Review: Tess Gerritsen's The Surgeon

This is not what I'm searching for. Written on 14-07-2011 by kees_z

Tess Gerritsen's books are in high demand. I let myself be seduced by the text on the cover of The Surgeon, too, and I really liked my first Gerritsen. The book is best described with a simple cliché: page turner.

Fascinating till the end

Right from the beginning, Tess Gerritsen grabs the reader by the throat and never lets go. The serial killer, who by his disgusting practices and medical knowledge goes by the name 'The Surgeon', is introduced properly and immediately compels the necessary awe. The Boston Police desperately try to get one step ahead of The Surgeon and Gerritsen, in a very solid and deliberate way, sets out the police work, immediately giving the plot a rather realistic touch. She uses the police work to raise quite a few questions about the killer, giving small pieces of information in each chapter to increase the tension. This is a familiar technique to generate a hefty dose of suspense and Gerritsen uses it very well and accurately. The reader senses that the police team slowly but surely gets closer to the killer, but is also aware that the killer will not be so easy to catch. This results in a double dose of tension. These narrative techniques see to it that putting away the book is quite a challenge.

With anatomical precision

The book is written with anatomical precision, literally and figuratively. Gerritsen by no means avoids the sordid details, giving the book a rather serious context which is missing in many thrillers and suspense stories. Central to the story is Catherine Cordell. She survived an earlier attack of similar 'surgical' nature after which she moves somewhere else. The killings in her new surroundings share many similarities with her own experience some years ago. Such plots are not surprising or original, but thanks to the good and mostly precise development by the author, this is never a problem. The characters each get enough attention, making it easy to sympathise with them, which makes the book really compelling, distinguishing it from the standard thriller.
Because of the detailed descriptions, the narrative pace is not very high for a long time, but to me that is not a problem. It results in an excellent plot, which includes all the ingredients of a superb thriller. A well-constructed end would have been the icing on the cake.

Too much of a coincidence

Unfortunately, the climax does not entirely fit "the framework" of the story. The thorough police work gives way to some hasty decisions, which is not only slightly disappointing, but most of all regrettable. There are too many coincidences in the end, making its quality less than the rest of the book. It is still exciting, though, with the pace increasing significantly, but Gerritsen could and should have dealt with the end more professionally.

Recommended!

Nevertheless, The Surgeon is highly recommended to anyone who likes exciting thrillers with a strong and credible plot. It may not be very original and the end may be slightly disappointing, but Tess Gerritsen is capable of writing a strong plot and weaving a nice story around it, so the lack of originality is not really a shortcoming. The tension, which is ever present, is sometimes even tangible and the reader soon gets the feeling he really knows the convincing characters. In short, this book is exciting and compelling and a must for lovers of suspense!

Sources: www.todio.nl

This is not what I'm searching for.