Rizzoli and Isles: Tess Gerritsen's Medical Procedurals and Feminist Noir.

Those who know Rizzoli and Isles from the TNT series with Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander will be surprised at how much darker and grimmer Tess Gerritsen's novels are than their TV counterparts. Gerritsen, who is a retired surgeon and a very good writer, knows her way around an ME's office and a police precinct, and does not shy away from the more gruesome aspects of murder and crime. The fact that her two main characters are women who have the added difficulty of dealing with male condescension, glass ceilings, and other forms of discrimination adds complexity and verisimilitude to the characters, but does not overwhelm the storylines. First and foremost, Rizzoli and Isles are professionals who are VERY good at their jobs.