Know a Secret | (Rizzoli & Isles, #12) | 2017 | TBR Shelves | |
| Listen To Me (Rizzoli & Isles, #13) | (Rizzoli & Isles, #13) | 2022 | 2022/12/17 |
The Martini Club Series
Gerritsen’s newer Martini Club series shifts gears a bit—older, retired spies instead of cops and surgeons—but still keeps that same tension and pacing.
“And while I’ve only read the first book, I’m ready for books two and three.”
| Title | Series/ No. | Date Published | Date Read |
| The Spy Coast | (The Martini Club, #1) | 2023 | 2025/03/06 |
| The Summer Guests | (The Martini Club, #2) | 2025 | E-Book on Kindle |
| The Shadow Friends | (The Martini Club, #3) | 2026 |
Early Medical Standalones
| Title | Date Published | Date Read |
| Harvest | 1996 | 2003/10/26 |
| Life Support | 1997 | 2003/11/3 |
| Bloodstream | 1999 | 2004/1/2 |
| Gravity | 1999 | On TBR Shelves |
| The Bone Garden | 2007 | 2007/11/13 |
Tess Gerritsen is one of those authors I keep coming back to—whether it’s finishing the Rizzoli & Isles books or catching up on the newer Martini Club series.
Below are some of her other novels I haven’t gotten to yet—but probably will at some point.
Suspense Novels
| Title | Year Published |
| Playing With Fire | 2015 |
| The Shape of Night | 2019 |
| Choose Me ( w/GaryBraver) | 2021 |
Romantic Suspense:
| Title | Year Published |
| Call After Midnight | 2001 |
| Whistleblower | 1998 |
| In Their Footsteps | 2004 |
| Never Say Day | 1996 |
| Thief of Hearts | 2008 |
| Girl Missing | 2009 |
| Under the Knife | 2004 |
| Presumed Guilty | 1997 |
| Keeper of the Bride | 2002 |
