Tess Gerritsen Explained

Tess Gerritsen
Birth Date:1953 6, mf=yes
Birth Name:Terry Tom
Birth Place:San Diego, California, U.S.
Occupation:Author, surgeon
Nationality:American
Education:Stanford University (BA)
University of California, San Francisco
Genre:Suspense, Mystery
Spouse:Jacob Gerritsen
Children:2
Module:
Embed:yes
Other Names:Terry Gerritsen (real name)

Tess Gerritsen (born Terry Tom; June 12, 1953[1]) is the pseudonym of Terry Gerritsen, an American novelist and retired general physician.[2]

Early life

Tess Gerritsen is the child of a Chinese immigrant and a Chinese-American seafood chef. While growing up in San Diego, California, Gerritsen often dreamt of writing her own Nancy Drew novels.[3] Her first name is Terry; she decided to feminize it when she was a writer of romance novels.[4] Although she longed to be a writer, her family had reservations about the sustainability of a writing career, prompting Gerritsen to choose a career in medicine.[5] In 1975, Gerritsen graduated from Stanford University with a BA in anthropology, intrigued by the ranges of human behavior.[6] She went on to study medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.[5] She received her medical degree in 1979 and started work as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii.[7] [8]

While on maternity leave, she submitted a short story to a statewide fiction contest in the magazine Honolulu. Her story, "On Choosing the Right Crack Seed", won first prize and she received $500.[7] [9] The story focused on a young male reflecting on a difficult relationship with his mother. Gerritsen claimed the story allowed her to deal with her own childhood turmoil, including the repeated suicide attempts of her mother.[7]

Writing career

Inspired by the romance novels she enjoyed reading while working as a doctor, Gerritsen's first novels were romantic thrillers.[7] After two unpublished "practice novels", Call After Midnight was bought by publisher Harlequin Intrigue in 1986 and published a year later.[10] Gerritsen subsequently wrote eight romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue and Harper Paperbacks.[7]

Other genres

In 1996, Gerritsen wrote Harvest, her first medical thriller.[10] The plot was inspired by a conversation with a retired homicide detective who had recently traveled in Russia. He told her young orphans were vanishing from Moscow streets, and police believed the kidnapped children were being shipped abroad as organ donors.[11] Harvest was Gerritsen's first hardcover novel, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number thirteen.[12] Following Harvest, Gerritsen wrote three more bestselling medical thrillers: Life Support,[13] Bloodstream,[14] and Gravity.[15]

In 2001, Gerritsen's first crime thriller, The Surgeon, was published and introduced homicide detective Jane Rizzoli. Although a secondary character in The Surgeon, Rizzoli has been a central focus of 13 subsequent novels (see below) pairing her with medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles.[16] The books inspired the Rizzoli & Isles television series starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.[17] Gerritsen also made an appearance in the series' final season as a writer who helps Isles establish herself in the literary field.[18]

Although most of her recent books have been in the Rizzoli/Isles series, in 2007 Gerritsen wrote a stand-alone historical thriller titled The Bone Garden. A tale of gruesome murders, the book is set primarily in 1830s Boston and includes a character based on Oliver Wendell Holmes.[19] [20]

Gerritsen's books have been published in 40 countries and have sold 25 million copies.[16]

Other works

Film and television

Gerritsen co-wrote the story and screenplay for Adrift, which aired on CBS as Movie of the Week in 1993 and starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Greenwood.[23]

Other

Gerritsen has contributed essays in volumes published by Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She also blogs regularly about the writing business, both on her own website and on a mystery writers site, Murderati.com.

She is also the composer of the musical piece "Incendio" for violin and piano, a waltz that features in the plot of her novel "Playing With Fire".[24] The composition has been recorded by violinist Susanne Hou.[25]

Chinese legacy

Gerritsen's mother told her traditional Chinese stories, e.g. about Monkey King. Her novel The Silent Girl uses Chinese martial arts and traditional motives in contemporary Boston. One of the victims is a Chinese chef.

Works inspired by Gerritsen

Yakov's Lament (2012), a solo violin piece by French composer Damien Top, is inspired by Gerritsen's novel Harvest.[26]

Personal life

Gerritsen is married to Jacob Gerritsen, who is also a physician. She has two sons.[27] She enjoys gardening and playing the fiddle, and lives in Camden, Maine.[3] [28]

Reception

The Surgeon received a RITA award Romance Writers of America in 2002 for Best Romantic Suspense Novel.[29]

In 2006, Vanish received the Nero Award for best mystery novel, and was nominated for both an Edgar Award by the Mystery Writers of America and a Macavity Award.[30] [31] [32] She has also won approval from several of her contemporaries, including James Patterson and Stephen King, the latter of whom described her as being "even better than Michael Crichton".

Selected bibliography

Romantic thrillers

Medical thrillers

Tavistock series

Rizzoli & Isles series

  1. The Surgeon (2001) introduces police detective Jane Rizzoli
  2. The Apprentice (2002) introduces medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles
  3. The Sinner (2003)
  4. Body Double (2004)
  5. Vanish (2005)
  6. The Mephisto Club (2006)
  7. The Keepsake / Keeping the Dead (US / UK, 2008)
  8. Ice Cold / The Killing Place (US / UK, 2010)

