This book was very different than I expected. I loved the character development and slow burn of the plot. It was executed in an interesting manner.

I was intrigued by this book right from the beginning and I found things well-paced for the first 30% or so. Then things slowed down a bit in the soggy middle and I was a teensy bit bored until about 60% when things really picked up again. This absolutely would have been a 4 star read if all the mysteries had been solved. I simply *hate* it when at the end of a book, we still don't know why or how some things happened. I am beyond bothered. If even a sliver of an answer had been given to that question/mystery beyond here are a handful of things it could be but we won't tell you which one is right, I'd be much happier right now. It would have been great if some of the soggy middle was removed so there could be more of a denouement where this main mystery is solved. I don't even care which of the possibilities it ended up being, even the crazy fantasy explanation would have been better than nothing. But giving no answer at all really sticks in my craw.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the eARC.
Wos, I loved this, what a great read. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in a day.
Great setting, great narrator, good cast of characters and I could not figure whodunnit! Highly recommended!

Jenny St John is a bit of a huckster. A “psychic” life coach, she is doing barely enough to get in her LA practice. Out of the blue, a detective comes by and questions her to see if she is the same person as Genevieve Santos. Huh? Well it turns out she has a doppelgänger she has never met, whose ex-husband was found murdered.

This sets in motion a series of events and a mystery that searches for Serge’s killer and to find out what happened to Gena. And how eerie that they look so alike?

In the fashion of Agatha Christie, we have lots of characters with a variety of motives introduced, secrets uncovered, and a somewhat “reluctant” detective. This was a fun mystery, a grittier LA setting, and flawed yet intriguing suspects. If you like contemporary mysteries, this will be a fun addition to wrap up your summer reads.

Book to be published August 20
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Divide by Morgan Richter. The Divide has all the elements of an entertaining read: Hollywood stars,, wealth, double crossing friends, a strong main character and unusual twists and turns. I look forward to reading more mysteries by this author.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 20, 2024
Jenny St. John left her small town in the rural Midwest to try and live her dream as an actress in California. After shooting one movie, “The Divide”, that was canceled before it hit the big screen, Jenny is now living in a rundown office, making a measly living as a psychic. When the news hits that Jenny’s former director, Serge, was murdered and his wife, Genevieve Santos has disappeared, Jenny is shocked. Unbeknownst to Jenny, Genevieve Santos claimed to star in “The Divide”, in the role that Jenny herself personified, and she easily got away with it, too, since Genevieve and Jenny look eerily alike. Jenny finds herself in the middle of an investigation, trying to prove she isn’t Genevieve and she had nothing to do with her disappearance, while at the same, trying to find out what happened to the starlet, without putting her own life at risk.
“The Divide” is the new release from author, Morgan Richter. Richter has an understanding of film life, having worked for the Paramount Pictures Studios, and it is this that she uses to bring realism to the character of Jenny St. John and all of her filmmaking friends and acquaintances. An interesting mystery, “The Divide” had me thinking from the first page- it was very obvious that something was going on, but Richter takes the reader through enough twists and turns, I couldn’t nail down what was actually happening until the very end. The possibilities for the outcomes of this novel were numerous, and it could’ve gone in a million different directions and been just as enjoyable.
I enjoyed the guessing game component, trying to sort out, first, Jenny’s relationship (if any) to Gena, and then, of course, the mystery of the death of Serge and Gena’s disappearance. Jenny’s background as a psychic let her into the world of the Hollywood elite (a life she had been evicted from long ago), and I enjoyed hunting down the truth alongside her.
Some of the plot connections were tenuous and weak, and some plot points did not resolve themselves in enough of a conclusive way. The relationship between Gena and Jenny is explained, but the details were not, and that felt like a pretty big detail to ignore.
Richter managed to keep my attention from the get-go, and each of her chapters ended in suspenseful cliffhangers, which made “The Divide” an easy-to-read story. The mystery is strong, even if all of the possible ending tropes in the mystery genre are covered within this one novel. “The Divide” was unique, and Jenny was a strong and relatable character and I found Richter’s novel easy to read and enjoy.

