This book catches your interest and keeps your interest right from the beginning. Buying this book was money well spent I recommend it highly.

I was very apprehensive about reading this book, but am glad I did. What a thriller! Tess Gerritsen, a fellow Mainer I might add, is one of the best author's that I've read, hands down! "The Surgeon" is definitely a must read for the murder mystery fanatic!

Tess Gerritsen's latest is a pleaser.
2 years ago, while living in Savannah, Dr. Catherine Cordell barely survived a brutal rape. The serial rapist/murderer known as Andrew Capra, aka 'The Surgeon', had previously raped and killed three other women. His last victim, Dr. Cordell, fought back and killed him.
Now living in Boston and working as a trauma center doctor, Catherine Cordell soon finds out about some recent rapes and murders happening in the Boston area that are very similar to the one's committed by Andrew Capra, the man she killed 2 years ago. This killer starts sending her clues, which causes her to recapture all those hideous moments of the past. She soon finds out that she may be the final target.

Detective Thomas Moore is a rather easygoing guy (with a growing attachment to Cordell) assigned to these recent killings, along with lead detective Rizzoli, who happens to be a women struggling to prove herself to a mostly male police force.

Filled with well-choreographed emergency room action and engrossing scenes of life and death, this novel does not disappoint. It seemed very emotional and personal due to the often-brought up issue of rape. A well-rounded medical thriller.

'Where we go depends on what we know, and what we know depends on where we go'

Recommended

Tess Gerritsen is the master of the medical thriller in the 21st century and The Surgeon proves it. The fact that she herself is a doctor, as well as an author, adds an authenticity to the book that is unparelleled. Very rarely do I read a book that actually scares me but this one did. How can women in Boston get a good night's sleep when there is a lunatic running around surgically removing their uteruses and doing it while they are still alive and tied up?

When Dr. Catherine Cordell arrived in Boston from Savannah two years ago, she thought she had left a nightmare behind her. She had shot and killed a serial killer as he was about to make her his fourth victim. Now it seems that either his ghost has shown up in Boston or there is a copycat on the loose as women are once again being killed and the modus operandi is the same as it was in Savannah -- chloroform/Rohypnol, duct tape and the removal of the woman's womb.

There's always a detective willing to go that extra mile to solve a crime and in this case it's Thomas Moore, a cop who is so well respected that he is referred to as Saint Thomas in his precinct. There's a good mix of other supporting characters and just as the serial killer has made Dr. Cordell the center of his focus, so have all the characters in this book. Gerritsen's cast will be jealous and envious and lonely and chauvinistic but they will all pull together to get the job done.

I found myself locking the doors in my home this weekend as I finished reading this book. Gerritsen points out that evil can be so ordinary that people you see on an everyday basis could be thinking of ways to kill you. It's an eerie thought. If I have one complaint about this book, it's the fact that there were some obvious clues sitting right there that the cops were not following up on. At one point, I wanted to take their hand and help them solve the crime. Authors can manipulate their stories any way they please and this reader will gladly be manipulated by Gerritsen as I see her as a primo author in this medical thriller genre.

Gerritsen does it again. She delivers a well-paced, suspenseful novel of medical terror. In "The Surgeon," Tess gives us a very despicable murderer, who is attacking and killing women who have been sexually assaulted. He imprisons them in their own beds and then removes their uteruses, and lets them live a while before he slashes their throats. Not the nicest guy in the world. Ms. Gerritsen is extremely good at interjecting much medical terminology and information, but does so in a way that it does not become too technical or wordy. The characters in this book are very well conceived: the heroine, Dr. Catherine Cordell, a victim of the killer who manages to survive and kill him; Thomas Moore, an unusually "saintly" cop who finds himself falling for the lovely doctor; Jane Rizzoli, the embittered female cop who wants to break this case to show that women can do the same, if not better, than men; Peter Falco, Cordell's partner, who harbors a secret love for his comrade; and of course, the killer. The identity is truly well-hidden, and does not resort to a lot of other writers' tired cliches. My one question, though: what was in the IV bag the killer put in the elderly patient of Catherine's that resulted in his sudden death? There's no follow up on this, or the patient's indignant son who feels the hospital did nothing for him? This of course doesn't detract from the book's overall effect, but it seems Tess might have forgot about it? But, hey, this is one great book...I found it hard to put down. Looking forward for more from this brilliant writer/surgeon.

