Different from a lot of books I've read. Well developed characters and really interesting story. Fast paced. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This is my "read" of the year!

Gracias' excellent narrative provides for an engaging and thrilling "whodunnit" when a former beauty queen marries a loner for his money and begins divorce proceedings before the ink has even dried on the marriage certificate. Unfortunately, said bride soon finds that everything she thought she was getting, quickly turns to dust and slips through her fingers as her sordid past comes back to bite her in the arse.

This is a departure from Gracias' other two books - but it is a strong stand-alone. I read this in one sitting - driven by the compulsion to keep reading and wanting to know the fate Dogboy. For someone to win, someone must lose - would it be Dogboy or Catfish?.

It's incredibly hard to achieve five stars from avid readers, even more so with genres you're constantly reading. Events in the book can start to feel stale or familiar - and you're just kind of reading knowing the inevitable is going to happen.
Well -- even when my crime heart had solved in my mind the events that were about to unfold - another not so foreseeable twist.
Luke Gracias' ability to storytell from multiple points of view, oftentimes in the midst of a story the POV will shift.
Ooooh that was dastardly fantastic.
I'm unsure if it was the fact that there was an important point being made in the book throughout, that added fuel to this 🤌🏾 of a read.
One thing I'll note is obviously with crime, this particular scene in Australia predominantly and tiptoing Portugal, Bangkok and beyond - there are points in the book that read more educational. It's pertinent to understand what is occuring, but it can take you out of the storytelling moment. Certainly not a ding however.
When you feel sad reading a book that is ending so you slow it down, but you wish to learn what happens ASAP so you must continue. 🤣🤣

Very much looking forward to new reads from Luke Gracias, thank you and Netgalley for the opportunity to experience this ARC.

I enjoyed this novel and felt that the plot and cast of characters will appeal to a wide audience. The 33-year-old former Miss Australia beauty finalist and her wealthy, 41-year-old husband seemed to have it all at one point, but when the story opens it is quite clear that they did not. The husband is missing, and like many famous or wanna-be-famous people, the wife is trying to prove the depth of her despair with perfect selfies of herself and soulful hastags. There are a lot of characters in this book, and at times I found myself wishing that the characters were fleshed out a little more. This was particularly true in the beginning of the book. As the chapters progressed, I felt that the mystery was flowing more smoothly and the dialogue between the characters seemed much more realistic. In the first and second chapters I sometimes felt that the dialogue was actually more of the backstory. The various international setting- Portugal, Bangkok, a reference to an airport in Brazil in addition to the various places in Australia were fun as was the well-developed element involving designer goods. Luke Garcias's author's note at the end of the book was very meaningful. I was not expecting that personal element, and it made me appreciate the book even more,. Thank you Mr. Garcias and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

This may very well be my favorite read of the year. 5 STARS! This book is an original with an elaborate storyline that continuously gives you just enough to leave you at the edge of your seat. So well done!

The is so much more than just a story about a gold-digging woman divorcing her husband for his assets. It truly is about the dark world of counterfeit designer goods, money laundering, and drug smuggling. It's detailed, informative, and is a great read to challenge your mind. If you are a fan of crime thrillers, you WILL BE a fan of this book. No doubt!


The cover art on this book could use a revamp. Obviously the title and snakes have significant meaning, but it is just isn't working to really give this book the chance it deserves. It's dark and the gaudy brass from the 80s depicts tchotchke and cheesy; it screams wrestling match to me.

And also, the editor missed quite a few details. Examples are:
- Chapter 22 starts on Thursday, June 25th... so the 26th of June should be on a Friday.
- Page 149 reads <i> 'Babe ,what on earth...</i>
- Page 182 reads <i> Green asked, 'Can you can do that?</i>
- There are many commas missing from the text and more

The book starts with the disappearance of Lindsay Kramer (Dogboy) who has the ability to communicate and control dogs. He is the husband of Catherine Fisher (Catfish) a famous model and influencer who plans to divorce him one day after 18 months of marriage to ensure she gets half of his estate and her 5-year old daughter will be well taken care of. His disappearance throws a wrench into her plan and getting her hands on his millions becomes difficult.

The police investigating the disappearance of Dogboy get wrapped up in counterfeiting, money laundering and drug smuggling. I felt that the explanation of crimes committed in Australian was a bit excessive and I skimmed over at first then reread as it explained the cover of the book.

Easy, fast-paced, page turner suspense thriller of good vs. bad. I believe readers will love the ending!

Thanks to the author, Luke Gracias, via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

Not quite sure what to say about this book other than the storyline is certainly original. Dogboy and Catfish are the nicknames of the two main characters in the story, a story of divorce, deceit, major crime in the form of counterfeit designer goods and ultimately murder.
I found the pace a little slow at times and the explanations around the workings of the counterfeit goods trade a little difficult to follow, but the tale kept me interested until the end.

