Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen: Biography

Tess Gerritsen (Terry Tom) was born on June 12th, 1953 and is currently 70 years old. Tess Gerritsen was born in San Diego, California, USA. Gerritsen attended Stanford University where she received a B.A. Anthropology and University of California, San Francisco where she received a Ph.D Medicine.

Tess Gerritsen is the author of the Rizzoli & Isles series which currently consists of 13 novels. The Rizzoli & Isles series started in 2001 with the novel The Surgeon. The most recently released novel in the Rizzoli & Isles series was Listen to Me which was released in 2022. There are no upcoming novels for the Rizzoli & Isles series.

Tess is a retired physician, and she wrote some romantic thriller novels while working as a physician, but on materinity leave. She initially wrote romantic thrillers before branching out into medical thriller novels and crime thriller novels.

In 1993, the movie Adrift aired on CBS and was the CBS Movie of the Week. This was co-written by Gerritsten.

Tess's first medical thriller was Harvest and she debuted on the NYT Bestseller list with that novel.

Tess has also made multiple films. Her and her son Josh made Magnificent Beast, a documentary. They also made Island Zero, a horror movie, in 2018.

She currently lives in Camden, Maine as per her website.

Tess was shortlisted for the 2017 Dead Good Reader Award in The Kathy Reichs Award for Fearless Female Character category for her character Jane Rizzoli.

Tess was shortlisted for the 2018 Dead Good Reader Award in The Holmes and Watson Award for Best Detective Duo category for her characters Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles.

Tess Gerritsen: Awards & Accolades

Gerritsen's books have won multiple awards, Vanish won the Nero Award, Best Mystery Novel, in 2006. Last to Die won the Suspense Magazine Awards, Crimson Scribe Award, in 2012.

The following novels by Tess Gerritsen were nominated for these awards:

• The Surgeon: RITA Award, Best Romantic Suspense (2002).
• Vanish: Edgar Award, Best Mystery Novel (2006). Macavity Award, Best Mystery Novel (2006).
• Ice Cold / The Killing Place: Nero Award, Best Mystery Novel (2011).
• The Silent Girl: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2011). Nero Award, Best Mystery Novel (2012).
• Die Again: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2015). The Dead Good Reader Award, The Val McDermid Award for Fiendish Forensics (2015).
• Playing with Fire: International Thriller Writers Award, Best Hardcover Novel (2016).
• The Spy Coast: International Thriller Writers Award, Best Original Paperback Novel (2024).

Tess Gerritsen: TV/Movies Based on Books

The book series Rizzoli & Isles was adapted to television. It aired from 2010 through 2016. It starred Angie Harmon as homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, and Sasha Alexander as Dr. Maura Dorothea Isles. Rizzoli first appeared in The Surgeon, the first novel in the series and then Isles appeared in The Apprentice, which is the basis for the television show.

Related Authors

The most common authors followed by users who also follow Tess Gerritsen are:

1. Michael Connelly, author of the Harry Bosch Series.
2. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
3. Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher Series.
4. Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
5. James Patterson, author of the Women's Murder Club Series.

Tess Gerritsen: F.A.Q

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Austin D.

2 years ago

Began reading Tess’ work when I got a book of hers for Christmas, and have read five of her books since, enjoyed them all. I have also gotten a number of people hooked on her books as a result, as well.

One novel of Tess’ I enjoyed was the Shape of Night, as I wanted to know more about Captain Briodie. It is also a step in a different direction for her and it’s great when authors try something different for once.

Another great ones is Playing With Fire, which is such an emotional read, and is quite the tearjerker.

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Tobily McSmith

Admin

2 years ago

I was a huge fan of the Rizzoli & Isles television show that aired on TNT. The show aired for seven seasons and featured Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as stars. If you haven’t check it out, I highly recommend it.

After the show ended I decided to give the books a try and I wasn’t disappointed. Each book on this list of books by Tess Gerritsen is well worth a read.

I’m almost done reading the series now and I think it’s time to ask, is it time do another TV series? I say, yes!

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Michael K.

2 years ago

I had no idea ‘Rizzoli and Isles’ was based on a book series. Then again, it shouldn’t surprise me. These days, it feels like every popular TV show is based on an obscure book series. Though, in this case, Tess Gerritsen is an award winner, and her books are anything but obscure.

She isn’t what I imagined when I first heard about the book series. Unless I’m mistaken, she was a general physician. In that regard, I would have expected Tess to make Isles the primary protagonist instead of Rizzoli.

The books are riveting. They have a sharper edge. The villains seem so brutal and meanspirited. Maybe it’s the medium. Books leave a lot to the imagination, and the things the human brain imagines are often worse than anything you see on television.

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Procyon44

5 months ago

I remember reading several of her earlier books. I plan to read a few of her latest.

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