Morgan Richter has a gift for storytelling that grabs hold right from the opening page and doesn’t let go. The characters feel vivid and real, the plot unfolds with unexpected twists, and every turn keeps you wanting more. It’s one of those books you look up from and realize you’ve lost track of time. Absolutely worth the read!

I devoured this book, barely coming up for air. It's suspenseful, throwing the reader into the world of opera, where Kit is rehearsing for her first lead role in a new work based on the 1960s movie Barbarella. There is SO MUCH DRAMA with her understudy, a fresh mostly self-taught vivacious young woman. Thank you to Knopf for the gifted ARC and NetGalley access in exchange for my honest opinions. I passed my copy along to my coworker who is a classically trained opera singer.
I haven't seen much about this book, which makes me sad because I really enjoyed it. It's a different genre from what I mostly read, but the writing is really engaging, and I finished it in a few long reading sessions. You don't have to know much about opera to follow the plot, as long as you understand the pressure of prepping a show and the desire to nail a performance. Set in NYC, it gives an interesting view of the social lives of professionals beyond performing. Some people would do just about anything to get ahead, and I was shocked by quite a few events that happened during/after rehearsals…
This book had a very specific location-based connection with another book I recently finished, but I can't say much about that without giving too much away, but it was especially fun for me. I hope to see more buzz about this book - let me know if you check it out. I’m intrigued to read the author's previous release, The Divide.

I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting, but the execution was definitely not. This seems like a book I've read a ton of times, and many better, and unfortunately, this one was not for me. It also suffered from a bad cover, which did it no favors.

Unfortunately I could not get through it....Richter's writing style is not for me. This might be a fun vacation read for some, which is not quite what I was hoping for.

Mystery book that started out strong although im not familiar with the Opera world and the rivalry and ambitions that partake in that role it was interesting to read the book had a good flow but I struggled towards the middle I felt that it was slower in some areas and then something happened that intrigued me back in im not sure if its the main plot of the storyline.

Thank you publishers and Net Galley for this ARC!

This is a different story. Just when Kit gets her big chance, her understudy turns out to be a psycho. Yolanda tries to poison Kit on their first day and then laughs it off when she gets caught. Then she tries to get her run over by a train in the subway. One minute Yolanda is a nice person and then next she is a complete psycho. She really wants Kit's role and has no problem doing whatever it takes to do it. She said that when the curtain goes up on opening night, she would be on stage, not Kit. Then Yolanda is dead. Kit has to help find the killer. As much as Kit hated the way Yolanda treated her, she feels like she needs to find the killer, all this while she is rehearsing for the opera. Can she pull it off?

I love a good villain, and the Understudy has one and has a unique premise.

First of all, I loved the opera aspect of this book. The performers are known divas, and the rivalry between them works well with the premise of this thriller.

Yolanda is a despicable character, and I mean that in the best way possible. Thanks for the advance review copy.

I didn’t connect to the characters at all and they did not connect to each other. None of characters are likable or treat others as human beings. There were a few characters that treated the MC well but most were cruel, hurtful and focused on their own gain. Somebody dies but not someone that treated anyone well. It was hard to muster enough interest to finish the book with a bunch of self serving people.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguins Random House LLC for a digital copy to review.

DNF at chapter 24.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book. Seeing the anonymity build up between Kit and Yolanda was exciting and interesting, although I did feel exasperated with Kit when she befriended Yolanda despite all her obvious red flags. With the twist of Yolanda's murder, however, most of my interest in this story was killed. I tried to stick with it and keep reading, but I had a really hard time getting myself to want to read after the twist. It felt like the book became something that I didn't sign on to read, and this change in direction was an unwelcome switch. The first and second part of this book felt like entirely different stories, with all of the momentum build up in the first part ruined in favor of an awkward and unnecessary investigation.

