The Search by Nora Roberts

     There is a reason why Nora Roberts has 400 million copies of her 190 novels in print and that reason is simple - they are good!  No, not simple in plot or characterization, but simply good to read.  I suppose I have read at least a dozen of her books and I still always pick up the newest one when it comes out.  I also go back to her when I can't find a new author that grabs me.
     The Search (July, 2010) is every bit as compelling as the first Nora Roberts' book I read.  The Search is the story of Fiona Bristow and Simon Doyle.  At first glance they have nothing in common and certainly do not attract each other.  Simon is an artist in wood and Fiona trains dogs and heads a search and rescue team.  Simon's mother has sent him a puppy and Simon is at his wit's end about what to do with the "house-eating" maniac he has named Jaws.  He brings Jaws to Fiona to train but Fiona doesn't just train dogs, she also trains the owner, and, as anyone who has owned a dog knows, that is really what dog training is all about.  Simon relents and agrees to come with Jaws.
     There is more to Fiona than first meets the eye.  She was to be the 13th victim in a serial killer's string of victims.  She escaped and helped put the killer in jail but not before he killed her policeman fiance.  Now someone is copying the jailed killer's operation and Fiona again finds she is on the list of victims.  As Simon gets closer to Fiona, he promises her she will not be caught again and Simon never says anything he doesn't mean.
     One of the great things about reading is how much you can learn when the author has really done the research.  The Search is a great story on its own, but the information about dog training and search and rescue dogs is also worth the read.  Simon didn't know anything about training or S&R until he met Fiona and, since that was her life, he learns about it right along with the reader.  Simon is an artist with wood and as Fiona draws closer to him, she begins to learn about his world.  This information is important and relevant but it isn't presented as "lessons."  It is written into the book as part of the story, helping to advance the characters and the plot. 
     Read The Search on any level that fits you.  Just be sure to read it!

Just the ones I've read by Nora Roberts

The Search (c7/2010)
Black Hills (c5/2010)
Tribute     (c2008)
Angels Fall (c2007)
Blue Smoke (c2005)
Northern Lights (c2005)
Birthright (c2004)
The Villa (2002)
Carolina Moon (c2001)
River's End (c2000)
Homeport  (c1999)
Sanctuary  (c1998)