Cat & Vivian

by Amanda Eyre Ward

In this sharp and shocking mystery by the New York Times best-selling author of Reese Witherspoon/Hello Sunshine pick The Jetsetters and The Lifeguards, a woman visiting her grandmother–a retired, once-legendary PI–becomes entangled in a mystifying local disappearance case on the beautiful, remote islands outside Savannah, Georgia.

Vivian, a former reporter and a newlywed, doesn’t know what to do with herself after an incident with her husband forces her to question their partnership and her future. Yearning for the ocean air and a sense of home, she retreats to Tybee Island to clear her head and visit her Nana, a retired PI who now struggles with dementia.

The phone rings: Catherine Grant, a housewife living in a private development nearby, woke up to find her husband and their baby girl missing, and she is desperate for help. Guided by all the wisdom her grandmother has instilled in her over the years, Vivian falls headfirst into this complicated case that will prove one of Nana’s favorite principles: In order to understand the present, you must examine the past.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Short Stories, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

Audiobook

Published August 4, 2022

About the author

Amanda Eyre Ward’s new novel. LOVERS AND LIARS, will be published in May, 2024! It is the story of a librarian in love.

Here is a very long bio: Amanda was born in New York City in 1972. Her family mved to Rye, New York when she was four. Amanda attended Kent School in Kent, CT, where she wrote for the Kent News.

Amanda majored in English and American Studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She studied fiction writing with Jim Shepard and spent her junior fall in coastal Kenya. She worked part-time at the Williamstown Public Library. After graduation, Amanda taught at Athens College in Greece for a year, and then moved to Missoula, Montana.

Amanda studied fiction writing at the University of Montana with Bill Kittredge, Dierdre McNamer, Debra Earling, and Kevin Canty, receiving her MFA. After traveling to Egypt, she took a job at the University of Montana Mansfield Library, working in Inter Library Loan.

In 1998, Amanda moved to Austin, Texas where she began working on Sleep Toward Heaven. Amanda finished Sleep Toward Heaven, which was published in 2003. Sleep Toward Heaven won the Violet Crown Book Award and was optioned for film by Sandra Bullock and Fox Searchlight. To promote Sleep Toward Heaven, Amanda, her baby, and her mother Mary-Anne Westley traveled to London and Paris.

Amanda moved to Waterville, Maine, where she wrote in an attic filled with books. Amanda’s second novel, How to Be Lost, was published in 2004. How to Be Lost was selected as a Target Bookmarked pick, and has been published in fifteen countries.

After one year in Maine and two years on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Amanda and her family returned to Austin, Texas.

To research her third novel, Forgive Me, Amanda traveled with her sister, Liza Ward Bennigson, to Cape Town, South Africa. Forgive Me was published in 2007.

Amanda's short story collection, Love Stories in This Town, was published in April, 2009.

Her fourth novel, Close Your Eyes, published in July, 2011, received a four-star reiew in People Magazine, won the Elle Lettres Readers' Prize for September, and inspired the Dallas Morning News to write, "With CLOSE YOUR EYES, Austin novelist Amanda Eyre Ward puts another jewel in her crown as the reigning doyenne of 'dark secrets' literary fiction."

Close Your Eyes was named in Kirkus' Best Books of 2011, and won the Elle Magazine Fiction Book of the Year. It was released in paperback in August, 2012.

Amanda's fifth novel, The Same Sky, was published on January 20, 2015. It was named one of the most anticipated books for 2015 by BookPeople and Book of the Week by People Magazine. Dallas Morning News writes, "Ward has written a novel that brilliantly attaches us to broader perspectives. It is a needed respite from the angry politics surrounding border issues that, instead of dividing us, connects us to our humanity."

The Same Sky was chosen as a Target Bookmarked pick.

Amanda's new novel, The Nearness of You, was published on Valentine's Day, 2017.

Amanda's new novel, THE JETSETTERS, was chosen by Reese's Book Club and Hello Sunshine and became a New York Times bestseller. Her novel THE LIFEGUARDS was published in 2022.

Ask me anything and stay tuned for news about LOVERS AND LIARS and TV and film projects based on Amanda's work!

Reviews

[DannyCat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when an Audible freebie turns out to be a great story. As a reader, having full visibility on what took place and how and why but getting to watch the characters tie it all together was a special treat. Despite knowing so much going through the tale, this was a gripping story. A powerful example of character writing. Readers be warned though that there are some big triggers in this book.

[Aimee Nicole Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this novella. The narrators were top notch, and I’ve discovered a new author whose work I want to explore. I am really impressed by the quality of plot/story in such a short space.

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an audible original and the narration is pretty good! I think it has about four cast members or readers and it was a clever little story. I listen to it over a few days I believe it’s about four hours long and I do recommend it.

[Jess Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for something to listen to that might fit the fall vibe, and this book came up as recommended in mysteries, so I decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I think the main issue for me was that they start with the murder itself, so the readers know right off the bat who did it and we almost know why. It would have been more suspenseful, mysterious, and fun if Ward had left that for near the end and had it been the plot twist. I felt a little bored the whole time because the biggest piece of the puzzle was given away so I didn't have much to try and figure out along with our main character, and instead was just waiting for her to put it all together. There wasn't much tension there. I will say, however, that I loved the ending. I thought it was a fantastic, non-cliche way to end the story, and it was one of the only parts of the book that I didn't find predictable. It's short, so it might be worth a listen if you have some time and want something with a bit of a spooky vibe or you're into true crime that you don't have to think too much about while reading.

[Savannah Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy, short listen on Audible. Didn’t really love the plot (felt incredibly predictable) but enjoyable enough to listen to while walking the dog. All the characters except Cat fell flat for more. Cat seemed the most developed but also the most annoying character. If you need an audible to make your reading challenge number, this will do the trick. 2.1 stars

[Gloria Downing · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to this on audiobook - it was just "meh" but it was free.

[Marsha Raasch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free from audible. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

[Ashley Batchelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooooo close to being a 5 star for me, but the ending fell so flat. I think if this had been a full novel, it would have been absolutely perfect. If you loved Gone Girl, then this is definitely for you.

[Charmaine Clancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great characters but the end left me wanting.

[Kate McMurry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audioplay from Audible Studios

I struggled with the plotting of this mystery novella. To me, most of this story was rather boring, and the resolution was unsatisfying.

I received access to this production for free through my Audible membership. I am a big fan of audioplays, especially those produced by GraphicAudio, and I am very glad that Audible is ramping up production of multicast productions, as well. The performance part of this recording is excellent. It's too bad that the talented voice actors did not have better material to work with.

[Janice Branning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting story with a terrible ending; not saying, i wouldn’t like a better ending to tie up all the loose endings. But the way this story ended I see a book two in the future.
Cat and Vivian had similar lives, but grew up differently; Cat grew up in foster care, and Vivian was raised by parents that neglected her. Vivian left her abusive husband and went to Savannah Georgia to be with her ailing grandmother. Her life took a different twist, when she took over her grandmother’s pie business. Cat married in to a family that never thought she was good enough. When her husband and child came up missing she hired Vivian to find them. This is when the story gets hard to believe if Cat is a victim or an opportunist.

[Biggest Little Book Talker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting murder, thriller.
The first few seconds we listen to Cat kill her husband.
The rest of the book consists of whether or not she will get away with it and if Vivian can figure it out.
There are a few sensitive tips about abuse, assault, and cheating, but overall very entertaining and reminds me of a less crazy gone girl.
No spice.

[Emmalynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was nothing. I was expecting something and got nothing. I just wasn’t a fan of this one b

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 maybe?
The ending was underwhelming. The self discovery and everything could have gone on during the book a little more.

[Sorrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hooked! Great audio drama, interesting twisting storyline, good characterisation. Nice crime/family saga.

[Cassandra Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short read/listen. Interesting story I think it is the first of a series, would like to read/listen to a few more before I make my final decision on how good this book is

[Amanda Auler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can imagine a novella would be more difficult to write than a full-length novel. Albiet, I'm an over-writer so it seems impossible to me. I thought Ward did any amazing job tying all the loose ends together, giving us insight throughout, and making us somehow root for the "bad guy". Brilliant.

[Lauren Sandifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not a fan of this audiobook that much. While I liked the story line and the idea, I did not like the way it was written and preformed. I understand they had a different reader per character, but I feel like their voices were so similar that it made it hard to understand who was who and what was happening. I think they could have done a better job differentiating their voices to make it easier to follow.

I think because of all the different POVs, this would have been better as a physical book and not an audio.

[Jenay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of novellas, it was nice that it moved along with good pacing. On one hand, it felt like a snapshot of pivot point in a woman's life. On the other hand, it was very light on the mystery, which is what I was reading it for. Overall I liked most of the characters and felt them well written. I would listen to additional mysteries that Vivian comes across if more were written, hopefully more mystery and less... talking about everything terrible the killer "endured" even though she was "perfect."

