The Understudy

“Richter follows up her debut The Divide (2024) with another gripping noir, this one set in the cutthroat world of Manhattan opera. . . . Richter peels back the curtains on the world of professional opera in a second outing that’s tense, taut, and compulsively readable.” —Booklist

“A razor-edged thriller set amid the rarefied world of opera performers. . . . Richter delivers soapy backstage dynamics and gasp-worthy twists. It’s a satisfying nail-biter.” —Publishers Weekly

” Richter (The Divide) delivers plenty of show-stopping moments. . . . From dress rehearsals and deaths through final flowers, feathers, and fanaticism, Richter’s novel stays mostly at fever pitch in a way that will intrigue even readers who don’t give a fig about opera’s theatrics.” —Library Journal

“Richter’s new slow-burn thriller centers on opera singer who has finally secured her place in the upper echelons of the New York scene and the understudy who proves herself to be more than merely a young rival, but something far more dangerous. Richter’s novel is tautly drawn but still full of wonderful detail from the life cycle of a big operatic production. . . . Readers will find themselves fully immersed in this thoughtful page turner.” —Crime Reads