This was a fun look into the competitive side of the NYC Opera, a world I know absolutely nothing about. Add in the murder mystery and I am in love. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book ahead of publication!

Thank you, Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf for providing the copy of The Understudy by Morgan Richter. Stories about conniving understudies have been around for years. This story, set in the world of opera, could have been interesting but the writing style didn’t build any suspense or tension between Kit and Yolanda, and it didn’t help that Kit wanted to be Yolanda’s friend. Kit wasn’t just unlikeable, she was also boring. I don’t know if she was written that way on purpose but I never warmed up to her. After the murder, the book got better. I still didn’t like Kit but the story finally took off and started to intrigue me. (Though I did love how Kit finally found a backbone.) The search into Yolanda’s background answered lots of questions, but the denouement still fell flat for me, both for the mystery and for Kit’s life. 3 stars

"The first time my understudy tried to kill me was on the day we met." And thus begins a sordid tale of deception, ambition, and begrudging admiration. Kit "Katerina" Margolis is on the verge of a career breakthrough when she lands the titular role of Barbella in a new opera based on the cult classic film. She'd been training and working tirelessly for this moment, and just when things finally seem to go her way in struts disaster.

Enter Yolanda Archambeau. Cast as Kit's understudy, Yolanda appears to be everything Barbella is meant to be: devastatingly beautiful with a magnetic personality and natural talent. Though Kit has more than proven herself, Yolanda is a bigger threat to her leading lady status than she'd like to admit and everyone knows it. Unfortunately, Yolanda wants the role by any means necessary.

"The Understudy" is a gripping story about the desperate search for success and infamy in an industry that favors the extraordinary. As Kit tries to pin down what exactly makes Yolanda so entrancing and dangerous, she discovers dirty deeds and a dark past that has left many people praying for her downfall. As Kit continues her investigation, she also uncovers some shocking truths about what she's willing to do to achieve greatness.

A twisted thrill ride for fans of "Showgirls" and "Black Swan", "The Understudy" shows just what can happen when you spend your life constantly seeking the approval of others.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 5, 2025
When I read “The Divide” by Morgan Richter, I was impressed with Richter’s creativity and taken aback by her impressive ability to connect plot lines in cohesive, engaging ways. As a result, I was more than excited to read “The Understudy”, Richter’s newest novel, and, as usual, Richter surpassed my expectations.
Kit is a thirty-year-old opera singer and daughter of a famed actress, who finally catches her big break in a modern remake of “Barbarella”, opera style. Kit knows that this role could make or break her career and she is determined to prove herself. When she meets her understudy, the beautiful and talented Yolanda, she is even more focused to maintain her position, as Yolanda seems eager to take the stage in the main role, and she is willing to take Kit out in any way she can- including killing her. But the tables are turned when Yolanda winds up dead and, as fate would have it, Kit was the last person to see her alive. Everyone knows that Yolanda and Kit did not get along and Kit decides that she needs to find Yolanda’s killer, before she ends up behind bars.
What started as two narcissistic women conspiring against each other turned into an intelligent murder mystery that takes place in the less-well-known world of professional opera. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, as I abhor any form of media that pits women against each other and shows them in the worst light (my idea of Hell would be binge-watching “The Bachelor”) and I know less than nothing about opera, but I managed to thoroughly enjoy “The Understudy”. Richter’s writing was addicting and captivating and I loved the suspense-fueled journey it led me on.
As a protagonist, Kit is genial, although exceptionally self-centred (to be expected from a woman whose entire career is based on being liked) but not in an off-putting way. Her broken childhood made her appear more human, and she grew on me even more as the story progressed.
The murder mystery itself was deep and provocative, which caught me unawares. I did not expect a novel about opera singers to delve into the seedy world of internet escorts and illegal casinos and, not only that, I did not have any idea how they would blend so well together, yet they converged seamlessly. Richter’s “Understudy” is delightful and mysterious, and I thoroughly enjoyed the front row seat.

The first half of this book was really hard to get through. It was slow, and reading felt like a chore. I know there needs to be character building and background information but the writing just wasn’t great. However, it really picked up in the second half and I did enjoy the ending of the book.

I made it through this murder mystery, but just barely.

First the 'ok': set during rehearsals for an exciting new opera, it fairly accurately describes the opera world, just not nearly cut throat enough. With an acquaintance who is actually an opera singer, I felt this touched too gently on the fierce competition and in-fighting that can go on. However, there are also a lot of devoted, loyal friendships between opera singers, and this doesn't depict that much either. The plotline is good, building the suspicion and uncertainty in Kit once Yolanda arrives as understudy and proceeds to try and take over. The 'murder mystery' part of the story is good too, once it finally arrives. But~

The bad: the 'murder mystery' part of the story takes forever to arrive. Literally, it was almost to the halfway mark. Now, that would have been forgivable if the characters were fun, with good guys and bad guys and comic relief, etc. As a whole, they are one and all very unlikeable people, including our diva Kit, who, once we finally have a murder, decides she'll become a sleuth and solve it herself. There are passages that drone on for way too long, with Kit running a constant internal dialogue about her terrible childhood at a fancy boarding school, her horrible movie star Mother, her laser focus on her own career, her lack of close friends, and much, much more. One paragraph sums up the writing style and the character Kit quite nicely; it's (once again) a running internal dialogue by Kit, that goes from 'she tried to kill me!' to 'ok, she's more beautiful than me, but she's not as talented as me' to 'you know, she seems like a nice person once you get to know her' to 'we should be besties!'. This seriously happens all in one paragraph. Obviously, this is not word for word, but you get the idea.

In conclusion: this isn't a bad little mystery to while away an afternoon but be prepared to skip some of the drier parts. Oh, and there was one particular saving grace, character-wise; Opal. She doesn't appear until late in the book, and she isn't around long, but I could read a whole book about her and her life. She was far and away the most enjoyable character out of the whole bunch.

The Understudy is the novel of an opera singer in three acts. They’re kind of cohesive, but it doesn’t feel like the story has the best flow to it. Kit is an opera singer that finally has the opportunity to be the lead in an opera after years of being in the choir or being an understudy herself. The only problem is that her understudy, Yolanda, is trying to kill her. Not surprisingly, this makes Kit both paranoid and more than a little testy, especially when no one seems to be in a particular hurry to get rid of the less talented but more beautiful and charismatic Yolanda. The murder of someone that isn’t Kit leads into the second act of the book, in which she seems to fret about her role within the opera, continue to not listen to what people are telling her about feeling the words she’s singing, and decide to do a deep dive into Yolanda’s past and how she ended up as part of the company. The final act has Kit finally growing a spine, which leads her to deciding she’s going to solve the murder on her own, and in the process finally listening to someone who tells her she’s missing her spark on stage. So technically it has the elements of a good story, in that there’s conflict, a mystery to solve, and character development. But much like Kit herself, it seems to lack the vibrancy to pull the reader in and feel immersed in the story. The murder that occurs changed completely what I thought I was going to get out of this book, and seemed to change the dynamic in the process. I can’t tell you if the alternative might have been better, but there’s a part of me that thinks it would have been more interesting. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Understudy by Morgan Richter 3 stars ng

Kit has put in the time and work in her pursuit of being the lead in a opera production. She's done the schooling, the training, all the hard things, and now she has her big break as the lead in the opera, Barbarella. Yes, that Barbarella, you've probably seen the movie. She may be short and wide and doesn't have the beauty you'd expect in that role but she can sing, she knows she can sing, and she's going to keep this role. But the gorgeous, undertrained Yolanda has been hired as her understudy and Yolanda makes it clear that she plans to play the lead in this opera.

Yolanda has delusions of grandeur and she's dangerous in ways we'll learn throughout the book. For reasons I cannot understand, as Kit gets to know Yolanda and her dirty deeds against Kit and others, Kit still can't help "liking" Yolanda, feeling like she bonded with her in some way. Kit will make excuses for Yolanda in the same breath that she lists all the trouble Yolanda has caused.

When Yolanda is killed, not a bad thing in my eyes, Kit is determined to solve the murder. The story begins to remind me of a cozy with a novice sleuth running headlong into dangerous situations over and over because she thinks SHE must solve this crime. She's so reckless, she taunts injury and death so many times, it would have been easier to just let Yolanda knock her off while Yolanda was still alive. I admire her spunk but not her illogical determination. Use all that energy to make a believable Barbarella, if you can, Kat! If Kat wasn't so busy trying to make excuses for Yolanda's horrible behavior, she might realize that Yolanda being dead makes the world a better place. The story is interesting but I needed to understand Kat's reasoning better to really get behind her actions.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor | Knopf and NetGalley for this ARC.

I had no expectations going into this read. Despite this, whatever subconscious bar I had set was not quite met. I appreciated the dive into the opera scene, which facilitated a lot of the "love' for any of the characters that I may have experienced. The pacing in the beginning wasn't enough for me to forgive how unlikeable I found our main character, Kit, and I was more compelled by the problem diva Yolanda.

It's an interesting concept and, on a base level, a good read, although somewhat convoluted. I'm all for insufferable or unlikable characters, but you really have to slog through a bit of the book to be able to swallow the bold character flaws.

Thank you to NetGalley for facilitating the arc, and many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor.

Morgan Richter's The Understudy delves into the cutthroat world of opera, where ambition, jealousy, and obsession collide with potentially deadly consequences. The novel centers around Kit, a seasoned opera singer who finally lands her big break as the lead in a new production based on the cult classic film Barbarella. However, her rise to the top is threatened by the arrival of her understudy, Yolanda, a stunningly beautiful and unnervingly confident young woman who seems determined to usurp Kit's place, no matter the cost.
The author carefully crafts a tense and suspenseful atmosphere from the very beginning. The reader is immediately immersed in the high-stakes environment of the opera world, where talent and hard work are often overshadowed by ruthless ambition and personal connections. Kit, the protagonist, is portrayed as a dedicated and disciplined artist who has poured her heart and soul into her career. She is initially dismissive of Yolanda, viewing her as an inexperienced novice. However, as Yolanda's manipulative tactics become increasingly apparent, Kit is forced to confront her own insecurities and fight for her place in the spotlight. Their dynamic is the driving force of the novel, a simmering tension that threatens to boil over at any moment.
Richter expertly develops the characters, revealing their complexities and vulnerabilities layer by layer. Kit is not simply the established star threatened by a newcomer; she grapples with insecurities and past disappointments that fuel her determination. Yolanda, with her enigmatic charm and unwavering focus, is more than just an ambitious understudy; she is a force of nature, driven by a deep-seated need for recognition. The author skillfully avoids simplistic portrayals of good versus evil, instead presenting two women locked in a battle for survival in a fiercely competitive world.
Yolanda, the antagonist, is a truly captivating and chilling character. She is the embodiment of unchecked ambition, willing to exploit and betray anyone who stands in her way. Richter skillfully peels back the layers of Yolanda's charming facade, revealing a deeply disturbed and manipulative personality. The dynamic between Kit and Yolanda is the driving force of the narrative, creating a constant sense of unease and anticipation. The reader is left wondering just how far Yolanda will go to achieve her goals, and whether Kit will be able to protect herself from her understudy's machinations.
The supporting characters in The Understudy are equally well-developed and contribute to the overall richness of the story. From the demanding director to the eccentric costume designer, each character adds depth and texture to the opera world that Richter has created. The novel also explores the complex relationships between women in a competitive environment, highlighting the challenges and pressures they face.
The narrative takes a darker turn when a cold-blooded murder disrupts the company, adding a layer of suspense to the already tense atmosphere. As the story unfolds, the reader is drawn into a web of secrets and hidden agendas, unsure of who to trust. The psychological tension escalates, with both Kit and Yolanda pushed to their limits. The question becomes not just who will take the stage, but how far each is willing to go to achieve their desires. As Kit delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding the murder, she uncovers dark secrets and hidden connections that threaten to unravel everything she has worked for.
Richter's prose is sharp and evocative, capturing the beauty and drama of the opera world while also delving into the darker aspects of human nature. The pacing is expertly controlled, building suspense gradually and culminating in a dramatic climax. The author's attention to detail, whether describing the intricacies of an opera performance or the inner turmoil of the characters, adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. The author also makes effective use of foreshadowing and red herrings, keeping the reader guessing until the very end, until the thrilling climax is revealed.
The Understudy is more than just a thriller; it is an exploration of the human psyche, the relentless pursuit of dreams, and the sacrifices made in the name of ambition. It is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt the pressure to succeed, the fear of being replaced, or the allure of the spotlight. Richter has crafted a compelling and thought-provoking novel that will stay with the reader long after the final curtain falls.

• Strengths: Compelling characters, suspenseful plot, evocative prose, insightful exploration of ambition and jealousy.
• Weaknesses: Some readers might find the pacing slow in the initial chapters as the author establishes the characters and setting.

The Understudy is a unique and suspenseful thriller that explores the dark side of ambition and the destructive power of jealousy. Morgan Richter has crafted a captivating story with complex characters, a richly detailed setting, and a plot that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. This novel is sure to appeal to fans of psychological thrillers, suspenseful dramas, and stories that delve into the complexities of human relationships.

Who knew there would be such an undercurrent of competitive
greed in the New York Opera season. It borders on the maniacal
with just a touch of misogyny thrown in for good measure.
The atmosphere is diabolical, leaving the reader working to
solve the mystery, which as solved, but not until the story
was taking off, exposing Kit’s choices. The story did seem
to be about the murder, but it’s not really the point.
My thanks to Knopf via NG for the download copy of
this book for review purposes.

Starts slow but picks up and is an interesting look at an opera singer and the cat and mouse game with her seemingly dangerous/glamorous understudy. Besides being a psychological thriller, it is also a woman coming into her own. It is a study in contrasts between her mouse like appearance /demeanor, perfectionism and the passion and fury underneath. She is a contrast to her mother, a contrast to the understudy. and between technique and emotion. Lots of interesting things in this book. A solid 4.5

I've never read a thriller about the opera before, but this one sucked me in. It was interesting to see all of the backstage stuff that can go on at an opera, and the tension between characters is written magnificently. It kept me hooked, but I felt that some parts of the story were one-dimensional or rushed. All in all, solid read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — Morgan Richter’s *The Understudy* is a darkly glamorous psychological thriller set in the cutthroat world of New York City opera. It follows Kit, a disciplined soprano finally landing her big break in a new opera based on *Barbarella*. Her excitement is short-lived when she meets Yolanda, her dangerously ambitious understudy who’s willing to do anything to steal the spotlight.

The novel thrives on its atmospheric setting—backstage drama, diva rivalries, and the high-stakes tension of live performance. Yolanda is a standout villain: seductive, manipulative, and chillingly unpredictable. Kit’s journey from self-doubt to resilience is compelling, though some readers found her passivity frustrating at times citeturn0search1.

While the pacing stumbles slightly in the middle as the narrative delves into Yolanda’s backstory, the final act delivers a crescendo of twists that make the journey worthwhile citeturn0search1. The murder mystery adds a layer of suspense, though its resolution feels rushed and less impactful than it could have been citeturn0search1.

Despite these minor flaws, *The Understudy* is a stylish, addictive read that blends ambition, rivalry, and suspense into a satisfying crescendo. It’s perfect for fans of *All About Eve*, *Black Swan*, or anyone who loves a backstage mystery with bite.

As an opera fan and a lover of psychological thrillers, I was attracted by the premise of this novel--production of a new opera based on the Roger Vadim space sex-romp "Barbarella.." This is certainly no more whack than making an opera about Nixon in China or Einstein on the beach, both of which are pretty amazing. Coloratura soprano Kit is cast as the sexy space adventurer. It's a big step in her career--her first time performing in Manhattan, so close to the Met.! The issue is her understudy Yolanda, who spends most of her time undermining Kit, playing out that old trope of warring divas, even though neither is a diva. Women undermining women is not my favorite trope, especially when it is so obvious. The second half of "The Understudy" takes off after a very clever twist, so hang on!

I found it hard to hang on. I wish that Morgan Richter had called more on the clever lobe that she uses so well in the latter part of "The Understudy" in the first half. Wondering what the producers were going to do with Barbarella was a treat. Just keep reading.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for the e-galley!

More of a psychological thriller than expected. Kit is an opera singer finally getting a lead role, only to find her position undermined by a nobody. Yolanda is a smarmy character that has you trying to figure out if she is truly vacuously toxic or overtly evil. Following her murder, Kit scrambles to find out what happened to Yolanda in order to clear her name. Kit is not the strongest character, but this matures her quickly. I went back and forth at to how I felt about Kit, but her amateur sleuthing was pretty good. Once she started looking for clues, this story began to pick up the pace and became so much more interesting and exciting. Yolanda's evolution was convoluted, and getting to the core of her personality was interesting. The book may have started a little slow for me, but it quickly picked up the pace and triggered my investigator response. Thank you to Samantha Bryant of Penguin Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read and ARC of this book!

This story was something different from what I typically read. I enjoyed the plot and most of the pacing although it fell flat in a few places it picked up towards the end. I was not a fan of the character development as they seemed very predictable and flat. Overall just ok.

I enjoyed this and felt like I learned about the competitiveness of the opera scene in New York! It kept me on the edge of the seat. The characters are complex, ambitious, and cut throat. I would recommend this book to friends and family who enjoyed The Black Swan.

Many thanks to NetGalley for this ebook ARC! 3.5 stars!

This is a really interesting murder mystery read. We follow Kit, who works for a small Opera in NYC called Brio. When rehearsals start for a new opera that she has recently moved into playing the lead for, Kit immediately starts noticing how weird it is that her cover (opera speak for understudy), Yolanda, is at the rehearsal. From the first day they meet, Kit and Yolanda have a tumultuous relationship. It's pretty clear that Yolanda is trying to get in Kit's way of successfully making it to the opening night of the opera. Along the way, many disturbing things happen....but ultimately it's someone unexpected who ends up dead. From there, Kit engages with the mystery of trying to figure out who the murderer is and what the heck is going on, putting herself in many dangerous situations along the way.

Overall I really enjoyed this. While it wasn't the most realistic thing ever, I thought the plot and concept were interesting. Everything also ended up making sense in the end, which you don't always have an author do successfully in a mystery or thriller, so I really appreciated that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon and Vintage for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “The Understudy” has an expected publication date of August 5, 2025.
And check out all my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
I have mixed feelings about Morgan Richter’s soon-to-be-released novel “The Understudy,” mostly because I finished the book and was confused over what I had just read. What I thought – from both the title and the opening chapters – would be story about a rivalry between an opera star and her understudy, quickly devolved into one of fraud, obsession, jealousy, and unrealistic scenarios.
Kit Margolis, stage name Katerina, has just landed her first lead role in the new opera Barbarella. Why anyone would even consider making an opera based on the 1968 cult movie of the same name is beyond me, but that’s neither here nor there. Kit has a magnificent voice, but her stage presence and lack of emotional connection with the audience have the director, Daniel, eyeing her understudy, Yolanda – who has never performed in an opera before – as a replacement.
This, of course, leads to immediate friction between Kit and Yolanda, fueled by the latter’s supposedly innocent prank of lacing Kit’s tea with tetrahydrozoline (eye drops), which land her in the hospital. Yolanda even cops to the nasty deed. Despite this admittance, and subsequent ‘innocent pranks,’ Kit somehow finds herself developing a friendship with Yolanda.
And if that’s not unrealistic enough, Kit immediately becomes a super sleuth when a crime is committed, somehow believing she can solve the mystery faster and better than the police – despite repeatedly placing herself in harm’s way. Someone fighting for her operatic life just wouldn’t go there.
I also found the characters, including Kit, difficult to like. None of them have any redeeming qualities, so there’s really no incentive to root for anyone. Had the narrative retained its initial focus on the rivalry between Kit and Yolanda, that might have been more interesting. But too many plot deviations hindered the story’s flow.
I’m not a huge fan of opera, stemming mostly from my lack of understanding of the genre. So, from that perspective, I appreciated Richter’s detailed explanations of how an opera comes together, without getting overly technical. I may still never go to an opera, but at least I have a better understanding.
I’m not totally down on “The Understudy,” I just feel it lost its way from what it could have been. Three out of five stars, and perhaps that’s being a tad generous.