From Yolanda's murder, the book just degraded in quality and I couldn't make myself feel interested anymore. It devolved into Kit finding people who knew Yolanda, being told about something terrible that she did, then whining about what Yolanda did to her. The story lost direction, with Kit floundering around and somehow stumbling upon clues to Yolanda's past. Her motivation in doing this for Yolanda's child who she never met (or even seen) was also questionable. The characters introduced in the second part were questionable (friendly hobbyist prostitute that plucks Kit's eyebrows, "black trans woman" that was falsely accused of pedophilia and fearful of being murdered by cops). I don't find reading light propaganda enjoyable, so I put down this book.

Posted to Goodreads: 8/19/25

When I first read the description of this book, I was intrigued. I hadn't read a thriller/murder mystery that was based on the NY opera scene, and I must say that the book did not disappoint! The animosity between the two characters is well developed and has different layers, revealing a love-hate relationship that the author does an amazing job of describing. Although I am not overly knowledgeable about the NY opera scene, the book did a spectacular job of describing different scenarios within opera production, and the traditional progress of an opera singer's career. Overall, this was definitely an interesting and suspenseful book, that provided a nice change to the usual thriller topics. I was able to read a copy of this book through NetGalley, and I hope it finds other readers who enjoy it as much as I did!

My thanks to Net Galley, Knop, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for allowing me this arc to review.

For those that remember the film All About Eve, take that plot and set it in the opera world with Katarina as the lead and Yolanda, her Understudy that does some things to undermind Katarina in her role. Things really heat up when a murder occurs. Add some unsavory activities the victim did in her past and you have on ok read.

My issue. Book dragged on in the beginning. The action did not start till 44% into the book.

🎶🔪 The Understudy by Morgan Richter 🔪🎶
Genre: Thriller
Length: 336 pages
Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2025
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the e-ARC of this book. The opinions stated here are solely my own.

Summary:
Katerina Margolis (Kit) is a trained opera singer who landed the lead role in a small NY opera company's production of Barbarella. Her understudy, Yolanda, is not classically trained but keeps managing to outstage her at each rehearsal. Although jealous, Kit is determined to figure out how to improve and become the leading lady she wants to be. But when Yolanda reveals herself as a devious diva, almost poisoning Kit, and much worse, Kit is determined to out her real intentions.

After a night out, Yolanda ends up murdered in her own apartment, right where Kit woke up after feeling as if she had been drugged. Who is behind Yolanda's murder, and could she be next? What lengths will Kit go to in search of Yolanda's killer, and more importantly, will the show go on?

Review:
I had pretty high hopes for this book, being both a fan of opera/stage performance and thrillers. I enjoyed how everything unfolded, but I didn't necessarily feel compelled to finish it quickly. I liked the story, but not the pacing of at least the first third of the book. The theme of dueling divas and the drama that goes on backstage rather than on stage is always a fun one, too. I would call this book a pretty decent thriller, but I wish that some parts kept my attention a bit more in the beginning.

It took me a while to get invested in this story. I thought about DNFing, and would have, if I hadn't looked at a review on Goodreads that said if you could make it to the 50% mark, that's where things begin to happen. So that's what I did, and I would say that it's true.
The beginning is slow as we get the dynamics of the opera and what's happening between Kit and Yolanda. There were a couple of things I didn't get, like why, when Yolanda does something that sends you to the hospital, and admits it, don't you go to the police? Especially when it happens again, and again.
Then Kit begins to become friends with her? Like really?
Then we hit the halfway point when the murder occurs, and while I still didn't like any of the characters, we start getting some twists and turns, and the plot starts really moving quickly.

In the cutthroat world of a New York City opera company, Kit finally lands her dream role in the high-profile Barbarella inspired production. But her understudy, the alluring and ambitious Yolanda, is determined to steal the spotlight, no matter the cost. When a shocking murder rocks the company, Kit is drawn into a dangerous game of decrets, obsession, and sabotage. As she digs into Yolanda's dark past, Kit must confront how far her rival will go for fame, and whether she's the next target.