In "Harvest," Tess Gerritsen writes a moving and suspenseful tale of Abby DiMatteo, and Bayside Memorial Hospital. From within the first few pages, Ms. Gerritsen has you hooked, and you'll be turning pages a mile a minute. The story is basically centered upon the topic of harvesting organs. Dr. Abby DiMatteo, a second year resident at Bayside, is starting to work with the transplant team, and they seem a little weird. She uncovers some things, and learns more of the team's past history. Meanwhile, she is in love with a member of the team, Dr. Mark Hodell. When a needy boy needs a heart, Abby and another doctor think that this boy will get the heart. But it doesn't seem that way now. It appears that the team is doing some business behind the hospital's back, and are getting organs for people not in desperate need of them. This gets Abby thinking, and thus begins one of the best books I've read.

"Harvest," is first rate suspense. Former romance author and current doctor Tess Gerritsen weaves a tale full of medical wonders, intrigue, and romance. Whether a fan of a science thriller, mysteries, or just a good book, you're bound to enjoy "Harvest." This is not only one of the best thrillers I've read, it's one of the best books that I've read in mainstream fiction. The is the first novel that I've read by Ms. Gerritsen and it certainly won't be my last. This is a book that should not be missed. Need a great, entertaining read? Then this is for you. Don't miss out on this great novel.

Happy Reading!

Tess Gerritsen really did an excellent job with this book. Keeps reader's attention from the first to the last page. The Book virtually takes the reader into the action of the book and you can feel the stress and fear Abby is going through. A well thought plot, with some descriptive scenes. I recomend this book for everyone. It is written in a style that you can't and don't want to stop reading. It completely caputers your attention. It is straight forward, with no unexplained twists and confusing minor plots. It is the BEST book I've ever read

Firstly, I have to say that Harvest is in my Top Ten List of all-time most favorite reads (and I've been a voracious reader for forty years).........This book has it all.............thrills, chills, great twisted plots, superb character development...........bad guys, good guys....kept me guessing.......and guessing......... Abby Di Matteo was a second year resident at Bayside Hospital in Boston when she was chosen to be part of the cardiac transplant team.... When she discovered that a heart was to be given to a rich man's wife, rather than a young 17 year old boy who was next in line, both Abby and Dr. Chao, took drastic measures....which had immediate repercussions! Finding donor records as being falsified, and knowing that some hearts aren't coming through the correct channels, Abby starts an investigation........ Since I first read Harvest when it came out in hardcover in 1996, the details and characters have stayed with me....this is a book that one can't forget..........it's an "edge of the seat" thriller, which is even scarier knowing that it's so easy for this to happen in real life.............Gerritsen's knowledge of the medical field shines through without all the jargon that we lay people can't understand! No matter where I am, at weddings, wakes, bookstores, beaches, if I see or know someone who reads, I always recommend any Tess Gerritsen book, so long as it includes Harvest!! Better than Cook, Crichton, or Palmer, and they are great authors, I assure you............This book is a MUST read..... Gotta mention, I was lucky enough to meet this beautiful and talented lady, twice at booksignings.........she is such a down-to-earth, friendly, sincere person, I hope each of you gets to meet her someday also!

I just happened to pick this book up because I loved the cover. It also happened to have a blurb by my favorite author, Stephen King, across the front and I quote, "She is better than Palmer, better than Cook...yes, even better than Crichton." That's a pretty high recommendation, so those 2 factors encouraged me to read this book and boy, does it live up to the potential! Emma Watson, a brilliant research physician, has been training for the mission of a lifetime: studying life in outer space. Emma's ex-husband, Jack McCallum, has also shared her dream of space travel, but a unforeseen medical condition leaves him grounded and very bitter. He must watch Emma take the chance of a lifetime and watch her go into space without him. Once Emma reaches the space station, however, things begin to go wrong. An experiment runs deadly, stranding Emma aboard the station with no way to get home without threatening the Earth's population. The rescue attempts have all but failed, and one by one the astronants are dying...what happens next will amaze you! This is a fabulous read, nice and easy, but yet, keeps you on the edge of your seat. After reading Gravity, I went back and read Tess Gerritsen's other books. You will too, and you won't be disappointed

If you're a guy like me who likes to read Stephen Hunter or John Sandford or Michael Connelly, Baldacci is cool, Stephen King is still the king; liked Michael Crichton's AIRFRAME or SPHERE; maybe still hasn't given up on Clancy by the pound; maybe read some Michael Palmer or Robin Cook's COMA...but wouldn't read a book written by a WOMAN on a bet--c'mon guys, you know who you are--

Well, it's time to rethink your thinking.

