Tail and Trouble: A Gabriel & Orson Adventure, Book 1

by Victor Catano

When Gabriel’s witch girlfriend doesn’t return from her latest trip, he gets on the road and heads out to find her. Sheila's coven is secretive and distrustful of Gabriel, so the only help he has is Sheila's familiar, a bulldog named Orson, who is psychically linked to both of them.

In Florida, they walk right into an elaborate plan to steal Orson. A mysterious wizard named Yareth is behind the plot, and he may also know where Sheila is.

Gabriel and Orson will have to fight for their lives as they navigate around all the magical roadblocks to force Yareth’s hand. They won’t give up until Sheila is safe.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Paranormal, Witches, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Humor

Audible Audio

First published May 10, 2016

About the author

Victor Catano lives in New York City with his wonderful wife, Kim. When not writing, he works in live theater as a stage manager, light designer, and technical director, working mainly with dance companies. His hobbies include coffee, Broadway musicals, and complaining about the NY Mets and Philadelphia Eagles.

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witch Sheila, has travelled down to Florida on Coven business. When she doesn’t return and they can’t get hold of her, Gabriel, her boyfriend, and Orson, her psychic talking-dog, set off on a road trip from New York to search for her.

Whilst trying to locate Sheila, with minimum outside help, especially from her Coven, Gabriel and Orson also have another problem. A mysterious brute wizard named Yareth wants Orson, and he and his henchmen are determined to get him. Yareth may also know where Sheila is, but he’s not telling.

Travel with the duo on this never-ending, funny road trip. I mean, what could be funnier than a dog who should try stand-up?

This is a fantastic, fantasy novel with a twist. It is hilarious throughout, so much so, that at times you will find yourself giggling out loud. The banter that Gabriel and Orson have going is the main culprit for the comedic effect.

The characters are well thought-out, the setting is beautiful – well, who doesn’t like sunny Florida, and the plot is superb.

From the opening chapters to the final one, this book kept me hooked to its pages. We don’t actually find out what has happened to Sheila until near the end, so the mystery of her disappearance keeps us guessing for nearly the full length of the book.

A fun, exciting, engaging, mysterious read.

Reviewed by Stacey at www.whisperingstories.com

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a witchy version of Where’s Waldo?, Author Victor Catano gave me fun, fantasy, fear and Florida without the price tag of a ticket to Disneyworld! Every novel is a surprise waiting to unfurl and Tail and Trouble truly is like a box of Cracker Jacks, filled with an awesome prize, the kind of quirky and tense reading that the title absolutely nails!!

Gabriel is in love with a witch and if you love a witch, you deal with her familiar, right? Orson has powers, a pudgy little bulldog body, and never met greasy food he didn’t want to devour. Add his attitude, snark and fierce loyalty to Sheila and well, between Gabriel’s hard-boiled army background and Orson’s psychic nose for Sheila, when she goes missing, the hunt is on.

Dark magic is in the air as the dynamic dup travels from NYC to Jacksonville, FL on a mission to save their witch. Is there more to Sheila’s disappearance than meets the eye? Is this a trap to lure our heroes in? Why can’t Orson feel his witch through their bond?

Victor Catano had me from page one and his style of writing is fun, filled with dialogue that is priceless and face it, who doesn’t love a slobbering, gaseous dog who has a perfect grasp of comedic timing while still being heroic? With Gabriel has his straightman, and Sheila as the unknown damsel in distress, not to mention mysterious evil at every turn, Mr. Catano has a gem here just waiting to be discovered! He has made me a believer that magic can be found between the pages of creative writing! Great beach or pool reading, too!

I received this copy from Victor Catano in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (May 10, 2016)
Publication Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN-10: 1940215684
ISBN-13: 978-1940215686
Genre: Light Urban Fantasy
Number of Pages: 238
Available from: Amazon |   Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun and light-hearted fantasy that follows Gabriel as he tries to find his witch girlfriend Sheila after she didn't return from Coven business down in Florida. And to help him he has Sheila's bulldog familiar Orson who manages to occasionally focus on more than just his stomach (although I'm totally with him on this) to track Sheila down and battle the power hungry Yareth, not to mention the Coven twist thrown in at the end for good measure. There's not much that's new or different from other fantasy books but despite that this was an enjoably story that moves well and is a joy to read. And Orson was brilliant, I could happily read about that bulldog all day!

[Carlissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything I love - a mystery involving witches (good and bad ones), adventure (a road trip to Florida), humor, and an adorable bulldog who just happens to be a witch's familiar. I definitely would recommend this book!

My thanks go to Netgalley and Red Adept Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Book source ~ A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Gabriel’s witchy girlfriend has disappeared so he and her familiar, a bulldog named Orson, head out to retrace her last steps. The coven is no help, but her friend Lisa drops clues whenever she can and not get caught by the coven’s lead bitch. I mean, witch. Her hints lead them to Florida and right into trouble. Not only are Gabriel and Orson still searching for Sheila, but now they have to dodge some weirdo named Yareth and his minions who are intent on dognapping Orson. What in the name of the Goddess is going on?! Whatever it is, Gabriel is fast losing patience and that’s never a good thing.

If you’re looking for a goofy and humorous paranormal tale with a snarky talking bulldog then this is the one for you. Ok, Orson only talks in Gabriel’s head (and Sheila’s as well as a select few others), but it’s still funny. It reminds me of that Supernatural episode where Dean drinks a potion and can hear animals. That was great! :D Anyway, the good guys are pretty cool, the bad guys are doofuses and the plot is shaky, but it all works out for an entertaining read. I’d be interested in reading more tales (tails?) of Sheila, Gabriel and Orson.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tail and Trouble by Victor Catano

I enjoyed this fun lighthearted urban fantasy. Gabriel is a non-magical human who has fallen in love with witchy Sheila and her familiar, a bulldog named Orson. Sheila’s coven sends her on retrieval missions for magical objects often, so she regularly makes short trips. When she doesn’t return from her last mission, Gabriel feels compelled to go find her.

Tail and Trouble begins mid-road trip as Gabriel and Orson head south from New York, after getting a few clues from one of Sheila’s cult members. The story is mainly told through Gabriel’s point-of-view, and we are given a solid foundation from which the story develops. Gabriel isn’t really sure how much he believes in this magic thing and feels like he will be able to hold his own. He is a smart man but doesn’t really have a clue what he is up against.

I found Tail and Trouble smartly told and was quickly drawn into the story. The twists kept the plot compelling as Gabriel follows the bread crumbs of clues to find Sheila. Of course, finding her was only part of the problem; rescuing her was another large problem. Some of the escapades were laugh-out-loud funny. Love is a powerful force, but when magic starts flying around, will it be enough to battle those elements? Gabriel did manage to find a powerful ally in Wendy; however, they are greatly outnumbered. Wendy was a wonderful character and Orson adds his own enjoyable personality to the story.

I can see this becoming a fun series. Gabriel had become a firm believer in magic at the end of this tale and Sheila had started getting a sense of the true power within herself. I would love to see them start their own coven with Wendy in Florida. This would make a great summer beach read.

FYI: There are a fair number of F-bombs. **Originally written for "BigAl’s Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy.** July 15, 2016

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, fun, lighthearted read. Entertaining writing style with a comical voice. Orson was the best character by far. Lots of story movement and interesting action. There were some life lessons about choosing to be good and how evil deeds mark your soul. I currently live in Orlando, so it was fun to read a story set in places that I know or have driven passed.
Sheila was a little bland, a little too-good. It's difficult to like a character that rarely ever gets mad and is so saintly. They're hard to relate to. I also wanted to see more of her powers than what we were shown, especially since it gets talked up so much. Gabriel and Wendy were a little better character-wise, which is good because they were more active in the book.
Nothing too ground-breaking here, but it was entertaining.

[SnoopyDoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wasn’t sure what to expect staring this book but it was not that. I really enjoyed this book, the story and the characters. All of them, even the four legged ones. It was a unique, funny and suspenseful story to follow. I liked the characters, each of them different and yet they all fit together on the page nicely. They also very realistic and often have the feeling you are right there with them. Of course my favorite was Orson, the “talking” talk.

You can find my full review here :
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/tail...

