This was set in Australia and involved a couple, recently married (18 months) and the wife Katherine ("Catfish") was delving into her husbands, Lindsay ("Dogboy") funds for her own business dealings. The husband is missing and Katherine was just about to file for divorce to acquire the most she could from her husband. What ensues is a race to find Lindsay and stop Katherine from moving forward. It is a good story but nothing new. Stopping Katherine leads to many countries and a varied set of characters with different backgrounds..

I was kind of excited for this book and then was incredibly disappointed when I began reading. The writing is incredibly stilted, and more like a travel guide fact sheet than smooth narrative prose. You can almost tell how strongly organized the authors mind is because the writing doesn’t really flow at all.

I hesitate to express my true (and unfortunately mostly negative) feelings about this book because I can tell how much work the author put into it. It’s incredibly well researched and I can kind of tell the author researched police procedure, counterfeit law, even the details about Bangkok and Australia’s tourism industries to a great extent. I can tell he spent time building characters, even though I found them to be unbelievable and so narrowly focused as to make the characters ironically less believable. L’s mythic dog powers. C’s no redeeming gold-digging qualities, the lawyers only being great lawyers and having no other hobbies…I just struggled with every element of this book. The plot was unbelievable and stilted. The characters were also either all good or all bad and very one-sided and also stilted. The world expanded only exactly enough to include what was relevant to the plot and NOTHING else, robbing it of its richness. And even while the author really tried (again, the author put in a lot of effort!) to make it an even gender split, sexism reared its head enough that I found it difficult to continue. When the (female!) lawyer says she was disgusted with how this woman tried to take advantage of her marriage, the other lawyer (male) said, “Ugh! Are all women like this???” And I just…ugh. It was hard for me to decide to continue, though I did.

I am afraid I can’t recommend this to anyone. Two stars for effort and accuracy. Review posted to Goodreads.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This may have been the biggest sleeper of 2023. Dogboy vs. Catfish is a true thriller by Luke Gracias, one that grabbed me by the front of my shirt at the beginning and didn’t let me go till it was done with me. My thanks go to NetGalley for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

A couple of Goodreads friends raved about this book, and right away, I was curious. The title: not your usual formulation. Then there’s the setting; I haven’t read many books set in Australia, and fewer Australian mysteries and thrillers than fingers on my hand. And finally, the book’s premise: a well-to-do, famous, glamorous woman turns up at a lawyer’s office, and she’s excited, because she’s been married to this man she doesn’t care much about for nearly 18 months, and in Australia, that is the magic time length that will entitle her to take him to the cleaners, particularly with regard to her daughter’s support. He has a lot of money, but it’s about to be hers. She expects this attorney will be thrilled, because what a payday it will be! Sadly for her, the attorney has principles and scruples, and she backs away from the case.

But then the man—Dogboy, of course—turns up missing. He’s told his best friend that he is certain his wife is going to leave him and take almost everything, and he’s not sure what he can do about it; now he is nowhere to be found. Is he alive? Nobody seems to know.

In investigating the man and his estranged wife, the internet darling named Catfish Kelly, it soon becomes clear she is mixed up in money laundering and drugs. The search takes the cops to Thailand, where their informant is literally shot to death before their very eyes. And all of these things happen early, so I am giving nothing away. The book goes quickly at the start, then ramps up to an even more heart pounding pace.

It's difficult, with a thriller that moves so rapidly, to find a way to establish characters. Nobody here is a truly dynamic character, but we don’t need a lot of character development. What is most admirable is the lightning quick way Gracias bonds us to Dogboy, whom we mostly don’t even see. We know three things about him. First, we know that he married a terrible woman who’s about to bleed his assets out from under him. Second, we learn early on that he is concerned that his investors’ funds will likewise be siphoned away, and to prevent this happening, he returns all of their investment moneys to them before he disappears, so that he will be Catfish’s only victim. And third, we know that he is unusually appealing to dogs, to the point where dogs that do not know him and have never met him, nonetheless seek him out, and also try to protect him when danger is present.

With just these three facts, given to us briefly, we cannot not love Dogboy. I’ve never seen this done so fast and so smoothly.

I know nothing whatsoever about Australian law or its justice system, and perhaps that helps, too. At one point, the investigators are burning through what appears to be a lot of the state’s resources without obvious or immediate results, and just as one of my eyebrows lifts and I begin to think that this could never…I realize that I don’t know whether it could happen or not. Probably not in the U.S. Most likely not in England. Australia? What the hell do I know about Australia? So instead, I just take the author’s word for it.

There is not a single misstep in this story, no slow part, no inconsistency. The ending is enormously satisfying. For all that love the genre, this book is highly recommended.

Well this was interesting and nothing like what I expected after reading the first chapter and totally threw me off.

Overall I enjoyed the book. However, the first chapter made it seem like it was going to be some sort of supernatural-ish book because Dogboy could control dogs… instead, it ended up being a Thriller about his divorce and how the justice system in Australia isn’t the most just for men. It’s actually quite eye opening and there are a lot of things you don’t consider when people separate. It can be quite a sad reality, and if children are involved they can be easily exploited by the other parent.

It was a fast read and I enjoyed the surprising twists throughout.

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Gold digger vs a really smart guy? It was an interesting read that kept the pages turning, but would like to have learned more about the dogs that listen!
If you like thrillers that are family related, the evils of social media and more about the intrigue of money laundering among other illegal occupations....check this one out.

This was overall a good book. The name of the book is very unique only to discover it’s the nicknames of the main characters. A story of supposed love and betrayal….oh and greed. I would definitely read other books by this author.

Clever, thrilling and imaginative story. Great multi-faceted, realistic characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

On the way home from the pub crawl celebrating the winning of the rowing regatta, the group of students are surrounded by men. Lindsey is a “dog whisperer” according to his friends. When a man grabs the arm of a female student the two stray dogs attack him but he hits the dog’s head with his steel bar. Suddenly the men are surrounded by dogs who can’t fight them. The men left. Lindsey was called Dogboy. Katherine Fisher is about to marry Dogboy. She is making plans to divorce him on her wedding day to Dogboy. She becomes known as Catfish after doing an advertising ent for Catfish wines. Her name was Katherine Fisher at that time. Catfish has decided it’s time to start divorce procedures so she can her share of the wealth from Dogboy. When the hotel where Dogboy was staying at discover that has not been back to his room for several days. The hotel finds a gun in his safe in the room. They call the police as it is illegal to have a gun in the room. The police investigate and discover a dark world of drug smuggling, counterfeit designer goods, and money laundering. Catfish is trying to act as if she didn’t intend to get a divorce. Will that work for her? Where is Dogboy. Will the police find him?

At first, I was not sure I would like the book just because the title was so unusual. The author has written a good mystery. It is suspenseful, compelling and mysterious. I enjoyed reading and trying to figure out what Dogboy was all about.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this title. I found this title to be an interesting and fun read. Without spoiling the ending, I found it quite funny, in a good way. Catfish was definitely a lot more than what i thought her character was going to be.

I really enjoyed this book. Short chapters and engaging. I did find the explanations on the different illegal activities a bit confusing but think it would make a good movie.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #LukeGracias for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

There are several slang words that fit Katherine Fisher, gold digger could be one. A gold digger is described as a person or woman who seeks out wealthy men or enters a relationship with someone for money, gifts otherwise basically exploiting or deceiving the other person rather than for a love interest. However, the author gave Kath an appropriate name of ‘Catfish’. This slang title is defined as a fictitious attractive persona with malicious intent.

Kath has timed her divorce from Lindsay ‘Dogboy’ Kramer after 18 months of marriage, she knows she will be entitled to half of his assets and receive child support payments for her five-year-old daughter, Emma, until she turns 18 but there seems to be a bit of delay in her plan. Her husband Lindsay ‘Dogboy’ Kramer is missing.

I picked the wrong time of year to read this book, December, so be warned if you do not have time to read it in one or two sittings, you may want to hold off until you can block off time and make sure your eReader is charged in advance. I like the organized set up of the breakdown or table of contents that shows the different parts and how each chapter has a name, this reminds me of how episodes in a television series are named. The title references a phrase said during or what is to come in that chapter or episode. I like that the author provided the dates so that I was able to follow along in the timeline of events and investigation. What attracted me to the book was first the cover and then the except. I like that the cover ties into the storyline where the three snakes were mentioned by Matthias in Bangkok and again in the tale of the Endless Knot that explains the color and what each snake represents.

This book has all the right ingredients for a suspenseful and remarkably interesting storyline. I can tell research was done on the criminal and family laws in Australia, statistics were reviewed on the suicide rate among men and my favorite since my background is in fraud and forensic accounting is reading about the money laundering and counterfeit/luxury handbags. I enjoyed the storyline; the author gave details that kept the story going enough to help set up the scenes, but he did not overdo it or get carried away being too wordy. Kath is an entitled individual that I did not like from the very first chapter when she met with the family law attorney Freya Keogh and there are many more instances that shed light on her true gold digger characteristics. Sadly, readers are not introduced to Lindsay, or his persona but I feel like his character was represented and spoken through by those that he considered as devoted friends and acquaintances. The other characters spoke of Lindsay in a good way that led me to believe he was a smart and good person, and I like how the author carried that out. Lindsay was a huge part of the story but yet he was not a physical character so to speak he was only mentioned and talked about, and the author executed that very well.

