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Cutter's Code #11
Operation Second Chance
His guilt tore them apart
Can the truth set them free?
Ex-cop Adam Kirk has never forgiven himself for his partner’s murder. Neither has Amanda Bonner, the daughter left behind. But when new clues into the crime surface, Adam and Amanda form an unlikely partnership, which becomes their only chance to achieve justice. Duty soon leads to passion…and attempts on Amanda’s life. Will Adam lose the woman he’s come to love before he can expose the killer?
Can the truth set them free?
Ex-cop Adam Kirk has never forgiven himself for his partner’s murder. Neither has Amanda Bonner, the daughter left behind. But when new clues into the crime surface, Adam and Amanda form an unlikely partnership, which becomes their only chance to achieve justice. Duty soon leads to passion…and attempts on Amanda’s life. Will Adam lose the woman he’s come to love before he can expose the killer?
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2020
74 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Justine Davis
252 books217 followersAuthor 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 24, 2020
Very good book. The story begins on the fifth anniversary of Greg Bonner's death. His daughter Amanda is at the cemetery, remembering her father when Quinn and Hayley Foxworth arrive. Quinn was there when Greg was killed in the line of duty, a bystander who got involved, and has been a part of Amanda's life ever since. They are joined by a fourth person, but this one is not welcomed by Amanda. Adam was Greg's partner and Amanda holds him responsible for her father's death. She is vocal about her dislike and disdain for him, but it is no match for the way Adam feels about himself. Witnessing Amanda's anger and Adam's self-disgust was heartbreaking.
When Quinn and Hayley visit with Amanda later, Cutter goes exploring in the house. Somehow it isn't surprising that he points the way to a hidden flash drive, concealed by Amanda's father. The next morning, Quinn calls a meeting at Foxworth to discuss what was found on the flash drive, including calling Adam. Encoded notes indicate that Greg was working on an investigation on his own when he was killed, but neither Adam nor any of Greg's friends have any idea what it was. As Foxworth begins to investigate it, Adam and Amanda both prepare to go home. On the way, Adam witnesses a hit-and-run on Amanda's car, leading him and Quinn to believe that Amanda is in danger.
The development of the relationship between Adam and Amanda was very interesting, especially at the beginning. Amanda makes her dislike of Adam clear, and Adam believes he deserves every bit of it. I had a bit of a problem with Amanda at this point because Adam puts his life on hold to help protect her and she shows little to no appreciation for it. I hurt for Adam because he lost everything that terrible night - his friend and partner was killed, he suffered a career-ending injury and the woman he started to have feelings for said unbearably cruel things to him. As the days go on, Amanda softens a little bit as memories of her father's comments and praise of Adam come back to her, and she realizes that the sparks she felt five years ago are still there. I thought she deserved every bit of the guilt she felt when she discovered how wrong she was about the events of that night. As the days went on and they spent more time together, those sparks continued to grow. Though Amanda's belief in Adam's guilt had disappeared, Adam was still mired in his belief that he was responsible. I loved seeing Amanda's attempts to show him he was wrong, but it took an unexpected revelation to fully convince him. The ending was beautiful, with an extremely emotional scene at the cemetery.
I loved following the process of the investigation. From the first attack on Amanda onward, the intensity grew at a steady pace. There were frustrating times when leads didn't pan out, but no one gave up. I loved that it was an offhand comment that broke the case open. When Adam and Amanda showed what they found out to Quinn and the others, things really started to pop. I loved seeing Foxworth do what it does best, bringing people together to right a wrong. The final confrontation was so satisfying in the way it happened. I especially enjoyed seeing Gavin de Marco again and watching him at work.
As always in this series, outside of the main couple, my favorite character is Cutter the dog. At this point, nothing he does surprises me, though it is always fun to see other people's reactions. At one point Adam says, "I've been watching him work for a couple of weeks now. If you told me he could fly, I'd only wonder how, not if." I loved the description of Cutter giving Quinn and Haley his "fix it" look when he first encountered Adam and Amanda. He also has a well-deserved reputation at Foxworth as a matchmaker. This was amply demonstrated by his tendency to "herd" both Adam and Amanda where he thought they should be. He has an uncanny instinct for those who need help, and for approaching danger. I loved seeing him go from playful pup to snarling protector in the blink of an eye.
Someday I am going to start at the beginning and read the whole series from start to finish. But before I do, I really want to see Rafe get his story.
When Quinn and Hayley visit with Amanda later, Cutter goes exploring in the house. Somehow it isn't surprising that he points the way to a hidden flash drive, concealed by Amanda's father. The next morning, Quinn calls a meeting at Foxworth to discuss what was found on the flash drive, including calling Adam. Encoded notes indicate that Greg was working on an investigation on his own when he was killed, but neither Adam nor any of Greg's friends have any idea what it was. As Foxworth begins to investigate it, Adam and Amanda both prepare to go home. On the way, Adam witnesses a hit-and-run on Amanda's car, leading him and Quinn to believe that Amanda is in danger.
