Operation Hero's Watch

Cutter's Code #10

by Justine Davis

Reunited in peril...and united in love?

When a stalker haunts Cassidy Grant’s every move, she turns to Jace Cahill to keep her safe. Pretty soon Jace realises that his best friend’s little sister is all grown up. But with danger looming, can the brilliant guard dog Cutter keep Cassidy safe...and nudge her and Jace toward the scariest proposition of all – a future together?

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Harlequin

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2019

About the author

Author biographies are supposed to give you all those statistics, books written, awards won, etc. and I will, I promise...but first let me tell you about this ornery little tomboy (back then, the boys had all the fun...) who was always the one to make up the stories the neighborhood kids would "play". For those who came of age in the computer game era, this is something that was done usually in the backyard, by any number of summer-bored children, with props where appropriate. (Did you know a 55 gallon drum tied to a picnic bench makes a very cool horse?) It wasn't until much later that this tomboy realized two things: A) not everyone made up stories in their heads all the time, and B) in real life, the boys that had already had all the fun now seemed to always be winning.

But I digress. I was born on a farm down in Iowa....well, not quite, but close; Boone, Iowa is in the middle of farm country, but I arrived at a hospital. In a snow storm. Make that a blizzard. My sister tells me she knew my destiny when I was very young, because when I first saw the Disney classic Old Yeller, I was apparently so upset that I promptly went home and rewrote the story. In my version, the dog lived, of course. Should have been a clue.

Possibly in response to that blizzard I was born in, I've been a West Coaster since before I was a year old, and intend to stay that way. I have a history of staying. I started my first full time job right out of school (well, there was a very brief sojourn at a place where they made, among other things, burial vaults, but I prefer not to recall that one...) and stayed for twenty-one years. I've been married to the same wonderful guy for going on two decades now. We lived in our last house for seventeen years. (I won't even mention how many dumpsters we filled moving after that long....)

Readers seem as fascinated by my first career as they are with my writing. My time in law enforcement was many things, exciting, nerve wracking, and irritating, but most importantly never, ever boring. It was fascinating enough that I didn't think about writing seriously for several years. I kept a journal, and wrote long letters, collected quotes, mentally rewrote movies, and still made up those stories in my head, but never dreamed of actually writing for publication. I was having too much fun helping to catch bad guys, and being continually amazed at the situations people get themselves into. And eventually I walked away with a wealth of background and story ideas, and knowing some truly great people who work very hard to keep all of us safe. I'm proud to have been one of them, and I'm very aware that I have had the great good fortune of having had two jobs in my life that I love. Many people don't get even one.

But now that I'm in the delicious position of being able to make a living telling those stories in my head, I promise my readers two things: A) I'm staying--I'll keep writing as long as you keep reading, and B) in my stories, the girl--tomboy or not--always wins!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And now, the official stats:

Justine Dare Davis sold her first book in 1989, and followed that up with the sale of nineteen novels in less than two years. Her first four books were published in 1991, and she saw all reach the finals for either the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award or the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award. She has since won the RITA award four times, along with several Reviewer's Choice awards and three Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times. At the 1998 national conference, Justine was inducted into the RWA Hall of Fame, making her one of a very select group of just eight writers. She also had four titles on the Romantic Times "Top 200 of All Time" list. Her sales now total more than 45, and her books have appeared regularly on best seller lists, including the USA Today list. She has been featured in several local newspapers and nationwide by Associated Press, has appeared on CN

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally another Cutter's Code book! I have been anxiously awaiting this book for more than a year, as Justine Davis has me hooked on this part detective/part matchmaker dog. Ten years earlier Jace promised his then best friend, Cory, that he would help his little sister if she ever needed it. When Cassie suspected she had a stalker, but not enough evidence for the police to help, Cory told her to call Jace. Jace immediately set out, hitchhiking from Southern California to Washington state, where he was picked up by Foxworth Foundation operatives Rafe and Cutter.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning. We see Jace trudging through the rain on his way to Cassie's, as he was passed by a car with a barking dog. Suddenly the car stopped and backed up, and we have Rafe nearly begging Jace to get in the car so that Cutter would stop barking. I had to laugh because this behavior is typical Cutter, who has an uncanny ability to find people who need help. Rafe's desperation was apparent, as was his willingness to let Cutter dictate what happened. It was also Cutter's unique abilities that had Jace telling Rafe about why he was there. In typical Foxworth fashion, Jace suddenly had unexpected help. I loved their arrival at Cassie's and the process of deciding what to do. Rafe was fantastic at pulling out the details of what was happening, and Cutter was funny with his "nudges." I especially liked how Rafe and Jace believed what Cassie had to tell them.

