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Tess Gerritsen

テス・ジェリッツェン

Tesu Jerittsuzen

Pen Names: Terry (birth name)（Birth name; adopted the pen name "Tess" when beginning to write romance novels.）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1953-06-12 （San Diego, California, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
San Diego, California (birthplace) → Honolulu, Hawaii (started medical career) → Camden, Maine (residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Physician
Active Years
1986-
Memberships
Mystery Writers community / American mystery writers groups, International Thriller Writers
Influenced By
Nancy Drew (inspirational juvenile detective fiction)
Nominations
Nominated for the Edgar Award (Best Novel), Nominated for the Macavity Award (Best Mystery Novel)

Education

Stanford University
Anthropology
Degree: BA
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: United States
Earned a BA in Anthropology
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Medicine
Degree: MD
Year of Graduation: 1979
Country: United States
Earned MD; began medical practice in Honolulu

Awards

RITA Award (Best Romantic Suspense)
2002
Work: The Surgeon
Category: 最優秀ロマンティックサスペンス部門
Organization: Romance Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Nero Wolfe Award
2006
Work: Vanish
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Nero Wolfe Awards (Mystery Writers community)
Result: 受賞
Edgar Award — Best Novel (nomination)
2006
Work: Vanish
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Mystery Writers of America (Edgar Awards)
Result: ノミネート
Macavity Award — Best Mystery Novel (nomination)
2006
Work: Vanish
Category: 長編賞
Organization: Mystery Readers International (Macavity Awards)
Result: ノミネート

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Call After Midnight

1987 Romantic suspense / Romance

Debut novel blending romance and suspense; published by Harlequin.

romancesuspense

Harvest

1996 Medical thriller

A medical thriller inspired by stories of missing children and organ trafficking; a hardcover bestseller.

organ transplantationmedical ethicscrime

The Surgeon

2001 Crime thriller

First appearance of Jane Rizzoli; combines police procedural and forensic elements. It served as an origin for the later TV adaptation.

serial murderforensicspolice investigation
Adaptations
  • [Television drama] Rizzoli & Isles (2010)

Vanish

2005 Crime thriller

A Rizzoli & Isles series entry noted for its intricate plotting and suspense; received awards and nominations.

investigationsuspensepsychology

The Bone Garden

2007 Historical thriller

A historical thriller set in 1830s Boston that weaves medical history into a murder mystery.

historymedicinecrime

Bibliography

  • Call After Midnight
  • Harvest
  • Life Support
  • The Surgeon
  • Vanish
  • The Bone Garden

Adaptations

  • Rizzoli & Isles (TV adaptation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
tension-driven plottingmedical and technical accuracyfast-paced suspense
Recurring Motifs
medical/clinical settingscriminal investigationstrong female protagonists and partnerships

Legacy

A novelist who leveraged medical experience to create acclaimed medical thrillers and the internationally popular Rizzoli & Isles series. Her works have been translated into more than 40 countries and have sold over 25 million copies.

Academic Societies

  • Mystery writers' organizations (US)
  • International Thriller Writers

In Popular Culture

  • Adapted into the TV series 'Rizzoli & Isles', contributing to popular culture recognition

Trivia

  • Birth name is Terry; she adopted the pen name Tess when aiming to write romance novels.
  • Her books have been translated into over 40 countries and have sold approximately 25 million copies (per source data).