What do you think?
Rate this book
Cutter's Code #9
Operation Notorious
Uncovering the truth puts a target on a lawyer’s back in this explosive Cutter’s Code romance
Katie Moore’s small town is rocked when her best friend is brutally murdered—and her father becomes the prime suspect. Her dad’s only chance is Gavin de Marco, an attorney who doesn’t trust anything or anyone. Now Gavin is probing secrets heartbroken Katie didn’t know she had—and sparking an attraction neither can resist.
Betrayal taught Gavin to ruthlessly expose the truth—and he’s certain Katie is hiding something. Still, her fiery warmth is challenging his defenses every step of the way, making it impossible to stay out of her arms. But surviving a killer’s insidious scheme could shatter any shot he and Katie have at justice—or a future…
Katie Moore’s small town is rocked when her best friend is brutally murdered—and her father becomes the prime suspect. Her dad’s only chance is Gavin de Marco, an attorney who doesn’t trust anything or anyone. Now Gavin is probing secrets heartbroken Katie didn’t know she had—and sparking an attraction neither can resist.
Betrayal taught Gavin to ruthlessly expose the truth—and he’s certain Katie is hiding something. Still, her fiery warmth is challenging his defenses every step of the way, making it impossible to stay out of her arms. But surviving a killer’s insidious scheme could shatter any shot he and Katie have at justice—or a future…
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 5, 2017
81 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Justine Davis
263 books213 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
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 1, 2018
Terrific book. It opens with Quinn getting a call from his sister at their office in St. Louis. She's sending attorney Gavin de Marco to him (presumably before she does something drastic) and for Quinn to find something for him to do. I loved his and Hayley's confidence that one of them can get to the bottom of Gavin's issues, and if not them, Cutter most definitely could. We also learn that Gavin has no use for liars of any kind. I loved his arrival at the Foxworth's and his realization that they didn't have a case for him, just before Cutter came into the house. Cutter has a cell phone in his mouth, which he takes right to Gavin. As they speculate about the phone's owner, the bell rings, and it is Katie Moore, who chased after the phone thief. As soon as she's in the house, Cutter sits at her feet and gives his people "The Look."
Katie moved to town six months earlier, to escape the memories of the death of her best friend, Laurel. She had discovered Laurel's body in their apartment, where she had been brutally murdered. Katie still suffers from nightmares, and desperately misses her friend. To top it all off, she just found out that her father has become the police's number one suspect. She's worried about her dad because he doesn't seem too concerned, but she senses that he could be in trouble. She's stunned when Cutter leads her right to the person that could help her.
As always, it's fun to see the reactions when Cutter does his doggy magic. Gavin is a little quicker to pick up on it simply because he's been with Foxworth long enough to be aware of Cutter's reputation. Katie is more skeptical, at least at the beginning. She has experience of his therapeutic benefits but is unaware of his more professional talents. I also enjoyed seeing him immediately start in on his matchmaking plans.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Katie and Gavin. There are sparks of attraction from the get-go, but both try to fight them. Gavin is very cynical about people in general and tends to see the bad in them. Katie, on the other hand, sees the best in people first. As they work together to find out the truth about Laurel's murder, Gavin and Katie have the opportunity to get to know each other. I liked seeing Katie break through some of Gavin's walls. Her kindness and compassion made it possible for Gavin to share things from his past that have made him the man he is. Gavin is a bit freaked out by the way his feelings for Katie grow. He found himself protective of her and worried about how she'll take it if they find her father is guilty after all, something he's never done before. His cynicism gets in the way of their relationship at times, when he suspects her of lying and/or covering up important information. I ached for Katie at the end, when she was confronted by the lies that were told, and the effect it had on her belief in people. I loved Gavin's big moment, when he realized the depth of his feelings for her, and how much she had changed him. I loved seeing the ruthless, cynical lawyer made vulnerable by love.
