Dogboy v Catfish is the play of words for the two main characters. Married, but with the Catfish knowing she’s only waiting the required 18 months before taking Dogboys money.
Luke Gracias does an outstanding job bringing the reader into the storyline and making you care about the characters.
It kept my interest until the last couple couple of chapters and then I felt let down.
Still worth 4 stars from me.

Lindsay Kramer is a fascinating creation and I found myself completely swept up in the plot as he was seemingly at the mercy of a gold digging spouse. There is something oddly endearing about him and the author breathes life into it in a way which brings to mind Ben Elton at his best. This book presents an excellent mystery and the somewhat odd title should not put off fans of the thriller genre - this boo, is fast paced, challenging and kind of fun.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC. This was such a good surprise and the story gripped me from start to finish. I could not let the book down and the thriller was so well written from finish to end.
Really impressed.

(2.5 stars)
"'Lots of people call me Catfish.' She added with a cheeky smile, 'I made it famous well before it became synonymous with romance scams.'" Dogboy v Catfish is one for the men's rights activists. It started okay, with an interesting introduction to a character called Dogboy. However it quickly descended into a long drawn-out battle between a couple where the man hides his assets to avoid having to share them with his defacto partner and the child they were both raising.

The man, who got his nickname from the way he can control the behaviour of and speak to dogs, uses this relationship to threaten the woman into submission if she fights for any more than the share he has decided she should have. He deliberately tarnishes her share by investing all of their shared assets into a pornography film he commissioned about their relationship, then disappears pretending to have committed suicide. Dogboy, despite his wealth and power, is presented as the victim: "Kath sold my heart a story I so badly wanted to believe. I ignored all the warnings. I have been scammed."

Despite their relationship, Dogboy also dobs in Catfish Kelly's criminal activities to the police. Was Catfish, the woman he was in a relationship with, nice or ethical, no not particularly, but does this make Dogboy's behaviour okay? So to my eye, this book depicts a man operating from a position of entitlement where he thinks he is the only one contributing to a relationship because he is focused solely on money. He uses his wealth and power to punish a women (and a child he purported to care for) for infidelity.

The book also misrepresents Section 90SB of the Family Law Act (1975) which sets out the defacto relationship has to have been going for more than two years (so this one wouldn't have met the condition). The Australian Family Law Court can also look at each party's substantial contributions to the welfare of the family or to the property, and whether not sharing the assets would be an injustice. Men are not systematically disadvantaged by the Family Law Court in this country. I found this a nasty book that makes women out to be gold diggers out to rob men. While Dogboy v Catfish will appeal to the MRAs, I want to warn women readers particularly those who might have experienced systems abuse at the hands of coercive and controlling partners, that it may leave them feeling bad. Luke Gracias also uses male suicide rates to try and suggest they are driven by the Australian family court system being "heavily weighted in favour of women and protecting the security and future of their children". Corrolation is not causation.

In terms of the writing, it's a bit pompous in places, and convoluted chapter about the three snakes representing the three interlocking crimes Catfish was engaged in (money laundering, drug trade and fake designer goods) was both laboured and annoying: "The police now had the tail of the red drugs snake. They could now grab the head of the blue designer goods snake, which was attached to it."

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley, for this digital copy for review.

The title and the cover had me hooked, and this book did not disappoint. Within the first few pages, the title is revealed as the nicknames of husband and wife in a frayin relationship - until the husband disappears and the wife is revealed as a thoroughly unpleasant person. Apart from her abrasive and greedy personality, it is also slowly revealed that she is in way over her head with various unsavory characters. I don't want to say more than that, but this crime novel - told in various POVs, not always clearly structured - is well worth the read. I did get a bit lost in the weeds of the crime scenario in the last third, but overall a compelling read.

An excellent novel about two main characters and their interactions. I enjoyed reading this and the characters were exciting.

I'm grateful to have read this. It sounded interesting and was a bit different to my normal reading. I enjoyed it so much. Even though it was a hard read around suicidal tendencies, it was nice for the one in the right to win, in a way. I found the detail of the crimes fascinating too! I'd just like to say though, please stop using "committed suicide" in books as it isn't the correct term and hasn't been for many years now. I volunteer for a suicide prevention charity in the uk and we try to help others to understand that it is not a correct term, that is the only reason I took a star off. But I'd like to thank the author for also raising awareness using his talent of writing.
I'd certainly read more from him and loved the dog part of the story, so would be nice to learn more about that maybe?!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and netgalley, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Fun and interesting book! Set in Australia this book touches on many different subjects: wealth, missing people, money laundering, drug trafficking, and much more. Through a crime tale I learned many interesting facts about the underworld of the fake designer bags and the money laundering trade. I was hooked from start to finish. I hope to read more from this author.

This is one Hell of a story! You really feel the feels with this one. This is no love story that ends in heartbreak. It is a tale of deceit and subterfuge. Catfish is the combination of all hateful things dressed as a beautiful woman. I wish she was pure fiction, but I know evil like this actually exists. Lindsay (Dogboy) is an intriguing character. His uncanny connection to dogs everywhere is ... well, cool! But he is so soft spoken that his intelligence is easily overlooked. This divorce turned missing person turned foul play investigation is so complex, but everything comes together in the end. Catfish deserved so much worse than she got, yet her inheritance was perfectly tailored to her. Perfectly! This story piqued my interest at first, but the tale really grabbed me ... so implausible yet actually possible. The addition of facts and statistics that helped mold the story left a bad taste and lent some seriousness which is going to linger in my mind. Incredible writing!

What a terrific surprise this book was. I hadn’t heard anything about it but received an invitation to read it from NetGalley and I’m thrilled I did. Millionaire Lindsay Kramer (Dogboy) disappears without a trace having not checked out of his Sydney hotel. His wife, Katherine (Catfish) Fisher, is a former Miss Australia and an influencer who owns a high end boutique. Before Kath learns of her husband’s disappearance, she is busy setting the stage to leave Lindsay and she seeks help from Freya Keough, a specialist in family law. Kath accuses her husband of cheating on her and wants to “get even”, meaning taking him for everything she can get. It’s readily apparent that she is diabolical when she suggests her daughter can be made to say to anything she’s told, Lindsay was abusive to her. She is armed with everything needed, all the documents to substantiate Lindsay’s assets. You learn at this time that her first husband died unexpectedly on a business trip to Thailand.

From there, the story is off and running with many layers. There's the investigation of Lindsay’s disappearance, the role of his college friends in his life, and, as Katherine works every angle to get her hands on Lindsay's assets, an unexpected turn into the multi-billion business of counterfeiting designer merchandise. The pacing is terrific and makes for an unputdownable read. As Mr. Gracias states, “This book is about the few who set out to abuse the system. For someone to win, someone must lose”.

Wow! Amazing read. I don’t know what I expected when I started this book, but it was a really good read. It involves a marriage gone horribly bad, a missing spouse, counterfeit designer goods, drugs and money laundering and follows the investigation that begins with the missing spouse and goes from there. Very interesting read!

Twists and turns galore. Money laundering, murder, disappearance, fake goods, real estate and diamonds. That is just to start with as well. A book that I could not put down, just waiting to turn the page for the next trick that Catherine tries.

Is the baddy going to win in this, the book will tell you near to the end.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this page-turner.

Wow. I could not, would not put this book down … There are so many twists and turns to this story… A must-read for those who love thrillers with so many turns, you have no idea where you are.

Exactly how many of her husbands did Katherine (Catfish) Kelly Fisher kill? Author Luke Garcias begins this intriguing mystery with Catfish visiting a divorce lawyer. Dogboy loves Katherine; Katherine loves Dogboy's money.

Dogboy goes missing. No one knows whether he's alive or dead. Since Catfish's first husband died under suspicious circumstances, it was no wonder friends and strangers alike feared the worst for this second husband.

How did Lindsay Fisher get the "Dogboy" moniker? In college, Fisher's friends witnessed a remarkable occurrence between Fisher and a pack of dogs. He appeared to be able to communicate with them and calm their aggression.

"Catfish v. Dogboy" is a fast-paced mystery that really had me wondering whether Lindsay/Dogboy was alive and what despicable thing Catfish would do next.

I can't think of a book to compare it to but this may be because the story arises from an event in the author's life. I recommend "Catfish v. Dogboy."

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader's copy.

I loved this novel. Straight facts, no long descriptions of clothing, location, etc. The end was a bit surprising, as mysteries should be I think. The name of the book was certainly appropriate, which you have to read the book to discover. Again, I loved the style of writing, and will read this author again!

Special thanks to Luke Gracias and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book has a well developed plot with a lot of plot twists. The characters felt so real and it was a really well developed story.

This book is about Katherine (Catfish) divorcing her husband Lindsay (Dogboy) 18 months after marrying him. It had a lot of topics I'm interested in like drug dealing, money laundering and homicide which makes it better by the storytelling.

Last of all, it's unique. Which I always love.

The description of the Dogboy and Catfish by Luke Gracias is an excellent introduction to an intriguing mystery story set mainly in Melbourne, Australia.

“On the day of her second wedding, Katherine Fisher, aka 'Catfish' set the date for her divorce. In precisely 18 months, she would be entitled to half of their combined assets and receive maintenance payments until her five- year-old daughter, Emma, turns 18. Just as Catfish was about to take her husband, Lindsay 'Dogboy' Kramer (a successful businessman and dog whisperer) to the cleaners, he goes missing.
The police investigation into Dogboy's disappearance leads them into the dark world of counterfeit designer goods, money laundering, and drug smuggling. With Dogboy's assets frozen and the mob protecting their interests, the missing persons case escalates to homicide. Catfish is in a race against time to get hold of Dogboy's assets before the police get hold of her.
One question remains - is Dogboy dead or alive?”


While the story of Dogboy and Catfish was intriguing, unusual and even captivating, I was disappointed with the presentation of the story. However I was surprised, as after reading the Author’s Note at the end, it is obvious that Luke Gracias is a very competent writer with a fluent style that is interesting to read. I am saddened that this wasn’t reflected in the writing style throughout the novel which lacked that fluidity and captivating essence.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from author Luke Gracias via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#DogboyandCatfish. #NetGalley

This was a fast paced, compelling story that read like a documentary of a marriage gone wrong. Enjoyed this plot driven mystery.

Thank you NetGalley and Luke Gracias for the eARC.
Catherine (Catfish) is married to Lindsay (Dogboy) and is ready to file for a divorce. In Australia, after 18 months, half of the combined assets of the couple will be split between them. Catfish's little 5-year old girl from a previous marriage will be financially maintained by Lindsay till she's18.
Just as Catfish is about to file for divorce, Lindsay disappears.
What follows is a a read I couldn't put down; such twists and turns: a trip to Bangkok, the worldwide market of stolen and copied high-end handbags, a murder and so many interesting facts about what goes on worldwide with said handbags, And Lindsay has not reappeared!
Excellent!

A truly unusual book and totally addictive. I loved it and couldn’t put it down. Definitely will be looking for other books by this author.