The ending fell very flat for me. Apparently you get everything you want if you're manipulative enough? I guess? There seem to be all these "justification" reasons for it, but the wrong doer has still indeed... done wrong.

The voice actresses for Cat and Ellen were very good.

[Leisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After recently listening to this author’s book 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 on audio, I went in search of backlist titles to read.  I was excited to find this novella on audio with my favorite @karissavacker narrating. 
 
This was a sharp and clever mystery thriller that I really enjoyed.  For a quick novella, it really packed a punch.  I’ll definitely keep reading this author’s backlist. 
 
As always, Karissa Vacker does a fabulous job narrating, and she even voices a southern accent that is authentic and doesn’t make me cringe.  I’m sorry to say I can’t say the same for the other narrators.  Ouch.  Southern accents are tough.  Even so, I definitely recommend this one.  It’s free with an Audible subscription, so check it out.

[Amy Bergstrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hate when the lead characters are so cliche and predictable. And in this case, stupid. So many obvious questions she should have asked as a PI. Sorry, honey, don’t pursue being an investigator as a career - you suck at it.

[Nicci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Negative stars… this was awful. I only kept listening because I thought it HAD to get better. I was wrong.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for something quick to listen to while I decided what I really wanted to listen to. This was entertaining enough, but not memorable. Decent narration. I liked Vivian.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars: I am a huge fan of Audible Originals. Audible has maintained a high standard, both in their narrators and the stories.

In “Cat & Vivian”, the prologue is told from Cat’s POV. She’s a tired mother of a young baby, and she is frustrated with her husband. Author Amanda Eyre Ward leaves the listener wondering what happened that Sunday evening with Cat and her husband.

Monday rolls around, and the POV changes to Vivian. She’s also a frustrated wife, although no children. She’s left her questionable marriage to visit her Nana who lives in Tybee Island, near Savannah GA. Her Nana was a PI, but now suffers from dementia. Vivian was a news reporter. While visiting, Nana gets a call from Catherine Grant whose husband and baby are missing. Catherine wants to hire Nana to find her husband and daughter.

POV changes to Cat. Yes, Cat is Catherine and she has cooked up something that leaves the listener guessing. Through Cat and Vivian’s chapters, the story unfolds. Ward adds Ellen, Cat’s rich and toxic mother-in-law who has been bailing her son out of one mess after another. Cat and Ellen are not on the best terms.

This is another brilliantly structured character study. I like the format of each character narrating and providing their POV’s. The chapters are short, which adds to the suspense.

What did Cat do to her husband? Where’s her daughter? Will Vivian figure out what to do with her tenuous marriage?

Although just over 4 hours, Ward answers all the above questions while plotting an absorbing listen! I “saw” the story in my mind, with the outstanding job of the narrators: Karissa Vacker, Catherine Taber, Cynthia Darlow and Matt Boren. This could easily be turned into a movie.

[Shilo Parcel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been an admirer of Audible Originals and their high standard in both narration and storytelling. "Cat & Vivian" is no exception. Narrated with skill and emotion by a talented cast, this audiobook offers an engaging mystery that captivates from the start.

The story, unfolding through different POVs, starts with Cat, a tired mother frustrated with her life, leaving the listener with questions about her missing husband and baby. The following chapters introduce Vivian, who is visiting her dementia-stricken Nana, a retired PI, on Tybee Island. When Cat's character reappears as Catherine, requesting help in finding her missing family, the plot begins to weave together.

The setting of the beautiful and remote islands outside Savannah, Georgia, provides a lovely backdrop to this sharp and shocking mystery. The way the characters are portrayed, especially Vivian, who is struggling with her questionable marriage, adds depth and realism to the narrative. Amanda Eyre Ward's writing is tight, and the interchanging POVs keep the listener engaged.

However, the ending left me with mixed feelings. While the build-up was exciting and the mystery well-crafted, the conclusion didn't quite live up to the rest of the story. Some might find it satisfying, but I felt like there was something missing that would have elevated the story to a perfect score.

All in all, "Cat & Vivian" is a commendable effort from Amanda Eyre Ward. Fans of mysteries, especially those involving family dramas and local intrigue, should find this audiobook a delightful listen. The excellent narration is a definite highlight, and I look forward to more works from these talented voices.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. At least it was free? Cliches and ridiculousness abound. With the internet you can research almost anything. There are so many ridiculous platitudes and errors it is ridiculous. You can't just say you are a "private investigator" you need a license in 45 of the 50 states and certainly in the one this is set in. You cannot accept payment as a "private investigator" just because the phone rang and you happened to be at Nana's house because your husband through you through the window (who, by the way happens to be a TCV surgeon (although the author says heart surgeon-a real TCV surgeon would not refer to themselves this way) and that requires 15 years of insanely hard training but he apparently has a tone of free time and is way younger than would be possible to obtain said career). The dialogue and switching viewpoints from one cliched character to another gets old. I have to admit to spare myself I listened to this at 1.2 to 1.5 speed just to finish it. To be honest with the name and cover art I wasn't exactly expecting Shakespeare but hoping for something light hearted and fun, however, it alternated between boring, silly, and disturbing (warning rape and child neglect triggers). At least it was free?

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman visiting her grandmother–a retired, once-legendary PI–becomes entangled in a mystifying local disappearance case on the beautiful, remote islands outside Savannah, Georgia.
Vivian, a former reporter and a newlywed, doesn’t know what to do with herself after an incident with her husband forces her to question their partnership and her future. Yearning for the ocean air and a sense of home, she retreats to Tybee Island to clear her head and visit her Nana, a retired PI who now struggles with dementia.
The phone rings: Catherine Grant, a housewife living in a private development nearby, woke up to find her husband and their baby girl missing, and she is desperate for help. Guided by all the wisdom her grandmother has instilled in her over the years, Vivian falls headfirst into this complicated case that will prove one of Nana’s favorite principles: In order to understand the present, you must examine the past.

This was short and sweet...a novella, but it kept me wondering what was going on and definitely involved a manipulating, creepy woman. It reminded me of the Housekeeper series...lots of twists and even when you know what happened, it takes awhile to fit all the pieces together. I listened to this in one day just puttering around.

[Keren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't guess exactly what had happened until close to the end, which is a job well done. I had some thoughts about what the baby's fate might have been and my guesses were mostly incorrect. I liked the performance and could relate to some of the characters, which added a personal touch.

On to possible spoilers:
The exploration of women's power and the many ways in which that power is usurped made this mystery all the more engaging. From Cat's childhood being passed from family to family, never experiencing love, to the danger of her situation in foster care and then as a young woman, to her precarious marriage to Philip, where his rich mother uses her power and wealth to craft a legal plan to selfishly take Philip and Cat's baby from Cat, all to keep the baby in her life despite Cat's being a good mother, I felt for her and almost celebrated her crimes as a justified way of taking her power back. But the way she uses Vivian, another woman struggling to keep her power, adds a complicated layer to the narrative.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Listened to this on Audible.

What an annoying book. Storyline was unoriginal, with cliche characters. Has the author ever even MET a wealthy person, much less a family of generational wealth? The author played into so many ridiculous tropes and touted as many name brands as she could conjure to try to look like she knew what she was talking about. 🙄 And her description of Savannah and Tybee Island sounded more like she did her research in a Lonely Planet book.

The performances and recordings were subpar. Lots of accidental repeated words and splicing glitches with the sound all over the place (i.e., in one sentence the vocals would go from sounding like the reader was in a tunnel then switch to a cozy intimate sound).

I’ll be looking at Audible Originals much more skeptically after this one. It was clearly a rush job in writing, vocals and production. And I’ll be avoiding this author like the plague. 🥱

[Rodica · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are reading this book expecting a murder-mystery, don’t. It is not one, even though the book starts with a murder and the plot apparently develops along its investigation. The killer is known from the get go and there is little meat on the investigative side of the story. I found this to be a character study, the murder being the culmination of an entanglement of trauma, class issues, domestic violence, neglect, and then some more. There are alternating POVs, all females - the new investigator, the wife, the mother in law, all peeling back at different layers of their own traumas, prejudices, and failures, and, up to a point, it reads like a mix of a decently plotted thriller and family drama, with some social commentary. Now, towards the end, it gets worse, as all the characters end up somewhat unlikeable - too narcissistic, or too naive. I felt left down by the ending. Still, not a bad read/listen overall, especially if you enjoy character studies, where all characters are equally not good, even though for different reasons.

Sexual assault on an underage teen, child neglect, domestic violence, drug use are all brought up, so proceed knowingly.

Part of my Audible clean up 2023 project.