The Search [Hardcover]

Nora Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2010

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a riveting novel where a canine search and rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness.

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 rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But 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, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. 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 his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and 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...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The serviceable latest from Roberts centers on Fiona Bristow, a professional canine search-and-rescue trainer, who moved to Orcas Island in Puget Sound eight years earlier, just after barely escaping from a serial killer. The story opens with Simon Doyle, an artisan cabinetmaker who arrives on the island with a puppy in tow. It's the puppy that brings Fiona and Simon together, and the romance gets off to a rocky start; he's grumpy and plainspoken; she doesn't scare easily. Then a serial killer begins operating within striking distance, and all Fiona's hard-won peace and equanimity begins to wobble: the man who almost killed her is in prison, but he's got a disciple on the outside. The serial killer plot is very familiar and without much to distinguish it, but the romance is finely done, with Roberts's trademark banter lighting up the page. Fiona and Simon are the main attraction, but the setting and the supporting characters—with paws and without—provide a vivid backdrop. (July)
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Review

"Strong romantic suspense . . . The serial killer subplot is not new, as the copycat has been done before, but Nora Roberts makes it seem fresh with her incredible writing skill as she uses the Search and Rescue canines as key elements in the exciting story line. Readers will enjoy Ms. Roberts' entertaining Puget Sound thriller."
-Midwest Book Review

"Roberts deftly packs the plot of her latest supremely satisfying novel with plenty of sexy romance, high-stakes suspense, clever dialogue and fascinating details about Search and Rescue dogs."
-Booklist --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1ST edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399156577
• ISBN-13: 978-0399156571
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (219 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

222 of 232 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling, funny, lovely and just great., June 30, 2010

By 

S. - "abouthappybooks.com" (Germany) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Reading a book by Nora Roberts is like gaining a whole set of new friends.

Fiona Bristow leads a quiet and fulfilled live on Orcas Island. She runs a dog school, leads a canine search and rescue group and adores living with her three dogs. When she meets Simon Doyle and his dog Jaws (you have to adore him!) she doesn't want to be interested in the moody and blunt wood artist. Ever since she nearly became the vicitm of the Red Scarf serial killer who later murdered her fiance she has been staying away from relationships with men. Simon is also not really interested in starting something with Fiona. Living on small Orcas Island and with his playful puppy is a new experience for him and he enjoys being single. However the more time Fiona and Simon spend together through obedience training for Jaws the more the attraction between them grows.
When a copycat killer starts to murder young woman and it seems that Fiona might be his final victim everything changes. Staying back is no longer an option for Simon and he will do everything to make sure that Fiona stays safe.

Once again Nora Roberts created a great and very entertaining novel. What I enjoyed about "The Search" are the likable, realistic characters and especially the detailed description of Fiona's job, her life on Orcas Island and her relationship with Simon.
IMO this book is the perfect choice for a quiet weekend when you have time for yourself and can really dip into the story. It took me some pages to get into the book but then I loved it. I always appreciate it when an author describes her characters and what is important to them in detail so I enjoyed reading all the little things about Fiona's life and her business. At the end of the book I felt like Fiona, Simon and co. were like friends. I would definitely have something to talk about with them because I learned so much of their life through this book.
I'm not really a dog lover (cats all the way!) but still I enjoyed reading about the dogs and especially the search and rescue missions fascinated me. The book starts with one of these missions and that really helped me to get a connection with Fiona and her dogs.
Fiona is a true survivor and she's a very strong woman. I enjoyed everything about her and Simon's relationship. Simon is a bit moody and says just what he thinks. He reminds me a bit of Brody from "Angels Fall" who is one of my favourite heroes ever. There are some really funny scenes when Simon tries to handle Jaws and also when tries to fight against his feelings for Fiona. I loved how protective he became of her even though he didn't really want to.
The mystery part of the book is not too dark and it's not about figuring out who the killer is. It's more like a character study of the murderers and how it affects the life of Fiona and the people close to her. I enjoyed that the book is not overly dramatic because that wouldn't have worked for me.

So, if you love a book full of multifaceted characters, an intelligent and thrilling mystery plot and a detailed way of writing then "The Search" by Nora Roberts is a book you should read.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dogs, Search-and-Rescue, Serial Killer, Romance - What's not to like?, July 13, 2010

By 

broiderqueen "army mama" (Southern Oregon) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Search (Hardcover)

I'm so glad each one of is different and weren't made in cookie cutter molds. I read through the other reviews and it seemed readers either loved "The Search" or disliked it for a myriad of reasons. That is as it should be, at least in my opinion, especially with a strongly romance-based novel. We all don't like the same things in our love lives so why should we in the books about romance. Yes, this is a mystery, too, and a thriller but when it comes down to it, it's a romance.

I loved the book. I loved the very strong female protagonist, Fiona. She wasn't the shy, retiring type at all. And because of that, she was able to stand up for herself with the male protagonist, Simon. Yes, he is egotistical, selfish, rude but NOT always. And the rare moments of tenderness are that much more appreciated because they are hard won.

I loved the dogs in the book. Warning: If you are simply not a dog person, you really might have a problem liking this book. But I enjoy the companionship and loyalty of the canine species and enjoyed all the doggish characters in the book. Fiona is a dog trainer so that is a strong component of the book but Roberts is knowledgeable and handled the training sequences well; I even learned some tidbits to use in the future. Fiona is also part of a K-9 Search-and-Rescue team and I truly enjoyed the different SAR adventures.

This actually turned out to be one of my favorite Roberts novels and I am sure I will read it again in the future (which is my standard for a good book - I read SO many books that rarely do I go back and reread one).

57 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok but wait for paper back!, July 9, 2010

By 

AngelDucky (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Search (Hardcover)

I adore Nora Roberts and really love her In Death series. I really just sorta liked this book, primarily for the reasons others have mentioned....way too much detailed explanations about dog training. Midway through the audio book, I finally got annoyed enough at the lengthy dog training explanations and just started skimming through it. One dog training scene with a problem dog last 15 minutes...15 audio book minutes... That's just ridiculous in my opinion. There are parts that are really funny but there's hardly any suspense and the ending is a complete letdown. If you love Nora Roberts, read this just because it's by her but wait for paper back or get it from the library. If you're looking for a good romantic suspense, read some of her past stuff like Public Secrets, Private Scandals, Genuine Lies, Divine Evil, etc. Those are WAAAAAY better.