To bring down a traitor… She needs the man who betrayed her love!
Years ago, Foxworth Foundation operatives walked into a trap that almost annihilated them all. So when Charlie Foxworth—the firm’s cool financial mastermind—finds the man responsible, she’ll stop at nothing to take him down. But to do it, she needs unflappable former sniper Rafe Crawford—the man who shattered her heart—plus K-9 Cutter. Little does she know, they also might be key to keeping her alive!
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!
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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
Many thanks to Justine Davis for this incredible series that introduced readers to the team of people who became the “well-oiled machinery” of the Foxworth Foundation. A group formed after the results of a terrorist’s bomb that resulted in the death of the parents of Charlaine and Quinn. Great stories of wrongs being righted. That some who thought they were invincible, who thought they could not be proved they had orchestrated harm, were brought to justice. Then you have the humour of Cutter in ‘matchmaking mode’ or how he brought people who needed Foxworth to be interested in what was happening in their lives.
From the very first book I became invested in this series. Had no idea for quite awhile whether Quinn was a criminal or not. Now I think of this series as how I would like to see happen in the real world. That there are people out there not governed by greed or glory, but in seeing those who either committed a crime or who organised for a crime to be committed, to find the evidence against them to bring them to justice.
Not a standalone. One needs to have read a few of the previous books to understand who everyone is and what 'mole' they are talking about. I read the first 2 books. That was over 10 years ago. I don't remember much about them. Why can't authors just finish each book and not continue a mystery through a series? I know it is a ruse to try to get people to buy the next book, but it is off putting to me. I have not read the 14 books in between. I don't think I will go back and read them either as it would be like knowing the final score while watching a baseball game.
The book was boring. It was a trial to try and read. I finally starting skipping pages in order to get through it.
In book 17 of Cutter's Code, we get that the moment we fans have been waiting for for eons; Rafe & Charlie confront their personal demons and end the years of bickering.
Second time is the charm for these 2 characters. And I enjoyed the story. Why 4 instead of 5 stars? It wasn't as much action as I anticipated. It was A little bit too much repetitive introspection, for me.
I still recommend this. It was can enjoyable read.
Thank you for finally completing the circle. ALL the Cutter books have been exceptional, and somehow you managed the perfect resolution. Hopefully you’ll take only a short break before continuing the Cutter/Foxworth stories. Thanks for many wonderful hours. P.S. Redstone Inc. was amazing as well!
At last, we get Rafe's story. The taciturn, closed-off, former Marine sniper has intrigued me from the start, and his ongoing feud with Charlie seemed out of character. Here, we look at Rafe's past and the experiences that affected him so profoundly, including his problems with Charlie.
Quinn's sister, Charlie, is the financial genius who ensures that Foxworth has the resources it needs. Her life appears to revolve around the foundation and its needs. She's always calm, logical, and focused - except when around Rafe. It was interesting to see these two get under each other's skin.
The suspense of the story was terrific. Three years earlier, an ambush nearly wiped out Foxworth operatives. Since then, they have unsuccessfully searched for the person responsible. No matter what, they refused to give up, and Charlie has finally identified him. Though she isn't a trained operative, she maneuvers her way into becoming the man's girlfriend while searching for the proof they need to take him down. When Max Flood invites her to Seattle with him, she knows this is the time to get Quinn involved.
I loved watching the team go all in to bring down their quarry. It isn't easy, and a lot of undercover work is going on. Each step kept me riveted and impatient to see results. The intensity kept ramping up the further they got into the investigation. An unexpected twist brought an old case into the mix and complicated the mission. I was on the edge of my seat when Charlie was in mortal danger and gripped by the intensity of the rescue scene. The "gotcha" scene with Max Flood was fantastic and the perfect culmination of their investigation.
As wonderful as the suspense was, watching Rafe and Charlie together was terrific. Each is known for their stoic calm and attention to detail, but that all goes out the window when they must deal with each other. The sparks between them were explosive, with their attraction hidden beneath a barrage of snide remarks. You know it isn't good when Quinn has to intervene. I felt for Cutter, who was determined to bring the two together. Even he showed frustration at their stubbornness. Despite his problems with Charlie, Rafe is very protective of her but consistently puts his foot in his mouth when attempting to express his worries. Charlie is determined to stick with her plan despite its dangers.
In the meantime, she tries to break through Rafe's walls and find out why he pulled away from her. I liked seeing her chip away at him until he finally caved. I ached for him as he revealed the tragedy that had haunted him. Their conversation was intense and emotional, and it was exactly what was needed to break the chains that kept Rafe from believing he deserved to be happy.
Cutter had his work cut out for him in this book. While the professional work was intense, he handled it all with ease. But when it came to his other mission of getting Charlie and Rafe together, he had to work extra hard. It's always fun to see those skeptical of his talents, such as Charlie, experience his matchmaking determination. Rafe is well aware of Cutter's proclivities but tries hard to resist. Seeing even Cutter frustrated and annoyed by their uncooperativeness was amusing. I laughed out loud at Cutter's effective way of getting Rafe to stop running away. The epilogue was a funny depiction of an exhausted Cutter.
I'm not sure if this is the last of the Cutter's Code series. I know it was intended to be, but hopefully, the author will listen to her many fans and pen new adventures for Foxworth and Cutter.
Finally Rafe who has always been one of my favorite characters gets his forever pardner. My question is where are they going to live. I love reading about The Foxworths. I hope this is not the last one. I have read all 17 books, and loved them all. Please don't stop writing about Cutter and HIS Fox worth s !!!!!!!. Maybe how he came to.be, his origin!!!!!!
This was one of those 'I couldn't stop reading it' books. I loved it. Loved both Charlie and Rafe. So glad to finally read Rafe's story. I know I'm not alone in wanting that book for a long time! I LOVED Cutter's part, particularly at the end. Poor Cutter was so exhausted working to get Rafe and Charlie together. Great story and perfect for Rafe and Charlie.
This is one of my favorite series. I’ve read most of the books more than once. They can all be read as standalones, and out of order, with exception to this last book. Please don’t read this one first. Operation Rafe’s Redemption was an excellent way to close out this series. Now I have no idea what to read. Justin Davis please write another series with a dog like Cutter.
Finally, Rafe & Charlie’s story, we’ve been waiting a long time for this. It seems like all have gotten their HEA. But wait, have we just met our next operative for Foxworth’s? Can’t wait to see what comes next & to catch up with the originals.
Not sure what happened to my first review. I loved this story. Rafe finally connected with Charlie. She was what he needed. I was happy to see in the beginning (Dear Reader) that this is not the last story in the series. Hopefully in the next one Charlie and Race will be included right along with Quinn and Hayley. Looking forward to the next story.