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay enough for me to see it through, mostly because I like witchy books, love bulldogs and found Orson charming. My enjoyment of it overall is a solid "meh." It's not bad, but I'd have a hard time recommending it to anyone when there are so many other books that are more engaging with more interesting characters. Over-the-top antagonists are something that really test my suspension of disbelief, and I think that's saying something in a story about magic with a talking animal.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tail & Trouble is the story of Gabriel and his witch girlfriend Sheila's dog, Orsen ' s search for Sheila. she has mysteriously disappeared and her coven is no help.
The banter between Gabe and Orsen is truly comical. A laugh out loud read. Enjoyable characters and a great story.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun supernatural stuff!

[Betwixt the Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Gabriel’s witch girlfriend doesn’t return from her latest trip, he gets on the road and heads out to find her. Sheila's coven is secretive and distrustful of Gabriel, so the only help he has is Sheila's familiar, a bulldog named Orson, who is psychically linked to both of them.

In Florida, they walk right into an elaborate plan to steal Orson. A mysterious wizard named Yareth is behind the plot, and he may also know where Sheila is.

Gabriel and Orson will have to fight for their lives as they navigate around all the magical roadblocks to force Yareth’s hand. They won’t give up until Sheila is safe.

- - - - -

Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: the dog is my favorite character in this book—his snark is beyond adorable, and just what I imagine a dog might think; pretty awesome story telling; the voices of our characters are strong and unique; I really enjoyed the relationship between Orson and Gabriel; the prose is well-detailed; the plot is action-packed; I love that Gabriel is the odd-one-out in this story

Huge thanks to Victor Catano and Red Adept Publishing for granting me access to this title free in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

I threw my hands up in the air. “Don't shoot! It's me and Orson!”

She lowered the shotgun. “Sorry about that.” She disappeared for a minute, and I heard her disengaging a security chain. She opened the door and waved us in. “I'm still a little on edge from the other night.”

“I couldn't tell. I heard most witches don't like guns.”

“Yeah, well, most witches don't get their roofs torn half off by a bunch of magic bastards, either. I figure if they won't respect my mystic arts, maybe something more mundane like Dad's twelve gauge will do.”

Let's start with the characters. Each voice is unique and well-crafted. It's not hard to keep characters straight, regardless who's speaking, because the detail and care Victor Catano put into his characters and personalities shines through. Each person literally leapt off the page for me, though I have to admit, I'm VERY partial to our leading dog, Orson. His personality was above and beyond what I expected going into this book. His snark alone kept me chuckling, the wit and sass falling as naturally from his tongue as drool.

I also really appreciated that our leading man, Gabriel, is sort of the “odd man out” in regards to the magic of this world. As a non-magical, just your average human, I felt Gabriel was put into a role I wasn't expecting. That of the outsider. The interloper, if you will. While Gabriel holds his own against the evil and wrong-doers of the book, he is not made out to be anything but average. I really enjoyed this; it's not often we see men cast in such roles.

Orson drooled happily. You'd never give me away, would you?

She hugged him close. “Never! Even when you left a dead rat in my slipper.”

You didn't like my present? He whined and gave her sad eyes.

“I'm more of a Tiffany's girl.”

The prose is well-detailed. I could imagine what was happening without much effort. I feel, however, that certain parts of the plot were rushed through or contrived to keep the story going. Action scenes seemed to work out “just right,” some plot points were almost too easily resolved...things like that. While it didn't effect my read of the book, it did make it a bit difficult for me to shed my disbelief and fully invest myself in the read.

That being said, I had a TON of fun reading this. The prose is witty, humorous, and filled with snark. The characters leap off the page—Orson in particular. (I'm sorry, I can't help it—I love me some non-human characters, and Orson is just too adorable not to love!) I definitely recommend to lovers of fantasy, entertaining characters, and unique story-telling. The voice for this read? Top-notch. I can't wait to see what Victor Catano will bring us next!