The biggest problem you'll have with GRAVITY is that Doc Gerritsen's picture is on the inside back flap of the dust cover. And she's a petite, pretty woman with big dark eyes.

This is one cool, hair-raising, blood-splattered, techno-packed, perfectly thought-provoking, deep sea to outer-space, technically-correct, stay-up-till-dawn read.

You think you might see some "hairy-chested, bronzed muscled, quivering loins" sorta girl-book stuff?

Nope.

GRAVITY is as good a techno-thriller as has been written.

You can't be seen reading a book by a woman? Gerritsen's tough-as-nails heroine Emma Watson would easily dismiss you: "You're all f**ked up!"

Take a chance, guys. Sooner or later, you're gonna be a fan of Gerritsen.

Despite the fact I love Tess Gerrittsen's medical thrillers, I postponed buying this because the Astronaut/Space Mission theme did not appeal to me. I thought the NASA stuff would either bore me or get so technical I'd have trouble following the story.
I'm thankful I bought it -- I loved it even more than Gerrittsen's books "Harvest" and "Bloodstream"! (Which is saying a lot because those books are both 5* in my opinion). She does such a commendable job explaining the tech. aspects (without going into too much detail) that you get a good feel for the shuttle layout & the tasks astronauts perform. Even if you are easily bored by tech. stuff or not mechanically inclined, you'll find "Gravity" captivating AND easy to follow!
Gerrittsen paints such a vivid picture you feel you're there with the astronauts. Setting a medical thriller in deep space rachets up the suspense, increasing the tension several notches! Since the main character is a million miles from earth and surrounded by astronauts dying from an especially virulent and mysterious plague -- she has only herself to rely on.
Once again, Gerritsen has created well-developed characters you care about. When the ending reveals the cause of the plague, you will marvel at Gerrittsen's ingenious plot and how easily everything falls into place! This is one of those books that once it's finished, you wish you could turn back time in order to relive the thrill of reading it the first time.
A side note: The vast majority of Gerrittsen's books are romance novels (which I've never read) -- DO NOT let that dissuade you from reading her medical thrillers. If you're of the opinion most romance writers are lightweights who crank out formulaic feel-good fluff, don't be mistaken. Gerrittsen (who is an M.D.) possesses remarkable skill in the med. suspense genre. For years I've been a fan of Robin Cook's med. thrillers and I'd rank Gerrittsen above Cook. Her characters have greater depth than Cook's. You get to know the characters so well, you'll feel as those you live in the same house.

I believe I'm actually going backwards as far as the chronology of her titles are concerned. The first book of hers that I read was "GRAVITY", which I thought was perfect. "LIFE SUPPORT" didn't disappoint either. What makes Gerritsen's medical thrillers work is her utter believability. Although a lot of the medical jargon went right over my head (I'm sure I'm not the only one) it certainly comes across that she knows what she's talking about. So far, both books that I've read have centered around an intelligent heroine, who beat the odds of having their reputations tarnished, and yet end up victorious. I would, however, have preferred to know a little bit more about the fate of the heroine's love interest in the book, maybe by Gerritsen explaining a bit more in detail as to the curability of the illness and so on.

Overall, I preferred GRAVITY to LIFE SUPPORT because the heroine in the former was not only a doctor, but a flight surgeon on a NASA shuttle. Makes for a great plot! If you haven't tried that one yet, you certainly should. I'm looking forward to checking out her latest novel THE SURGEON... just waiting to find a copy at a nice price. :)

Life Support is the first book I have read by this author, but it definitely won't be the last! The story is well paced and gripping with good characterization. The plot revolves around an upscale retirement community whose doctors have discovered a way to prolong an individual's natural lifespan; unfortunately, the procedure can also create horrific consequences. Dr. Toby Harper, a doctor working in a local ER, admits two of these retirees and is baffled by their symptoms. Her determination to get to the bottom of the case ultimately threatens her very life. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys medical thrillers.