The Understudy is unique in its way of showcasing the ultra competitive side of the opera. With a compelling premise built around ambition, rivalry, and murder, I was definitely intrigued. Richter captures the tension backstage well and the Barbarella inspired production was a fun and campy twist. My main issue with the book is the pacing. It drags in some places, and some character decisions, especially Kit's amateur investigation, somewhat seem unbelievable and over the top. While the end lands with some good twists, the journey to it feels a little slow. Overall, The Understudy is an entertaining read with some good moments, but it doesn't quite achieve everything I wanted it to.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Morgan Richter, and Knopf for this eARC and physical copy! Publication date is August 5th 2025.

Something about the writing just didn’t work as a thriller/mystery for me. It was dull and really slowed me down at times. I gave it a few honest tries but I’ve gotta dnf before I enter a full reading slump.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this ARC!
This book delivered all the drama and jaw-dropping plot twists. Kit has poured years of hard work into landing a role in the Opera Barbarella—and just as she’s finally savoring the spotlight, in walks Yolonda… who literally tries to kill her the first time they meet. 😳
What follows is a fun, wild, and totally unhinged ride full of chaos, ambition, and backstabbing. Buckle up—you’re in for a show. 🎭

Get pulled into the backstage world of the opera with Katrina and her maniacal understudy Yolanda. The tension and pacing is fantastic as this tale of backstabbing turns into a murder mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Richter has done it again. I loved her previous thriller The Divide, which was full of twists. The Understudy is a tour-de-force of surprising twists and atmospheric danger, even while it provides a fascinating glimpse of what it takes to put on an opera. Bravo!

Check this out if you love opera, or really any theater. You will love the behind-the-scenes action, which is probably more dramatic and over-the-top than any opera!

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Morgan Richter has done it again in her new thriller, The Understudy. Like her first novel, The Divide, The Understudy is highly atmospheric and is steeped in popular media culture. In this case, the novel draws on classic kitsch movies of the 1960’s, such as Jane Fonda’s Barbarella.

The main character, Kit, is a perpetual understudy with a small opera company in New York City. However, she has the opportunity to sing the starring role in the company’s production of Barbarella after the lead singer leaves the company to perform at the Met. Although Kit is a classically-trained opera singer, she is far from the sexy warrior portrayed by Jane Fonda in the film. However, her understudy Yolanda physically fits the part without having the vocal training to sing the role. She is, however, psychotic, which can carry you farther than you might imagine.

The plot begins to morph into All About Eve on steroids, with Yolanda going to extravagant lengths to harm or even kill Kit so that she can have the starring role. It’s all fun and games until someone dies, however, and it is up to Kit to find out who did it, and to come into her own on opening night.

The novel is well-plotted and very funny, with a strong main character that you can’t help but root for. Four out of five stars. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing me with a complimentary advance copy of this book.

This was an intriguing mystery set in the opera world. While I never knew it could be that competitive, the author brings out the best and the worst of the main characters.

This is a fight between Kit and Yolanda. Kit has the role of Barbarella (yes, after the movie), but Yolanda thinks it should be hers, and isn't beyond trying to kill for it. The funny thing is that between the two of them, they make the perfect person for the role. Kit has the operatic training, and Yolanda has the stage presence. However, they can't both play the role, at least not at the same time! The interactions of these two are petty, primarily on Yolanda's side, but Kit isn't beyond a bit of revenge.

I'll be honest, I didn't like any of the main characters. They were all severely flawed, and it was hard to root for any of them. Kit kept putting herself into the middle of things and would end up in trouble or a situation where she couldn't extract herself. However, that is how she helps solve the mystery, but not without peril to herself. Yolanda was manipulative and would go to any lengths to get what she wanted, no matter the cost to anyone else. There are a few times when I thought these two would work it out and maybe become friends, but any initial goodwill was quickly stamped out to keep the animosity flowing between them.

There are some moments that are reflective, such as Kit's meeting with a vocal coach, Opal. What stood out to me was Opal coaching Kit on how to come alive on the stage. Nothing any previous coaches or even artistic directors did for her. Perhaps it was because this was her first major role, and she needed to shine. But that interaction clicked for Kit.

While there are some inaccuracies in this novel for anyone familiar with the opera world, it is still a good read, and I was kept guessing until the end who the perpetrator might be.

We give this book 4 paws up.