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

•audiobook•
“Orson is a lot more charming than the two of you.”
I am a cat person, truly. They maintain themselves better than dogs. My cats don’t demand attention or walks; they want a clean litter box, wet cat food on a clean plate each day, a new water bowl to drink, a couple inches of water in a sink to clean their paws after they do their business, and fresh dry food daily. Yet the only cat books I cann find are connected to new awakened witches who are more dimwitted than Alicia Silverstone in Clueless (who actually grows during the movie) or Legally Blonde’s Reese Witherspoon (who is adorable, not snarky or bytchy).
So this is why I end up listening and reviewing books with dogs as main characters.
Tail & Trouble’s Orson is a bulldog who belongs to Sheila, a witch. Her coven members aren’t impressive and even her mom wasn’t concerned with Sheila’s disappearance. Which leads the listener/reader to wonder if they’re involved or if it’s bad writing.
Told from Gabriel’s first person POV, we learn things through his actions and level of reasoning. He’s an impressive ‘perfect’ boyfriend who loves Sheila (he succumbed to her demand to live without a cell phone, but his constant reminders got old) and he seems to have a good, solid relationship. He gives her room and freedom and it’s based on mutual respect, trust, and freedom.
Written with some adult colorful remarks and side notes, teens (high school age) and NA could appreciate the writing as well as older audiences for a fun, lively missing person paranormal mystery.
I thoroughly enjoyed this pychic talking dog and his step-parent’s adventure! Although I didn’t ever want to “pause” it, it was easy to step away and pick up where I left off whenever I needed to.
I don’t see any other interesting books written by Victor Catano nor narrated books by Michael Sears. This was a blend of remarkable story telling and delivery. It would be cherished by anyone who wants a unique paranormal with fun yet unsnarky idiotic characters (what’s up with so many paranormals having the same characteristics in their casting, anyway?) and a mystery/plot that leads to something bigger, yet not sinister and apocalyptic.
It’s an Undiscovered Gem that deserves more attention.

[emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tail and Trouble is about Gabriel who is getting quite worried because his girlfriend, Sheila, a witch, has been missing for two weeks. Her dog, Orsan, who Sheila has a special connection to, can't "feel" Sheila anymore. So Gabriel does the most logical thing a guy can do, he goes on a manhunt, more like a witch hunt, for Sheila.Gabriel soon discovers that there is a darker force arising, and he assumes Sheila is in the midst of it.

Tail and Trouble is absolutely awesome! Omigosh, I laughed so much while reading this book! Tail and Trouble is probably the funniest book I've read in awhile, I mean who cannot love Gabriel and Orsan. Gabriel is my favorite character in this book; he is just funny. When he would be "introduced" to another character, he would instantly have a silly nickname for that character, like how he called Morty "Hot Topic" multiple times. I also love how devoted Gabriel was to finding Sheila. This is one of my favorite "comebacks" from Gabriel.

“You tried to feed me to alligators!”
“Potato, po-tah-to.”

Overall I feel that Tail and Trouble is creatively written. It's full of adventure and humor. This book is just a great read. I would recommend it to any adventure, magic-loving book reader because that's what you'll get when you read Tail and Trouble. I give Tail and Trouble five stars!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is just a creative, fun, cute and entertaining. It's the perfect book for those days you just want something light-hearted with a little humor that is still an interesting, engaging and enjoyable story. It pulls you immediately and keeps you listening until the end. I listened to this book on a road trip and it made the time fly by.

Great mixture of mystery, suspense, intrigue, adventure, magic and humor.

Gabriel and Orson must connect the dots and weave their way through various situations and people in their quest to find Sheila, Gabriel's missing girlfriend and Orson's owner.

Orson stole the story.

Michael Sears did a fantastic job with the narration. This is one of those books that needed to have the perfect narrator or it would ruin the story. Michael Sears was that narrator. Nice voice. Easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Really good character voices. All of them. Even the female voices. His voice for Orson was perfect. He brought all the characters and story to life through his narration. Very enjoyable.

I was provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabriel’s girlfriend Sheila is a witch that has been sent on errands for her coven that have increasingly bothered her. Now it’s been two weeks since Gabriel and Orson, Sheila’s bull dog familiar, have heard from her. It’s especially worrisome sine Orson cannot sense Sheila any more. So Gabriel and Orson go on a road trip to Florida, the last place they have heard from Sheila. But it’s not going to be easy to find her and when there is a plot to dognap Orson things get really serious.

Gabriel is a regular guy that cares about Sheila and plans on saving her from whatever trouble has found her. I loved Orson, he is so snarky and I can see any dog acting the same way. I’m a total sucker for animals. But the part I really liked was how Sheila got herself out of trouble, you don’t usually see that in stories.

This is a cute cozy mystery with lots of Orson snark and a wonderful plot. I loved each character and how they stood out on their own. If you like paranormal cozy mysteries make sure to check out Tail & Trouble. As for me, I can’t wait to read other books by Victor Catano.

