Tess Gerritsen
Tess Gerritsen is an American author and former physician, best known for her contributions to the medical thriller genre. Born on June 12, 1965, she gained recognition for her ability to weave deep medical knowledge into gripping narratives, effectively blending her background in medicine with storytelling. Gerritsen’s notable works include the "Rizzoli & Isles" series, which has gained a large following and was adapted into a successful television series. Her writing often features strong female protagonists and explores themes of science, ethics, and the human condition.
In addition to her fiction, Gerritsen has authored numerous short stories and novels that showcase her versatility as a writer. Her career began with romance novels before she shifted focus to thrillers, reflecting her evolving interests and expertise. Gerritsen's works have been translated into multiple languages, broadening her appeal across diverse audiences. Through her compelling storytelling and medical insight, she has established herself as a prominent figure in contemporary literature, earning awards and accolades for her contributions to the genre.
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Tess Gerritsen
Fiction Writer
- Born: June 12, 1953
- Place of Birth: San Diego, California
Biography
Fiction Writer. Born June 12, 1953, in San Diego, California, to Ernest and Ruby (Tao) Tom, Tess Gerritsen graduated from Stanford University in 1975 and received her MD from the University of California at San Francisco in 1979. She married Jacob Gerritsen (also a physician) in 1977. After completing her residency, Gerritsen practiced medicine in Honolulu, Hawaii. While on maternity leave awaiting the arrival of the elder of her two sons, Gerritsen began writing fiction to stave off boredom and gained confidence when she entered and won a statewide writing contest sponsored by Honolulu Magazine. At first, Gerritsen began writing the kind of fiction she enjoyed reading: romantic suspense. From 1987, she published in the Harlequin romance and intrigue series, often to mixed reviews despite strong sales. Increasingly, Gerritsen’s medical and scientific background worked its way into her fiction, and by 1996 she was breaking new ground in the genre of the medical thriller. Harvest (1996), inspired by a chance encounter with a former detective, deals with kidnapping and murder perpetrated by Russian mobsters in search of organs for transplant. From that point on, Gerritsen’s fast-paced, wittily styled thrillers kept pace with developing technology and public fears of its misuse. By the turn of the century, Gerritsen had emerged at the front rank of physician novelists, alongside such older male predecessors as Robin Cook and . Her narrative viewpoint, however, remained distinctly feminine, recalling Gerritsen’s beginnings as an author of romances. In each of Gerritsen’s medical thrillers, the viewpoint character is a female physician with insatiable curiosity and a strong sense of justice. Each novel, however, is a stand-alone story that does not have recurring characters. Gerritsen lived with her family in the state of Maine, which is where Bloodstream (1998) is set. Her other medical thrillers include Gravity (1999), The Bone Garden (2007), Playing with Fire (2015), Playing With Fire (2015), I Know A Secret (2017), and The Shape Of Night (2019). She has written thirteen novels in what is known as the Rizzoli/Isles series, which features the characters Jane Rizzoli, a detective, and Maura Isles, a medical examiner. The book series has been adapted for the television series Rizzoli & Isles, which aired from 2010 to 2016. In 2022, she released the thirteenth novel in the Rizzoli/Isles novel series, Listen to Me. Gerritsen released The Spy Coast, the first book in a new series, in late 2023. According to an interview with Gerritsen on the website WITF, the author came up with the idea for the book after learning her two retired neighbors once worked as CIA spies. In 2024, Amazon Studios bought the novel for television development.
In addition to her novels, she is a filmmaker. Magnificent Beast (2022) explores the origins of the pig taboo, and Island Zero (2018) was her first horror movie.
Bibliography
Daley, Lauren. "Q&A" Tess Gerritsen on Her New Book 'The Spy Coast'." Boston.com, 12 Jan. 2024, www.boston.com/culture/books/2024/01/12/qa-tess-gerritsen-on-her-new-book-the-spy-coast/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Ephron, Hallie. "Chilled to the Bone: Tess Gerritsen's Medical Thrillers Offer an Irresistible Recipe: 'A Ticking Clock, Killer Suspense, and Characters Who Grab You by the Throat.'" Writer, vol. 121, no. 9, 2008, pp. 18–21.
LaMar, Scott. "Best-Selling Author Tess Gerritsen Talks About Her New Book The Spy Coast." WITF, 1 Nov. 2023, www.witf.org/2023/11/01/best-selling-author-tess-gerritson-talks-about-her-new-book-the-spy-coast/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Parsell, David B. "Tess Gerritsen." Critical Survey of Mystery & Detective Fiction, Revised Edition, 2008, pp. 1–5.
"About Tess Gerritsen." Tess Gerritsen, www.tessgerritsen.com/about. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Vey, Barbara. "Paging Dr. Tess Gerritsen." Publishers Weekly. 7 Feb. 2008.