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Cat Caliban #1-4
THE CAT CALIBAN COZY MYSTERIES BOOKS 1–8: Eight warm and witty cozy whodunits
One feisty fifty-something sleuth with a passion for detective novels. Three mischievous cats. Eight funny, fast-paced cozy mysteries set in Cincinnati. It all adds up to over 2,000 pages of pure crime-solving pleasure!
Cat Caliban is Cincinnati’s newest, oldest — and funniest — detective-in-training. Recently widowed, the proud mom of three cats (not to mention three grown kids) packs up her life and sets off to make a new start. And what better job for a mystery novel fan than a detective?
Soon set-up with a sleuthing headquarters in an apartment complex packed with quirky tenants, Cat’s missing just one a crime to investigate!
It’s not long before she finds one . . . right there in her new building. Soon, armed only with her library card and her sharp tongue, the sassy senior with a heart of gold is investigating murders a-plenty, scrutinizing suspects and solving cases with a will.
Eat your heart out Miss Marple! Cat’s on the case — just don’t call her old. She’s young for a detective, with way more training than Nancy Drew.
Fans of Ellie Alexander, Richard Osman, Rita Mae Brown, Lucy Connelly, Annie Adams, Susan McBride and Tonya Kappes will be hooked by this warm-hearted, witty cozy mystery series featuring a G&T-loving senior sleuth who shoots her mouth rather than a gun.
MEET YOUR NEW FAVORITE FICTIONAL KITTIES
Cat Caliban has three cats — salt and pepper tabby Sophie, a grey and white tiger called Sadie and their little brother Sidney. Sophie and Sadie are often seen together, and love snuggling their human and her friends, although they’re not averse to expressing a little kitty disdain when it’s called for! Tuna junkie Sidney is a furry, purry menace in feline form. His favorite sport is lurking by the door playing attack cat — especially when there’s an unwelcome visitor —and he’s been known to get Cat out of a tight spot with the help of his sharp claws.
THE SETTING
Northside is a rough-around-the-edges urban neighborhood in Cincinnati with its own quirky and gritty charm. The streets are lined with a variety of second-hand stores, including Goodwill and an army-navy surplus. The hub of the local community is Bill’s Hardware, where the widget you want is usually hanging from the ceiling. Northside may be far from upscale, but the neighbors are both kind and quirky, and it’s the perfect place to buy a fixer-upper, to reinvent yourself – and to start a new crime-fighting career!
READERS LOVE THE CAT CALIBAN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great cast of characters. Cat Caliban is Nancy Drew if Nancy had been a mother.’ Tina
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great series about an “old” woman! Funny, a laugh a minute, with pathos thrown in. And a crazy cat lady, to boot. What else can you ask from a book?’ Gail
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The dialogue is superlative. Bea Arthur Golden Girls-level snark here. Five stars. Tone perfect, very entertaining.’ Debren
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fun, well written and very satisfying. I have been reading mysteries for over sixty years and this author is one of my five favorite mystery writers of all time.’ Nancy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘D.B.
Cat Caliban is Cincinnati’s newest, oldest — and funniest — detective-in-training. Recently widowed, the proud mom of three cats (not to mention three grown kids) packs up her life and sets off to make a new start. And what better job for a mystery novel fan than a detective?
Soon set-up with a sleuthing headquarters in an apartment complex packed with quirky tenants, Cat’s missing just one a crime to investigate!
It’s not long before she finds one . . . right there in her new building. Soon, armed only with her library card and her sharp tongue, the sassy senior with a heart of gold is investigating murders a-plenty, scrutinizing suspects and solving cases with a will.
Eat your heart out Miss Marple! Cat’s on the case — just don’t call her old. She’s young for a detective, with way more training than Nancy Drew.
Fans of Ellie Alexander, Richard Osman, Rita Mae Brown, Lucy Connelly, Annie Adams, Susan McBride and Tonya Kappes will be hooked by this warm-hearted, witty cozy mystery series featuring a G&T-loving senior sleuth who shoots her mouth rather than a gun.
MEET YOUR NEW FAVORITE FICTIONAL KITTIES
Cat Caliban has three cats — salt and pepper tabby Sophie, a grey and white tiger called Sadie and their little brother Sidney. Sophie and Sadie are often seen together, and love snuggling their human and her friends, although they’re not averse to expressing a little kitty disdain when it’s called for! Tuna junkie Sidney is a furry, purry menace in feline form. His favorite sport is lurking by the door playing attack cat — especially when there’s an unwelcome visitor —and he’s been known to get Cat out of a tight spot with the help of his sharp claws.
THE SETTING
Northside is a rough-around-the-edges urban neighborhood in Cincinnati with its own quirky and gritty charm. The streets are lined with a variety of second-hand stores, including Goodwill and an army-navy surplus. The hub of the local community is Bill’s Hardware, where the widget you want is usually hanging from the ceiling. Northside may be far from upscale, but the neighbors are both kind and quirky, and it’s the perfect place to buy a fixer-upper, to reinvent yourself – and to start a new crime-fighting career!
READERS LOVE THE CAT CALIBAN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great cast of characters. Cat Caliban is Nancy Drew if Nancy had been a mother.’ Tina
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A great series about an “old” woman! Funny, a laugh a minute, with pathos thrown in. And a crazy cat lady, to boot. What else can you ask from a book?’ Gail
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The dialogue is superlative. Bea Arthur Golden Girls-level snark here. Five stars. Tone perfect, very entertaining.’ Debren
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fun, well written and very satisfying. I have been reading mysteries for over sixty years and this author is one of my five favorite mystery writers of all time.’ Nancy
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘D.B.
2057 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2025
119 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
D.B. Borton
16 books47 followersD. B. Borton is a Professor Emeritus of English at Ohio Wesleyan University and now a full-time writer. Specializing in humorous mysteries, she has published eleven mystery novels in two series, the Cat Caliban series (Berkley, Hilliard and Harris) and the Gilda Liberty series (Fawcett), as well as the mystery novel SMOKE (Boomerang) and the humorous science fiction novel SECOND COMING (Boomerang). Her latest mystery, BAYOU CITY BURNING (Boomerang), was published in June 2019.
A native of Houston, Texas, Borton became an ardent admirer of Nancy Drew at a young age. At the age of fourteen, she acquired her own blue roadster, trained on the freeways of Houston and the broad stretches of oil-endowed Texas highway, and began her travels.
She has lived in the Southwest and Midwest and on the West Coast, where she has collected three degrees in English without relinquishing her affection for the expressiveness of the everyday language that real people speak. Her research skills and her ear for language both serve her well in mysteries set in realistic places and featuring characters with authentic voices.
A native of Houston, Texas, Borton became an ardent admirer of Nancy Drew at a young age. At the age of fourteen, she acquired her own blue roadster, trained on the freeways of Houston and the broad stretches of oil-endowed Texas highway, and began her travels.
She has lived in the Southwest and Midwest and on the West Coast, where she has collected three degrees in English without relinquishing her affection for the expressiveness of the everyday language that real people speak. Her research skills and her ear for language both serve her well in mysteries set in realistic places and featuring characters with authentic voices.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 18, 2025
Enjoyed the characters
These were a good read if a couple were a bit longwinded
I would have liked more involvement of Leon and his brothers and whenever away from home half the cast were missing
These were a good read if a couple were a bit longwinded
I would have liked more involvement of Leon and his brothers and whenever away from home half the cast were missing
November 9, 2025
Best bang for your buck.
I identify with Cat in so many ways. She is inspiring. All of these books were five stars. They are some truly twisted murder mysteries out there.
I identify with Cat in so many ways. She is inspiring. All of these books were five stars. They are some truly twisted murder mysteries out there.
October 9, 2023
If there was a fire, I’d grab these books first.
Finally! The Cat Caliban series is on Kindle! I have loved these mysteries since they first came out in paperback and I’m thrilled to have them on Kindle. I hope Borton publishes all eight original Cat books and continues to write more.
Cat Caliban is not your stereotypical granny- she drinks, cusses, and is nobody’s fool. She decides to make major changes as she enters her 60s. She buys an apartment complex and decides to become a Private Investigator. After all, who could be more qualified than a mom who has raised 3 kids? Suspicion and investigation are already second nature and she has experience in solving mysteries after having years of figuring out what her kids were up to.
Cat is an endearing and enjoyable main character. Characters like her tenants are well-written and add to the fun. Each mystery, set in the 1980s, is full of intriguing twists while remaining low on gratuitous violence. If you like humorous mysteries which tackle both the initial crime and larger issues with a deft touch, these books are for you.
If I could give six stars, I would.
Finally! The Cat Caliban series is on Kindle! I have loved these mysteries since they first came out in paperback and I’m thrilled to have them on Kindle. I hope Borton publishes all eight original Cat books and continues to write more.
Cat Caliban is not your stereotypical granny- she drinks, cusses, and is nobody’s fool. She decides to make major changes as she enters her 60s. She buys an apartment complex and decides to become a Private Investigator. After all, who could be more qualified than a mom who has raised 3 kids? Suspicion and investigation are already second nature and she has experience in solving mysteries after having years of figuring out what her kids were up to.
Cat is an endearing and enjoyable main character. Characters like her tenants are well-written and add to the fun. Each mystery, set in the 1980s, is full of intriguing twists while remaining low on gratuitous violence. If you like humorous mysteries which tackle both the initial crime and larger issues with a deft touch, these books are for you.
If I could give six stars, I would.
February 9, 2024
There were a few complaints - one was the switch like author forgot what was written before (Moses and Cat married/not married or Al & Mel married/not married) it seemed to switch constantly. There was also in 8 the back and forth which was interesting but also annoying (July 20/July 18/July 19/etc.) before going forward
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews