We met with Tess Gerritsen, the master author of the Rizzoli and Isles series, which is very popular in our country as well as all over the world, in İstanbul. We talked about the birth of the Rizzoli and Isles series, readers’ comments on her novels outside the series, and her thoughts on crime writing.
First, I would like to talk about the Rizzoli and Isles series. I Have a Secret was the twelfth and last novel in the series. What are your plans and thoughts about this series from now on?
Tess Gerritsen: I have no clue about my plans, to be honest. I’ve written twelve books for the Rizzoli and Isles series. I happily left them both in the last book. Maybe this is an opportunity for them to get some rest. I will wait for other stories about Rizzoli and Isles to come to my mind. But to tell you the truth, I want to write different books these days. Of course, there is still hope for Rizzoli and Isles; they are still there, and they are still alive.
Did you plan the Rizzoli and Isles novels as a series from the very beginning? How did this process develop?
Tess Gerritsen: No, I didn’t think this would be a series when I wrote the first book. In the first book, The Surgeon, Jane Rizzoli was actually a secondary character. I thought Jane would die in that book. So I didn’t paint Jane as a sweet and sympathetic character. But as I wrote the book, I started to like Jane more and more as a character. At the end of the novel, I thought that maybe Jane should have her own novel. So I wrote the second novel, The Apprentice, and introduced the readers to Maura Isles, but here Maura was again a secondary character. Then I wanted to get to know Maura a little bit better and wrote the third novel. Thus, I started a series. In fact, the main reason why the adventures of Rizzoli and Isles turned into a series was that I wanted to get to know these women much better. Of course, their lives changed over time; they became friends… Every novel I wrote was my attempt to find out what was happening in the lives of these characters.
You have created two strong female characters, and I’m sure it must have been difficult to balance this. How much do you identify with your characters?
Tess Gerritsen: I identify especially with Maura. Jane is a very different character. Maybe that’s why they managed to become such an interesting couple. One is a very quiet, calm, and scientific character, and the other is a female warrior. They didn’t always have to get along very well, of course, they would have problems. But when we look at the result, both characters have such a deep respect for each other that they would fight for each other. So it’s a strange friendship.
Since the first issue of 221B, I have been writing a special series of articles. I have been examining what fictional detectives eat and drink and trying to determine how much this is connected to their characters. The duo of Rizzoli and Isles was among the characters I examined. Since Jane Rizzoli is of Italian origin, we can see her preparing “gnocchi” or “cannoli” in the family home. But when Jane is alone, her food and drink choices are different, tuna sandwiches and beer, for example. When we look at Maura Isles, the situation is completely different. She can prepare “Coq au Vin” or a delicious tomato soup and toast with cheese without hassle… I know that you are actually a good cook. Do you use your characters’ food and drink choices as a conscious narrative tool?
Tess Gerritsen: It’s definitely something I give to the characters on purpose. Maura and I are actually the same. She cooks very good food without any effort because I’m the same way. She likes to drink wine because I do too. Everything that Maura likes and eats is based on my personal tastes. Jane Rizzoli is more like an average blue-collar American. They eat when they have time; they like fast food because it’s easy, fast, and cheap. That’s why while Jane goes out for pizza, Maura would probably prefer to make lasagna at home.
The series Rizzoli & Isles, based on your novels, was highly praised. Do you have similar plans for the screen or the big screen in the future?
Tess Gerritsen: Yes, it was a successful series. Sasha Alexander, who played Maura in Rizzoli & Isles, and I really wanted to make a separate series as a sequel to the show. Maura Isles would write crime novels. Each season, we would see her writing a new novel, and we would witness how the novel developed. We thought of different cities for each season. The first season would take place in Italy, for example, and the second season would take place in Spain, maybe. I would have loved to do an episode or a season set in Istanbul. But at the time, we couldn’t find a channel that would be convinced to do it.
If you had the chance, which true crime case would you want the duo of Rizzoli and Isles to work on?
Tess Gerritsen: I would definitely want them to investigate the Madeleine McCann case (Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007, a few days before her fourth birthday, while on vacation with her family in the Algarve region of Portugal, and was never found). This is a very sad case. So I don’t know if I could write a novel about this case without feeling bad. I think in general it would be difficult for me to write any crime novel about children.
In the past, you have written novels in other genres besides the Rizzoli and Isles series. How do your readers usually react to these genre changes?
Tess Gerritsen: Readers don’t respond to these changes very well, actually. When I wrote the historical novel The Bone Garden, most people asked, “Where are Rizzoli and Isles?” Readers are so attached to the characters that they don’t like it when the author writes something new and different. That’s why Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes. Because he wanted to write something different, too.
When you look at the writing process, what are the differences between writing a series and writing a standalone novel?
Tess Gerritsen: If you’re writing a standalone novel, your character starts the adventure at one point, and by the time you get to the end of the novel, the character has made a long journey. Like in my last book, The Shape of Night. The character starts from a very dark place, and at the end of the novel, she’s in the process of healing. In series like Rizzoli and Isles, the characters’ journey is gradually developed in each book. The reader witnesses that by the end of the twelve books, the characters have changed a lot.
I read that you give a writing seminar for doctors who want to become writers. What can you say to your readers who want to pursue a career as a writer?
Tess Gerritsen: I actually have some advice for aspiring writers. Firstly, you need to make an emotional bond with your story. It shouldn’t just be about mysteries and riddles; emotions should also be involved. Another piece of advice I can give to beginner writers is this: Always finish the book you started. Most writers feel exhausted halfway through a story. They say they are fed up with the story. They don’t want to read any more, they don’t want to think about what will happen in the story after that point. Despite all this, you must not stop. You need to finish what you are working on, because only then can you see the story as a whole. Then you can deal with problems and revisions.
What are the challenges of maintaining a consistent writing career?
Tess Gerritsen: Being a writer is a very unpredictable career, actually. A book you love to write may not be liked by the readers. So you may lose your publisher. Most writers’ careers move at an up-and-down pace. You have to be consistent. You have to be able to keep your audience. At the same time, you try to find a balance between what you want as an artist and what I said above. You can make Marvel or DC movies forever, for example, but maybe that’s not something that a director would personally prefer. The same goes for writers. I also don’t want to write only Rizzoli and Isles adventures.
How does the writing process go for you in general? How do you make sure you find the right story?
If I feel good about a story, then I have found the right story. I read a lot of newspapers. I look for and find things in true crime stories. If I feel intense emotions about it, I conclude that the story is right. I read a story about a woman who was found in a bathtub and was pronounced dead from an overdose. They put her in a body bag and sent her to the morgue. After a while, the woman woke up. It seems like a story from the 19th century, but such things happen today, too. At this point, a story begins for me. Who is this woman? What happens next? How come she was put in a body bag? It evolves into a story after this point. About how I work, I always write my first drafts using pen and paper. Because I want the narrative to flow. When I transfer what I have written to the computer, I create my second draft.
What do you think are the components of a good crime novel?
Tess Gerritsen: For me, a good crime novel is all about the characters. I look at whether these characters I would really want to follow. They don’t have to be sympathetic. It is enough that they are fascinating people. Whether it’s the protagonist or the villain. So, a novel that focuses only on the story, a novel that deals with mystery and murder, is not enough for me. I can give the example of Sherlock Holmes. Whatever the event that creates the mystery, what we really follow is the character.
What do you think drives readers to crime novels? What do you think about crime fiction readers’ fondness for dark, disturbing, and violent details?
Tess Gerritsen: I don’t know exactly, but it’s a universal feeling. When I was young, I loved mystery novels, for example. So I’m one of those readers. Crime novels with horror elements especially attract female readers. This is actually a tool for us to explore our fears. The world is a dangerous place for all of us, and women feel more fear about this dangerous world. Of course, mystery and crime genres also offer us an intellectual puzzle. It’s a big opportunity for those who like puzzles and jigsaw puzzles.
Do you think the perfect crime is possible?
Tess Gerritsen: Of course, there is a phenomenon called perfect crime. You kill someone, and nobody suspects you. That’s something that happens quite often, actually. So I don’t want to tell you how you can do it, but it’s not that hard.
What do you think is the biggest forensic breakthrough to date when it comes to solving crimes?
Tess Gerritsen: The first big forensic breakthrough was fingerprint technology. At least we found a way to identify people. But if you say what is the biggest breakthrough, it is definitely DNA. DNA is a very powerful technology, and it is not only used to link the criminal to the case. There is the “familial DNA” technology that we use in the US today, for example. We can identify which family member committed the crime by using the DNA data of the family.
What drives an individual to commit a crime? You have addressed the concepts of “nature” and “nurture” in your novel Body Double. Can we talk about a common genetic heritage for committing crimes?
Tess Gerritsen: There is a group of people who carry violent genes, of course. There is a Dutch family we can show as evidence for this. All the men in the family are in prison because they all carry a common genetic component. Besides, we know that men with XYY chromosomes, men born with two Y chromosomes, are more prone to commit violent crimes. Therefore, there are some genetic factors that push people to commit crimes, but of course, nurture is also an important factor.
So, what can you say about your latest novel, The Shape of Night? It is a novel with gothic elements rather than a crime novel, above all.
Tess Gerritsen: Yes, it definitely is. This novel is about a woman with a terrible secret. She is ashamed of this secret. And this shame and guilt are eating her up inside. As she tries to escape from all this, she finds herself in a house far away from home, probably a haunted house. In this house, she has to face what she has done, and she does it with the help of the ghost in the house. This ghost is a very good friend, but the real question is: How dangerous is it?
Can you tell us about the projects you are currently working on?
Tess Gerritsen: I’m working on a spy novel right now. I live in a small town in Maine, and I meet retired spies there all the time. Of course, I learned this fact over time as I got to know my neighbors. Most of them are retired CIA agents. So I wanted to write a story about retired spies and what they do after they leave their jobs. The novel I’m working on will be about an old woman who retired from the CIA, and she has to go back to work for some reason. I will try to describe what it’s like to be a 60-year-old agent. Maybe you can’t run as fast as you used to, and you can’t walk in high heels, but you have to go back to work… Because we don’t see many novels or movies about older women. I want to address that.
What was the best crime novel you read in 2019? Can you also share your favorite TV series with us?
Tess Gerritsen: I have to say that I love British crime series. I love Father Brown very much, for example. Midsomer Murders is also one of my favorites. They are very cozy stories, and you also get attached to the characters. In terms of novels, I really liked Gilly Macmillan’s work, The Nanny. She is a British writer, and her brand-new novel is about a nanny. The story revolves around whether the nanny is a malicious character or not. Again, it’s about the characters and the relationships between the characters. That’s why I liked this novel very much.
What kind of experience have you had with your Turkish readers so far? What are your experiences with Istanbul?
Tess Gerritsen: This is my fifth time in İstanbul. İstanbul is an amazing city. I have also come here as a tourist because I love the city so much. What I like the most when I meet my Turkish fans is this: My female readers, in particular, are educated people who lead professional lives. Doctors, engineers… I am especially fascinated by my young Turkish female readers. My readers in the US are usually older people. Here, being with a younger and enthusiastic audience feels very good for me. I thank them all.