8.5 Freaks (short story, 2011)

  1. The Silent Girl (US / UK, 2011)[33]

9.5 John Doe (short story, 2012)

  1. Last to Die (UK / US (2012)[34]
  2. Die Again (2014)
  3. I Know a Secret (2017)
  4. Listen to Me (2022)[35]

The Martini Club Series

Introducing Maggie Bird and Jo Thibodeau in this new series

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Writers and secret identities . tessgerritsen.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140221161847/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/writers-and-secret-identities/ . 2014-02-21.
  2. http://www.tessgerritsen.com/bio/ BIO
  3. Web site: An Interview With Tess Gerritsen. January 19, 2009. Barr. Nikki. February 4, 2008. Daily Express.
  4. http://www.tessgerritsen.com/blog/writers-and-secret-identities/ WRITERS AND SECRET IDENTITIES
  5. Web site: Interview with Tess Gerristen 2007. January 19, 2009. High. Chris. 2007. Chris High. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517112825/http://www.chrishigh.com/interviews/tess_gerritsen_interview.htm. May 17, 2008. dead.
  6. Web site: CASA Newsletter. January 20, 2009. 1999. Cultural and Social Anthropology Department, Stanford University. September 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130926114216/http://www.stanford.edu/dept/cultsoc-anthro/Pdf/casa%20layout7.pdf. dead.
  7. Web site: Shots Magazine Interview: Tess Gerritsen . January 19, 2009 . Karm . Ali . September 2002 . Shots Magazine . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20030501160243/http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/SHOTS%2017/Tess%20Gerritsen/gerritsen.htm . May 1, 2003 . mdy .
  8. Web site: Literary Spotlight: Tess Gerritsen . January 19, 2009 . Holton . Carlotta G. . April 29, 2008 . WritersNewsWeekly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081012071736/http://www.writersnewsweekly.com/literary_spotlight_tess_gerritsen.html . October 12, 2008 . mdy .
  9. Web site: Author of the Month. January 20, 2009. Rowe. Beverly. December 2005. MyShelf.com.
  10. Web site: Author, Author. January 20, 2009. Daley. Yvonne. 1997. Stanford Alumni. https://web.archive.org/web/20081011145440/http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/novdec/lsjournal/bookreview2.html. October 11, 2008. dead.
  11. Web site: A Conversation With Tess Gerritsen. January 19, 2009. White. Claire. November 2001. WritersWrite.
  12. Web site: PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: September 22, 1996. January 25, 2009. September 22, 1996. The New York Times.
  13. Web site: Best Sellers: Paperback Fiction. January 25, 2009. August 16, 1998. The New York Times.
  14. Web site: PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: September 5, 1999. January 25, 2009. September 5, 1999. The New York Times.
  15. Web site: Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction. January 25, 2009. The New York Times.
  16. Web site: Putting pen to paper. January 19, 2009. Keyes. Bob. September 16, 2007. Portland Press Herald.
  17. Web site: 'Law & Order's' Angie Harmon: 'I hope they make a museum out of the stages.'. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100602015346/http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/05/law-orders-angie-harmon-i-hope-they-make-a-museum-out-of-the-stages.html. June 2, 2010. mdy-all.
  18. Web site: Rizzoli & Isles Season 7 Episode 6 Review: There Be Ghosts. Ori . Jack. June 11, 2016. tvfanatic.com. June 12, 2016.
  19. Web site: One-on-One with Tess Gerritsen. January 19, 2009. Tong. Denise. September 1, 2007. Current Vine.
  20. Web site: Medical mysteries add twists to historical thriller. January 19, 2009. Sege. Irene. November 14, 2007. Boston Globe.
  21. https://www.islandzeromovie.com/
  22. https://www.magnificentbeastmovie.com/
  23. Web site: Paging Dr. Tess Gerritsen . January 25, 2009 . Vey . Barbara . February 7, 2008 . Publishers Weekly . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080516223317/http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/590021459.html . May 16, 2008 .
  24. Web site: For author Tess Gerritsen, success brings more artistic freedom – finally. May 1, 2016.
  25. Web site: INCENDIO TRACK - NOW AVAILABLE on iTunes & Amazon!! - Susanne Hou. www.susannehou.com.
  26. News: Cool media crossover: a violin solo based on my character . I just found out that a solo violin piece called “Yakov’s Lament” will have its world premiere in NYC on September 8th, performed by Met Concertmaster Darvarova at Symphony Space on Broadway and 95th. The composer, Damien Top, told me the piece was inspired by the orphaned boy Yakov in my medical thriller HARVEST. . August 26, 2012 . Tess . Gerritsen . https://web.archive.org/web/20140910144309/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/cool-media-crossover-a-violin-solo-based-on-my-character/ . September 10, 2014.
  27. News: Mehegan. David. Death becomes her. May 13, 2012. The Boston Globe. September 2, 2006.
  28. Web site: Tess Gerritsen: Official Site . January 19, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090201032458/http://tessgerritsen.com/biography.html . February 1, 2009 .
  29. Web site: Comprehensive List of RITA Winners. January 26, 2009. Romance Writers of America. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110727224920/http://eweb.rwanational.org/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=PastRITAWinners. July 27, 2011. mdy-all.
  30. Web site: The Nero Award Press Release . January 26, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080405133714/http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/2004_Press_Release.htm . April 5, 2008 . mdy .
  31. Web site: Edgar Awards. January 26, 2009.
  32. Web site: Mystery Readers International's Macavity Awards. January 26, 2009. Mystery Readers International.
  33. Web site: Tess Gerritsen: Official Site of the NY Times Bestselling Author . 2010-01-21.
  34. Web site: News & Events – Tess Gerritsen . 2012-04-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120331182826/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/news-events/ . March 31, 2012 . mdy-all .
  35. Web site: Rizzoli & Isles: Listen to Me . 2022-04-18 . Penguin Random House.
  36. Book: Gerritsen, Tess . The Spy Coast: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series . 2023-11-01 . Transworld . 978-1-5299-2501-2 . en.

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