:Tess Gerritsen

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/33817/An-interview-with-Tess-Gerritsen|title=An Interview With Tess Gerritsen|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=Barr|first=Nikki|date=February 4, 2008|publisher=Daily Express}} Her first name is Terry; she decided to feminize it when she was a writer of romance novels.[http://www.tessgerritsen.com/blog/writers-and-secret-identities/ WRITERS AND SECRET IDENTITIES] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122063918/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/blog/writers-and-secret-identities/ |date=January 22, 2014 }} an essay by Tess Gerritsen posted to her blog Sunday, October 7, 2007 @ 11:45 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.chrishigh.com/interviews/tess_gerritsen_interview.htm|title=Interview with Tess Gerristen 2007|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=High|first=Chris|year=2007|publisher=Chris High|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517112825/http://www.chrishigh.com/interviews/tess_gerritsen_interview.htm|archive-date=May 17, 2008|url-status=dead}} In 1975, Gerritsen graduated from Stanford University with a BA in anthropology, intrigued by the ranges of human behavior.{{cite web|url=http://www.stanford.edu/dept/cultsoc-anthro/Pdf/casa%20layout7.pdf|title=CASA Newsletter|access-date=January 20, 2009|year=1999|publisher=Cultural and Social Anthropology Department, Stanford University|archive-date=September 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926114216/http://www.stanford.edu/dept/cultsoc-anthro/Pdf/casa%20layout7.pdf|url-status=dead}} She went on to study medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. She received her medical degree in 1979 and started work as a physician in Honolulu, Hawaii.{{cite web|url=http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/SHOTS |title=Shots Magazine Interview: Tess Gerritsen |access-date=January 19, 2009 |last=Karm |first=Ali |date=September 2002 |publisher=Shots Magazine |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030501160243/http://www.shotsmag.co.uk/SHOTS%2017/Tess%20Gerritsen/gerritsen.htm |archive-date=May 1, 2003 |df=mdy }}{{cite web|url=http://www.writersnewsweekly.com/literary_spotlight_tess_gerritsen.html |title=Literary Spotlight: Tess Gerritsen |access-date=January 19, 2009 |last=Holton |first=Carlotta G. |date=April 29, 2008 |publisher=WritersNewsWeekly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012071736/http://www.writersnewsweekly.com/literary_spotlight_tess_gerritsen.html |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |df=mdy }}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.myshelf.com/aom/05/gerritsen.htm|title=Author of the Month|access-date=January 20, 2009|last=Rowe|first=Beverly|date=December 2005|publisher=MyShelf.com}} 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.

Inspired by the romance novels she enjoyed reading while working as a doctor, Gerritsen's first novels were romantic thrillers. After two unpublished "practice novels", Call After Midnight was bought by publisher Harlequin Intrigue in 1986 and published a year later.{{cite web|url=http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/novdec/lsjournal/bookreview2.html|title=Author, Author|access-date=January 20, 2009|last=Daley|first=Yvonne|year=1997|publisher=Stanford Alumni|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011145440/http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1997/novdec/lsjournal/bookreview2.html|archive-date=October 11, 2008|url-status=dead}} Gerritsen subsequently wrote eight romantic thrillers for Harlequin Intrigue and Harper Paperbacks.