The author effortlessly captivated me with this complete, intriguing well told novel where the good guys win. A book of greed, crime, illegal pursuits, and friendship, however the characters play a small part as the novel is plot driven. I normally like to get to know the characters I am reading about, but the narrative surrounding counterfeit designer bags, and the twist of illegal activity in this exceptional story took precedence.

A must read for readers seeking a good crime thriller!

This book was entirely entertaining an intriguing. The main characters were a married couple - Dogboy so nicknamed because he attracted and communicated with dogs from a young age and Catfish- nicknamed as a variation of her name- Katherine Fisher. Dogboy is a very wealthy and successful business man. His wife Catfish, is an ex-beauty queen, widowed by an abusive husband, and the mother of a 5 year old. The met as teenagers, but really hit it off when she leased a space in one of his buildings to establish a high end boutique.
They've been married almost 18 months, although it seems that Catfish has been planning their divorce to occur at exactly 18 months (which has a particular benefit in Australian law), so that she can have a substantial maintenance until her daughter turns 18.
This book was a wild ride with numerous subplots with twists and turns that kept me guessing who the real criminals were and who were the good guys. The plot was well developed, believable and perfectly executed. Likewise the characters were clearly defined and described.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher and the opinions expressed are my own. I highly recommend this mystery and look forward to reading more of Like Gracias.

Dogboy va Catfish is a mystery/thriller that takes place when a rich husband, Lindsay Kramer, goes missing just as his gold digger wife is about to take him for all he’s worth. Set mostly in Melbourne, Australia, I enjoyed the thoughtful detail given to include real street names and settings within the story. Having visited Melbourne multiple times, I could envision a lot of the places/areas. The start of the book gives a look back at some of the recurring characters in their college days when their friendships began, I liked that for the most part, the true character of each didn’t change much over time, despite evolving into successful adults with professional careers.

The real plot behind Lindsay’s disappearance and the world of counterfeit merchandise, drug money, and money laundering was difficult for me to understand and I’m glad there came a point where the author cleverly spelled it out for naive readers like me. I couldn’t reiterate it if I tried, but I liked the three snake puzzle and description.

The story had some great twists and kept me wondering until the end. I was surprised that Catfish’s character seemed to be the only one that “grew” over time, but I suppose that was a good thing. Overall this book surprised me and kept me reading, all the way through the epilogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Luke Gracias for allowing me to read this copy.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with this book - the title gives nothing away. It's excellent. So action packed, it kept me gripped all the way through. It's a really fresh story, first class writing.

Dog boy vs. Catfish in this taught thriller we see a player being played and twisted all stakes hand of winner takes all. Will the worry Catfish finally get her due or will Dogboy remain ever elusive and land on his feet. Interesting story of two masters playing their strengths in a hands dune gave to win. Very entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. Luke Gracias is a new author for me and he tells a great story. Not the common psychological thriller theme, but very much different and equally entertaining. Loved the layer of stolen goods and money laundering. Great story. 4 stars

As Lindsay and Katherine’s marriage approaches the 18 month mark, Katherine is ready to execute her plan to divorce Lindsay and take half of his substantial assets. However, her plans go awry when Lindsey turns up missing. Following an assortment of leads into the cause of his disappearance a greater mystery unfolds. Past friendships, drug deals, counterfeit designer bags, unusually behaved dogs, and Instagram followers are just the start of it. Will justice prevail?

This was a enjoyable mystery with a whole network of clues that knitted together quite nicely for a satisfying ending. The mystery behind the ‘Dogboy’ character was just the right amount of unique to make you wonder what the next big reveal was. The author also did a great job of researching the backstory and tying up all the loose ends. A good read! 4 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Luke Gracias and NetGalley. Thank you!

Author Luke Gracias has written a page turner.

It tells a compelling story of Katherine Fisher aka 'Catfish' who on the day of her wedding to Lindsay 'Dogboy' Kramer (a successful businessman and dog whisperer), plans the date for her divorce.

In precisely 18 months, Australian law would entitle her to half their combined assets and maintenance payments until her five-year old daughter turns 18.
Just as Catfish was about to take Dogboy to the cleaners, he goes missing.

The story is full of twists and turns and covers a range of issues including the law, fake designer goods, money laundering and drug dealing. It also very sensitively covers the topic of suicide.

A very unique and intriguing story.

An intriguing story that keeps your interest right to the end. A scheming wife who goes to all lengths to get her husband’s money when he goes missing. Katherine has a brilliant mind and sets up a store from where she she can perform illegal transactions. But Lindsay her husband stays out of sight knowing that he has set up other plans to thwart her! And there are two detective who won’t give up! You will love how the mystery unfolds.