He'd sacrificed everything to right a wrong…
Now he needs help to do it again.
Becoming a whistleblower against his corrupt boss left
Parker Ward homeless and jobless. But when a friend needs help proving a
kidnapping, Parker teams up with remarkable dog Cutter and Detective Carly
Devon. As Parker and Carly face danger together, their incendiary attraction
explodes, but can they get justice while keeping themselves safe?
Another terrific entry in the Cutter's Code series. The
story opens as Parker visits his friend Ray, taking Ray's dog Woof along for a
visit. He's stunned when Ray tells him that he witnessed a kidnapping, but no
one believes him. I loved that Parker knew Ray well enough to believe him.
Unfortunately, the sheriff's deputy who came out to take the report was
skeptical. The next morning, while drinking his coffee, Parker saw Woof take
off with another dog and ran after them. The dog was Cutter, who led Parker
right to Quinn Foxworth with that look that says, "This man has a problem
you need to fix." I always enjoy peoples' first impressions of Cutter and
his unique abilities, and this was no exception. Quinn's immediate belief in
Ray's story surprised Parker, as did his call to the sheriff's office.
Detective Carly Devon works with Detective Brett Dunbar
(Operation Power Play) and is familiar with Cutter's reputation. She's a bit
skeptical until she meets Cutter and suspects the stories are true. I loved how
she listened to her instincts and followed up by talking to Ray and visiting
the possible crime scene. Her easy way with Ray was sweet, and I loved their
banter.
I had to laugh when the group that went to visit Ray got
back in the car to visit the crime scene. The two Foxworth people, Teague and
Laney, were in the front seat, with Parker and Carly in the backseat. Rather
than ride in the back, as usual, Cutter got on the back seat, too, pushing
Carly up against Parker. Teague and Laney (Operation Blind Date) looked at each
other with raised brows because they also have personal experience with
Cutter's other talent - he has a 100% success rate as a matchmaker.
As is usual with a Cutter's Code book, I was sucked into
the story and couldn't put it down until I was finished. Carly is a by-the-book
detective and is very good at what she does. But without actual evidence of kidnapping,
there isn't anything she can do officially. With the help of Cutter and the
Foxworth Foundation, they begin to piece together the clues until they get
enough information to go official. There are some interesting twists as they
delve further into what happened, and I enjoyed following their investigation.
The final confrontation and resolution kept me glued to the pages. The danger
created a nail-biting intensity that didn't let up until it was all over.
I loved watching the development of the relationship between
Parker and Carly. Parker has had a rough go of it lately. The son of
self-centered and uncaring parents, he found himself in a tough spot when he
took a job they recommended him for. He blew the whistle on the company owner
who was running a Ponzi scheme. He also refused
to keep any of his earnings, leaving him jobless and homeless. He's very down
on himself for not seeing what was happening sooner and depressed over his prospects.
Looking after Woof for Ray came at the perfect time. When Parker met Carly, he
was immediately attracted to her but felt unworthy of doing anything about it.
Carly was just as attracted to him and very impressed when she learned who he
was.
I loved Carly's support of Parker as she learned more
about him and his past. There were quite a few times I wanted to shake him for
constantly putting himself down. Even though many people told him what a great
thing he did and called him a hero, he refused to see it. One of the things I
loved about Carly was the way she'd call him out when he started wallowing in
his past. I loved how Parker realized that being around Carly made him happy in
ways he'd never felt before. It was entertaining to see Cutter assist in
pushing Carly and Parker together. Everyone around them can see what is
happening, though Parker is oblivious until Carly fills him in. Once he realizes his feelings, Parker's
self-doubts keep holding him back until he gets some good advice from Ray. As
the resolution of the kidnapping grew closer, I loved the shifting dynamics as
Carly's professional abilities took precedence over Parker's protectiveness.
Teamwork won the day though not without consequences.
I loved the ending. It was a great wrap-up to the book. I
felt for Parker as he faced another trial and loved his realization that this
one would be different, thanks to Gavin de Marco (Operation Notorious). The new
dynamic of Carly, Parker, and Ray (and Woof) as a family was fantastic, though
Parker's future was still a dark spot in his attitude. I loved Cutter's
assistance in taking care of that issue. Haley put it best: "You see, Cutter
doesn't just demand we fix things. He sometimes shows us how to fix
things." "Are you sure that's just a dog?" Ray asked.
"Nope," Haley said. "Not at all."
Now he needs help to do it again.
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