Member Reviews
A very long mystery about trying to catch the killer of Flint, a journalist. Because his fiance is a cat she has nine lives, and every lead she follows she loses a life. Inept police officers and ghosts fill out the rest of the story. It is not a mystery that gives clues on the way, it is all about how Bianca loses her many lives. Too long and meandering
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
This was such a fun, imaginative book. I really enjoyed the blend of mystery and fantasy and Morten Digby is such a fun character. I love worlds populated with animals solving mysteries and adventures and this was so good. I am looking forward to going on many more adventures with Morten and all the other fun and fantastic characters.
When Bianca Moon's fiancé is killed by a falling piano it seems crazy and tragic. But then she discovers it was murder, his ghost comes back to haunt her, and she is determined to find his killer.
This is a funny and sweet story with the added bonus of being in a world based in the 1950s and run by cats and dogs. I didn't have the highest hopes for the book (the cover is really not a good start), but I found myself really enjoying the ride. Well narrated too by Price Waldman.
Recommended for cozy mystery fans who don't mind a bit of quirk.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
So this book takes place in a world where cats and dogs are people and humans do not exist. There's been a murder and the victim becomes a ghost. It's all very odd and honestly, I struggled to read it. I'm not sure if I was the right demographic for this book but for me this was only a 2 star book. I really do wish the author all the best on their future career.
I really liked this. I love the idea of the world being populated by cats and dogs and really enjoyed the wordplay that results from it - dogocide etc.
Going in I wasn't really all that clear about what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The mystery was solid and I liked the humor that the author inserted. The characters were well developed and the narrator, Price Wildman, did a wonderful job giving them each their individual voice.
I'm excited to read more in this series.
I loved this book. Quirky, original and laugh out loud in places. For example, the beach dogs and the little dogs’ room instead of the human equivalents were eccentric little touches I loved. As a crazy cat person this book was just purrrfect!
This audiobook sounded too cute to pass up. It's a cozy murder mystery/ghost story with a 1950's film noir vibe, in a world populated with anthropomorphic cats and dogs. Journalist Flint Lockford is murdered in broad daylight on the streets of Greenwich Village, and it's up to Junior Detective Morton Digby and his partner, Detective J.B. Puddleworth, to solve the crime. They are slowed down by the amateur detective work of Flint's fiancee, the increasingly frustrated and frustrating Bianca Moon, a cat who works her way through a series of lives trying to bring her true love's killer to justice.
This book is good fun but I found myself getting angry at most of the characters. They were all fairly one-dimensional, especially the villains. If this is the first in a series starring Morton Digby, author Delas Heras is going to have to work to develop the character and give him more backbone. The decisions that Bianca made, and the way she and her friends treated the detectives, made very little sense to me. I feel like we needed some flashbacks or more backstory to show us her relationship with Flint, to explain why she was so determined to find his killer that she put her lives on the line on a daily basis. I also needed some explanation as to why she was so convinced at the detectives' ineptitude from the start.
The narration by Price Waldman fit the story perfectly. He captured that very specific 1950's sound, and he did a great job differentiating the characters. The flow of the book was a little awkward, with such long pauses between chapters that I occasionally thought my audiobook player had quit.
Thank you NetGalley, Delas Heras, and Double Sx Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Overall I found this to be a pleasant and fun read who's most memorable element was its setting. I'd recommend it to folks looking for something lighthearted and unique, but if you can't handle foolish decisions by the characters you're following, this book is not for you.
This has been phenomenal!
I cannot emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this book (even though I would have wished for a different ending, but all in all this way amazing)!
The way the different POVs showed the world was done so perfectly and really helped me get into this world.
The world building! I loved the tiny things (as often times those were the most important) such as dogocide, the Catnip-analogy, the rebirth ward etc.
The characters themselves were so loveable and I was really digging the plot with all it's twists.
Such a great book.
Narrator: Price Wildman
Thank you NetGalley and Double Six Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for accepting my request to audibly read and review The Nine Lives of Bianca Moon, Morton Digby #1.
There is an audience for this style of story; however, it is not for me. At just over 10 hours and 30 minutes, the story was too long. The satirical humor and satirical situations busted within a couple of chapters.
Essentially, this is a murder mystery that transpires in a world where cats and dogs take on the human roles.
This could be used as a transitional book from youngster to young adult. The story is simple, clean, and has loving male/female interactions. The exaggerated style may be the jump start a struggling reader needs to persevere.
While this book wasn't for me, I definitely could see the audiobook playing in the car on a road trip. There are just enough mature implications to entertain everybody. And, the narrator does a fantastic job with various voices.
It’s 1954, in an alternate world populated by cats and dogs, Flint, an Irish wolfhound journalist is murdered and his almost-fiancee, white cat, Bianca Moon, is determined to solve the case. Good thing cats have nine lives.
I didn't know what to expect when I started The Nine Lives of Bianca Moon by Delas Heras but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a whole lot of fun with a nice touch of humour and an interesting mystery and, of course, who doesn't love stories about cats and dogs. The story has a lot of characters and is divided into several different viewpoints. This, I suppose, could have been confusing but I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator, Price Waldman, does an excellent job of giving all of these characters their own unique voice. Overall, an entertaining listen.
I received an audiobook from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 3.8 rounded up.
This was such a different story. A mystery-thriller animal fantasy? I guess you can call it that way when you have a world ruled by cats and dogs!
I was impressed by the amount of characters this story had. Fbi Agents, detectives, vengeful fiancée, GHOSTS even, all furry characters.
Now, about the story and certain characters, there were parts that I feel the story dragged and I was less invested into finding about the murder or listening to Bianca Moon make some eye-rolling choices.
Since it had too many characters is not that it was hard to keep on track of them, but there was not enough time to see their growth or their development. I was not fond of Bianca tbh, she was a little annoying.
I enjoyed the murder mystery, how the deaths happened (I know, sounds awful, but they were fun) how the ghosts interacted with the living world.
I would read more animal fantasy from this author, without a doubt. He definitely has the creative spark to keep me wondering for more worlds ruled by animals.
I have to say, the audiobook gets all the stars.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for the audiobook in exchange for a honest review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5774709188
A detective story set in the 1950’s with anthropomorphic dogs and cats!
Very reminiscent of stunts that Wile E. Coyote would pull and the ghost realm of All Dogs Go to Heaven. I had fun seeing all of the twists and turns and the lengths that Bianca will go to, to solve her fiancé’s case!
Unfortunately this book wasn't for me, I did end up DNFing it. I struggled with all of the details in the story, which ended up distracting me from the plot. This is a personal preference for me, however, if there are too many details that don't really allow for me to imagine and create the story in my head I struggle to connect.
It felt like I was being told a story instead of brought along to experience the story.
This book was a very early DNF for me. (I didn't even make it through the first chapter)
I don't like my books to have political and social commentary... and all of the talk about being judged based on breed and of the dogs were pure bred, etc was just way too social justice- ish for me. I read to escape and all that just had me rolling my eyes. Can't we just enjoy some fiction? I was hoping this would be a lighter mystery with animal characters (I love animals) but it just wasn't for me. If you don't mind that kind of stuff in your books (I know some people like it) then maybe you will enjoy it more than I did.
If you are into a good whodunnit mystery, this is the book for you.
We follow Bianca as she attempts to uncover who is behind her fiancé’s assassination. Flint, now a ghost, struggles to keep Bianca safe as she becomes increasingly reckless in her quest.
This book is extremely unique with the characters being animals and not people. It was something I personally struggled with, though it gave the characters some advantages over being human. It is well written and hooks you about 1/4 of the way through.
Overall this book is a good read and a great addition to your TBR if you are looking for an imaginative mystery.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Double Six Books for the audiobook. This review is my honest opinion, given freely.
A unique take on the classic murder mystery/who dunnit genre.
Set in a world populated by cats and dogs rather than humans, we follow the stories of Flint (a journalist and crime victim), Bianca (his feline girlfriend/fiancee) and plucky new police dog (Morton) in the first of this crime series.
Loved how the author used the 'nine lives of a cat' in the story to add both a point of inequality between dogs and cats (who seem to coexist perfectly well in this world) as well as a mixed blessing for Bianca as she seeks to solve the who dunit.
Imaginative and engaging, I look forward to the next installment.
A typical detective story, you say? Well, at first glance, it appears that way until you realize the detectives are dogs and the title female is a feline! It's a rather whimsical take on a classic detective story combined with a ghost story. The practical part of me kept finding fault with things like a dog having a cat for a girlfriend or cats taking orders from superiors who are dogs. But then I had to remember that this is a fantasy! The humor is great, and the whole take on the nine lives concept is quite interesting. It made me think about assumptions we make about non-human beings. But mostly, this book is simply entertaining!
Thank you NetGalley and Double Six Books for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Cozy Noir mystery. Well thought through alternate 1950's universe where dogs and cats are personified, ghosts abound and cats have actual 9 lives. The audiobook was read by an excellent narrator.
Cute, funny, entertaining and an overall delight.
The Nine Lives of Bianca Moon was a great read. iIt's not often I get to read a cozy mystery staring cats and dogs. So the story starts off in 1950’s NYC where Flint Lockford, a dog who is or was a journalist, was murdered y being crushed by a piano. Flint's girlfriend at the time (became his finance after his death) Bianca Moon is a cat who works at a bar. Following Flints death Bianca makes it her life mission (literally) to figure out who was responsible for her loving boyfriend/ finances death. Not to fear, detectives Puddleworth and Morton Digby who are not exactly NYPD finest are also on the case. To add to this exciting story ghosts are also involved.
I absolutely loved this book, it was totally unique and a great ride. Lets just say its a good thing cats have nine lives.
Thank You to Delas Heras andDouble Six Books, for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Don’t know if this was trying to be a love story BUT 🙄😬👀.
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: How to Get Rid of Your Almost Fiancé
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿: The deaths
𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Good
𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗲: Audiobook
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Alternative reality ghostly murder mystery
3/𝟱
🌱THE EXCELLENT
~ Interesting animal-led premise
~ Sudden and unexpected death mystery
~ A lesson on how keeping pertinent information from loved ones can get them killed
~ Questioning if cat deaths matter less since they have 9 of them
In this world were cats and dogs run the society, crimes are usually solved and given to police hounds, but two doggos are changing the way policing is done - more-so when they catch their first murder case. The unexpected death of a journalist. As they bumble their way through it, working parallel to the idiot grieving 23 yro lover with several death wishes 🙄 and the useless ghost of the dead, the doggos, led by an obsessive Scottish Collie, fail to find those responsible before many others end up dead. 🙄 Tiring.
🦖 A good read for persons who are not easily irritated by silly females.
✨𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱.
🌱THE MEH
~ IDIOT WOMAN ALERT - I can’t decide if I hate it more when men or women write stupid women more 🤦
~ 👀 if this is how some of these breeds behave, I want none of them
~ The weird obsession with the 1950s as ‘glory days’ held by some men 😬
~ Unnecessary mentions and focus on clothing of female MC
~ The dreaded LIE AND DELAY trope I despise
♡🌱 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲 ;)