Hey everyone! Sorry for being quiet this week. Ugh, it's all been work, work, work. I hate calling patients with a passion, sigh. Anyway, after I did the monthly reads post, I wanted to write one about the Rizzoli & Isles series :)
One of the biggest discoveries I made thanks to RWA this year was the
Rizzoli & Isles series by
Tess Gerritsen. I've heard a lot of good about Ms Gerritsen's books, but have never really give her books a try. I enjoy mystery, but it's not a genre I read very much. I tend to read romantic suspense instead, just because, well, it has more romance in it LOL.
Anyway :) Ms Gerritsen was one of the speakers at the Opening session. During the session, she spoke a lot about the storylines and the characters and it got me curious :) Then I realized she was the author that Wendy bought in hardcover LOL. Hey, that's a big endorsement right there. So when I came home, I hunted down the first season of Rizzoli & Isles. There's a few reasons why I went with the TV series first instead of the books... First, it was easier to find 10 TV episodes than 6 books and also, faster to go through LOL. And while TV adaptations are never 100% accurate, I thought it'd gave me a feel about the characters and whether or not I'd want to try out the books.
It turns out that I really, really enjoyed the TV series. The first episode was excellent and based on
The Apprentice and then, the rest is well... "invented." LOL. What I enjoyed the most about the TV series was the dynamics between the characters, especially Jane and Maura. There's a lot of TV series out there that have a female and male protagonists and the overarching storyline is their sexual tension... When will they become a couple... Bones and Castle come to mind right away. I think this is what makes Rizzoli & Isles stand out so much. The dynamics between Jane and Maura is just great and fun, LOL, because they are so different. Also, there are other interesting characters and dynamics. I really like how Jane's little brother Frankie looks up to his sister, etc. So overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable TV show and was so happy the second season was about to start :)
Still, I was curious about the books, because I knew that in the books, Jane got married and had a kid... So I to read about that relationship. Also, Ms Gerritsen emphasized that the reasons the series was such a success was because her characters grew... and you don't really see it in the TV series. So I went to the library and got my hands on all the books I could:
Body Double,
The Mephisto Club,
The Keepsafe and
Ice Cold and I already had
The Apprentice. You look at it and it's a really good haul, but of course, I was missing the most 2 important books when it comes to Jane and her husband's relationship. Ugh. Yes, I have all the luck LOL. In any case, I gave the books a try - and yes, I did not read it in order.
Immediately, what jumped out to me was the difference between the books and TV series... and they are many. Jane's character is pretty much spot on, despite the fact that the actress, Angie Harmon will never be plain Jane no matter the amount of frumpy clothes and no make-up LOL. And so is Korsak and I guess Frost (except for the fact that his Afro-American and single in the TV series). I think the biggest difference character-wise was Maura... In the book, she's a 40 years old woman, divorced, looking for something in her life. I wouldn't say she's subdued, but she's definitively not as vibrant as the Maura Isles from the TV series. I really like the Maura from the TV series, played by Sasha Alexander, as she's so quirky and sometimes, socially inept... Think Temperance Brennan from Bones, but less intense and more fun. Another difference is Jane's family - no younger brother who's a cop, looking up to her... but hey, Jane has a husband and eventually, a baby. One of the biggest disappointments in the books was the camaraderie between Jane and Maura. After watching the TV series, I thought they were really close... but in the books? Not so much. At first, they seem more like acquaintances... and while the friendship does deepen, it's not much compare to the chemistry on TV. However, there are a few shockers concerning Maura in the books... and can I say, wowzer ^_^; Not things that I expected...
In the end, both the books and the TV series are worth a shot :) The TV series is fun and enjoyable. The highlights are definitively the characters and the chemistry between Jane and Maura. The case-solving aspect is so-so... but some episodes definitively stands out such as the pilot episode and finale of the first season. As for the books? It is true that the characters and relationships are not stagnant. However, the real reason I would read these books would be for the plot and mystery. Ms Gerritsen is a great author - the writing is solid, the characters are developed and what they go through feel real, but it's her storylines that take the prize :) Her books are simply filled with twists and turns making them very gritty and thrilling. So far, my favorite books are
Vanish and
Body Double with
The Keepsafe coming very close behind :) If you enjoy mystery books, you'll definitively want to give this a try :)
