Book Review: A Woman's Guide to Search and Rescue

IndieBookView

Aug 30

A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue

by Mary Carroll Moore

Genre: Literary & General Fiction / Women's Fiction

ISBN: 9798987531709

Print Length: 356 pages

Reviewed by Erin Britton

Set against the intensely evoked backdrop of the Adirondacks, where the awe-inspiring beauty of the mountain range belies the inherent danger of the wild environment, Mary Carroll Moore's A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue explores the fractured relationships among three women who are all unknowingly searching for the safety of family. In so doing, it presents a surprising story that deftly balances the tension and danger of a crime thriller with the emotion and compassion of a family saga.

The peril facing Red Nelson is clear from the outset. Her story begins in the midst of a plane crash in Panther Gorge, one of the most remote regions of the Adirondacks. Fleeing for her life following a brutal attack on her former husband backstage at her latest gig, Red has followed her mother's advice, "borrowed" a light aircraft, and attempted to fly to safety.

Unfortunately, the crosswinds in the unfamiliar environment get the better of her, leading to "the concussion of the impact, a small machine meeting rocky ground at high speed, vibrating from the soles of her boots to the palms of her hands."

Kate Fisher is facing a very different kind of danger. Unexplained blackouts have caused her to give up her job as a Search & Rescue pilot, although she still works with the team in a ground-based role. Moreover, her husband is growing distant and she suspects the worst: "Anger had tasted sour and satisfying last night, full of unarticulated, unmet needs." Exacerbating their present difficulties is the fact that both their children seem to be having trouble in their pursuit of independence, trouble that they're unwilling to share with their parents.

Despite the many differences that separate them, Red and Kate are connected by blood. Kate's dad escaped his loveless marriage by having an affair, which led to Red's birth and, subsequently, much happier upbringing. While Kate seemingly wants nothing to do with her half-sister, Red promised her dying mother that she would seek a reproachment with Kate, and the fact that doing so will give her somewhere remote to hide from the mysterious would-be killer who is likely pursuing her is merely an added bonus.