The development of the relationship between Adam and Amanda was very interesting, especially at the beginning. Amanda makes her dislike of Adam clear, and Adam believes he deserves every bit of it. I had a bit of a problem with Amanda at this point because Adam puts his life on hold to help protect her and she shows little to no appreciation for it. I hurt for Adam because he lost everything that terrible night - his friend and partner was killed, he suffered a career-ending injury and the woman he started to have feelings for said unbearably cruel things to him. As the days go on, Amanda softens a little bit as memories of her father's comments and praise of Adam come back to her, and she realizes that the sparks she felt five years ago are still there. I thought she deserved every bit of the guilt she felt when she discovered how wrong she was about the events of that night. As the days went on and they spent more time together, those sparks continued to grow. Though Amanda's belief in Adam's guilt had disappeared, Adam was still mired in his belief that he was responsible. I loved seeing Amanda's attempts to show him he was wrong, but it took an unexpected revelation to fully convince him. The ending was beautiful, with an extremely emotional scene at the cemetery.
I loved following the process of the investigation. From the first attack on Amanda onward, the intensity grew at a steady pace. There were frustrating times when leads didn't pan out, but no one gave up. I loved that it was an offhand comment that broke the case open. When Adam and Amanda showed what they found out to Quinn and the others, things really started to pop. I loved seeing Foxworth do what it does best, bringing people together to right a wrong. The final confrontation was so satisfying in the way it happened. I especially enjoyed seeing Gavin de Marco again and watching him at work.
As always in this series, outside of the main couple, my favorite character is Cutter the dog. At this point, nothing he does surprises me, though it is always fun to see other people's reactions. At one point Adam says, "I've been watching him work for a couple of weeks now. If you told me he could fly, I'd only wonder how, not if." I loved the description of Cutter giving Quinn and Haley his "fix it" look when he first encountered Adam and Amanda. He also has a well-deserved reputation at Foxworth as a matchmaker. This was amply demonstrated by his tendency to "herd" both Adam and Amanda where he thought they should be. He has an uncanny instinct for those who need help, and for approaching danger. I loved seeing him go from playful pup to snarling protector in the blink of an eye.
Someday I am going to start at the beginning and read the whole series from start to finish. But before I do, I really want to see Rafe get his story.
April 30, 2020
This is the eleventh book in Cutter’s Code series written by Justine Davis. As Quinn Foxworth states in the book that Cutter has almost brought a dozen couples together. Operation Second Chance is about a former policeman, Adam Kirk, and the daughter, Amanda Bonner, of his former partner. They come together on the 5th anniversary of Amanda’s father’s death. Quinn and Hayley also arrive to remember the family. Cutter joins in when Adam arrives and Cutter starts his usual shenanigans. Quinn and Hayley know that Cutter wants them to investigate! Later in the book I was amused to hear Quinn mention Cutter’s barking in the car letting them know where he wanted them to go. I remember in the last book where Cutter barked to let Rafe know he needed to pick up someone walking beside the road. Detective Brett Dunbar is involved again in this case. One other person from a previous book makes an appearance, but will keep that as a surprise. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although Justine Davis writes about serious topics, the humour that surrounds Cutter brings a great balance to every book. Want to read a book about a matchmaking Belgian Malinois dog who also helps with solving the case, read this series from the beginning!!
July 27, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up. Patrolman (now cowboy) Adam Kirk and Amanda Bonner daughter of Greg who was assassinated. Power hungry council woman at the bottom of this horror.
Setting: WA near Seattle but rural
Cutter is prominent in this one.
Setting: WA near Seattle but rural
Cutter is prominent in this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 1, 2020Categories
Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Cutter's Code (Book #11)
Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Cutter's Code (Book #11)
April 22, 2024
This is one of the best series I’ve read in a while. This book was emotional, with suspense, and romance. Cutter the amazedly smart dog was back at it. He helps people while also playing match matcher.
The story starts out on the 5th anniversary of the death of Greg Bonner. Greg was a Policeman that died on duty. His partner, and ex-cop Adam Kirk goes to the cemetery to pay his respects. He finds Haley and Quinn Foxworthy is there, and so is Amanda, Greg’s daughter. Quinn was there the day Greg died. He has been there for Amanda giving her support when she needed it. He also knows the guilt that Adam is carrying around. Amanda still blames him for not doing more to save her dad. Quinn however knows that no one could have stopped Greg from being shot, no matter how hard they tried.
After everyone left the cemetery, Amanda becomes a target. Why would someone wait 5 years to come after Amanda? Both Cutter, and Adam became her body guards. It took a while but Amanda was able to forgive Adam, but it took longer for him to forgive himself.
I loved the way it was Amanda and Adam working together to figure how who was behind it all. They had the Foxworthy team that did what needed to be done. I love how hard everyone works together in the Foxworthy organization. Everyone knows it’s Cutter who runs the show. That dog could do it all, if they’d let him. If you are a dog lover, you’d love this series. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
The story starts out on the 5th anniversary of the death of Greg Bonner. Greg was a Policeman that died on duty. His partner, and ex-cop Adam Kirk goes to the cemetery to pay his respects. He finds Haley and Quinn Foxworthy is there, and so is Amanda, Greg’s daughter. Quinn was there the day Greg died. He has been there for Amanda giving her support when she needed it. He also knows the guilt that Adam is carrying around. Amanda still blames him for not doing more to save her dad. Quinn however knows that no one could have stopped Greg from being shot, no matter how hard they tried.
After everyone left the cemetery, Amanda becomes a target. Why would someone wait 5 years to come after Amanda? Both Cutter, and Adam became her body guards. It took a while but Amanda was able to forgive Adam, but it took longer for him to forgive himself.
I loved the way it was Amanda and Adam working together to figure how who was behind it all. They had the Foxworthy team that did what needed to be done. I love how hard everyone works together in the Foxworthy organization. Everyone knows it’s Cutter who runs the show. That dog could do it all, if they’d let him. If you are a dog lover, you’d love this series. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
June 12, 2023
Ok, but not my favorite of the series
September 5, 2024
Oddly enough, I enjoyed the middle of this book much more than the beginning or end. I was put off for a long time by the MCs; neither of them felt real, I didn't believe their motivation, and their attraction was on paper only. But in the middle of the story, where they were learning things about each other and trying to figure out what was happening around them, I was caught up in the plot and felt better abut them, too. Then, towards the end, there was way too much information suddenly being revealed, too many explanations of things you'd not heard about earlier, and I just didn't buy the solution.
All in all this is a book I read because I needed the letter O for a challenge and was in the mood for some quick Romantic Suspense. Unfortunately it was neither romantic or very suspenseful.
All in all this is a book I read because I needed the letter O for a challenge and was in the mood for some quick Romantic Suspense. Unfortunately it was neither romantic or very suspenseful.
April 7, 2021
A Entrancing Romantic Suspense
Justine Davis has another 5-Star book to her credit! My interest and emotions were so tuned in to this story that I couldn't wait to read page after page to see everything developing. I didn't know the answer to "who dunnit" until very near the end of the story. This story centers around the Foxworth Foundation and the owner 's dog, Cutter, who has very unusual talents. The Foxworth Foundation is made up of ex- military operatives who help people in need, after they have exhausted all other avenues of assistance. Justine Davis is a gifted writer who brings all characters to life, and keeps the reader's attention clear to the suspenseful climax. I look forward to reading more of her 5-Star books!
Mary Perry
Justine Davis has another 5-Star book to her credit! My interest and emotions were so tuned in to this story that I couldn't wait to read page after page to see everything developing. I didn't know the answer to "who dunnit" until very near the end of the story. This story centers around the Foxworth Foundation and the owner 's dog, Cutter, who has very unusual talents. The Foxworth Foundation is made up of ex- military operatives who help people in need, after they have exhausted all other avenues of assistance. Justine Davis is a gifted writer who brings all characters to life, and keeps the reader's attention clear to the suspenseful climax. I look forward to reading more of her 5-Star books!
Mary Perry
May 11, 2020
Great book! I love all Justine Davis's books and I especially loved this Cutter's book. A tortured hero that she does so well, a strong heroine who has a terrific conflict and of course, Cutter. I loved Cutter's part in this one. Okay, I love Cutter in all of them, but it seemed like he was on the page even more in this one. Loved it!
May 11, 2020
Excellent Story
I loved this book especially the dog, I have read several of the books in this series, all the books had this dog in the story and each story was great.
I loved this book especially the dog, I have read several of the books in this series, all the books had this dog in the story and each story was great.
November 5, 2020
I want a Cutter. 💙💙 The story was good. A happy ending. The way they got to the ending was quite interesting.
July 21, 2020
(4.5) You know your reading a good book when you feel the hate spewing off the pages, feel the guilt and hurt. You know your reading a good book when you think you know how its going to play out, your looking forward to that simple read and bam, there are surprises and twists. Justine was pushing the limit for me with some of the guilt and just before it got to much it was nipped. Like all the characters (except the guilty ones) in the Cutter series, I want me a Cutter. In the meantime I will just keep reading and enjoying this series.
September 23, 2021
The author is one of the better HQ writers, but I'm reminded why I read so few of them any more. Over the top guilt, people doing stupid things, and attraction and lust usually substituting for love. I hate to say it, but I'm even tired of the magical dog. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews