This novel had the right ingredients to make it right up my street – a con, dogs and retribution, The story worked well for me until the showdown at the end between the main characters and Docherty, the real villain. I felt Docherty was over the top and this made for a disappointing ending. Despite this, I enjoyed the read overall.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this thrill ride of an eARC!

🐎 Andy Catling’s Odds & Sods is a whip-smart, smoky-glassed caper that gallops through the underbelly of British horse racing with the swagger of a Guy Ritchie film and the heart of a Dickensian rogue tale. It’s a debut that doesn’t just flirt with genre tropes—it cons them, races past them, and leaves them in the dust.

Set in the gritty corners of London’s pubs, betting shops, and the storied Newmarket racetrack, the novel follows McQueen, a charming grifter with a vendetta. After the murder of his grandfather—an old-school bookie—McQueen assembles a ragtag crew of Cockney schemers, including the enigmatic Gabby and the fiercely determined French trainer Françoise Toussaint.

🎭 Catling’s characters are gloriously flawed and vividly drawn. McQueen is equal parts streetwise and sentimental, while Françoise brings a tragic gravitas that balances the novel’s cheeky tone. Even the villains are magnetic in their menacing.

🎲 At its core, Odds & Sods is about revenge, loyalty, and the blurred lines between justice and hustle. But it’s also a love letter to the thrill of the gamble—not just on the track, but in life.

This is a full-throttle ride through a world where every bet is personal and every con has a cost. Odds & Sods is a standout debut that blends suspense, humor, and heart with the precision of a seasoned storyteller. If you’re a fan of British crime fiction with a pulse and a punchline, this one’s worth backing! 😉

i loved how this felt like we could have been reading or watching of a news story that enfolded from the races. Andy seemed to really know his stuff and this made it so exciting and feel so real. i could see this in the folds weve all watched on tv when races day comes about. you can imagine them in the stables, on the track, in the stands.
who are we rooting for? whos in the wrong? will the horse be ok! and who do we want to win, ends up winning, or does winning mean different things to everyone in this game?
i really enjoyed this book. it was a different and original plot for me which made it even better. and it felt like Andy had researched what he wrote really well. there was a knowing there of someone who knows their stuff on the subject they are writing about.