I always appreciate a good medical thriller, so I'm not the type to swoon at the first mention of blood.This book, however, had me so frightened that instead of feverishly forging ahead to see what happens next (which I desperately wanted to do), I had to put it down from time to time to regain my equilibrium. When Gerritsen is at the top of her game, as she is in this novel, I think nobody can beat her. Not Robin Cook, not anybody.

It's hard to describe the plot without giving away vital information, and I don't intend to be a spoiler. But I can tell you that the action starts hard and fast on the very first page, when a world-renowned surgeon, elderly but revered in his field, attempts a simple appendectomy and winds up killing his young, healthy patient in the most gruesome of ways. Our glimpse into his mind while this is going on is almost scarier than the act itself...and that is the first chapter of the book! It doesn't get calmer from there.

It seems that a number of very fit elderly men, in full control of their faculties and all living in a very upscale retirement home, are showing strange mental symptoms, one after the other, and eventually dying horrible deaths. Dr. Toby Harper,who heads the ER rotation at a local hospital, encounters two of these patients, and is at a complete loss to diagnose the problem, let alone solve it. Her dogged determination to get to the bottom of the illness(es) lands her in a conspiracy so sinister that she can't even guess at the true nature of it, except to know that it is putting herself, her dear elderly mother who suffers from Alzheimers, and seemingly her entire medical reputation at stake.

A subplot, wherein innocent young runaway girls are captured on the streets and impregnanted with god knows what, forms a counterpoint to the main tale.

All I can tell you is that Toby, probably the one innocent in the drama, ends up wanted by the police for murder--and the bad guys, who are diabolical, seem to be getting away scott-free with their intensely fiendish plot.

Sound good? Try it. You may not sleep well at night, but it's worth it. Tess Gerritsen is without peer when she truly believes in what she is writing about, and this book proves it. All I can say is, WOW!

Sequel to "The Surgeon," this mystery starts with a copycat murder following "The Surgeon's" (serial killer Warren Hoyt) m.o. to a tee. Of course, Detective Jane Rizzoli is brought in on the case. After all, nobody knows more about Hoyt than her -- she was nearly killed by him and was the cop who ultimately took him down. But when Hoyt escapes from prison and the murders escalate, it's clear that this isn't just your every day normal copycat killer. It's a team of two dangerous men -- and they're coming after Jane next.

This was a fairly entertaining thriller. Better written than "The Surgeon," but still not exactly what you'd call literature. Gerritsen still has an annoying tendency to overuse catchy phrases (okay, enough with "coup de grace," already!). But hey, I was entertained and that's all I was really lookin' for with this one.

I'm a huge fan of Tess's previous works 'Surgeon' and 'Gravity'...this one not so much.

First, Tess needs to make up her mind on the psychological charcterization..she wants to give both, a tough and a sensitive side to her lead character, Jane Rizolli, but ends up making it inconsistent page to page...She just makes Jane a very confused character portrayed in the extremes...sometimes Jane is too tough, sometimes she is too emotional and vulnerable. It may be realisitic but does not make an interesting read unless the personalities blend a little bit more.

Second, I had to really plod my way thru the book..usually I stay up at night and finish her books in 3 hours, this one din't hold my attention like that..I took more than a week. Did not hold me to the edge of my seat. Like a thriller should.

Third, just stop with the "feminist" whining already or atleast reduce it a bit. I noticed it in previous boks and it was the right tone and amount. In this one, there's just too much, every line is about Jane's obsession with competing with males. For the record, I'm female, I understand how difficult it is for women working in a male dominated field etc..but we get it already, it doesn't have to anvilled over us in every page, without furthering the plot. No cop has so much time to think about female-male psychology in the midst of a serial killer invesigation. Sure, Jane is sometimes vulnerable because of this. But it is a tad overdone.

