Tess Gerritsen Books in Order

Tess Gerritsen has been publishing since 1987. Depending on where you’re starting, that’s either exciting or a little daunting.

Most people find her through Rizzoli and Isles. Some come in through the medical thrillers. A growing number are showing up because of her newer Martini Club series. The full list is close to 40 titles spread across a few very different genres.

Here’s the breakdown.

TL;DR: Start with The Surgeon for Rizzoli and Isles, Harvest for her medical thrillers, or The Spy Coast for the spy series. They’re separate. None of them require reading the others first.

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The Complete List, In Order

Early Romantic Suspense

1. Call After Midnight (1987)
2. Under the Knife (1990)
3. Whistleblower (1992)

Medical Thrillers (Standalone)

1. Harvest (1996)
2. Life Support (1997)
3. Bloodstream (1998)
4. Gravity (1999)

Rizzoli and Isles Series

1. The Surgeon (2001)
2. The Apprentice (2002)
3. The Sinner (2003)
4. Body Double (2004)
5. Vanish (2005)
6. The Mephisto Club (2006)
7. The Keepsake (2008)
8. Ice Cold (2010)
9. The Silent Girl (2011)
10. Last to Die (2012)
11. Die Again (2014)
12. I Know a Secret (2017)
13. Listen to Me (2022)

Standalone:

1. The Bone Garden (2007)
2. Playing with Fire (2015)

The Martini Club Series

1. The Spy Coast (2023)
2. The Summer Guests (2025)
3. The Shadow Friends (2026)

Where to Start

The Surgeon is where most people should begin. It’s the first Rizzoli and Isles book, and the early entries build on each other more than the later ones do.

If you want her medical thriller period, start with Harvest. It still holds up.

And if you want something newer, The Spy Coast is a solid entry point for the Martini Club. It’s a different tone from Rizzoli and Isles. More spy fiction, less crime procedural.

A Few Worth Calling Out

The Surgeon and The Apprentice do the heavy lifting early in the Rizzoli and Isles series. Read those two back to back.

Gravity is the one that got her attention outside the usual thriller crowd. Medical drama set in space. It’s genuinely tense.

Playing with Fire is harder to categorize. Part historical fiction, part psychological thriller. Worth it if you want something outside the main series.

Do You Have to Read Them in Order?

For Rizzoli and Isles: it helps, especially the first few books. You can jump in later and follow the plot, but there’s more payoff if you go chronologically.

For the Martini Club: start at book one. The Spy Coast sets everything up.

For her standalones and early career books: read in any order you want. They’re fully independent.

FAQ

How many Tess Gerritsen books are there? Close to 40 titles, across series and standalones.

What’s her most recent book? The Summer Guests (2025), book two in the Martini Club series.

Are the Martini Club and Rizzoli and Isles connected? No. Completely separate. Different characters, different setting, different tone.

What’s the best place to start? The Surgeon. It’s the beginning of her best-known series and the strongest entry point.

What to Read Next

If you’re coming off a Rizzoli and Isles run, the most natural next move is a long-running crime series with a strong central detective. Michael Connelly fits that exactly, and Harry Bosch is worth its own deep dive. If you want something more ensemble-driven, the Women’s Murder Club series scratches the same itch.

If you’re looking for more reading and watching recommendations, check out the Like a Dad Media Hub.