The suspense of the story was very good. At the beginning, it was very easy to see why the police were focused on Katie's dad. Gavin's involvement upped the stakes for everyone involved. I loved his attention to detail and the intensity with which he tackled the investigation. His interview with Katie's dad was interesting and added a bit of doubt to Steven's innocence. Both Gavin and Cutter could tell that Steven was hiding something. Thanks to his reputation, Gavin's being involved in the case stirred up some trouble. This became clear when Gavin was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant and later run off the road. Evidence and circumstances pointed to Katie's dad. The resulting confrontation had some unexpected twists that changed Gavin's view of some things. But it was the information that Gavin received from Quinn that put the final pieces of the puzzle together. I loved how Gavin, Katie, Cutter, and the rest of the folks from Foxworth came together to bring the killer to justice.
I can't wait to see what is next for the folks at the Foxworth Foundation. At the very least Cutter still has Charlie, Tyler, and Rafe to find the perfect partners for.
Katie moved to town six months earlier, to escape the memories of the death of her best friend, Laurel. She had discovered Laurel's body in their apartment, where she had been brutally murdered. Katie still suffers from nightmares, and desperately misses her friend. To top it all off, she just found out that her father has become the police's number one suspect. She's worried about her dad because he doesn't seem too concerned, but she senses that he could be in trouble. She's stunned when Cutter leads her right to the person that could help her.
As always, it's fun to see the reactions when Cutter does his doggy magic. Gavin is a little quicker to pick up on it simply because he's been with Foxworth long enough to be aware of Cutter's reputation. Katie is more skeptical, at least at the beginning. She has experience of his therapeutic benefits but is unaware of his more professional talents. I also enjoyed seeing him immediately start in on his matchmaking plans.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Katie and Gavin. There are sparks of attraction from the get-go, but both try to fight them. Gavin is very cynical about people in general and tends to see the bad in them. Katie, on the other hand, sees the best in people first. As they work together to find out the truth about Laurel's murder, Gavin and Katie have the opportunity to get to know each other. I liked seeing Katie break through some of Gavin's walls. Her kindness and compassion made it possible for Gavin to share things from his past that have made him the man he is. Gavin is a bit freaked out by the way his feelings for Katie grow. He found himself protective of her and worried about how she'll take it if they find her father is guilty after all, something he's never done before. His cynicism gets in the way of their relationship at times, when he suspects her of lying and/or covering up important information. I ached for Katie at the end, when she was confronted by the lies that were told, and the effect it had on her belief in people. I loved Gavin's big moment, when he realized the depth of his feelings for her, and how much she had changed him. I loved seeing the ruthless, cynical lawyer made vulnerable by love.
The suspense of the story was very good. At the beginning, it was very easy to see why the police were focused on Katie's dad. Gavin's involvement upped the stakes for everyone involved. I loved his attention to detail and the intensity with which he tackled the investigation. His interview with Katie's dad was interesting and added a bit of doubt to Steven's innocence. Both Gavin and Cutter could tell that Steven was hiding something. Thanks to his reputation, Gavin's being involved in the case stirred up some trouble. This became clear when Gavin was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant and later run off the road. Evidence and circumstances pointed to Katie's dad. The resulting confrontation had some unexpected twists that changed Gavin's view of some things. But it was the information that Gavin received from Quinn that put the final pieces of the puzzle together. I loved how Gavin, Katie, Cutter, and the rest of the folks from Foxworth came together to bring the killer to justice.
I can't wait to see what is next for the folks at the Foxworth Foundation. At the very least Cutter still has Charlie, Tyler, and Rafe to find the perfect partners for.
December 24, 2017
Whoever has been following this series would be familiar with Cutter, the awesome dog who has this uncanny ability to sense when two people whom he felt belonged together are in distress and brings them together with his unique matchmaking skills having started with his owners Quinn and Hayley Foxworth. This time he has made well-known criminal attorney, Gavin De Marco, and librarian, Katie Moore his matchmaking project.
Katie, who had recently moved into the Foxworth's neighbour, is an emotional mess. In her last apartment in another city, she'd come home one day to find her best friend, who had moved in with her after a bad-break up with her boyfriend, lying in a pool of blood after being brutally murdered. Katie and Laurel had been as close as sisters, which is why even after moving cities, she's unable to sleep, constantly plagued by nightmares. Add to her woes, her father has been suspected to have committed the murder. All evidences are against him, but Katie is convinced her father is innocent of murder of the woman who was like a daughter to him. She's in desperate need of a good attorney.
