Wrong City

by Morgan Richter

While serving hors d'oeuvres to the beautiful people at a glittery Hollywood party, an aspiring young screenwriter named Vish meets Sparky, a charismatic stranger who claims to be able to do amazing things for Vish’s career. Vish’s attempts to find out more about Sparky set in motion a string of bizarre events, leading to a cushy writing gig on a hit TV series and a too-good-to-be-true romance with Troy, a sweet-natured starlet with a dangerous alter ego. After Troy dumps him without explanation, a heartbroken Vish tries to uncover what went wrong in their relationship. His quest for answers leads him deep into Los Angeles’ seedy, supernatural underbelly, where struggling artists are a disposable commodity and fame often comes at a mortal cost. Vish finds himself at the center of a high-stakes battle between ancient forces for dominance in the entertainment industry. With a foul creature living in the earth beneath his apartment complex, a vicious coterie of murderous surf bums dogging his every move, and a disturbing lack of trustworthy allies, Vish’s best chance for survival lies with the mysterious and powerful Sparky. Vish must track down Sparky before he becomes the latest victim of Hollywood’s deadly allure.

225 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2012

About the author

Morgan is the author of the neo-noir thriller THE DIVIDE (Knopf; August 2024), and the thriller THE UNDERSTUDY, which will be released by Knopf on August 5th, 2025.

Morgan is a graduate of the Filmic Writing program at the University of Southern California’s film school and has worked in production on several television shows, including ABC’s America’s Funniest Home Videos and E! Entertainment Television’s Emmy-winning comedy series Talk Soup. An avid popular culture critic, she is the author of Duranalysis: Essays on the Duran Duran Experience and has amassed a cult following on her analyses of classic Duran Duran videos. She has self-published five novels, but THE DIVIDE is her first foray into traditional publishing. Richter currently lives in Seattle.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting concept. Another book in which curiosity drove me forward to the end. Characters interesting most believable. Some on the edge of reality. I think this author will definitely improve her creative style. Thank you for the introduction to your series.

[Jen Selinsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

An aspiring, young screenplay writer by the name of Vish lives in Los Angeles, California, where competition to reach fame is fierce. The story begins when he's hired to serve food at a swanky Hollywood party. After the soiree, he is approached by Sparky Mother, who introduces himself as an agent. Intrigued by Spanky, Vish gives the "agent" his number. That's when things start to get strange. After receiving a nasty blow to the head, Vish does not know what to make of the recent chain of events. It is not much longer until he meets and falls in love with a beautiful TV actress, Troy. Vish is soon the object of strangers' attention, mostly negative, as some seem to threaten his life. Then, as if things weren't complicated enough, Troy ends their whirlwind romance with virtually no explanation. Is there something more going on than Vish suspects? Read "Wrong City"-a suspenseful thriller with an unexpected twist!

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richter once again turns genres on their collective ears in Wrong City. Much like her debut Bias Cut, you read with the thought that you know where the story is going but in a flash, it takes a sharp turn and you're heading in a direction you truly didn't expect. Following Vish's journey through the true underbelly of Hollywood was sad, funny, poignant and ultimately very satisfying.

[Juliet Laor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than her first novel, Wrong City is creepy and addictive. I read it all in one night!

[Susan Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beautifully descriptive, full of unexpected turns, hilarious and fun! The story was so not what I expected. The perfect kick back and just read kind of book.