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.

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!