D.B. Borton Books In Order

Publication Order of Cat Caliban Books

Publication Order of Harry and Dizzy Lark Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

D.B. Borton is American author of mystery and fiction novels. She is famously known for her series Cat Caliban Mystery that debuted in 1993 when One for the Money, the first book in the series was published. Borton is a resident of a small Midwestern town where she teaches film, writing, and literature at Ohio Wesleyan University. She has published over a dozen mystery novels in two distinct series, Gilda Liberty series, and Cat Caliban series. Borton is also an academic writer, and she has published some of her work on women literature, film, and supernatural.

Nancy Drew, a fictional American character created by Edward Stratemeyer became one of Borton’s greatest inspirations at a young age. Borton also took part in political activism but only worked for the candidates who lost. She relocated from Texas the time when everyone else arrived.

While in graduate school, Borton converted a lifetime passion of late night movie watching and reading into a doctorate in English. She later found out that people would actually pay her to discuss writing and literature. She also found out that young people were entertaining and exciting and as a result, she became a college teacher. During a career crisis, she also discovered that people would pay her to tell stories.

The author has lived in Midwest and Southwest and also on the West Coast where she has earned three degrees in English. During her free time, you will find Borton practicing aikido, gardening, studying other languages, reading and watching movies.

One for the Money

One for the Money is the first book in Cat Caliban series by D.B. Borton. It is the series debut of Cat Caliban, a grandma who decides to live her widowhood live by being a private investigator. To ensure her independence, she purchases an apartment in a questionable neighborhood, and while she is in the process of signing new tenants, she comes across a corpse.

The dead person is a homeless lady commonly known as Betty Bags. The authorities find it weird that Betty could have been lured from her home turf into Cat’s empty apartment to be killed with her own knife, and they are not interested in giving the case their full attention. Cat is angered by the authorities failing to give their whole effort into investigating the life and death of the homeless lady and so she embarks on her own investigation. She gets assistance from her three tenants, her mentally disabled youngster, and her cats, and before long she is on the hunt for Betty’s killer.

Cat soon discovers that the homeless woman was no ordinary lady, she was one a famous silent film actress, and soon Cat finds herself tracing Betty’s life from stardom to her last days as an activist for the homeless rights. Further with her investigations, Cat also discovers that there is an endless list of possible people who could have wanted the activist dead. Could the killer be the lawyer who was once Betty high school sweetheart? Could the killer be Sheik who often surprised Betty with expensive gifts? Betty’s daughter whom she gave up for adoption, ruthless real estate owner or entirely someone else different? To make this case even more complicated, Betty’s best friend also ends up dead, and it is upon Cat to investigate the secret that Betty’s friend died to protect.

Cat’s investigations are not only entertaining, but they are also quite educational. She is courageous and determined to find the person who killed Betty and her best friend as well. Her investigations result into an endless list of suspects all which appear to have had a reason to see Betty dead.

Eight Miles High

Cat and Moses Fogg are good neighbors, friends and recently they have partnered under Fogg’s newly acquired Private Investigator license to make a perfect combo. The story begins on July 4th, 1986 with Cat accompanying, Moses for his annual family cookout. However, the day was average until when a small plane crashes landed into a neighboring field. It was a relief for the spectators after the pilot when the pilot emerged from the plane unhurt, and to everyone surprise, the pilot turned out to be a woman.

Heading their back, the young pilot apologizes for ruining their day and then goes ahead to introduce herself as Toots Magruder. She goes forward to confess that she felt that the plane was somehow sabotaged and felt the need to hire a private investigator to conduct investigations, unbeknown of whom she was talking to. Cat and Moses soon find themselves involved in a mystery that sends them back in time to World War II and Women Airforce Service Pilots (Wasp).

It is also revealed that Toots herself was a part of the WASP some four decades earlier and she narrates a story of one of the few women who were to attend a graduation at an airbase located in Texas disappeared into the sky never to be seen again. It also happens that in the recent days, two women have died in similar accidents and Toots fearing that she could be next on the list makes an appointment with Cat and Moses.

Eight Miles High is an incredible novel well woven and vividly described such to make the readers part of the story. Not only does the story give the readers a mystery that is a page turner from the first page but also provide a well-crafted history of these courageous women who dedicated their time here on earth to defend their country.

Five-Alarm Fire

The second nature to any woman who has raised three children is Suspicion. In Five-Alarm Fire Cat gets drawn into an investigation after she finds a cremated remains of a corpse secretly hidden a kiln. The amateur sleuth, Cat, as usual, starts investigating and soon finds herself drawn into a complex web of murders where the killer is determined to do anything it takes to silence anyone.

The characters in this book are vividly crafted and fully developed, right from the major to the minor characters a plot full of twists and turns. Cat gets some extra help in solving the murder mystery from her growing circle of friends.