This book I finished in two days without first reading The Surgeon. Since the author referred to The Surgeon so much I wish I had read it first but it will be on my list of books to buy in the future. She kept the murders coming and the questions and suspense built but the personal character needed more of a life. She finally has a relationship moment towards the end and the book was wrapped up neatly but I can't help but feel cheated since another one in the series is a must-buy too... :-)

Small town, Tranquility, Maine is rocked by what is happening to their teenagers. School fights, disrespect and murder are only a few of the things. Dr. Claire Elliot who moved to Tranquility is determined to find out what is causing the problem and discovers the hidden secrets of this quiet resort town. Now what can she do to help?

If you like medical thrillers and want an average book to read or listen to, then this is a book for you.

I found this book to be average as can be seen by my 3 star rating. It will grab you from the start but fails to hold on completely. It didn't have me so riveted that when I had to stop that I waited until I heard more. I was able to pop the tape and get out of the car.

The positive things about this book are that there are several twists and turns in the plot. Just as you think you've figured out what's going on and who the good guys and bad guys are you get surprised.

Jan Maxwell (narrator) did a good job with the reading; however, the images of the characters and the town weren't extemely vivid.

Don't let this review keep you from getting this title. If you like medical thrillers and have read other books by Ms. Gerritsen then read this book, it isn't a bad read by any sense of the imagination. However, if you haven't read anything else by Ms. Gerritsen, then allow me to recommend her book Life Support for your first.

Ms. Gerritse is a good author. I have only read/listened to two fo her books. However, I enjoy Robin Cook who also writes medical thrillers and have read many of his works. Though not quite as good as Mr. Cook, I would rank Ms. Gerritsen right along side of him.

Again, if you like medical thrillers then don't take this book off of your reading list.

The reviews seem to be torn a bit. Some people really love this book, and some people really hate this book. However, the main reason that this happened is that this isn't your average medical thriller. It has some pretty violet scenes(teenager chewed off his thumb to get out of the handcuffs, later found dead) and other scenes not often found in medical thrillers. Most of the action here takes place OUTSIDE of a hospital. It doesn't deal with the corruption in the medical system. It doesn't deal with any of the clichés found in other medical thrillers. It deals with the clichés found in other horror-thriller books. Some people have been complaining that there is a certain lack of detail in the descriptions, that seem somewhat vague. Since I've read this book just after it's release in Mass Market Paperback, I cannot honestly say if that's true or not. One thing I can say is that the medical scenes ARE well described. The characters are very well written (truly three-dimensional characters, with flaws like real people)

If you're not sure wether to buy this book or not, read the first 6 pages of the book(somewhere, I don't know) and see if you can resist the temptation of reading the rest. I really loved this book, but I can't say that you will too, specially after seeing the reviews differing each other so much.

A griping tale of a town haunted by destructive teens and memories of years past. Dr. Claire Elliot moves herself and her teen son, Noah, to a wondrous summer tourist spot in Maine. Thinking that she is removing her son from the haunting recollections of his dead father, she is doing more devastation than help. Once there, the teens begin their terror, killing and commotion are everywhere. Once she sees the drama first hand, Claire rushes to find the source of this problem. Searching through the town's records of killing and disruption by teens, she uncovers the mystery of this small town vacation spot. She reveals that these killings have happened before, about fifty years before. As she struggles to fight to not allow history to repeat itself, and save her self and her reputation as a medical doctor, she allows herself to fall in love with the town's sheriff. What is the mystery behind this small town, well I guess you'll just have to read it to find out!
Plan on staying up all night with this book.

After reading Gerritsen's amazing medical thrillers, I decided to go for her earlier books. All I can say is... *Yawn* Although many people might find this story interesting and romantic, I find it awfully cliched, and the characters are too two-dimensional.

If you just read one of her medical thrillers and you're expecting the same fast-paced page-turning experience here, look elsewhere.

This book is not the typical story for ms Gerritsen. Usually her books are in the medical field. This is way off that track. this is a story of a woman who's parents were killed 20 years ago. She recently discovers that there is more to their deaths then what she was told. She flys to Paris for answers. Now someone is out to kill her and her brother. Some secrets aren't meant to be known. A lot of twists and turns and hard to figure out who the bad guy/gal is.