photo via TNT.com

My lack of cable and network television often means that I miss out on cool shows until I visit my mom in OH and she introduces me to them. NCIS, CSI, Bones are just a few of the ones that I’d never heard of till I was hanging with her and she made me watch a few episodes. Well, there’s a new crime drama (and if you hadn’t guessed, I LOVE crime dramas) that she got me hooked on and I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for Netflix to break out the series on DVD.

Rizzoli & Isles.

The series itself is based on the novels by Tess Gerritsen. In fact, it was after I had seen a couple of episodes at my mom’s house that I ran across one of the novels in Walmart and couldn’t resist picking it up. The novels are a bit darker than the series but they’re still a great read. The backstory to the show pulls from the novel “The Surgeon” (which we glimpse in flashbacks in the pilot episode) and the pilot is based on the novel “The Apprentice”. It was actually a rather interesting way to start a show and I really enjoyed the feeling of being thrown in the middle of it.

The two lead actresses are ones that I’ve enjoyed in both Law & Order (Angie Harmon) and NCIS (Sasha Alexander). Much like the show Bones, there’s a good mix of comedy and drama in each episode. Even from the first episode I found myself caring about the supporting characters and wondering about how they’d all end up fitting in.

I’m not finished with the first season yet so I’m definitely curious to see what happens but I’m also planning on picking up the rest of the novels, even if they aren’t made into episodes. I can’t help it, it’s hard to resist a well done series!

If you’re not a crime drama fan, I’d say the series is probably not for you. If you’re like me and enjoy the ones like Bones and NCIS, then you might really enjoy this one. They’re about to start a second season on TNT and if you do happen to start watching, let me know what you think!

Written by: Elf Writer