Lindsay Kramer is nicknamed “Dogboy” by his college buddies because he has the ability to communicate with dogs. The introverted Lindsay becomes a high-tech millionaire who meets and marries the former beauty queen turned fashion maven Katherine, a widow with a young daughter. This was an unlikely pair if there ever was one. But Catfish had other plans; she was going to divorce Dogboy after 18 months of marriage, when she would become eligible for half of their assets.
But Dogboy disappears. And questions arise about the death of Catfish’s first husband. And Catfish makes a few mistakes. And the story unfolds about the diabolical plans that Catfish had so cleverly devised. But the lady did not accurately estimate Dogboy.
Luke Gracias pens a novel full of plot twists and chicanery in “Dogboy v Catfish.” It is full of counterfeit goods, drugs, money laundering, the Mafia, and one smart Dogboy. This was a good read!
My thanks to NetGalley and Luke Gracias for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

Thank you Luke Garcia's and Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

This one was quite unique however I just couldn't get into it. The pace was a bit too slow for me at the start and was unable to hook me.

I look forward to reading more from this author as they did a great job with the format of chapters in telling the story

Wow. Very unique and engaging. I really enjoyed this book. I had never read anything from this author before but would be interested in reading other works by him. This crime/police drama was highly entertaining and will keep you wanting to get to the end so you can see the full picture.

This unusual story and title gives you a look into an Australian marriage. The couple have unusual strengths.
The wife Catfish marries and plans to divorce at 18 months into the marriage. She will receive 66% of her husbands wealth. He disappears and the plot revolves around the police investigation.

Interesting focus on fake luxury goods gives the reader insight into this crime.
Fun read.

I basically read this in one sitting because it was fast-paced with short chapters so I kept going well maybe just another chapter to see what happens next. I liked that a lot was going on without giving away too much at once or dragging anything out like lots of thrillers do

Set in Australia, this is essentially a crime mystery. It starts a little slow but then gains momentum. Lindsay (Dogboy) who is marriage to Catfish goes missing. Months before this, Catfish has taken steps to separate from Lindsay and begin divorce proceedings with the goal to glean all she can from his wealthy estate. From there begins a complicated unraveling of counterfeit fashion goods, smuggling and possible murder. At some points I was not able to follow or understand the implications of the different levels of intrigue about the counterfeit of fashion good, but all is explained in the end. Overall I enjoyed this book and found it fascinating. Although it's fictional it is reality based. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy present day based fiction and crime/mysteries. I would give this 4 of 5 starts.

I really enjoyed this book, I thought the storyline was really great and loved the fact that our dectectives were trying to get the tail of the snake out of the head of another snake to prove their case! (That will make more sense when you read it!)

I really felt sorry for 'Dogboy' as it was clear that 'Catfish' was only ever after his money. However, it does seem that he did realise this and the way he set about getting 'rid' of his money was just brilliant.

I loved how the storyline all built up together and thought that the ending was perfect!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

Dogboy a multi millionaire has gone missing, his wife Catfish has been planning a multi million divorce settlement since the day of their wedding . Where is Dogboy and how far will Catfish go to get his vast estates and his money. Also why is Catfish openly mixing with the criminal underworld .
Dogboy and Catfish is a good in depth thriller full of twists turns greed and revenge. This story is cleverly written with dedicated chapters to the main characters. 5 stars

Catfish is an influencer with a huge following. She revels in the attention and has a little boutique shop where she sells items she hawks online. She is outgoing and gregarious. Dogboy is a wealthy businessman with various holdings, including the shop Catfish rents from him. He is introverted and lonely. Their brief courtship, initiated by Catfish, is a whirlwind romance that ends in marriage. In Australia, if a couple split up after 18 months of marriage each spouse is entitled to half of the estate.

They have been married almost a year and a half when Dogboy vanishes without a trace. Catfish, the panic stricken wife, had already begun the divorce process when everything is put on hold. Nothing can proceed until Dogboy’s fate is determined or 8 years have passed since his disappearance.

There are many sub plots and side stories to keep the reader entertained while at the same time the main story, Dogboy’s whereabouts, is pursued. The author has kept all the pieces active and engrossing, while at the same time giving hints as to Dogboy’s fate. A great story that is well written.

I received an advance copy of this book from Net Galley, this is my honest review.

Swift plotting and lots of narrative surprises. Gracias has told stories across multiple genres and I look forward to seeing where he turns next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. This book definitely had my attention from the beginning and I loved the way everything played out.

Thank you to Luke Gracias and Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to read Dogboy v Catfish.
A well put together and thought provoking thriller that could be placed in more than one genre.
Thoroughly enjoyable and could easily translate into film.
Thank you

"Dogboy v Catfish" is a legal crime thriller that follows Katherine Fisher, also known as "Catfish Kelly," as she files for divorce on the same day she is married. Due to the divorce laws in Australia, She is entitled to maintenance payments until her daughter turns eighteen and half of their combined assets in twelve months. As Catfish prepares to take Lindsay to the dry cleaners, he vanishes. When leads involve the police, they begin their search by traveling to the area of his disappearance, where a murder investigation is launched into the case. The story then delves into the criminal underworld around selling counterfeit designer goods, where the black market sells for more than Australia's exports.

This story kept me up for several nights. I had to read several sections twice because the words rolled off my tongue so pleasantly. One of those is how the main character, Dogboy, got his name. It's rather long, so I'll just recommend you buy and read the book. Also, the book cover with intertwined snakes is explained further in the book. Luke Gracias, the author, connected all the pieces and left a united whole. I thank the publishers Authorsupfront and Net Galley for providing me with an ARC for this honest review.