I loved the development of the relationship between Cassie and Jace. They had known each other since they were children and Jace was her brother's best friend. Jace had a terrible home life with a verbally abusive father and the time he spent with Cassie's family gave him a desperately needed respite from the abuse. The Grants always treated Jace as part of the family. When his father deserted them, Jace and his mother were left with nothing but crippling debt, and disappeared from Cassie's life, until he returned to help Cassie. There were sparks between Jace and Cassie from the beginning. Cassie wasn't surprised to see that her feelings for him were just as strong as they'd been before. Jace was taken aback by his attraction to his best friend's little sister and resisted the pull he felt toward her. He was determined to keep her safe but did not feel worthy of anything more, thanks to continually hearing his father's voice in his head always putting him down. I loved Cassie's sensitivity as she learned more about his childhood. She had no trouble seeing how wonderful Jace was. Her determination to break him free of his father's abuse was fantastic. I especially enjoyed her way of breaking him out of his downward spirals whenever his "memory bombs" would go off. She worked very hard to break through his walls because of how she felt about him.

Another thing that helped with the furthering of their relationship was Cutter. He had quite the reputation within Foxworth for his matchmaking abilities. I laughed out loud when I read the part where Rafe realized that Cutter had plans for Jace and Cassie, and he tried to explain it to Jace. It was so much fun to see Cutter aid in their "courtship" by pushing, tripping, and nudging them where he wanted them to go. The descriptions of his facial expressions and attitudes were vivid, and I could actually picture them in my head. When the mystery was solved, it was Cutter who gave the final push that showed Jace he could have it all.

The suspense of the story was excellent. I was drawn into the mystery from the very beginning. It is always fascinating to watch the people from Foxworth work, and this was no exception. Rafe is impressive in his abilities, and I loved how he was always there when he was needed. I wasn't at all surprised by the direction the investigation took. The intensity built with each encounter, and as they came closer to the truth. Several twists and turns kept me guessing about what would happen next. The final confrontation was a nail-biter and had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

[Toth Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK I now wish I could find the previous ones to this series! This was a neat book to read. For it starts out with a friend helping a friend. But it changes from there. Its neat how it works. I loved the characters in this story. How they each meet is unique. I like how there is a underling theme in this story. Rafe Crawford & his dog Cutter help Jace Cahill. But there is more to it as you see as the story goes. Its a story of pay it forward. Rafe is hidden in mystery him and his people help Jace keep Cassidy Grant safe. Its a neat the different twists in this story. There is a underlying mystery going on from the start of the story. As each layer is revealed there is more to the problem than people realized. Its like a crack in a glass that slowly spreads. So does this mystery. But as its solved I liked how they handle each problem. Its a great story and worth a read. J

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super book in this fantastic series featuring Cutter and Foxworth. Each book can be read stand-alone, but it’s worth reading them all.

Cassidy calls Jace for help when the police cannot do anything for her. Enter Cutter, Rafe (yeah, we get more Rafe, who so deserves his own book, and surely will get it one day!!!) and a fast-paced mystery.

Justine Davis is one of my auto-buy writers, and my only dislike is that we will probably have to wait a long time until the next instalment! Looking forward to it already!

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book ten of the Cutter's code series. Having read almost all books in the series it's always a pleasure to reacquaint with the Foxworth team and their awesome and mysterious canine Cutter with his uncanny ability to detect who's in trouble and needs help and also a hundred percent success rate on his matchmaking skills (LOL)

A short summation about Foxworth Foundation and Cutter in the words of the heroine of this book Cassidy Grant, “So,” Cassie said slowly when they’d finished, “you work for this Foxworth Foundation, who help people in the right, turn lost causes into wins, for nothing, and then your boss marries the woman who owns this dog, and you discover he’s got a nose for finding those people?"

Cassie runs the little town's only flower shop that she inherited from her parents after their untimely death in a car accident some years ago. She has an older brother, Cory, but he's always getting into some trouble or the other and she doesn't see him for months. She now suspects she has a stalker but the police aren't able to help her because she doesn't have much proof to give them. One night on seeing a shadow lurking outside her bedroom window, she panics and calls Cory who like always was unable to go to her instead tells her to call his best friend, Jace Cahill.

Cassie used to have a huge crush on Jace when they were in their teens. He's two years older to her and used to live down their street. When he was eighteen, his father left him and his mother. Soon after that he and his mother too left town which broke Cassie's heart. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since then. It's been ten years. She didn't think he would come and when he didn't answer his call she left a message and forgot about it.

Jace was the kind of guy who would do anything to fulfill a promise, even, if the promise was made a decade ago without any thought. To fulfill that promise, he left everything, not caring he'd be losing two of the three jobs he worked or that because he was broke he had to take a bus & hitch-hike across states. His father had left behind mounting debts and as it was taken in joint names of his parents it fell on to his mother to clear the debts. Seeing his mother struggle at two jobs, Jace put his life and his dream of becoming an architect on hold and started working, taking up three jobs at a time. It took ten years for the two of them to clear the last of those debts.

On his way to Cassie's place, he hitches a ride, which happens to be Rafe Crawford's car. With everyone at Foxworth away on a holiday, Rafe is the front man and of course there's the incredible Cutter. It was funny how Cutter barked Rafe's head off when they passed Jace that Rafe had to plead with Jace to get into the car so that Cutter would shut up. Once Jace is in the car, Cutter, with his typical sign language indicates to Rafe that Jace needs help and once Cutter has decreed no one at Foxworth dare ignore. So the three of them land up at a surprised Cassie's doorstep.

Jace is stunned to see his best friend's sister all grown up. He too had feelings for her when they were in their teens, but since she was his best friend's sister, he never acted on his feelings. Moreover her parents adored him and treated him as a son. With the constant fighting that went on in his home, the happy and cheerful Grants' home was like a refuge for him.

While the four of them --Cassie, Jace, Rafe and Cutter-- try to find the stalker and Jace acts as Cassie's pretend boyfriend on Rafe's suggestion, old feelings surface between Jace and Cassie that are much stronger than before, but Jace is plagued by his past and the fact that he is broke and he didn't want pity and sympathy from Cassie. But, he was finding it hard to stay away from her and eventually with matchmaker Cutter's pushes and nudges he succumbs.

The romance although sweet started slow with the two constantly bringing up stories about their family and things they used to do together when they were in their teens. Those intriguing, mysterious elements thrown in kept it from being boring. Once the two make love for the first time things got interesting and fun. They made the perfect pair.

I enjoyed the entire Thanksgiving part - the preparation, the surprise, the dinner. The relationship between Jace and his mother was very sweet and emotional.

“I always knew she adored you.”
He let out that breath. “I don’t know why, but she still does.”
“That’s obvious. I’ve waited a very long time to see a good woman look at my son like she just did.”

Loved the part where Jace fondly watches the two women he loved getting along so well.

The action following after the Thanksgiving dinner was fun. Loved Jace kissing Cassie right in the middle of all the action to Cory's dismay and his repeated "Shut the hell up" to Cory.

The book had a good mix of sweet romance and mystery. The delightful bonus was Rafe!! Unlike, the previous books, where the usually elusive brooder hardly spoke, here, not only did he speak a lot, he even grinned and cracked jokes!! It was as if all birthdays and Christmases came together all at once. Nevertheless, he still remains mysterious and I'm just dying to know what scars he's carrying within. Can't wait to read his story.

From characters in previous books, we do get an appearance each from Detective Brett Dunbar and the delicious Quinn Foxworth. I missed the rest of the Foxworth gang

Overall a really nice enjoyable read.

[Donna Repsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by admitting that I've been Justine Davis fan since I read her first novel, Hunter's Way, back in 1991, and I've yet to read a novel she's written that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed, and that's certainly been the case with her Cutter's Code series, Cutter being one astonishing, practically psychic dog who's part detective, a fierce protector, and one heck of a matchmaker too, all of his glowing characteristics figure prominently in this novel as well as the previous ones, and I'm giving this novel a 4.5 star rating, primarily for just one reason, which I'll get to shortly.

As the novel opens we encounter Jace, trudging along the road, both he and his backpack getting thoroughly drenched in a Washington state rainstorm, as we learn that he's been hitchhiking his way north from southern California, too broke to fly, and all because of a promise he made a decade ago to his best friend, Cory Grant. The promise--to help Cory's little sister, Cassidy (Cassie) who had crushed on Jace from the time she was 7 years old, if she ever needed his help, and when she finally does call for his help, he keeps his promise and heads north.

A car eventually stops to offer him a ride and shelter from the downpour, and unbeknownst to Jace, the driver is Rafe, a Foxworth operative. Foxworth is a very unusual firm, known only by word of mouth, with very unusual employees, and with a very unusual mission--helping those deemed worthy, to solve their problems and right the wrongs that regular law enforcement simply cannot or will not address. The reason Rafe stopped to pick up Jace and practically begged Jace to get into his car was Cutter, who wouldn't stop barking his head off in the back seat of the car until Rafe got the message and pulled over to pick up Jace. While driving, Rafe explains Cutter's many abilities, which Jace takes with a grain of salt, as he does Rafe's description of Foxworth and what it does, but he'll soon learn the truth about both Cutter and Foxworth.

Cody had told his younger sister that if she ever needed help to call Jace, since Cody didn't stick around long after their parents died in an airplane crash, leaving his sister to run the family flower shop alone and live in their parents' mortgage-paid home. The reason for Cassidy's phone call to Jace was her fear that she had a stalker, but with no evidence other than the feeling that she's being watched, a guy hanging around outside her flower shop, and a brief glance at a shadow on her window shade one night, the police were of no help whatsoever. When Jace shows up, he's stunned to find that little tag-along Cassie has grown into a beautiful woman, and Cassie is as attracted to Jace as she always was. It doesn't take long before Cutter, the matchmaker, starts herding them closer together, but there's a whole lot more to this novel than a matchmaking mutt.

Cody and Cassie had wonderful, loving parents, and, as Cody's best friend, Jace soon came to be treated as a member of family and spent as much time at their home as possible, since his own home life was horrific thanks to a vile, controlling, cruel and verbally abusive father and a mother too cowed to do anything about it. Although his father walked out on Jace and his mom when Jace was 18, he left them with a mountain of gambling debts, no source of income other than the several part-time jobs Jace and his mom could find, and because they couldn't afford to keep their house, they'd moved from tiny apartment to tiny apartment trying to pay off those debts and move forward, a seemingly impossible task. The one issue I mentioned at the outset was the lack of any kind of explanation for why any man would hate, demean and verbally abuse his only son, especially a son who was well behaved, smart, kind, got good grades but in his own out-of-box fashion and who certainly didn't deserve the way he was treated. I could understand it if he knew or believed that Jace wasn't really his son, but that wasn't the case here, and it felt liked a dropped stitch in knitting--I wanted to fix it and find out the reason for his father's anger and hatred of his only son. The kind of abuse Jace endured left him with deep emotional scars, and once he and Cassie start talking and reminiscing, since he's living in her guest room, we see just how deep those scars still are, more than a decade later, making him feel small and unworthy, while Cassie sees him as a good, kind, strong, hard-working, honest, reliable, and fair man of integrity, and she wants to help Jace see himself as she sees him. Cutter is only too happy to keep nudging them together, which he's done in the previous books in this series and which is utterly sweet and charming, even to a hardcore cat person like me.

As Jace and Cassie become reacquainted, their attraction to one another slowly builds, and while Cassie has no problem accepting her deep feelings for Jace, with his father's voice in his head, no money, no skills, and no prospects, and knowing that Cassie is his best friend's little sister, Jace has no faith that his coming to Cassie's aid will become anything more than that. While all the sizzle between them builds, so too does what brought them back together, Cassie's stalker. Rafe and the techies at Foxworth can't seem to find a reason anyone would be stalking her, but with cameras in place behind her flower shop, we soon know that she's not imagining things, and there's a whole lot more to this mystery than a mere stalker, and as the danger and suspense build to one nail-biter of a finish Jace and Cassie's relationship deepens as well, and the combination of the two made this novel impossible to put down, which is why I started writing this review at 4:30 a.m., which is when I got to the heartfelt HEA ending.

Operation Hero's Watch was an excellent, well-written romantic suspense novel, and if you're not already hooked on the Cutter's Code series, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest in the mystery/romance series starring Cutter the detective/matchmaking dog. Enough back story is provided, so it can be read as a stand alone, but when you are finished, you are going to want to read the previous books. Wonderful characters and an intriguing plot, make this a terrific read.

Years ago, Jace Cahill had made a promise to his (then) best friend Cory Grant, to take care of his sister, Cassie, if ever he couldn't. Ten years later, he gets the call and hitchhikes from southern California to Washington state. On the way, he is picked up by Rafe Crawford, of the Foxworth Foundation, at the insistence of Cutter the dog. They get to Cassie's house and she tells them that she has a stalker, but not enough evidence for the police to get involved. Helping people is what the Foxworth Foundation does, so while Rafe heads an investigating into who and why Cassie is being stalked, Cutter works on getting the two together. Jace had had a horrible excuse for a father, but Cassie and Cory's parents, had stepped in and given him all the positive reinforcement that they could. When Jace's father finally let his wife and son, he left them with crippling debt. They could no longer afford to live in their house and had disappeared from Cassie's life. Instead of declaring bankruptcy as most people would have done, Jace and his mother had spent the last 10 years working very hard to pay it off. But Jace drops everything, because he made a promise. He finds the grown up Cassie even more enchanting that the girl he knew, and she has adored him since the age of five. Can they find the stalker, and keep Cassie safe. Can Cassie stop Jace from continuing to hear his father's verbal abuse in his head? Do they have a future together? What does Cory have to do with the situation?

I received a free, advanced copy of this book from NetGallery.com. This was my unbiased and voluntary review.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like this series but underwhelmed by this entry.
The best part was the reconciliation of Jace & Cassidy. The psychological part most interesting..”Chuck”.
Too much steam for me .. I skimmed that.
The start was great with Rafe Crawford .. and the ending was good but the in-between ... not so much.
I found more interesting reading since I started this book 21 days ago and finally got back to it for tonight’s finish. Oh well .. onward!

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. 10 years ago Jace promised his best friend Cory that he would help and protect Cory’s little sister Cassie if she ever needed it. Jace always kept a promise. He had to hitchhike, but he came running when Cassie called. She is being stalked. He vows to protect her. He quickly finds out Cassie is all grown up now. Cassie wished the teenage crush she had on Jace went away. Being face to face with her high school crush, she realizes it’s still there. I loved the way Cutter nudged them together throughout the book. Cutter was also there with his fierce growl when the stalker made his move. We all need a dog like Cutter. I hope Ralf gets his book soon. I’d love to see Ralf fall in love.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. Some light suspense, romance, mystery and the great Cutter / Foxworthy group.
This was an enjoyable read and had lots of little nuggets for me. Taking care of family, doing the right thing, striving for your dreams and the big one, how can two people raised the same way by the same parents and turn out so different. I really liked Jace and man does this dude have integrity and grit. Cassidy was a win for me too. Strong, intelligent, quick witted. Can't go wrong with Cutter. How many people want to meet Cutter, lol, sign me up. I will say this book had me pulled, I couldn't give them 100 percent because I was worried about Rafe, I want me some Rafe with a happy ending.
It is always a win for me to purchase Justine Davis books.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Cutter Code that I have read. The author is able to bring readers into her stories and the connection between the story and the series in a well balanced way.

The story is easy to read, the romance and mystery connect well and readers will enjoy this beach read from beginning to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harlequin Suspense for the advance copy of Justine Davis Operation Hero Watch

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I’m really adoring this series, not even two weeks and I’ve completed 10 books. I’m particularly loving that Rafe such a serious character has been a bigger and bigger part throughout.

At first reading this I thought to myself wow that was so anti-climatic but then the little twist and the tension rose, I absolutely love little literary tricks like that

[Eve Gaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Cutter's Code books. Jace was such a good (and tortured) guy. And Cassidy was a worthy heroine for him. I also loved Rafe's scenes with Cutter. Romance, suspense, a lovable and amazing dog--what more can you ask for? Oh, I know. Another Cutter's Code book!

[Breane Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an arc from netgalley. Loved this book. I will follow this author wherever she goes with her writing. Definitely recommend this!

[Gloria J. Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation hero's watch. Cuttercode

I loved the book another great one I have read all the Cutter's code books. Every one was great. Cannot wait for #12

[Rebecca Delio · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT STORY

Again Cutter came through, boy this is some dog and I love his stories, I wish Ms. Davis could write more stories about Cutter....

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book with a likeable couple and a great dog.

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Suspense, Crime Thriller, Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Miniseries
Cutter's Code

[Jessica]

Cassidy has a stalker and not sure why so she looks for the help of Jace an old friend of her brothers. Things become increasingly dangerous the further they get into figuring out why they might be after Cassidy.

Overall this was a really good book. I love a good mystery suspense novel and this book just did it for me. I love learning more and more about what is going on as Cassidy and Jace figure out what's going on. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the readers interested. I just honestly couldn't put this book down it was just so much going on I wanted to keep going and see what happens next. Also I love the romance that was in this book. I love getting to know the characters. Overall as I said before it is a really great book I really enjoyed it.

[Jess Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation Hero's Watch by Justine Davis is the tenth book in the Cutter's Code series. I have missed a few throughout this series but I must say it never disappoints. I love the way that Cutter chooses the cases and helps the couples till they realize they were meant to be together. Jace and Cassidy were no different. This book was an awesome read and I can't wait till the next one.