File:Tess Gerritsen (2009).jpg

In 1996, Gerritsen wrote Harvest, her first medical thriller. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/nov01/gerritsen.htm|title=A Conversation With Tess Gerritsen|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=White|first=Claire|date=November 2001|publisher=WritersWrite}} Harvest was Gerritsen's first hardcover novel, and it marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list at number thirteen.{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E5DB1E3AF931A1575AC0A960958260|title=PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: September 22, 1996|access-date=January 25, 2009|date=September 22, 1996|work=The New York Times}} Following Harvest, Gerritsen wrote three more bestselling medical thrillers: Life Support,{{cite web|url=http://partners.nytimes.com/books/98/08/16/bsp/bestpaperfiction.html?scp=2&sq=life%20support%20gerritsen&st=cse|title=Best Sellers: Paperback Fiction|access-date=January 25, 2009|date=August 16, 1998|work=The New York Times}} Bloodstream,{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990DE1D7173BF936A3575AC0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&scp=2&sq=bloodstream%20gerritsen&st=cse|title=PAPERBACK BEST SELLERS: September 5, 1999|access-date=January 25, 2009|date=September 5, 1999|work=The New York Times}} and Gravity.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/99/09/19/bsp/besthardfiction.html?scp=2&sq=gravity%20gerritsen&st=cse|title=Best Sellers: Hardcover Fiction|access-date=January 25, 2009|work=The New York Times}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=134121&ac=Audience|title=Putting pen to paper|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=Keyes|first=Bob|date=September 16, 2007|publisher=Portland Press Herald}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}} The books inspired the Rizzoli & Isles television series starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.{{cite web|url=http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/05/law-orders-angie-harmon-i-hope-they-make-a-museum-out-of-the-stages.html|title='Law & Order's' Angie Harmon: 'I hope they make a museum out of the stages.'|url-status=dead|archive-url=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|archive-date=June 2, 2010|df=mdy-all}} Gerritsen also made an appearance in the series' final season as a writer who helps Isles establish herself in the literary field.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2016/07/rizzoli-and-isles-season-7-episode-6-review-there-be-ghosts/|title=Rizzoli & Isles Season 7 Episode 6 Review: There Be Ghosts|last=Ori |first=Jack|date=June 11, 2016|website=tvfanatic.com|access-date=June 12, 2016}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.currentvine.com/2007/09/tess_gerritsen/|title=One-on-One with Tess Gerritsen|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=Tong|first=Denise|date=September 1, 2007|publisher=Current Vine|archive-date=January 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118162054/http://www.currentvine.com/2007/09/tess_gerritsen/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/11/14/medical_mysteries_add_twists_to_historical_thriller/|title=Medical mysteries add twists to historical thriller|access-date=January 19, 2009|last=Sege|first=Irene|date=November 14, 2007|publisher=Boston Globe}}

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

• Adrift (1993)
• Rizzoli & Isles (2010-2016)
• Island Zero (2018)https://www.islandzeromovie.com/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}
• Magnificent Beast (2022)https://www.magnificentbeastmovie.com/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/590021459.html |title=Paging Dr. Tess Gerritsen |access-date=January 25, 2009 |last=Vey |first=Barbara |date=February 7, 2008 |publisher=Publishers Weekly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516223317/http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/880000288/post/590021459.html |archive-date=May 16, 2008 }}

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".{{cite web|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2016/05/01/for-tess-gerritsen-success-brings-more-artistic-freedom-finally/|title=For author Tess Gerritsen, success brings more artistic freedom – finally|date=May 1, 2016}} The composition has been recorded by violinist Susanne Hou.{{cite web|url=http://www.susannehou.com/lens_portfolio/incendio-track-now-available-on-itunes|title=INCENDIO TRACK - NOW AVAILABLE on iTunes & Amazon!! - Susanne Hou|website=www.susannehou.com|access-date=November 22, 2016|archive-date=November 23, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123054026/http://www.susannehou.com/lens_portfolio/incendio-track-now-available-on-itunes|url-status=dead}}

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.

Yakov's Lament (2012), a solo violin piece by French composer Damien Top, is inspired by Gerritsen's novel Harvest.{{cite news |url=http://www.tessgerritsen.com/cool-media-crossover-a-violin-solo-based-on-my-character/ |quote=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. |title=Cool media crossover: a violin solo based on my character |date=August 26, 2012 |first=Tess |last=Gerritsen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910144309/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/cool-media-crossover-a-violin-solo-based-on-my-character/ |archive-date=September 10, 2014}}

Gerritsen is married to Jacob Gerritsen, who is also a physician. She has two sons.{{cite news|last=Mehegan|first=David|title=Death becomes her|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2006/09/02/death_becomes_her/?page=full|access-date=May 13, 2012|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 2, 2006}} She enjoys gardening and playing the fiddle, and lives in Camden, Maine.{{cite web|url=http://www.tessgerritsen.com/biography.html |title=Tess Gerritsen: Official Site |access-date=January 19, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201032458/http://tessgerritsen.com/biography.html |archive-date=February 1, 2009 }}

