The Search

By: Nora Roberts

Narrated by: Tanya Eby

Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A canine Search and Rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness in this riveting #1 New York Times bestseller from Nora Roberts.

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. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare: an encounter with the Red Scarf Killer, who shot and killed Fiona’s cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona has found the peace and solitude necessary to rebuild her life with her three loyal Labs. But all that changes on the day intensely private wood artist Simon Doyle barrels up her drive with an out-of-control puppy, desperate for her help.

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...

©2010 by Nora Roberts. (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"[T]he 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." (Publishers Weekly)

“Search-and-rescue dogs are a focal point of this wonderful tale of love and adventure. Roberts has a marvelous ability to blend in the perfect amounts of character drama, realistic romance and chilling suspense. The result - an unputdownable read! Roberts again proves why her name is synonymous with excellence.” (RT Book Reviews)

“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)

must love dogs

I didn't like the narrator that much, but I love dogs and if you don't, this book isn't for you. There is more sex scenes in this book than usual for. NR book, at least from how many I've read thus far.

Loved this book

I have listened to this book several times and it's just as good as the first time.

Interesting story, well narrated

The plot was slow at the beginning, but got better at the middle. Interesting characters. Good narration. Good pastime.

great story

this was agood story to me it's. nora the way she used to write it makes you think. i like that in a book.

Audio

Great overall. It might just be me but the audio was a little funky at first.

Deeper than a Chick Lit Romance!

This book was my first Nora Roberts experience without it being complete Romance. Sure, she's had plenty of suspense and drama in her other books, but this was more about the mystery and bringing a killer to justice. I loved my adventure in "The Search." There was some romance but it was intertwined sporadically during the build up of the story and really became climactic right when the plot of the killer came to fruition. I enjoyed how the two were conversely built.

There were places where the story was slow. I wasn't sure where the story was headed in the first couple of chapters. I felt like I was coming in during the middle of the story, which isn't always bad, but in hindsight, it wasn't really that important to start out the book. It could have been introduced a chapter or two later and not as the introduction. After that, things get going and there are only minute areas where you wish the story would pick up.

Dog Lovers Story

Would you listen to The Search again? Why?

I picked up on a couple training tips for my dog, and may want to revisit that.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Fiona, but her step-mother Silvia was my favorite. She stepped in when needed with the dog class and I could picture her shop. A very caring and loving character.

What does Tanya Eby bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Tanya Eby has been added to my favorite narrators list.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, It grabbed me right from the start. I listened to it every chance I got.

Any additional comments?

I didn't want this book to end...a series would be wonderful.

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

Fabulous, thoroughly enjoyed every minutes. Great performance, really added to the enjoyment of the story.

Very Good

Fiona lives with her best friends, her dogs, and works as a search and rescue volunteer and dog trainer. She had a terrible past experience with a serial killer who seems to still be after her.

The characters were likeable and fit into the story well. I like the way that the dogs were brought into the story, as a pet lover myself i felt that it added a new level of warmth to the story and a different type of relationahip thereto. There was a good mix of romamce, comedy and thriller in the story.

The story was paced well, and built up cleverly. Overall i liked the story and would recommend it.

Good listen

I almost didn't download this book. after reading some of the reviews I was nervous. Having an extra credit sitting there, I figured why not. I am so glad I did. The book was really good. So e reviewers said they thought it was heavy on dog info and not on the "who done it" portion. I couldn't disagree more. There was a lot of info on the search and rescue aspect of the story which I found necessary for the whole story line of the book.