Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen is the bestselling author of over 31 suspense novels, including the popular Rizzoli & Isles crime fiction series. Tess was born in San Diego; her parents are of Chinese-American heritage. As a child, she always wanted to write, particularly her own Nancy Drew novels. She says, “I was a writer first and knew I’d be a storyteller at age seven. But since my parents are very practical, they urged me to go into a profession that would be far more secure, so I went to medical school.”

Tess graduated from Stanford University with a degree in anthropology before attending medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, where she was awarded her M.D. She worked as a physician in Hawaii after graduating and began writing while on maternity leave. Her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published in 1987 and began her writing career. “Tess” is actually a pseudonym for Terry. She chose to change her first name because she wanted a more feminine-sounding name when she began writing her romance novels.

Tess wrote several suspense romance novels in the years that followed before writing her first medical thriller, Harvest, which was inspired by true stories she heard about the illegal trade of human organs. The book landed on the New York Times bestseller list, and all her subsequent novels since then have been international bestsellers. Her books have sold more than 40 million copies around the world and been translated into 40 languages. She says of her background, “Medicine is probably one of the best backgrounds for a writer to find stories. I always think cops and docs have the best background because we see so much of human behavior, such a range of human emotions.”

Her other thrillers include titles such as Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, and The Bone Garden. She has written thirteen Rizzoli & Isles books featuring Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles. Most recently, she published The Spy Coast, the first book in her new thriller series (The Martini Club).

Tess has won numerous awards, including the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon).

Recommendations For Tess Gerritsen

Recommended by Gianna Ramirez

A great mystery read. The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen. I love, love, love this book! I’m looking for

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Books By Tess Gerritsen

I Know a Secret: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

The Mephisto Club: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

Tips and Resources From Your Tess Gerritsen Book Club Friends:

Known for her medical thrillers Tess Gerritsen is a versatile writer, having written mysteries, suspense romance novels, spy thrillers, and more. What her books all have in common is nail-biting suspense and three-dimensional characters that draw readers in. Many contemporary writers consider her their favourite crime thriller writer. Stephen King has said of her writing, “She is better than [Michael] Palmer, better than [Robin] Cook…yes, even better than [Michael] Crichton.”

Many readers love her Rizzoli & Isles series for its mixture of police procedural, thriller, and engaging female protagonists. But no matter what genre she’s writing, Tess melds suspense closely with her characters. She says, “There is no better test of character than when you’re tossed into crisis. That’s when we see one’s true colors shine through. So I try my best to make my characters personally involved in the plot, in a way that stresses them and tests them.”

the order of the Books and all Related Books Available

All Tess Gerritsen’s Book Series in Order of Publication

Find the right order of the books in the series.

Rizzoli & Isles Books In Order

Martini Club Books In Order

Tavistock Family Books In Order

Recommendations From Tess’s Fans

Karin Slaughter

Recommended by Sofia Thomas

I love Karin Slaughter – Will Trent and the earlier series. Very graphic though , which I don’t mind

Deanna Raybourn

Recommended by Lydia Brown

For me, there’s something pretty satisfying about women of a certain age who can deliver a punch, wh

Patricia Cornwell

Recommended by Georgia Adams

I’m hooked on Patricia Cornwell’s series. If you’re looking for something to read this may be for yo

Lisa Gardner

Recommended by Kendall Morales

After seeing that Louise Penny recommended Lisa Gardner’s Before She Disappeared, I thought I’d give

ML Longworth

Recommended by Danielle Wood

One of my favorite authors while waiting for LP’s newest book is ML Longworth. Her mysteries take pl

Laura Lippman

Recommended by Daisy Gomez

Laura Lippman’s books are top notch. I really enjoy her stand alone books and she has wide range of

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Recommended Books From Tess Gerritsen Fans

Sacred Clowns: A Leaphorn and Chee Novel

Death Without Company: A Longmire Mystery

Too Close for Comfort: The Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series

Skin and Bones: A Mike Bowditch Short Mystery

Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death

Precious Cargo: A Story from Birds of Prey

The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023

The Face of a Stranger: A William Monk Novel

Macbeth: William Shakespeare's Macbeth Retold

The Bear Trap: A Mike Bowditch Short Story

Christmas in Newfoundland Memories and Mysteries 2: A Sgt. Windflower Book

The King Arthur Case: A Brittany Mystery

The Maharani's Pearls: A Bess Crawford Story

Blindman's Bluff: A Decker/Lazarus Novel

Street of the Five Moons: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense

Silhouette in Scarlet: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense

The Witches' Tree: An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Borrower of the Night: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense

The Kate Shugak Investigations: Books 1-9

The Dead Ringer: An Agatha Raisin Mystery

Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade

“Death does not discriminate; whether saints or sinners, in the end, all are equal.”

Tess Gerritsen, The Sinner: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel

Ree Adams

“Tess Gerritsen’s medical thrillers aren’t for the faint of heart but if you are looking for books that will keep you up at night turning the next page, then her books are for you. Her writing is fast paced and suspenseful. I really enjoy her Rizzoli & Isles which are more police procedurals than her other books, and the characters and mysteries are interesting. And her newest series is a hoot! The Spy Coast about a group of retired spies in “The Martini Club” so the book has a lighter tone than her other books and is a lot of fun.”

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