The Search by Nora Roberts
Read by Tanya Eby
Brilliance Audio
2010
Length: 14 hours, 54 minutes
Summary: To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life — a quaint
house on an island off Seattle’s coast, a thriving dog-training school,
and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescue. Not
to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point
by surviving a nightmare.
Several years ago, she was the only
survivor of a serial killer — a madman who stalked and abducted young
women, strangled them, and left them buried with a red scarf on their
bodies. As authorities were closing in on the Red Scarf Killer, he shot
and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.
On Orcas Island,
Fiona has found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life.
Yet all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive,
desperate for her help. He’s the reluctant owner of an out-of-control
puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon’s
house, and he’s at his wit’s end.
To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can’t
handle. Simon is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he’s a rugged and
intensely private artist, known for creating exquisite furniture. Simon
never wanted a puppy, and he most definitely doesn’t want a woman.
Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to the laws of
attraction.
As Fiona embarks on training Jaws and as Simon begins to
appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona’s life.
A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust
has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who
slipped out of his hands.
My thoughts: Oh how I love Nora Roberts and her books – from her series and trilogies to her romantic suspense stand alone novels. In the case of this book, The Search, I felt that I could actually relate to and even apply parts of the story to my life. I have a chocolate lab and did most of her training myself. As we are currently thinking about getting another puppy soon, I totally appreciated the training tips that Fiona gives while conducting her classes.
The Search revolves around a serial killer who is after the one that got away. Ten years ago Fiona was taken and almost killed until she managed to get away. The man went on to kill her fiance and then got sent to prison. Today, Fiona has made a nice life for herself. She trains dogs for both the simple obedience of being a family pet to working with search and rescue teams, something close to Fiona’s heart as she and her own three dogs are part of the local search and rescue team. With what appears to be a copy cat of the serial killer on the hunt again, Fiona and her friends take certain precautions to ensure that Fiona is safe.
In the meantime, a new neighbor moves in and comes with a puppy who is in desperate need of training. Aptly named Jaws, the puppy seems to pave the way for a relationship that develops between Fiona and Simon, Jaws’ owner. I loved the interactions between Simon and Fiona – both are very headstrong and seem pretty stuck in their ways and are reluctant to begin something, but the heart wants what the heart wants and soon the fireworks start going off.
Whenever I pick up a Nora Roberts book, I know I am in for a treat. What I love about her stand-alone books is that she takes us into worlds that we may or may not be familiar with – some of her other ones involved fire jumping, running a wildlife refuge, hostage negotiating and arson investigating just to name a few. I always get quite an education about these careers – not just the facts, but also an inside look and that makes the book even more enjoyable!
I’ve read most everything that Nora Roberts has written, but have not read any of the books she’s written as JD Robb. What about you? Do you have a favorite Nora Roberts book?
Audio thoughts: This is the first book I’ve listened to by Tanya Eby and I found her to have a great voice. I thought she was able to give the characters unique voices while also providing the correct emotion as needed – humor, suspense, romance, etc. I’ll be looking to see what else she narrates.
(I borrowed this audio book from the library.)
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I knew I would like this one when I discovered dogs played a big part. I love her "In Death" series.