Merely Mystery Reading Challenge: The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

Although I really liked Tess Gerritsen the first time I read one of her Rizzoli and Isles mysteries, I was kinda disappointed by this one.

For one thing, Maura Isles isn't in the book, and I like her better than Rizzoli. Rizzoli is too angry and I end up going (-.-) instead of sympathising with her. And this book is the angriest that I've ever seen her (I think she calms down after she gets married and has kids....)

The book features Rizzoli (and her team/co-workers) trying to hunt down an elusive serial killer known as The Surgeon. And he's stalking/taunting the only victim he didn't kill - Catherine Cordell, an ER doctor. Along the way, Catherine and Moore (one of the policemen working with Rizzoli) start to fall in love.

The story was actually interesting, although the fact that I read the later books meant that I already knew who the killer was. It was an interesting change to see Rizzoli fighting for acceptance. Except, she fought too hard.

She was obviously trying to be "tough", but ended up being obnoxious. There wasn't a trace of caring in her, and the way she was so hostile to Catherine was >.< Admittedly, she had a reason, but still, I expected two women who were supposed to be alike to get along better.

The only part of the book where I felt any sympathy for Rizzoli was when she was having a family dinner. Her brother's actions are truly disgusting, and outweighed the antipathy that I had for Rizzoli. Apparently (I say this because I have no recollection whatsoever), I was a um, how to put it, confrontational kid (still am, although now, I tend to use words - I know, I'm trying to stop). So what I didn't understand was that if Rizzoli is supposed to be so tough, why isn't she standing up for herself? Then again, she didn't really do that in the later books, but she was mellower.

So basically, this book was interesting, but the angry-Rizzoli thing was a major damper. Read the other later books in the series.

And since I'm reading this for the Merely Mystery Reading Challenge.... I suppose I should classify this as a "Police Procedural" because although Rizzoli likes to be a lone wolf, she does rely on the help of others.