5 very enthusiastic stars. Fast-paced and well-written, The Divide is a fun read.

Jenny St. John moved to LA from Iowa when she was 18 and scored a leading role in movie called The Divide. Unfortunately, its release got scuttered, and it only made a tiny bleep on the cinematic radar later when the director, Serge, became successful.

Jenny was never able to land any other roles, leading or otherwise, and now she’s scrapping by as a psychic, or what she calls “an intuitive counselor,” something of a life coach. Basically, she’ll ask what’s going on in a person’s life and gently nudge her into making good career and life choices. Then one day she’s visited by a detective, who mistakes her for her doppelganger, a successful artist named Gena. Serge has been murdered and his ex-wife Gena is nowhere to be found. It turns out that Gena has been pretending all these years to have been the star of The Divide. Since that was the biggest thing Jenny has ever done, this rankles.

Rich and powerful people get in touch with Jenny because of the coincidence of her looking so much like the missing woman, and Jenny becomes an unlikely detective trying to figure out this fun and original mystery.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 20, 2024.

When I received a request from the publisher to review this book, I was immediately intrigued. This seemed right up my alley A murder mystery, the main character getting to play detective by posing as a psychic, seeing the drastically different lifestyle of the upper class all made for a very fun read.

I had my suspicions of who the killer was, but the mystery left me questioning myself just enough to feel like it still paid off at the end. However, not all of my questions were answered. One big question (possibly even bigger than the question of who the murderer was) was left in answered at the end of the book. I don’t know if the author is already planning on a sequel, but I would have liked to see some more info explaining the relationship between Gina and Jenny.

All in all, this was a fun mystery read and I would love to see more stories featuring Jenny in the future

I dont mind psychic's in a mystery novel but overall the book ended up falling flat. It started off good but I started losing interest and not caring about the characters about half way through. Overall it was an okay read and I might try the author again the future...

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for allowing me to read this eARC.This was an interesting plot line and had good character building. I really enjoyed the slow reveal of the murder mystery.

The Divide starts out strong, with vivid and believable description’s of Jenny’s life as a struggling psychic consultant living in the back room of her squalid office. As the story picks up speed, things become more fantastical.

There are some effective caricatures here that you may recognize from Hollywood, but others could use some more fine tuning.

If we’re going to lean into the psychic world, I’d appreciate it if we could lean a little farther. A lot was left unexplained which resulted in an unsatisfying end for me.

Jenny St John starred in the movie The Divide but now is a 'once was' actor, masquerading as a psychic. When a detective shows up to question her about the murder of The Divide's producer Serge, a man Jenny had a brief affair with, Jenny discovers that Serge's wife Gena not only looks like her but is taking credit for her role in the movie. Jenny falls back into the Hollywood scene as she tries to find out who Gena is and who killed Serge,
This was a weird and unbelievable story that masquerades as a mystery novel. The explanations of who Gena is vs who Jenny is, were never really clear. The way Jenny just fell back into the Hollywood scene was unbelievable as well. One day she was a nobody, has been, and the next day she is moving into Gena's old home. It was hard to grasp the concept of this story but it was entertaining.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

A psychic in a detective story? It’s not a first but it certainly made me want to find out more.

You’d think a fortune teller could live a good life with the knowledge of what’s about to happen. Yet, Jenny St. John who claimed to be a psychic in LA was making only enough money to pay her bills. She wasn’t even sure that she believed in the supernatural world.

When a lady in a suit showed up, everything changed. Jenny suspected that she was caught for being a fraud and taking money illegally. However, she learned that Detective Toni Moreau was there to investigate a murder.

Jenny was feeling pretty anxious finding out that she had an identical twin in the world. Gena Santos was taking credit for her leading role in “The Divide.” It was the only film she had a role in years ago that was never released. The director, Serge Grumet, was now dead and Gena who was living with him was missing. The detective thought it was her. How could this woman claim to be the star in this film when obviously it was Jenny? She informed the detective there was no way she had a twin -- but maybe.

The next day, Jenny was told she had three days to move out for violating the lease agreement. The detective filed a police report that threw her life into turmoil. She was living in the back cluttered room because she was kicked out of her previous place and now where would she go? However, someone coincidentally came to her rescue.

The plot had a strong start with an intriguing twist or two. The reader really got to know the characters that were suspected. Most were likeable in the Hollywood area of wealth but, the story moved slowly and I just wanted to know how it was going to conclude. I was glad to finally find out who the murderer was at the end.

My thanks to Knoph and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 20, 2024.

The Divide is an intriguing mystery, especially with the pairing of Jenny and Gena. Author Morgan Richter has a good novel here and I look forward to more. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Weird, so weird. But good! I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, but ended up enjoying the ride. Unique and fast paced.

Twenty years ago, Jenny St. Jones came to Hollywood and make a movie called Divide with Serge Grumet, the movie never went anywhere and neither did her acting career. Now, Jenny is playing the role of a psychic, barely making ends meet. When Serge is murdered, the cops question Jenny who bears a startling resemblance to Serge’s ex-wife Gena Santos, who has disappeared. Why do Jenny and Gena look so much alike? Gena is living the life Jenny has always wanted, she is an accomplished artist. So why does Gena tell everyone she was the start of the movie Divide. Why are things in Gena’s life affecting Jenny? When one of Gena’s friends ask Jenny to use her psychic abilities to find Serge’s killer and Gena, Jenny does but with consequences she wasn’t prepared for.

This is an interesting read, not quite the classic murder mystery, there are parallel stories going on, finding the murderer of Serge and figuring out the connection between Jenny and Gena. Finding out who the murderer is, does take some time and is worth the chase. This book is a bit over-the-top, bit twisty, bit eye-rolling at times, but ultimately overall an enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of, The Divide, by Morgan Richter, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jenny St. John, was supposed to be the new it girl. Jenny had moved to Los Angels at eighteen to be a movie star and make it big, but her first movie did horrible. Twenty years later Jenny is struggling and then she finds the director of her first movie was murdered, and that she looks a lot like Serge ex wife. This book was a little weird and out there, but it was a good read.

Nice, easy, fun read. Well written, not a terribly surprising outcome, but I enjoyed it. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The description of this book was intriguing, so I was curious to read. I feel like the book was written to allow for a follow up, which I don't necessarily mind, but the ending felt very abrupt. There were some pretty key questions left unanswered.

The first chapter or two were written in such a way that the reading was absolutely effortless. It was lovely. But then the plot started twisting in different directions and I lost sight of which end was up. So for a good chunk of the middle section of the book, the reading slowed considerably. There was a lot of confusing detail that, in hindsight, wasn't really essential to the plot. Removing it might have left more "room" to resolve things a little more fully at the end of the book.

Richter's writing inspires confidence for future books, but the abrupt ending of this one was not very satisfying. It's more of a 3.5 stars than a 3 or a 4, but I want to read more from this author so I'll round up.

“Double Indemnity” meets “The Big Lebowski” indeed! (Throw in a “Murders in Our Building”, but only i. the sense that there are “Citizen Detectives!”)

A terrific debut of suspense, murder and humor in Los Angeles and Malibu.

When “Psychic” Jenny St. John” is visited by the police following the murder of her doppelgänger, Gena… questions arise.

Did Jenny or Gena star in her only movie, “The Divide”?
Is Jenny actually Gena?
Does Gena exist?
Is Jenny a fraud or actually psychic? “I thought you don’t talk to the dead?”

Great characters - as the author writes, there even is a "Ten Little Indians" moment... of whodunnit?

A very fun read - and also a nice appreciation of good food and wine, the burgeoning art world and Hollywood’s dark side. Enjoyed it - and sped right through! (Always a good sign.)

Thank you @NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

PS. Would make for a great TV series. Netflix, anyone?

Thank you to Netgalley and the editors for giving me a copy of this book!

I love me a murder mystery and some drama. The main character was easy to relate to. Escaping her life in the Midwest to chase her dreams of being an actress and failing like so many do. I loved the characters in this book! I do wish that some questions were answered for me before the end of the book. I recommend if you like a who done it story, you will enjoy reading this

This was a great book. I enjoyed the story, the characters, the plot. I recommend it to all readers on publication day.

It was good but the action dragged. I skimmed a bunch just to get back to the action. It's a good library read. Nit something I would buy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fake psychic angle worried me a bit because I don't always enjoy reading about con artists, so I was happy to see that Jenny was a really likable character. The side characters were also interesting, and the mystery was as well. I had no idea who the killer was, so I found the ending to be very surprising. However, a major part of the plot was not completely explained, and I didn't love that. Overall, I found The Divide to be unique and well-written with interesting characters and surprising twists, and I loved that the chapters had titles, but the lack of explanation for a certain part kept me from rating this book 5 stars. I would still recommend it though, and I look forward to seeing what Morgan Richter comes up with next!

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor for the ARC!

I was hooked on this one from the first chapter. The wonderfully quirky characters, the well paced plot, and the unique twists kept me reading late into the night. A quick read, I finished it in one setting. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced reader copy.

Review of uncorrected eBook file

After starring in “The Divide,” a never-released independent film directed by Serge Grumet, Jenny St. John couldn’t find a way to keep her acting career alive, so she turned to giving psychic readings.

But the murder of Serge Grumet throws her life into a tailspin. Unbeknownst to Jenny, Serge’s ex-wife, Gena Santos, so closely resembles Jenny that the police think Jenny is Gena. Suddenly, Jenny finds herself entrenched into the search for Gena, who has vanished . . . and Jenny learns that Gena had been telling everyone that she was the ingenue star of Serge’s film.

What happened to Gena? Why would she claim to be the star of the film?

Could Jenny actually be Gena?

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With its unusual, compelling premise, a varied and intriguing set of characters, and a twisty plot filled with secrets and surprises, readers will find themselves pulled into the telling of the tale from the outset. As the mystery deepens, the suspense grows and an unsettledness keeps readers guessing.

The unfolding narrative slowly reveals its secrets as it races to a denouement the reader simply won’t expect. There is much to appreciate in this captivating, unputdownable tale. Don’t miss this one.

I received a free copy of this book from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor/Knopf and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
#TheDivide #NetGalley