I received Tail & Trouble for free from Sage’s Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

[Ionia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a dog lover, then you won't be able to resist this book. Orson is one of the best four legged characters in a while and his internal monologue will keep you giggling throughout this entertaining book.

I enjoyed this novel. It has a clear point and follows that all the way to the end, with plenty of humour and action in between to keep you satisfied. I liked the way the author used magic both as a weapon and as a defense and distinguished between a Wiccan and a witch. This book is full of fun surprises and lifted my mood as I was reading it.

If you enjoy mysteries with a bit of a paranormal twist, this would be a good one to choose. Recommended.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher and was provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Natasha du Plessis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Red Adept and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and even though I'm not a dog lover would love to have a dog like Orson. Imagine how easy he could make life. The only problem that I had was that it felt to me that Tail and Trouble was the second in a series and not the first as I found out. I would love maybe a short novella to explain the events that lead up to Sheila's disappearance. I loved all the characters and the antics that Orson and Gabriel got up to in searching for Shiela.
This was a funny lighthearted read that I would definitely recommend to fantasy lovers.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how the story is from a man's point of view! What a nice change. I love the two protagonists, both tm the name and the bulldog are perfect foils for each other and they both love their girlfriend/mama. Great high jinks abound, and the story is very well-written, with good character development, interesting characters that you both want to love and hate.

I look forward to this author writing more in this series. I highly recommend this. It had me laughing out loud, and trying to guess who done it. My favorite combination in a book.


**I would like to thank the author/publisher/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a mystery and while not a traditional cozy it had a lot of great cozy elements. This was a good mystery and a good story. The relationship between the Dog Oscar and main character Gabriel was strong and brilliantly executed. The devotion of the characters to finding Sheila (Gabriel's girlfriend and Dog Oscar's Mama) was admirable and endearing. While this novel was a bit rougher then a cozy I enjoyed it very much and I love the cover don't you?

[Malgorzata Wilk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the voice of the narrator and the premise sounded promising. A boyfriend and a talking bulldog familiar were looking for a missing witch. It's written by a man, a man is the main protagonist, written from his point of view. And it is a romance novel, sort of. Because it is also a paranormal. And it's a lot of laughs. Nothing very ambitious but a nice light Summer read. I really enjoyed it.

[Krystyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic isn't the greatest strength

Amazing. The unlikely hero is non magical but suddenly thrust headlong into a magical rescue with only his girlfriend's dog familiar for help. Who has got his girlfriend? Why do the bad guys always know his plans? Why is the purple rock important? How does he get the dog to stop eating junk food? A mixture of humour and seriousness in this fast action packed book. A must read. Hope there are more to follow.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

[Grace Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orson + Taquitos = Win
Adventurous, magical road trip with danger, humour and heart. Gabriel, Sheila and Wendy are wonderful characters but the starring role goes to the lovable Orson. The feels. Taquitos. Cuteness coupled with grumpy one-liners equals a winning combination. It was more like a 4.5 star read for me. Awesome!

[Chandra Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter and Suspense

To find his missing girlfriend Sheila, Gabriel teams up with Sheila's familiar, the bulldog Orson. In the quest to locate Sheila, Gabriel must manage magic stones, evil magic users and Orion's unstoppable appetite. It all makes for a page turning read with plenty of suspense and humor.

[Luanne Westerberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read ....entertaining plot. Characters are really well developed. I would recommend this as a good summer read.

Quick read..entertaining plot..good summer read. Characters are well developed. I would read other books written by Victor Catano. Good read.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read!

Adventure and action galore! I loved this book and could not guess what would come next throughout. I hope there will be more from this author. Thank you Mr Carano for the entertainment!

[Angela S. Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot off fun and I'm not even a dog person

I picked this novel up at a discount via BookBub, looking for a light summer read. This book a lot of fun. Orson it's irresistible and funny. I wish the author had developed the human characters more, but I still enjoyed the Book.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and moderately amusing action comedy. Moderate amounts of maiming and property damage that are treated with a light hand. Good character voices for the central duo; other characterizations are serviceable.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tail and Trouble by Victor Catano, is great fun, a magical tale full of witches, a black magician baddie, adventure and a magical, telepathic, farting bulldog! This is a fun book and thoroughly enjoyable!