Operation Takedown

Cutter's Code #16

by Justine Davis

Hunting for justice…

With a bodyguard dog.

As a powerful family tries to silence him, Jordan Crockett feels more endangered than he ever felt in combat. That doesn’t stop him from telling Emily Bishop the truth about how her brother—his best buddy—died. When she becomes a target, too, he’ll do anything to protect her. Luckily, the Foxworths and their incredible dog, Cutter, have his back…

From Harlequin Romantic Danger. Passion. Drama.

Feel the excitement in these uplifting romances, part of the Cutter's Code

Book 1: Operation Midnight
Book 2: Operation Reunion
Book 3: Operation Blind Date
Book 4: Operation Unleashed
Book 5: Operation Power Play
Book 6: Operation Homecoming
Book 7: Operation Soldier Next Door
Book 8: Operation Alpha
Book 9: Operation Notorious
Book 10: Operation Hero's Watch
Book 11: Operation Second Chance
Book 12: Operation Mountain Recovery
Book 13: Operation Whistleblower
Book 14: Operation Payback
Book 15: Operation Witness Protection
Book 16: Operation Takedown
Book 17: Operation Rafe's Redemption

Genres: Romantic Suspense

277 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 28, 2023

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

[Jeriann Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonder Dog Cutter comes Through Again

I'm going to be sad when this wonderful series ends. This Time the Belgian Tervuren Cutter brings his owners dog tags that lead to protecting a veteran who was the sole witness to a local soldier's death from friendly fire. Along the way, Cutter unites the soldier Jordan Crockett with the soldier's sister, Emily Bishop.

I really liked how the hero was a mechanic, not one of the flashy duties. Heroine Emily was super sweet and readily accepting of the soldier who had been her brother's best friend.

This was a great read.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jordan Crockett & Emily Bishop.
4.5 stars up’d .. 4 author’s paying attention to today’s US military situation.

[Harlequin Books]

Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Suspense, Animal Fiction
Miniseries
Cutter's Code (Book #16)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the incredibly intuitive Cutter, the Foxworths' amazing dog, has brought them another case of an underdog needing help - this time via a set of dog tags. Jordan witnessed his best friend Eddie's death by friendly fire and finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful family that doesn't want the truth to come out.

Eddie's sister, Emily, is still grieving Eddie's loss. She's stunned when she receives a handwritten letter from Jordan revealing the truth behind Eddie's death. A call to Sloan Dunbar (Operation Power Play) of Accountability Counts, a group that helps people like Jordan, puts her in contact with the Foxworth Foundation. I loved Emily's first contact with Cutter. She thought his fur looked soft and fluffy until she saw his eyes. "That gaze was anything but." I loved her first impression of Quinn and Haley, too.

Jordan made his way from Missouri to Washington, hoping to talk to Emily, but has difficulty mustering the courage. A chat with the former military owner of the campground Jordan is staying at results in a visit from Emily and the Foxworths. Once again, Cutter works his soothing magic on a tense subject while urging Jordan forward at the same time. "I'm a lot of things, dog, but I'm not a sheep." I loved Jordan's first encounter with Quinn. I expected his immediate respect for Quinn. Jordan did not expect Quinn's respect for him, even though he was "just a mechanic."

The first meeting between Emily and Jordan was intense. I ached for Jordan and the guilt he felt over Eddie's death, even though it wasn't his fault. He's stunned that Emily has no trouble believing that Eddie's death happened the way Jordan wrote it to her. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them or their instant connection. As the book progressed and Emily and Jordan spent time together, those feelings grew stronger. The biggest obstacle is Jordan's lack of self-confidence. There are some lovely scenes of the two together, and I loved seeing Emily call him out when he was down on himself. Of course, neither stands a chance against Cutter's matchmaking magic, and it was always fun to see his efforts.

I loved watching Quinn and the others get to work, assembling the facts needed to take down the man responsible for Eddie's death. It is always fascinating to see the teamwork involved and the belief that success is all but guaranteed. I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books play their parts in this one. I laughed out loud to see Emily and Jordan's reactions to the depth of support available. The tension ramped up as they prepared for the final confrontation. It was every bit as satisfying as I expected, including Cutter's part.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutter comes back from another of his neighbourhood walks. In his mouth he has a set of military dog tags. This is the lead in to a great story of wrong deeds needing to be exposed. It is the manner of how it is all set up and who the Foxworth team can call upon to bring it all together to a satisfying end. Justine Davis continues to surprise me at how involved I become with each and every tale of Cutter and his people. Each book has its own special touch of mystery, suspense, whimsy and romance. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Recommend the whole series.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Operation Takedown

This book is a keeper. I would love to have my own personal Cutter.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. This book was well written. I own all of the Cutter Series in every platform published.

I always start at the beginning of the series when a new book comes out before I actually read the new book.

I hope there will be many more books to this series. Ms. Justine writes fantastic stories. I own all of her books.

[Eve Gaddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Cutter series. He's such a cool dog and I love how involved he is in this one. Jordan and Emily are a great couple. I like that Jordan was a mechanic and how that played into the story. Great book, as usual!

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars

Thanks for another wonderful suspenseful story. I liked the interaction between Cutter and Jordan. This is a great series and the characters keep evolving.

[Regina S. Konior · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding story. I like all the Cutter books but this one is one of my top favorites. Jordan and Emily make a great couple. I really enjoy the stories that have Rafe in them along with Quinn and Hayley. Looking forward to the next book.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read any of the books in this series. I forgot how much I loved them. Each book can be read as a standalone. This book made me want to read the whole series again. Yes, each book is just that good.