Not Just A Shocking Horror Tale: The Surgeon By Tess Gerritsen

The Surgeon grabbed me and kept me reading. The suspense builds with every page. There are no dull moments, no holes in the plot. A serial killer is on the loose in Boston. He enters women's bedroom windows at night, chloroforms them and takes away the very thing that makes them female. While his victim is awake, tied to her own bed with duct tape, he cuts her with a scalpel, removes her uterus and then slashes her throat. Death comes while the victim watches her own blood spray from her throat. This story is even more chilling than Silence of the Lambs because this killer tells the victim exactly how he will torture and then kill her. He draws death out over several hours while the victim waits alert and in pain.

What sets this novel apart from other thrillers is Gerritsen's skill at bringing her characters to life. This is not just a shocking horror tale. The book opens from the killer's point of view. The reader understands his thoughts and motives. The terror of a rape survivor, even years after her attack is brilliantly written into Dr. Catherine Cordell's character, the only victim that lived through the surgeon's attack two years before this current series of killings. Catharine is virtually unable to function, crippled by terror after it becomes obvious that the surgeon has made the killings personal and Catharine is his target. Through detectives Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli, the reader develops an intimate understanding of the intricacies of the Boston Homicide Unit. The heat of Boston is a symbol for the heat between Catherine and detective Moore.

I was pleasantly surprised by the very satisfying ending of this fantastic murder thriller. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a thrilling read.

I am a freelance writer and editor who gave up a career as a successful middle school teacher to write full time. I started the Storm of Thought Writing Center and am currently working on a thriller novel, several short stories and a children's novel. My publications include Dana Literary Society, and Thunder Sandwich. My articles about teaching, curricular materials and presentations have appeared in educational magazines such as Science Scope.

To learn more about my writing or the Storm of Thought Writing Center, visit http://www.trinaallen.com or http://spaces.msn.com/members/stormofthought/.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Book Reviews Information:

Related Articles

Call Me Mommy - Book Review
Retired police captain, Marshall Frank, has written another excellent read in his latest work, Call Me Mommy. Marshall is definitely a prolific writer - he has authored five books and hundreds of short stories and essays to date.
Twin Falls, Gooding, Jerome, ID, and Regional Economic Outlook for 2005
Twin Falls Economic Report done by me; Twin Falls, ID has potential for additional car washes, Detail Centers and mobile washing units. Twin Falls has enough water in their reservoirs to make it through the Summer for farmers and agriculture industries.
King Bartholomew and the Jesters Riddle - Review
King Bartholomew and the Jester's Riddle by Pina Mastromonaco is a wonderful, fun book with a humor level perfect for children aged four to eight. Entertaining riddles entice readers to try to guess the answer while enjoying the tale.
Living in Darkness - Book Review
Award winning author John Roynesdal, is a retired English teacher who has written for more than 15 years and produced 3 books for his Phillip Michael Carnegie Mystery series. Throughout the series, John focuses on issues that prevail on mankind: greed, prejudice, poverty, dysfunctional families and the conflict between traditional and modern societies.
Book Excerpt: Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam -- 5
May-Day!The school bus had long since disappeared over the last hill toward the main road one afternoon when I set my books on the kitchen table and hurried into the living room to talk to my mother.Mom was sitting in her favorite easy chair by the picture window, and her crutches were laid neatly on the floor next to the chair where she could reach them.
Never Fry Bacon in the Nude - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review
Never Fry Bacon in the Nude (And Other Lessons from the Quick and the Dead) by Stone PaytonIn Never Fry Bacon in the Nude, we find another offering that falls into the category of "a title that grabs you and content that holds you!" You've got to admit that this title generates a visual that's difficult to ignore. However, it doesn't stop there.
Review: Profit From The Author Inside You
I've reviewed a number of eBooks recently, and none of themexcited me, but this one definitely did. If you've ever hadthe slightest desire to write a 'How To' book, I urge youto read 'Profit From The Author Inside You'.
Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy - Book Review
"Dorinne Davis has written many books that concentrate on the subjects of hearing and sound. In the well-researched textbook, Sound Bodies through Sound Therapy, she looks at the concept of sound being a nutrient for our bodies.
The Beast - Lord of the Flies
Talk of a dangerous presence emerged on the very first day on the island, when a little boy with a mulberry-coloured birthmark on his face informed everyone of a "beastie," which he apparently saw on the previous night. At the time, this was dismissed by the older boys as his imagination, but even at that early stage it was evident that the younger children were troubled by the little boy's words.
The Wal-Mart Decade - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review
The Wal-Mart Decade: How a New Generation of Leaders Turned Sam Walton's Legacy into the World's #1 Company was destined for publication. It was simply a matter of when it would be written and by whom.
Shattered Memories, Scattered Emotion - Review
Betty Woodrum released her first book of poetry entitled Shattered Memories, Scattered Emotions in on July 16, 2005. Her poetry is clean and simple and extremely honest.
Profitable Growth Is Everyones Business - A Book Summary
The days of ruthless downsizing and drastic cost cutting are long gone. Nowadays, companies have realized that the best way to earn profit is only through growth - profitable growth.
Book Summary: Networking For Professional Success
Book Summary:This article is based on the following book:Effective Networking for Professional Success: "How to Make the Most of Your Personal Contacts"by Rupert Hart, Stirling Books, 1997ISBN 0 949 142 09 3125 pagesWe are all "self-employed" now.Today there is absolutely no job security.
Albany, NY Family History Reference Now Available Thanks To Author Joseph Yakel
"Personal research references, especially for families who once lived in the South End area of Albany, are very difficult to come by", said Yakel. "Lower Albany had a very strong mix of European immigrants, especially Germans, throughout the 19th century.
Free Ebook Offer: The Story of America: Discovery
Did Columbus first discover America?Did the Vikings first discover America?Did the Chinese first discover America?No, in truth the American continent was first discovered between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago by bands of roving hunters from the Siberian steppes, who made the lonely trek across to the previously unknown continent during the last Great Ice Age when the sea level fell enough to expose a narrow causeway that acted as a bridge between the two continents.No signs have yet been found of any human habitation on the continent before these times so it must be assumed that they arrived to find an uninhabited land.
How to Survive Sudden Leadership Challenges - Covey Has Some Clues
I have decided to start with this text as simply far too many people have said to me I should - it clearly has an enormous following of people who found the message rang true for them.In the introduction to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Covey talks about how we perceive reality based on certain beliefs or paradigm.
Marone Memoirs: An Immigrant Story - Review By Amanda Evans
Marone Memoirs - An immigrant Story by author Sarah E. Lingley is the story of her great grandparents Raffaele and Rosa Marone and their voyage to freedom in America.
The Storyteller, Volume I - A Must Read Book
The StorytellerNew Book Offers Supernatural Tales Involving Everyday PeopleMartha Whittington invites readers to take a break from the doldrums of daily routine and delve into a world where ordinary lives are blindsided by the bizarre. The Storyteller: Volume I (now available through AuthorHouse) provides a feast of paranormal delights that satisfy the imagination.
Fading Towards Enlightenment - Book Review
Fading Toward Enlightenment by Wayne Wirs is definitely a well made book of excellent quality - it will certainly endure multiple readings. I loved the feel of the pages as I turned them.
Hug Your Customers - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review
Don't panic. Jack Mitchell, the author of Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results, isn't suggesting that you take his title literally.