Mystery/Thriller Reviews
Page Two of TwoThe Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
Ballantine, September, 2001Hardcover, 359 pages
ISBN: 0345447832
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Dr. Catherine Cordell, a cardiac
surgeon at one of Boston's prestigious hospitals,
has put behind her a terrifying incident in which she
was tortured and nearly killed. By a fluke,
Catherine escaped by shooting her assailant, and the
case was closed. Years later, another killer is
murdering young women in Boston
in a truly gruesome manner (he operates on them
without the benefit of anesthesia, then slits their
throats.) The press has nicknamed the killer "the Surgeon."
Detective Thomas Moore and his partner
Detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston Homicide Unit are assigned
to the case. Moore is saddened by the death of his
wife, and Rizzoli has a major chip on her shoulder
from her continual harassment as the only female
in the homicide unit. The case is a puzzler; with the
original killer dead, could the new murderer be
a copycat killer? It seems unlikely, given that the
most gruesome details of the case were never revealed
to the public. But it's clear that the killer is determined
to finish the job on Catherine, and he grows closer
to his goal with every step.
Tess Gerritsen, a medical doctor and author, writes with knowledge and authority, especially in the gripping ER scenes. The suspense genre is an increasingly crowded one, and it's always exciting to find an author who excels in writing gripping stories which titillate as much as they entertain. Tess Gerritsen is one author whose works stand out for their excellent prose, well-drawn characters and high-octane suspense. Highly recommended.
--Claire E. White
Tanner's Tiger by Lawrence Block
Subterranean Press, September, 2001Hardcover, 220 pages
ISBN: 1931081433
Ordering information:
Amazon.com
Originally published in 1968, Tanner's Tiger
is a funny and sexy romp featuring Evan Tanner,
the spy who never sleeps (his sleep center was
destroyed when he was hit by shrapnel in the Korean
War). When Tanner's ward, Minna, wants to go see the International
Expo in Montreal, he agrees. His vacation plans
coincide nicely with his boss' wish that he investigate
the strange goings-on at the Cuban Pavilion at the Expo.
But Tanner can't even get into Canada -- it appears that he
has been put on a list of undesirables who are barred from
entering the country. Never one to let mere laws
to restrain him, Tanner enters the country illegally and things
get considerably more complicated after that. In short order,
he must evade capture by the Mounties, find out what's
going on at the Cuban Pavilion, rescue Minna (who has
disappeared at said Pavilion) and avert an assassination
attempt on the visiting Queen of England. Being Tanner,
he also gets mixed up with a very beautiful
revolutionary along the way.
The Evan Tanner spy novels are worlds removed from Block's contemporary detective series which features Matt Scudder. Only one thing ties Block's disparate books together: excellent writing. Tanner's Tiger is a product of the 60s, and it's immensely enjoyable to read a funny, sexy and adventuresome spy caper set in another time. Tanner never sleeps, so he's got a lot more time to get into trouble. He's a linguist, and has in incredible gift of inciting groups of people to action. Naturally, he always ends up in the middle of a revolution or dastardly plot wherever he goes. But it all usually works out for the best in the end. And isn't that a nice thing to read about in these unsettled times? This is great, escapist entertainment.
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