Now this book knows how to start things off. I mean, talk about get-in-late-get-out-early. And yeah, that’s more of a film thing, more of a screenwriting thing, but hey, we’re in Hollywoodland here. In the hills and on the coast. Can anything ever be what it seems?

Every turn is a delight in this story that’s, say, not so much California Dreamin’ as it is Sex and Dying in High Society.

The Divide is a wickedly delicious, sun soaked noir of the most feverish order.

If you like a Hollywood backdrop, you will love this.
This had just enough mystery to keep me engaged and I enjoyed this overall.

I enjoyed this one a lot, a fake psychic looking into the murder of a film director from her past and the missing woman who has stolen her identity. Fast moving, funny at times, insightful at other times and a heroine to root for.

Thank you to Net Galley, Morgan Richter, and Knopf for this ARC. This was an interesting plot line and had good character building. I really enjoyed the slow reveal of the murder mystery. I was left with a few questions at the end but overall really liked this story and felt that it was unique compared to other mysteries or thrillers I’ve read recently!

Did you ever see the B List movie with Lindsey Lohan “I Know Who Killed Me” that’s what this reminded me of with the twin/doppleganger aspect. But her being a fraud of a psychic (her words) added some lightheartedness laughing bits to this read

A little bit of Hollywood, a little bit of mystery, a lotta bit of murder, and a fun psychic life coach (who is a fraud by her own admission). If that sounds up your alley, then you will really enjoy this. I was glued to the pages trying to figure out what was going on. What was the explanation for our main character having a doppelganger who not only look exactly like her, but stole her name, her identity, and the only acting credit she had to her name which she was so proud of. I enjoyed this one very much!!

Please go into this book blind, its worth the ride! While I do wish more of the twin aspect was played out, I really enjoyed this mystery and the cast of characters a lot. So many of them are very unlikeable and had strong motives, so it was fun to see it all unravel.

Huge thanks to Morgan Richter’s team and NetGalley for letting me read this arc! I give this 4.5/5 stars.

This book was fantastic! It starts off with a woman named Jenny getting a visit from the police about the murder of Hollywood director that she worked with on his film, The Divide. The police say someone thought that she was director’s ex wife in hiding - apparently they look remarkably similar. Very shortly after Boots, the missing ex-wife’s friend, shows up asking Jenny for her psychic help to find Gena. Jenny quickly finds herself in the circle of Gena and Serge’s friends to try and use her abilities.

I loved this book the whole similar looking women and recreating your own life part was very cool. Obviously the murder wasn’t the best but it didn’t introduce the characters and their arcs very well. I wanted to know every answer right from the start and it kept my attention the whole time. I really love the cover it’s gorgeous and colorful

I liked the premise and the Hollywood angle. Jenny's intuitive thinking and her way of puting information together to make connections was done well I thought. It did feel a bit slow at times and I (without any spoilers) I want more information on Gena.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OOHHH GIRLYYY. This book is a YES. Say yes to the dress? No Say Yes to this book. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I had a lot of fun.

The divide is right up my alley. A little mystery. some Hollywood and add in a little psychic power. sort of.

what I liked
The thought the plot was something different, which I always appreciate.
I liked Jenny, the main character
I loved the background characters.
I loved how we weren't sure Jenny has psychic powers - she thought she didn't , but I am not sure. She was pretty intuitive

What I didn't like as much
I thought it dragged a bit at times. Especially since it was full of action. I found myself skipping and skimming once in a while.
I thought it had more potential - I just felt like something was missing.

With 3 stars being average, I will give this a strong 3 - but not quite a 4. Would I recommend reading it? Sure. But maybe borrow it from the library?

I do want to thank the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my opinion.

With comparisons to Double Indemnity and The Big Lebowski, film industry adjacent and set in Los Angeles, this book was right up my alley and did not disappoint! This modern day noir unfolds on the page with plenty of twists and turns, making you question what you think you know about the characters you meet along the way. Everyone’s a suspect, nobody’s innocent, and things are definitely not what they seem.

What a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review The Divide by Morgan Richter!