I struggled with this one - it reminded me of an old school Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone in many ways. Jenny St. John’s down on her luck life gets exciting when her doppelgänger Gena is missing after a man connecting them is murdered. The plot was good but it’s more of a “quick plane read” than a literary masterpiece.

2.75. Thanks to Penguin Random House for the widget. I had really high hopes for this story Jenny stared in a movie The Divide that never made it to the big screen. 20 years or so later the director is killed and his ex wife is missing, and Jenny becomes a suspect and then tries to uncover what happened. The start and even the middle was really good but then it just started to go downhill and I still stayed with alot of questions that I feel didnt get answered. like who is Gena??

This was a fun, interesting, and quirky mystery with a delightfully eccentric main character and a unique premise. The setting gave off “old Hollywood” and noir vibes while simultaneously evoking the feel of modern-day Los Angeles. The cast of characters was believable and realistic without being too cliché or stereotypical.

Richter is a very good writer; the prose is concise and easy to read, whilst containing vivid details that aid the reader in visualizing the characters and setting.

The plot was a bit of a slow-build; the first 25% of the book (or so) left me feeling a bit antsy, but that is partially my personal preference.

I think this novel has major potential for a sequel, or perhaps a series of novels featuring Jenny St. John, who reminds me a bit of Hercule Poirot (albeit a non-mustachioed, psychic life coach version of him)!

Looking forward to Richter’s future novels!

This book started out really strong but just kept getting weaker as it went on. The last half of the book was just so ridiculous and useless to the plot honestly.

This slow burn mystery was well plotted with a captivating set of characters. The ending left a lot of loose ends, which usually is ok with me, but, in this story, left me wishing for more answers. All in all, this was a good story and I will be looking for more from this author.

I just finished reading The Divide by Morgan Richter, and I’m so excited to share my thoughts with you!

This book is a thrilling ride through Hollywood’s dark underbelly, filled with mystery, suspense, and unexpected twists. Richter’s storytelling is both gripping and immersive, making it hard to put down.

One of the standout moments for me is when the protagonist, Jenny St. John, a failed actress turned grifting psychic, discovers that her doppelgänger, Gena Santos, has been claiming credit for her one big role in an indie film. The tension in this scene is palpable as Jenny confronts Gena’s friends and uncovers shocking secrets about her own past. This moment perfectly captures the book’s blend of personal drama and high-stakes intrigue.

What I love most about The Divide is how it delves into themes of identity, deception, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. The characters are richly developed, each with their own hidden agendas and complex motivations. Richter’s ability to weave together a fast-paced plot with deep emotional resonance makes this book a true standout.

If you’re looking for a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you think twice about the glamorous world of Hollywood, The Divide is a must-read. Trust me, you’ll be hooked from the very first page!

This one will keep you guessing. I could not put it down and thought about it long after I was through reading.

The Divide is a story about a young woman, Jenny, who can’t seem to catch a break. She is down on her luck and finds herself to be a chief suspect in a murder. As she tries to clear her name she discovers that someone has built their life based on the only positive thing she ever accomplished in her life. As she tries to clear her name she finds that she is drawn deeper into a psychic mystery which makes her the prime target of a killer.
This story was interesting. If you are looking for a quick diversion with an interesting twist I recommend it to you. #TheDivide #netgalley #psychicmystery

I love a good gritty Hollywood mystery. I loved the idea behind the former access turned psychic but the book turned towards an unbelievable direction and the ending left a lot of questions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for providing me with an eARC of The Divide in exchange for my honest review!

This gritty little mystery-thriller is a decent time here, especially considering it gives off neo-noir vibes, and that's something I'll always devour. The Vertigo evocation is very much present, too, in this atmospheric tale that drags Jenny into more trouble than she's willing to deal with. I do think the plot slows down in the middle, and this is also perfectly capable of relying on familiar tropes that can keep this book from standing out as memorably as it could. But I still click with it enough as it builds its way up to the conclusion—one that I'm surprised is fairly... well, optimistic, I suppose. Sometimes, we have these stories wrapping up in the bleakest fashion, which I'm all up for, to be clear. But with The Divide, I'm left feeling like this journey manages to stay out of that territory and leave us on a somewhat triumphant note.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Divide 3.25 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding down to 3 stars.

The Divide certainly was a wild ride. The story follows Jenny, a failed actress turned struggling psychic who is questioned for the murder of Serge, someone from her past life. The director of the movie that sank her career. She soon learns that someone out there may be using her identity, which sends her on a journey that ends up being a dangerous journey of uncovering secrets and self discovery. At times I got a bit bored with the “what ifs” and the different directions the author was taking us, but overall it was a good read! 3.5 ⭐️

I really wish this book had gotten more attention at the publication release. It's incredibly interesting what with a woman who has gone around imitating another woman (let's call her the original woman) and WHY? WHY is she doing this? What's her motives behind this? I kept asking myself these questions over and over.

When the woman's ex-husband is found murdered the woman disappears. But our original woman is questioned about the murder.

As we get older we often wonder how different our life had been had we made even one or two different choices. Our original woman is faced with viewing how the other half lived and if only, back then, she had ....

Parts were relatable and the whodunit was interesting because our original woman became an amateur sleuth, even with her faux psychic abilities.

I will say the ending was a tad predictable, but nonetheless, this was a fun ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for an e-copy of THE DIVIDE to review.

I rate THE DIVIDE four out of five stars.

I wanted this to be a story of split personality disorder. I wanted it bad. Otherwise how can you explain how you have the same genetic markup as someone else who is not your twin?! We went down that route for a hot minute but then we stopped. That was when my mind hit the divide

I'm sure you feel violated when you hear someone was posing as you, taking credit for your accomplishments, and bring police to your door calling you person of interest. Jenny St. John probably felt that way. She was this medium trying make ends meet while holding on to the only good thing happened to her: the movie, The Divide. Gena Santos, not another name for Jenny St. John, was chased by police for potentially killing her husband, who was the director of The Divide.

You would want this to be the end of the story, but then there wouldn't be a story if it did. As reach for Gena continued and Jenny was investigating her whereabouts, similarities passed beyond the name. There was something little bit more sinister here. Get ready for a trippy ride

Jenny, who now works as a psychic, is questioned by an officer of the law in a murder case. She finds out that Serge, the director of the movie she stared in was murdered, and his wife Gena is missing. Interestingly enough, Gena looks just like Jenny and even tells people that she was the star of the film. Jenny is furious and vows to find Gena to find out why she would take credit for a movie she was not in and if Serge knew it was not her. I really enjoyed most of this book but the ending left me very unsatisfied and with so many questions that were never answered.

As a teen, Jenny St. John moved to Hollywood in hopes of making it big. Getting a break, she’s cast in a movie, only to have it sit on the shelf and be released later to little fanfare. A no hit wonder, Jenny is now a psychic wanna be. What the heck, it pays the bills … sometimes. When Jenny is visited by the police she is completely flummoxed. The director of her no hit has been found dead and his ex wife is missing. The catch?? The ex wife looks identical to Jenny. How can that be? She knows she was an only child and now she’s connected to a murder. One that some think she might have committed. Jenny is not happy that the ex wife claimed to be in her movie and with nothing to lose, she starts her own investigation. With a cast of eccentric Hollywood characters, this was a fun read. Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I was very intrigued at the beginning of this story. Then slowly as it went on, I just couldn’t get behind where it went,

A would be solid murder mystery that hums along as one until it doesn't. I get that coming up with a good, air-tight murder mystery storyline can be tricky but when key elements are going to rely on magical realism then the marketing of the book should reflect that. Don't misunderstand, big fan of fantasy and the unexplained but I was disappointed that key plot points unexpectedly end up being explained as supernatural.

No spoilers but be forewarned the story starts off strong then gets a bit confusing when the main character, a failed actress turned fake psychic, investigates her doppelgänger's disappearance. Fans of the murder mystery genre will be able to track the clues to solve the murder and I was able to solve that mystery before the reveal but was well into the novel, so that was satisfying. What was unsatisfying were many barely tenable plot points and the use of otherliness to wrap things up.

Rate as a 2.5 but rounded up since half stars aren't on this site. .

Disclosure: Received an uncorrected ARC of this book from NetGalley and Alfred A. Knopf (Thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.

I was obsessed with the blurb for this book and it sounded perfect for me. Unfortunately the execution was off. The plot veered into strange directions and this became too much of an amateur sleuth novel for my taste

This novel was full of twists and turns that I never saw coming. I loved the concept of a doppelgänger and I loved reading how it progressed and wrapped up. I found myself gasping out loud at times.

I definitely look forward to more from this author!

The Divide is a thriller that starts off very strong, but eventually loses steam. When the story starts, Jenny is questioned by the police about leading a dual life. She previously starred in a movie by the director Surge Grumet and is a failed actress-turned-"psychic." Now, Serge has been murdered and this woman bears resemblance to Serge's ex-wife - who is now missing. Jenny is so angry that this ex-wife tried to steal her only glory, that she inserts herself into the investigation. As I mentioned, the plot starts out strong, and I liked Jenny a lot as a character, however it later veers off the main course and gets increasingly weird and out there and a bit unbelievable - and that's where it lost me. As a result, the ending didn't feel fully satisfying to me. My feelings on this one are mixed, and I'm not sure whether to recommend or not. But if you enjoy amateur sleuth-type-mysteries and don't mind out-there plots, you might enjoy this one!


Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf Pantheon Vintage & Anchor, and Morgan Richter for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.