The carefully rebuilt, peaceful Orcas Island existence of canine search-and-rescue expert Fiona Bristow is shattered when an apparent "student" of the serial killer she escaped from and sent to prison years earlier begins his lethal coed-strewn journey-toward her. But Fiona is no longer a vulnerable girl, and her dogs, her friends, and wood artist Simon Doyle aren't about to let her fight this one alone. Verdict An abundance of dog training info combines with great dialog, creepy villains, superstrong protagonists, table-top sex, and to make this another gripping page-turner from one of the genre's best. Roberts (Savor the Moment) lives in Keedysville, MD. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Fiona Bristow knew dogs could be successfully trained, but she wasn't as sure about men. Case in point: Simon Doyle, Fiona's latest client. Simon had come to Fiona hoping she could do something about his out-of-control puppy, Jaws. It takes a bit of work, but Fiona finally gets Simon to see the wisdom behind her dog-training methods. If only she could train Simon to stay out of her personal life. Before Fiona can say, Stay and Heel, she finds herself involved in a serious relationship for the first time since her fiancé's death nearly a decade ago. Just when she begins to think she may have found the one man she might love as much as her dogs, a copy-cat serial killer starts targeting women in the Pacific Northwest. What is even worse is that the killer's modus operandi is the same as the Red Scarf Killer, who, nearly a decade earlier, murdered 12 women before Fiona, his intended thirteenth victim, escaped, sending him to jail. 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.--Charles, John Copyright 2010 Booklist