The Surgeon: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

Really enjoyed reading this book. I finished it so quickly because I enjoyed reading it so much and the author spend a lot of time on details.

First and foremost, as others have pointed out, this book has really nothing to do with the TV series. Dr. Isles isn’t even in this story, and there are really no similarities whatsoever, other than the names of some characters are the same and it’s in Boston. But it’s a different universe. Now as for the story itself, I really thought it was a good story but there are issues that took away from my enjoyment, hence the 3 star rating.First, there is this ongoing undercurrent of “men versus women” that often seemed forced and unnecessary and detracted from rather than added to the story, and it often makes Jane Rizzoli a completely unlikeable character. At times, it seems like the author goes out of her way to make Rizzoli's male counterparts stupid while Rizzoli just seems to figure out stuff, that to me was pretty obvious and basic detective work. So at times you have to "suspend disbelief."The other issue I had with the book was the amount of superfluous information that really had nothing to do with the story. At times I felt myself wondering if the author got paid by the word and I couldn't help but think of a school kid who was forced to write 1000 word essay and was just looking to fill out the number of words. For example, early on we are introduced to a main character, who happens to be a doctor, by showing her working on a patient in the ER. And we’re treated to pages and pages of her treatment of the patient and NONE Of that had anything to do with the story. While reading it, I presumed the author wanted to establish this doctor as a very good doctor, but again, her capabilities as a doctor had NOTHING to do with the resolution of the story. And don’t get me started on the officer involved shooting, which appears to be a bad shoot, but yet was never really was never resolved.At it’s core, this is an interesting story that with some tightening up of the narrative and removal of the battle of the sexes undercurrent would probably be a really good read. And my 3 star rating is probably a bit harsh, but I can’t in good conscience rate it 4 stars because of the problems noted above. However I’m not ready to give up on the series just yet and will likely try the next novel in the series in the future.

This is the 4th novel I have read by the author and they have all been brilliantly written. The in depth character development is possibly the best I have come across. I am looking forward to reading the rest in the Rizzoli and Isles series.

This is a white-knuckled chiller-thriller which will have you reading through the night and then leaving all the lights on when you finally do decide to sleep...if you can. "The Surgeon" is the second novel I have read by Tess Gerritsen, a former medical internist who left a successful practice to write. The author's expertise in medicine brings tremendous authenticity to her plots, and her knowledge of psychology and the human mind gives tremendous depth to her characters.A serial killer is stalking the women of Boston, looking for a certain type - his type. The Boston Police Department has nicknamed this monster "The Surgeon," because of his extraordinary skill in operating on his victims, while they're alive, and removing their uteruses - the organ which symbolizes their womanhood. His manner of finally dispatching these unfortunates is also unique. But I'll let you discover that on your own. The reader is privy to this psychopath's bizarre musings on women and ancient sacrificial rituals, from Greek Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter Iphigenia, to the ancient Aztecs' and Vikings' death offerings. I found the murderer's thoughts on his place in this tradition disturbing, to say the least. That he places himself and his deeds within a meaningful historical context is almost as terrifying as the murders he commits. Upon investigation, it appears that New England is not the first place this killer has surfaced. A maniac with the same MO operated out of Savannah, GA, but was shot dead two years before by one of the women he held prisoner. There is clearly a link between the Georgia murders and the ones taking place in Boston.After being violently attacked, Dr. Catherine Cordell, a skilled trauma surgeon, left Savannah and created a new life and a new practice for herself in Boston. Two years before, she was assaulted and almost mutilated and murdered by a serial killer/rapist. In fact, she was the sole survivor of his atrocities. She actually knew the perpetrator, Andrew Capra, a medical student with whom she had worked. Fortunately, she was able to think clearly enough to use her wits and, with a bit of luck, was able to free herself from her bonds and shoot Capra.When Detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli of the Boston P.D pay Dr. Cordell a visit to inform her of a series of brutal murders bearing striking similarities to her own case, she is stunned. As she confronts demons from the past, the crippling fear she has felt since the assault doubles in intensity. While the detectives question her, she relives the horrible attack and tries to recall, in detail, the events of that terrible night, She is sure she killed Capra. Who is the copycat? She is determined to help the police in every way so that other women do not have to suffer what she did...or worse. What neither Catherine nor the police know yet, is that she has always been the killer's primary focus.Tess Gerritsen writes a clear, almost stark, fast-paced narrative that builds in tension and suspense toward a riveting climax. There was no way I could put this novel down during the last 100 pages. Absolutely riveting! The central characters, especially Jane Rizzoli and Thomas Moore are outstanding - very realistic and compelling. A definite new take on a not-so-new story. Lock your doors before you pick up this book. ENJOY!JANA

Very well written and intense thriller about the Boston PD homicide unit as they chase a vicious serial killer nicknamed The Surgeon because he cuts out his victims' uteruses while they're alive and then slits their throats and keeps the excised organ as a trophy. In this book we are introduced to Detective Jane Rizzoli, the only woman in Boston PD's homicide unit who is aggressive and territorial about the case and desperately wants to catch him. The killer seems to be focused on women who were previously raped and he is stalking a female trauma surgeon named Catherine Cordell who was the final victim of a similar series of murders in Savannah, Georgia and would have died if she hadn't managed to get an arm free and shoot the man attacking her. However despite the death of her assailant the killer stalking her now seems to know all about her ordeal and is using a campaign of terror to psychologically torment her. Great book, the first in the Rizzoli and Isles Series.

*slight spoiler alert - no names*I read the sample and was like "this book is going to be terrible, I've guess the killer straight up - I'm only buying this to prove I'm right".How wrong I was! I've never really read crime books, and I feel this is a good one to start with. I was wrong about the killer - which I LOVED because it made me love the book more.I've never really watched the show so was good to read it without bias and character perceptions.I do recommend this book to anyone wanting to get into crime books.

Der Thriller war sehr spannend, der Fokus lag auf den medizinischen Aspekten. Er war für mich wenig vorhersehbar. Leider fand ich die Protagonistin ein wenig unsympathisch.

Ich hatte bisher nur die Fernseher-Serie gesehen und später mal eine Dokumentation über das Making off der Serie dadurch habe ich von der Schriftstellerin der Bücher erfahren da ich aber nicht die Bücher in deutscher Sprache lesen wollte habe ich mir die Englischen angefangen auf meine Kindle zu laden und muss sagen sie sind ebenfalls klasse. Es ist im ersten Augenblick komisch wenn man die F.-serie gewohnt ist aber trotzdem sehr gute Bücher.

I am male and found this a page turner and very gripping. However I also found it quite gory and explicit of how each victim was tortured and operated on to remove the uterus as a prize. Even the doctors operations in hospital were too explicit. ok if you like watching Hospital operations in detail

Achtung, nur Rizzoli keine Isles. Aber trotzdem kein Problem. Das Buch, der Plot ist total klasse und kann nur weiter empfohlen werden. Kurz: ein Page-turner. Ich habe es kaum aus der Hand legen können. Absolut empfehlenswert.