As luck would have it, Cutter, who does his neighbourly rounds, has been spending few moments every day with an emotional Katie trying to comfort her in her distress. And, the day Gavin de Marco, is visiting the Foxworths for few days, Cutter picks up Katie's cell-phone and has her chase after him right to the Foxworths' place and gives the cell-phone not to Quinn or Hayley, but to Gavin.
After hearing her story, Quinn introduces her to Gavin and Katie is stunned to find herself sitting across the famous criminal attorney who, one day, to everyone's astonishment walked away from the career that brought him fame and wealth without giving a reason to anyone and joined the Foxworth foundation founded by his friend Quinn and Quinn's sister - a foundation that helps honest people who are in deep trouble especially with the law and have no one to help them.
While Gavin investigates the case, a sweet romance develops between him and Katie. At times they do have small skirmishes with Gavin sensing that Katie's father is hiding something about the murder and with Katie's unwavering belief in her father's innocence and unintentionally keeping some facts from Gavin about her father's past, but then Cutter butts in to smoothen things between them.
It was nice and emotional book, though not as good as the others in the series. The suspense was good, Gavin and Katie were extremely likeable characters, but I found the romance low on intensity and the pacing slow.
It is always nice to reacquaint with Cutter and all the endearing members of the Foxworth team --I missed Liam though. Overall, a nice, engaging book.
Katie, who had recently moved into the Foxworth's neighbour, is an emotional mess. In her last apartment in another city, she'd come home one day to find her best friend, who had moved in with her after a bad-break up with her boyfriend, lying in a pool of blood after being brutally murdered. Katie and Laurel had been as close as sisters, which is why even after moving cities, she's unable to sleep, constantly plagued by nightmares. Add to her woes, her father has been suspected to have committed the murder. All evidences are against him, but Katie is convinced her father is innocent of murder of the woman who was like a daughter to him. She's in desperate need of a good attorney.
As luck would have it, Cutter, who does his neighbourly rounds, has been spending few moments every day with an emotional Katie trying to comfort her in her distress. And, the day Gavin de Marco, is visiting the Foxworths for few days, Cutter picks up Katie's cell-phone and has her chase after him right to the Foxworths' place and gives the cell-phone not to Quinn or Hayley, but to Gavin.
After hearing her story, Quinn introduces her to Gavin and Katie is stunned to find herself sitting across the famous criminal attorney who, one day, to everyone's astonishment walked away from the career that brought him fame and wealth without giving a reason to anyone and joined the Foxworth foundation founded by his friend Quinn and Quinn's sister - a foundation that helps honest people who are in deep trouble especially with the law and have no one to help them.
While Gavin investigates the case, a sweet romance develops between him and Katie. At times they do have small skirmishes with Gavin sensing that Katie's father is hiding something about the murder and with Katie's unwavering belief in her father's innocence and unintentionally keeping some facts from Gavin about her father's past, but then Cutter butts in to smoothen things between them.
It was nice and emotional book, though not as good as the others in the series. The suspense was good, Gavin and Katie were extremely likeable characters, but I found the romance low on intensity and the pacing slow.
It is always nice to reacquaint with Cutter and all the endearing members of the Foxworth team --I missed Liam though. Overall, a nice, engaging book.
December 11, 2017
I am not sure what I just read but I believe the true romance & love story in this book is between the H & the dog!!
Gavin is a big shot lawyer who gives up the glamorous life for a "consulting" position with the Foxworths. If you read any of the previous "Foxworth" series, then you know that "Cutter" is a special crime detective dog (amongst other things).
Katie in turn had a best friend (Lauren) who was brutally murdered in her house and the cops # 1 suspect is her Dad. She goes to the Foxworths for help and Gavin steps in to find out whether her dad is guilty or not.
Chapter after chapter I kept waiting for the "romance" to start or for the protagonists to connect or something. It wasn't until more then halfway through did anything happen (kiss/sex) and the HEA was just plain silly. All throughout the book, the dog kept pushing (literally & physically) the H & h together. I kept thinking that if the dog hadn't intervened numerous times on their behalf, would I be reading about this couple?
Since I didn't feel any chemistry between the couple and I neither liked or disliked them, this was one of those forgettable reads for me that I wish that I could get my money back! Live & learn.....
Gavin is a big shot lawyer who gives up the glamorous life for a "consulting" position with the Foxworths. If you read any of the previous "Foxworth" series, then you know that "Cutter" is a special crime detective dog (amongst other things).
Katie in turn had a best friend (Lauren) who was brutally murdered in her house and the cops # 1 suspect is her Dad. She goes to the Foxworths for help and Gavin steps in to find out whether her dad is guilty or not.
Chapter after chapter I kept waiting for the "romance" to start or for the protagonists to connect or something. It wasn't until more then halfway through did anything happen (kiss/sex) and the HEA was just plain silly. All throughout the book, the dog kept pushing (literally & physically) the H & h together. I kept thinking that if the dog hadn't intervened numerous times on their behalf, would I be reading about this couple?
Since I didn't feel any chemistry between the couple and I neither liked or disliked them, this was one of those forgettable reads for me that I wish that I could get my money back! Live & learn.....
November 26, 2023
Gavin de Marco and Katie.
January 19, 2018
I didn't like this one as much. Mainly because the mystery was fairly obvious, I guessed right away who the bad guy was and her dad's secret. Gavin was the one targeted and hurt, but he is also the reason for me not liking this as much. I liked him just fine but anytime something came up he IMMEDIATELY changed his mind about Katie, saying she was a liar like the rest of them. He even did this after they spent all night having sex, saying she only did it to manipulate him. This in turn broke her heart, but she forgave him the same day... I think the end was rushed and I would have liked Katie to take some time to process everything she learned and forgive a bit slower.
November 29, 2020
Great Story
I would love to see stories with Charlie and Tigue (forgive the spelling). I have not seen books for these two or maybe three characters. The stories I have read were really great.......
I would love to see stories with Charlie and Tigue (forgive the spelling). I have not seen books for these two or maybe three characters. The stories I have read were really great.......
April 9, 2024
This was another amazing book. I’m so glad I found this series. So far, I’ve loved all the books. In this book Charlie sent Gavin who is an attorney to stay with Hayley and Quinn. Gavin at the time thought they had a case for him to work on. Shortly after he arrived, Cutter found him a case. Cutter came into the living room with a cell phone in his mouth. The owner Katie Moore showed up to get her phone back. Hayley, and Quinn knew she needed help from Foxworthy. Cutter was also back to matchmaking. I love the way he pushes people together. He is one cleaver dog.
Katie lost her best friend. She was murdered in Katie’s apartment. The police think Katie’s dad did it. In her heart she knows her father would never kill anyone. She needs an attorney, but can’t afford one. Lucky for her, Gavin is there. He is one of the best. Everyone knows he is good, and that makes him a target. Cutter protects Gavin throughout the book. He even got to bite someone in this book. No worries, Cutter being the most amazing dog, only bites the bad people.
I loved this book, and can’t wait to read the next one.
Katie lost her best friend. She was murdered in Katie’s apartment. The police think Katie’s dad did it. In her heart she knows her father would never kill anyone. She needs an attorney, but can’t afford one. Lucky for her, Gavin is there. He is one of the best. Everyone knows he is good, and that makes him a target. Cutter protects Gavin throughout the book. He even got to bite someone in this book. No worries, Cutter being the most amazing dog, only bites the bad people.
I loved this book, and can’t wait to read the next one.
March 14, 2018
From the very first book in this series, Justine keeps us looking for clues and trying our best to figure out who did it, why they did it and how they did it. We have met Attorney Gavin de Marco in an earlier book. The adorable Cutter once again brings someone in need of help to Quinn and Hayley. I love the antics that Cutter uses to get his point across to his humans. There are no weak main characters in Justine's books in this series. They have left an impression with me of integrity, perseverance and trustworthiness that has found them friends and allies in many places in the Foxworth arena. Operation Notorious has been another great read that I have enjoyed.
Read
December 2, 2017Miniseries: Cutter's Code
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews