Book Review: The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
The first book of Rizzoli & Isles Series, not yet refined but still impressive.
This review contains spoilers.
I’m not a lover of suspense/crime novels. I think reading them is exciting — but only at the moment of reading them. After I have learned the full story and known who’s the killer, I won’t be interested in re-reading it. But Tess Gerritsen’s are exceptional. I think it’s because, besides the mystery and crime, every of her novel has a theme that makes us ponder.
The Surgeon’s theme is gender inequality. Seems very cliche, but by packaging the theme under such a storyline, the novel gets rid of that label. Two females in the story, Rizzoli and Cordell, are both victims in their male-dominant world, oppressed by males that “love the power, the authority, and the chance to control others, ” in Rizzoli’s words.
Rizzoli is emotional when confronting the killer and has her prejudice against her colleagues. She is also too eager to show her ability and protect her position as a detective. These make her imperfect, and thus not that likable in some readers’ eyes.
Cordell, in contrast, is very adorable. She’s beautiful, clever, and brave. Being the only survivor from such atrocity, she has the courage to continue her…
