Search and Rescue is the first novel in a series of mysteries featuring journalist and sleuth Claire Abbott.

When a young woman goes missing on a nature trail, small-town journalist Claire Abbott is first on the scene, as usual. The clues to the woman’s whereabouts are misleading, but Claire has a sixth sense—what the fire chief calls a "radar for crime." Trusting her intuition, Claire insists that the search and rescue team look elsewhere for clues to the woman’s disappearance. When they fail to follow up on her lead, she pursues it on her own, embarking on a snowy chase up a mountainside that puts herself and others in danger. She’s more than just a journalist chasing a story. Claire is determined to do the right thing at any cost.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for older teen readers and adults who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Gail Anderson-Dargatz, whose fictional style has been coined as "Pacific Northwest Gothic" by the Boston Globe, has been published worldwide in English and in many other languages. A Recipe for Bees and The Cure For Death By Lightning were international bestsellers, and were both finalists for the prestigious Giller Prize in Canada. The Cure For Death By Lightning won the UK’s Betty Trask Prize among other awards. A Rhinestone Button was a national bestseller in Canada and her first book, The Miss Hereford Stories, was short-listed for the Leacock Award for humour. Her most recent novel, The Spawning Grounds, released in fall 2016, was again a bestseller. After nearly a decade of teaching within the Optional-Residency MFA program in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, Gail now mentors writers around the world through her own on-line forums. She lives in the Shuswap, the landscape found in so much of her writing.

Gail Anderson-Dargatz's profile page

"Black forests, snowy weather and a growing sense of dread stir the pot of fear and tension to a deadly twister resulting in drastic action, last second rescue and several red faces among the town’s male protectors of the peace. A sleuth with an edge launches Claire Abbott into a new series. I’ve got a hunch she’ll grow on you."

Don Graves, Reviewer

"[Claire] is a relatable character, and her psychic ability grows at just the right pace for a short series opener. For new adult readers who prefer hi-lo books and reluctant or struggling teen readers."

School Library Journal

"[A] gripping quick read.”

Anne P., LibraryThing Early Reviewers