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Cat Caliban #3
Three-Ring Circus
“When you thought about it, I’d pulled off a miracle getting Franny to attend Fred’s funeral in tears rather than picketing it in Birkies.”
After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban has become Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. During the sixties, Cat was too distracted by the war on the home front between her activist daughter and her husband to pay attention to the antiwar movement. But doves, like pigeons, come home to roost, and Franny’s visit to her mother coincides with the murder of a former antiwar activist during a new round of demonstrations. When Cat discovers secrets from the past, someone tries to force her underground — permanently.
After decades of marriage, motherhood, and grandmotherhood, Cat Caliban has become Cincinnati’s newest, oldest, funniest detective-in-training. During the sixties, Cat was too distracted by the war on the home front between her activist daughter and her husband to pay attention to the antiwar movement. But doves, like pigeons, come home to roost, and Franny’s visit to her mother coincides with the murder of a former antiwar activist during a new round of demonstrations. When Cat discovers secrets from the past, someone tries to force her underground — permanently.
- GenresMysteryCozy MysteryCozy
244 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1994
32 people are currently reading
57 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
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November 12, 2021DNF: I could not continue with this book because of the foul language. I read three chapters and every page was laden with g.d. and f...k. I realize sometimes a bit of cursing is appropriate to a story line and I can overlook it, but gd is one I can't. As a Christian I feel like it is not something I should be putting in my mind.
It's a shame because I really enjoy the premise; An over-sixty woman starting a new chapter in her life as a detective and owner/landlord of a small apartment building. I like the cast of characters she has in her life, and I liked the novelty of reading a book series set in the mid-eighties. It's interesting to read about issues that were new then and view them through a lens of modern times BUT!! that language!! I can just hear y'all saying, "Why did it take three books to decide this? Well, when I read/reviewed the first one I DID mention this, and said I would give it another chance. The second didn't have quite as much so I thought I would give #3 a try. It's even worse than the first one.
If this type of language doesn't bother you, it's possible you will enjoy this series, but this is it for me.
It's a shame because I really enjoy the premise; An over-sixty woman starting a new chapter in her life as a detective and owner/landlord of a small apartment building. I like the cast of characters she has in her life, and I liked the novelty of reading a book series set in the mid-eighties. It's interesting to read about issues that were new then and view them through a lens of modern times BUT!! that language!! I can just hear y'all saying, "Why did it take three books to decide this? Well, when I read/reviewed the first one I DID mention this, and said I would give it another chance. The second didn't have quite as much so I thought I would give #3 a try. It's even worse than the first one.
If this type of language doesn't bother you, it's possible you will enjoy this series, but this is it for me.
November 29, 2020
This book is great! It's worth starting with the first book so you know all the recurring side characters. As well as having a better understanding of the saga of Cat's car troubles.
The plot in this book is more complicated than the previous two Cat Caliban books. Cat's facing two problems in this book: a murder that seems related to the 60s antiwar movement and is likely to be pinned on one of her homeless friends if she can't solve it, and her daughter moving back in. The second plot is not very complicated, but it is very funny!
I feel like I learnt something about the Vietnam antiwar movement as well as the Nicaraguan Revolution, neither of which I knew a lot about. But mostly this book is funny, heartwarming and gripping, like the preceding two :)
The plot in this book is more complicated than the previous two Cat Caliban books. Cat's facing two problems in this book: a murder that seems related to the 60s antiwar movement and is likely to be pinned on one of her homeless friends if she can't solve it, and her daughter moving back in. The second plot is not very complicated, but it is very funny!
I feel like I learnt something about the Vietnam antiwar movement as well as the Nicaraguan Revolution, neither of which I knew a lot about. But mostly this book is funny, heartwarming and gripping, like the preceding two :)
May 11, 2023
Okay. Still a little long in the middle. And I think I dislike the addition of Franny the most - added nothing really to the plot and mostly annoyed me and the other characters.
But while some pieces stood out as obvious, the actual whodunit held pretty well until close to the end, when you were supposed to know. Just a bit more padding than I would have liked (mostly around Franny). Her employment could have been handed to established characters (one of St Francis gang) or a friend of Mel’s and the solo point she was needed for could have been gone (and about a fifth of the book).
So good rainy day read but you might find yourself zoning out and going to look for a G&T like Cat.
And based on the others, this isn’t quite up to par. A 2.5 stars whereas #2 and #4 are solid 3s.
But while some pieces stood out as obvious, the actual whodunit held pretty well until close to the end, when you were supposed to know. Just a bit more padding than I would have liked (mostly around Franny). Her employment could have been handed to established characters (one of St Francis gang) or a friend of Mel’s and the solo point she was needed for could have been gone (and about a fifth of the book).
So good rainy day read but you might find yourself zoning out and going to look for a G&T like Cat.
And based on the others, this isn’t quite up to par. A 2.5 stars whereas #2 and #4 are solid 3s.
November 9, 2025
“Hell, NO, We Won’t Go”
Cat Caliban mystery’s are set in the 1990’s. A time without cellphones and the internet. A time when the Anti War movement of the 60’s was still fresh in the memories. When a friend of Cat’s is suspected of killing a man, Cat steps in to try to help him. Her research leads her back to events during the protest movement of the 60’s. This mystery series is kept refreshing by the setting, and the frankness and honesty of our heroine. This third installment runs a little slower, because of all the history, but from someone who was there, she got it correct. Very good story, very well written.
