"The Surgeon" Review

• Title:  "The Surgeon"
• Author:  Tess Gerritsen
• Finished:  April 5, 2009
• Synopsis:  As with the previous reviews of Gerritsen books, the synopsis is probably best handled by linking to Gerritsen's webpage or the Amazon page for the book.
• Impression of the book:  This was the kick-off novel for the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series. The story provides a great start and some really good character development. I missed some of it by reading the books out of order and reading this book clarified some of the issues that both of them are dealing in later novels. After reading this one, I understood completely why Gerritsen was asked to continue writing about the characters that she introduced in "The Surgeon."
• Read Again Scale:  5
• Like the previous two Gerritsen novels, a definite maybe on the re-read scale.  It depends on what else is going on in the house.
• Read Another Book by the Same Author:  10
• Since I am reviewing a 3rd book by this author, you have a pretty good idea that I will read her work again.

For me, the tough part of recommending Gerritsen's books is the gory or brutal nature of the storylines. Rizzoli is a homicide detective and Isles is a medical examiner, so you might have some idea from shows like CSI that you are going to encounter the gruesome or macabre. Somehow, reading stories like this can be more disturbing because it requires building your own mental image of what the characters are experiencing. I liked "The Surgeon" a great deal, but I caution that the books in this series may cause some to have trouble sleeping after reading them.