The Surgeon received a RITA award Romance Writers of America in 2002 for Best Romantic Suspense Novel.{{cite web|url=http://eweb.rwanational.org/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=PastRITAWinners|title=Comprehensive List of RITA Winners|access-date=January 26, 2009|publisher=Romance Writers of America|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727224920/http://eweb.rwanational.org/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?webcode=PastRITAWinners|archive-date=July 27, 2011|df=mdy-all}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/2004_Press_Release.htm |title=The Nero Award Press Release |access-date=January 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405133714/http://www.nerowolfe.org/htm/neroaward/2004_Press_Release.htm |archive-date=April 5, 2008 |df=mdy }}{{cite web|url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/awards/edgar.htm|title=Edgar Awards|access-date=January 26, 2009|archive-date=February 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201215106/http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/awards/edgar.htm|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mysteryreaders.org/macavity.html|title=Mystery Readers International's Macavity Awards|access-date=January 26, 2009|publisher=Mystery Readers International}} 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".

• Adventure's Mistress (1985)
• Love's Masquerade (1986)
• Call After Midnight (1987)
• Under the Knife (1990)
• Never Say Die (1992)
• Whistle Blower (1992)
• Presumed Guilty (1993)
• Girl Missing (Originally released as Peggy Sue Got Murdered) (1994)
• Keeper of the Bride (1996)
• Perfect Timing (2001)
• Murder and Mayhem (2006)
• Madame X (2008)
• Playing with Fire (2015)
• The Shape of Night (2019)
• Choose Me (with Gary Braver)(2021)

• Harvest (1996)
• Life Support (1997)
• Bloodstream (1998)
• Gravity (1999)
• The Bone Garden (2007)

• In Their Footsteps (1994)
• Stolen (Originally released as Thief of Hearts) (1995)

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)
9. :8.5 Freaks (short story, 2011)
10. The Silent Girl (US / UK, 2011){{Cite web

|title=Tess Gerritsen: Official Site of the NY Times Bestselling Author

|url=http://www.tessgerritsen.com/ |access-date=2010-01-21}}

1. :9.5 John Doe (short story, 2012)
2. Last to Die (UK / US (2012){{cite web |url=http://www.tessgerritsen.com/news-events/ |title=News & Events – Tess Gerritsen |access-date=2012-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331182826/http://www.tessgerritsen.com/news-events/ |archive-date=March 31, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}
3. Die Again (2014)
4. I Know a Secret (2017)
5. Listen to Me (2022){{cite web|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/700483/rizzoli-and-isles-listen-to-me-by-tess-gerritsen/|title=Rizzoli & Isles: Listen to Me |access-date=2022-04-18 |publisher=Penguin Random House}}

Introducing Maggie Bird and Jo Thibodeau in this new series

• The Spy Coast (2023){{Cite book |last=Gerritsen |first=Tess |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzfEEAAAQBAJ |title=The Spy Coast: From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series |date=2023-11-01 |publisher=Transworld |isbn=978-1-5299-2501-2 |language=en}}
• The Summer Guests (2025)

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.tessgerritsen.com/}}
• [http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18149.Tess_Gerritsen Gerritsen on Goodreads]
• [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128388155 Interview] aired on NPR's All Things Considered July 12, 2010
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101218152805/http://www.thecrimeofitall.com/index.php?option=com_zoo&task=item&item_id=195&Itemid=609 Literary-oriented interview] by Lenn Wanner on The Crime of It All website (October 10, 2010)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20101124085725/http://www.murderati.com/blog/2010/9/7/where-i-work.html Pictures of Tess Gerritsen's office and office view], with her comments, on the Murderati website
• {{IMDb name|2446740}}
• [https://profilecritics.com/content/interview/tess-gerritsen-queen-of-romantic-suspense Interview ] on the Profile website

{{Rizzoli & Isles}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerritsen, Tess}}

Category:1953 births

Category:20th-century American novelists

Category:21st-century American novelists

Category:Physicians from Hawaii

Category:American romantic fiction writers

Category:American thriller writers

Category:American writers of Chinese descent

Category:Living people

Category:Writers from San Diego

Category:RITA Award winners

Category:Stanford University alumni

Category:University of California, San Francisco alumni

Category:Nero Award winners

Category:American women novelists

Category:Women mystery writers

Category:Women thriller writers

Category:Women romantic fiction writers

Category:20th-century American women writers

Category:21st-century American women writers