Cat Caliban mystery’s are set in the 1990’s. A time without cellphones and the internet. A time when the Anti War movement of the 60’s was still fresh in the memories. When a friend of Cat’s is suspected of killing a man, Cat steps in to try to help him. Her research leads her back to events during the protest movement of the 60’s. This mystery series is kept refreshing by the setting, and the frankness and honesty of our heroine. This third installment runs a little slower, because of all the history, but from someone who was there, she got it correct. Very good story, very well written.
March 6, 2023
Laugh your sox off!
Time of story is 1985 Cincinnati, book was originally published in 1996 and does have a lot of true historical information about people and attitudes in the US and elsewhere with emphasis on the 1960s antiwar protests.
This book is hilarious because of the situational and especially the verbal humor. The cozy murder mystery is very well done as Cat brangles with friends and law enforcement over her way of sleuthing. Plenty of plot twists and red herrings, too. I loved it!
Time of story is 1985 Cincinnati, book was originally published in 1996 and does have a lot of true historical information about people and attitudes in the US and elsewhere with emphasis on the 1960s antiwar protests.
This book is hilarious because of the situational and especially the verbal humor. The cozy murder mystery is very well done as Cat brangles with friends and law enforcement over her way of sleuthing. Plenty of plot twists and red herrings, too. I loved it!
June 8, 2021
Repercussions from the 60's cause murder in the 1990's. Fun,well written
July 17, 2025
As can be seen by how long it took to read this I just couldn't get into it. It was so convoluted instead of not being able to put it down I kept dropping it as I fell asleep over it.
December 19, 2020
Cat Caliban is involved in another murder mystery. One of the homeless people she knows thinks he will be arrested for the murder of a man attending a anti political rally. Cat begins to investigate and shortly thereafter her daughter comes to visit. As Cat talks to more people she learns about a group of people who were activists during their collage days. The police identify the murdered man and that starts Cat looking at his life. The more she looks the closer she comes to the truth. Several accidents occur, her car break line is cut and her daughter Frannie is hurt. She gets botulism from drinking grape juice and then another murder occurs. She finds the corpse and copies some things from his notebook. While talking to people who were in the college group she realizes that there had been an informer in the group. Good book as usual.
June 4, 2014
This is number three in the Cat Caliban series. Retired and running a small apartment complex, Cat is also studying to be a P.I. She gets involved in case involving a man who's killed at an anti-contra protest. A homeless vet is a friend and she feels he's being railroaded as the prime suspect. Her investigation proves personally dangerous when someone cuts her brake line and then tries to poison her.
The whole thing is connected to anti-war protests from the 60s. She's unsure of what she's uncovered, but she's very sure that secrets can be deadly.
This is an excellent series. I love Cat. She's so damn perfect as the crusty I'm not dead yet older lady with a potty mouth and a fantastic sense of humor. I just wish the books weren't out of print and so hard to find.
The whole thing is connected to anti-war protests from the 60s. She's unsure of what she's uncovered, but she's very sure that secrets can be deadly.
This is an excellent series. I love Cat. She's so damn perfect as the crusty I'm not dead yet older lady with a potty mouth and a fantastic sense of humor. I just wish the books weren't out of print and so hard to find.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2017
Oh, the memories this stirs up. One of the most conservative guys I knew then drove to Kent State from Wisconsin for the protests.
The story is set in 1985, though copyrighted 1994. Cat Caliban is the owner/manager of a small apartment building who also wants to become a private investigator, with opposition from the Cincinnati police. A man's throat was slashed near an anti-Contra demonstration, a Vietnam vet streetperson is accused since that is taught in Basic, and Cat is called on to find the real murderer. The victim was involved in the anti-Vietnam war movement at Ohio State, and Cat finds all the members of his group. One of them tries twice to kill her.
The story is set in 1985, though copyrighted 1994. Cat Caliban is the owner/manager of a small apartment building who also wants to become a private investigator, with opposition from the Cincinnati police. A man's throat was slashed near an anti-Contra demonstration, a Vietnam vet streetperson is accused since that is taught in Basic, and Cat is called on to find the real murderer. The victim was involved in the anti-Vietnam war movement at Ohio State, and Cat finds all the members of his group. One of them tries twice to kill her.
December 11, 2020
THE VIET NAM WAR PROTESTS HELD BY COLLEGE STUDENTS HELPED END THIS NON-WINNABLE WAR. MS. BORTON TELLS THE STORY THROUGH HER FABULOUS, CRANKY, IMPERFECT BUT LOVABLE CHARACTER CAT. THE CAST OF THE CATATONIA ARMS BRINGS HOME THE COMFORT ONE FEELS WHEN SURROUNDED BY TRUE FRIENDS. ADD CAT'S DAUGHTER, FRANNY TO THE MIX AND YOU HAVE A SAVVY PERSON WISE TO THE MACHINATIONS OF GOVERNMENT.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
March 31, 2011
more than I ever knew about the 60's
April 14, 2016
Set in 1980s Cincinnati, this was a fast and somewhat mindless read.
Want to read
October 6, 2018Synopsis: Cat goes into action when a friend, a Vietnam veteran, is accused of the murder of a peace activist.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews