Cat Caliban is in her fifties, recently widowed, a mother and a grandmother and she now wants a new career. Since "suspicion is second nature to any woman who's raised three kids", what better career option than to become a private investigator! She sells her suburban house, buys an apartment building and begins her training and soon gets a chance to put her skills to use when she discovers a murdered body of a homeless woman in one of her apartments.

This was a fun read. The series is based in the 1980s and was initially published in the early 90s but it still felt fresh. Cat is witty, sharp, snarky, not shy about using cuss words and with the help of equally eccentric and interesting supporting characters she does a fine job of solving the murder mystery, much to the chagrin of the police.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Boomerang Books and the author D. B. Borton for the e-Arc of the book.

It took me a bit to get into this mystery, but it overall it was a humorous cozy with lots of colorful characters.un. Cat, the protagonist, has decided to become a private investigator because that what all recently widowed grandmothers do, right? Almost immediately she gets a chance to test her skills when there’s a killing the apartment above hers.

Light, easy to read mystery. Recommended.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
A quirky and fun reading wiht the most feisty and sassy MC. I really enjoyed the writing with sharp and witty quips.
A good read.

One for the Money is the first Cat Caliban cozy mystery by D. B. Borton. Originally published in 1993, this reformat and re-release from Boomerang Books is 226 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. This, the first book in the series, is also currently available at reduced cost (or free in some places).

This is a well written, genuinely funny murder cozy set in Cincinnati with a feisty protagonist who's survived raising a family and isn't inclined to put up with anyone's crap. She's salty, down-to-earth, and kind and loyal to her friends. The mystery itself, the plotting, and the pacing are very well done. The author definitely has a solid handle on her craft. I found myself engaged in the story and never felt it dragged or raced. The dialogue is superlative. It flows naturally and believably. It has a delightful retro vibe being set in the 1980s and the author's references to cultural icons of the time ("Cagney & Lacey" for example) will make those of us who remember the 1980s smile, or maybe wince. Writing humor is challenging. This one actually surprised a bark of laughter out of me a couple times. That happens very very rarely. There are also positive (admittedly stereotypical) depictions of people who are LGBTQIA+ in the book, as well as a warm fuzzy theme of "found family". Slight warning for rough language (sort of Bea Arthur Golden Girls level snark here).

I was previously unfamiliar with the author and have added her to my "update regularly" list. Looking forward to more.

Five stars. Tone perfect, very entertaining.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Cat Caliban is recently widowed and wants to reinvent herself. What better way than to become a private investigator. And, before you know it, the perfect opportunity presents itself when a murder occurs in the apartment building she owns and lives in.

One for the Money, the first book in the Cat Cliban series, is a cozy mystery with a cast of characters and, overall, it is absurd and ditzy. Cat has a somewhat foul mouth, the wise-cracks are often more than not over the top, and since the story takes place in the 80’s (written in early 1990’s), it does seem a bit dated. At times it is humorous and fun, but then there are other times… As one reviewer has already said, One for the Money won’t be mistaken for great literature, but it could be a nice escape on a wintery day. Or a sunny afternoon, for that matter.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

A highly entertaining and well written cozy mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and want to read other in this series.
The characters are well thought and interesting, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Cat Caliban is the grandmother we all want to have (or, like me, aspire to be). A sassier Mrs. Polifax, Cat decides to become a P.I. after the death of her husband, Fred. After all, she reasons, "suspicion is second nature to any woman who's raised three kids." So she sells her suburban house, buys an apartment building in a gentrifying neighborhood, and takes up karate, accounting, shooting, forensics, and other topics any self-respecting P.I. should know.


She stumbles upon her first body by accident - a homeless woman has been dumped in one of her empty rental units - and launches into an investigation that will lead her to Golden Age Hollywood, fine wine, and the abandoned subway tunnels of Cincinnati. (Just wait until Cat decides to try a stakeout. Borton manages to make the most boring part of most investigations hilarious and compelling.) Cat's assisted in her investigation by a colorful cast of cast of characters from her new neighborhood, along with cats Sidney, Sadie, and Sophie.


This is the second D.B. Borton I'd read after Bayou City Burning and I'm queueing up the next books in the Caliban series. One for the Money is a light-hearted, laugh out loud romp of mystery, and more than anything, I wanted to spend more time listening to Cat tell another story


A great read, highly recommended, especially recommended for fans of Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Polifax and Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boomerang Books for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now!

In One For the Money, D.B. Borton’s first book in her Cat Caliban series, after decades of marriage and raising three children to adulthood, Cat is ready for a change. She sells her suburban home in Cincinnati, buys a small apartment complex, and decides she wants to become a private investigator. When a body is discovered in one of the upstairs apartments in her complex, Cat gets her chance to try to solve a murder.

I will be honest, I almost DNF’d this book. I was fairly bored with it in the beginning and felt uninterested. I pushed through and I’m glad I did, because the story really picked up in the second half! I enjoyed Cat’s no-nonsense attitude and her renters/friends—I would really like to have had more details about them. However, I feel like the real scene-stealers of this story were Cat's cats! I also liked how Cat often referred to her knowledge of detective stories and films throughout the story, as well as the Old Hollywood aspect to the mystery. At times, I felt that the dialogue was a bit forced and it took me some time to get comfortable with the main character.

I thought this one was alright. The story definitely picked up as it went on, and there’s a chance I might read more in this series, but I didn’t love it enough to want to read more this minute. If you like mysteries set in the late 80s/early 90s featuring a woman detective, give this one a try!

One for the Money was originally published back in the 1990s and is just now being reissued in e-book. However, it has aged well, perhaps because it never took itself too seriously to start with. Cat Caliban has finally buried her husband, Fred, who probably hadn’t really listened to her in the last twenty years. And with her kids also (mostly) out of the house, she wants something new to do. So she decides to become a PI. If you think this sounds like shades of Mrs Pollifax, don’t worry – Cat admits a few pages in that Mrs Pollifax is one of her role models, and also the reason she’s thinking about taking karate lessons.

But One for the Money has its own style, and its own sense of humor, and I quite liked it. When Cat buys and becomes the landlady of a small apartment building in an edgier (read “poorer”) part of Cincinnati, she bewilders some folks from her former life, as well as her two older children. But she picks up a new group of friends and tenants who add a lot to her life. And this cast of characters helps her solve the murder of a local unhoused person, Betty Bags, who has the audacity to turn up dead in one of Cat’s empty apartments. It turns out Betty, and Betty’s friend, Lucille, had unexpected pasts, and the past is never too far away…

All-in-all, I enjoyed One for the Money, both for the mystery itself, and also for the surprisingly modern world view of its protagonist, Cat. I try to fight star-flation a bit, and I only give five stars to maybe one in thirty or forty books that I read. So four stars it is, but that is a really solid recommendation from me – and I wish I could give it four-and-one-half stars. A few folks might be offended by Cat’s habit of swearing, started when she was trying to figure out if Fred really wasn’t listening to her, but pretty much everyone else will find something to like in here.

My thanks to NetGalley and Boomerang books for an advance review copy. And now I’m going to have to read the next one in the series!

If you are looking for a book with great characters, especially the main one, and humour ,pull up a chair and put your feet up. Also cats, what is not to like ! I have 5 cats myself and I loved this book. Good story plenty going on, and it's a feel good book, happy to recommend it.

This was the type of cosy mystery that I liked! It had an interesting main character (a 59-year-old granny), it was cosy enough (neighbours and cats were involved), but at the same time, it was substantial enough (murder had been committed and Cat Caliban had to face some dangers. It wasn't just an investigation of a missing coaster!).

Lately I have been seeing a resurgence of books with older female protagonists, and I think it's really awesome. This book itself was a reissue that was originally published in the early 90s, and I'm glad it was, as the story was still relevant.

Cat Caliban was an empty nester who was separated from her husband. So naturally, she decided to become a Landlord of a small apartment building, and opened her own Private Investigator business, because why not? She had heroic cats and interesting neighbours. And the amount of characters involved in this book was enormous, I had to create a relationship tree on my notebook!

Anyway, it was really enjoyable! And just as an example, this was a snippet that made me chuckle out loud:
"It was related to the delusion that all grannies like to attend birthday parties with hordes of small children who will dribble melted ice cream on their best skirts, break their eardrums with screeching, and probably give them some virus that the elderly are defenseless against."
How topical was this sentence in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic?

Now I will go and read the next book.

Introducing Cat Caliban....
Introducing Detective in training Cat Caliban. She’s looking for a new career and crime falls into her lap with a thud. Surely it’s the obvious choice? Fun and fast cosy mystery with a delightful protagonist, pitch perfect narrative and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A promising start to a new series.

One for the Money by D. B. Borton was one of the best books I have read in a long while. Cat Caliban has it all, feistiness, amazing neighbors and attack cats. What more could one ask for? I can't wait to read the next one.

Cat Caliban is a private investigator. Not yet licensed. Past her first youth. She can be rather loud. And rather rude. And swear a fair bit. The sort of person you are either going to love or hate.
D.B.Borton's novel opens a series featuring Cat Caliban and her cats. It was first published in the 1980s. Today it's worthy of classic status.
There's lots of humour and a plot that doesn't disappoint. A book to lose yourself in on a cold winter's night. This is a series I think I could easily get addicted to before much longer.

I will admit I liked the premise, older woman moves to less attractive part of town with thoughts of becoming a P.I. She also has cats that are involved in all aspects of her life.
She buys an apartment building, which comes with a resident tenant, and, shortly after she moves in, a murdered body in an empty apartment.
The beginning of the book moved a bit slowly for me. I would not call it a page turner. But I liked the characters, mainly the ones in the ones in the apartment and the cats.
The murdered woman turned out to be a surprise. The book is set in the 1980s and I admit I did check to see if someone named was actually still alive at that time. You'll have to read this book yourself to figure out to whom I am referring.
I also liked that the book crossed boundaries, and brought up issues, such as a person's value, homelessness, and how we often know so little about persons we think we are close to. How we take our own experiences and filter our views.

The ending had both exciting moments and some just interesting.
On the surface it appears the case was solved, but there is enough doubt as to justice being served and fallout consequences.
I can tell the series has a way to go and is just finding its feet.

#ONEFORTHEMONEY #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Boomerang Books and D.B. Borton for an ARC to review.
A cozy outdated mystery about a widow who decided to try her life as a private investigator so life grants her an indoors corpse to practice on.
It wasn't really the right book for me but don't let my opinion stop you from enjoying Cat and her gang,

One for the Money is the first in a new mystery series by author D. B. Horton. Cat Caliban is a saucy Cincinnati grandmother with the cursing ability of a sailor. After her husband dies, she starts looking for a new job and decides to become a private detective. She deems she’s qualified because she’s raised three children and is used to seeking out the criminal who spilt grape juice on the couch, and she’s been reading detective novels for years.

She is as-yet unlicensed when she discovers a dead body in one of the apartments in the small complex she’s just bought. The police appear to be letting the investigation slide as the murdered woman was a street person known as Betty Bags, so Cat inserts herself into the fray, eager to gain detective experience.

Cat at times verges on falling into fanciful thoughts, pulling in ideas from Miss Marple, Nancy Drew, and Jessica Fletcher, to help solve her crimes. Fortunately, she is able to tell cozy mystery from reality and eventually solves the crime.

I enjoyed this fun look at women-of-a-certain-age who refuses to do what is expected. Also I was happy Cat not only finds a new vocation in her post-menopausal years, but she discovers a compatible group of new friends and allies in the tenants of her newly-purchased apartment complex. Another plus is that a young man of limited mental resources helps her out, and she graciously allows him to enjoy the accolades, thus increasing his self-worth. One for the Money isn’t great literature but is definitely a fun read during the Covid pandemic.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boomerang Books for an advance copy of One for the Money, the first novel to feature budding PI Cat Caliban, set in Cincinnati in the 80s and originally published in 1993.

Recently widowed at 59 Cat decides on a change of direction so sells up, buys a property with rentable apartments and starts training as a PI. She gets her first taste of investigation when she discovers a dead body in the empty flat upstairs.

I thoroughly enjoyed One for the Money which is a fun read that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I wondered at first if I would like the novel as the wise cracking seems a bit forced and self conscious but it soon settles down and becomes just another facet of the absurd plot. No, I’m not going to issue spoilers but a small hint about hidden pasts and priceless gems and doesn’t give too much away and gives the reader a taste of the absurdity. It is well done with a mixture of comedy and a well disguised perpetrator.

Cat assembles a motley crew of assistant investigators from her tenants, Kevin, Mel and Al. All have something to bring and are unabashedly enthusiastic. Again it’s fun. Cat, herself, brings her experience of motherhood and years of domestic investigation to the table and has a rather jaundiced view of human nature.

One for the Money is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

For Agatha Christie(Miss Marple) and Nancy Drew fans. This one is a cozy, light, amusing mystery read.

Cat Caliban is a widow, who after almost 4 decades of marriage and raising 3 kids, finally wants to do something for herself.
She sells her nice neighborhood house and buys a building in an albeit shady neighborhood.
She wants to become a P.I. you see.

One day she opens one of the apartment doors to give her new tenants the tour and finds it's already occupied by a dead body.
The police aren't that interested in finding about who killed her, since she lived on the streets. But yet another dead body turns up. Also of an old lady living on streets. The police think Cat is meddlesome old lady with cats. There is more to the dead lady, just because she was homeless doesn't mean they didnt have any money.

You may think Cat doesn't have experience in the art of detection. But oh she has raised 3 kids who have kids of their own, she knows all about "who left the freezer door open so all the icecream melted", "who drew stripes on the cat with Marks-a-lot"😂😂

At this point the cats get a special mention. Sadie, Sophie and Sidney😻🐈😸. Sidney gets a special mention because oh his uncanny ability to attack intruders and people he doesn't like 😂.

The dialogue is so quick-wittedand funny. At one point Sidney's ability to attack garners him popularity and celebrity status😺, where everyone wants to know if he is trained, if he is intelligent an what kind of cat food he eats!🐈 😂🤣

Suspense wise this book didn't keep me on my toes. And although I was sufficiently absorbed by the mystery. It's the dialogue and the narration that kept me hooked.

Thankyou @netgalley and the Publisher for providing me the ebook for an honest review.

I love Cat she isn’t your typical granny! She is recently widowed and decided to completely have a life style change. That includes studying to be a private instigator. This was a really fun story and lots of laughs. It’s based in the eighties an Cat has a foul mouth. In her new apartment building she just bought she finds a dead body and decides to test her skills!
#ONEFORTHEMONEY #NetGalley