Tess Gerritsen, the author of 25 novels including: Harvest, The Surgeon, Vanish and Die Again, did an AMA on Reddit today, answering questions for readers and fans.
Many of the questions that popped up addressed Gerritsen’s crime series characters homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles which have inspired the television series “Rizzoli & Isles.”
In one post, Gerritsen revealed the inspiration for the characters. Here is an excerpt:
Who do I base Jane and Maura on? Jane reminds me of many female police officers I’ve met — smart, tough, willing to do the dirty work. But she’s also dealing with the issues of acceptance as a woman in a man’s profession. As a woman from a blue collar family, she’s quite different from Maura, who went to medical school and comes from more comfortable circumstances. I think that difference is what makes their conversations so interesting, and helps me create the banter.