Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
A struggling lawyer. A bitter custody battle. A deadly fire. This case could cost Kenzi her career—and her life.


Kenzi Rivera is furious. Passed over for promotion at her own father’s firm, the talented divorce lawyer is tired of fighting chauvinism every single day. When a desperate scientist begs for help getting her daughter back, Kenzi can’t resist…even though this client is involved in Hexitel, a group she calls her religion but others call a cult.

Kenzi uncovers evidence of disturbing practices at Hexitel involving large sums of money, servitude, and sex. She also learns her client’s lab has been plagued by death threats and cutthroat competition. After the workplace burns to the ground and her client is charged with murder, the ambitious attorney knows there is much more at stake than a simple custody dispute.

Can Kenzi find a path to the truth before she’s trapped in a maze of death?

Splitsville is the dramatic first book in the Splitsville Legal Thriller series. If you like gutsy heroines, diverse characters, and page-turning suspense, then you’ll love William Bernhardt’s twisty tale.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 25, 2021

189 people are currently reading
162 people want to read

About the author

William Bernhardt

97 books514 followers
William Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.

In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.

Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”

In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”

In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.

When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
410 (52%)
4 stars
246 (31%)
3 stars
100 (12%)
2 stars
20 (2%)
1 star
12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Matt.
4,858 reviews13.1k followers
April 18, 2022
Eager to try the newest series by William Bernhardt, I turned to this debut novel. Always one to push the limits of the law, Bernhardt delivers something exciting and full of thought-provoking writing. Kenzi Rivera has something to prove, both to herself and those around her. When she was passed up for promotion within the family law firm, Kenzi uses that to propel herself into a worthwhile career. When she is approached by a young scientist to help win a custody battle, Kenzi puts her all into the case. Things take an interesting turn and Kenzi is soon defending her client in a murder trial, which will surely push everyone outside their comfort zones. It’s a trial like no other for Kenzi and her client. Bernhardt delivers a curious series debut that will have readers eager to forge onwards.

After being passed over for a promotion within the family law firm, Kenzi River is furious. She’s an established divorce attorney, used to fighting for her place as a lawyer and woman. She’s ready to make an impact, though Kenzi is never sure what’s waiting around the corner.

When Kenzi is hired by a young scientist who wants to win back custody of her daughter, the case proves more complicated than meets the eye. Kenzi’s client is involved in a religious group with some dubious stances, including tattoos and domineering hierarchies. Kenzi is ready for a challenge but this might be a little too much.

After a major fire in town leads to a woman dying in the blaze, all eyes turn to Kernzi’s client. It would have made things much easier for her, though Kenzi thinks that there is more to the story, including the possibility of being framed to smear the custody case. Kenzi has no experience in criminal law, but will have to learn swiftly, as she’s being pulled into the middle of a life or death case that could put everything Kenzi knows on trial as well. A great story that has more twists that the reader might expect at first glance.

Having long been a fan of William Bernhardt and his books, I was intrigued to see this latest series. There’s something alluring about the story and Bernhardt weaves a curious tale that is sure to pique the interest in the attentive reader. With a strong narrative and some unique characters, Bernhardt uses his strong abilities to keep the reader on their toes throughout this legal thriller that is more than it appears to be on the surface.

Kenzi Rivera is a great protagonist with a great deal to prove. She’s had a great run as a lawyer, but is not happy when her father overlooks her abilities and offers managing parter to someone else. Keen to prove herself, Kenzi uses her experience as a divorce attorney to help those seeking to fight for custody for their children. She’s a single mom as well, which helps Kenzi understand her clients’ need for clear answers throughout the process. When Kenzi is pushed to the limit, she does all she can to help a desperate client, which includes working parts of the law she’s never practiced. There is a lot more to learn about Kenzi, which may come out as the series progresses.

In this series debut, William Bernhardt finds new ways to tap into unique aspects of the law, pushing characters well outside their comfort zone. With a strong foundational narrative, things progress with ease, keeping the reader on their toes throughout. Decent characters flavour the story as well, leaving the reader to find some to whom they can relate as the story progresses. With a mix of chapter lengths. Bernhardt pushes the reader to forge ahead throughout the reading experience. Bernhardt has done well in the past to create wonderful stories with unique legal angles. I can only hope that, should I invest more time in the series, I will see the same things for myself.

Kudos, Mr. Bernhardt, for an intriguing series debut. I will have to look deeper into the series to see how I feel about it all.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for Rick Ludwig.
Author 7 books17 followers
May 16, 2021
Having the opportunity to begin a new journey with author William Bernhardt is always a pleasure. My first journey with him involved a shy, young attorney named Ben Kincaid. I followed him from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. and back again. That journey has taken me through nineteen novels and three novellas, so far. My second Journey was with a troubled Las Vegas police behaviorist, named Susan Pulaski and her unlikely assistant Darcy O’Bannon. Susan’s journey has hardly begun, but is as different from Ben’s as possible. My third journey with Mr. Bernhardt was of intermediate length between the one with Susan and the one with Ben. A supremely confident and well compensated St. Petersburg lawyer named Daniel Pike has spent six novels discovering that not only is he a Last Chance Lawyer, but able to benefit from the skills of each of the other members on his legal team. I look forward to continuing all those journeys, but Mr. Bernhardt has propelled me on a new journey with another female protagonist in his newest thriller, Splitsville.
Kenzi Rivera is the top moneymaker in the Seattle law firm of Rivera and Perez. The firm focuses on representing those with troubled family situations, and she loves her work. Her father is the managing partner but seems insufficiently impressed by her tremendous value to the firm. When she takes on a case that her father and others find distasteful, she stands her ground and threatens not only her relationship to her own family but also her lucrative career. As it progresses, the case takes her far from her comfort zone and exposes increasingly damaging evidence against her client. What began as a simple child custody fight becomes much darker and threatens not only her client’s life, but her own.
In Spiltsville, William Bernhardt explores a completely different form of legal thriller through the eyes of a uniquely flawed and thoroughly tenacious woman. More than aware of the disadvantages facing women in the courtroom and elsewhere, she refuses to represent any male clients. She makes it her mission to overcome those disadvantages for her clients and herself. One particular case challenges her own sense of professional proficiency and forces her to rely on the skills of others. Thankfully, for her, those others are all uniquely talented women, including her own daughter.
In this era of mature, white males, such as myself and Mr. Bernhardt, having to confront a privileged status we may have ignored all our lives, Kenzi’s story and that of her clients and colleagues forces us to see the world we live in through different eyes. Progress toward is not attainment of equity. I began the novel a little ticked off at Kenzi and her priorities, including her focus on how she looks and her social media persona. By the end, I was rooting for her and team of soul sisters to persevere.
It is clear to me that Bernhardt began this series to increase his own understanding of one of the most challenging issues of our time. Through his stories, Bernhardt challenges his readers to do the same. In the process he entertains with action, emotion, humor, irony, and an occasional excursion into the more bizarre practices of modern life. There is a symmetry to this novel that is especially satisfying. I challenge anyone to read the first chapter—no the first paragraph—no the first sentence of this book and try to set it down.
Profile Image for Judi Haley.
1,351 reviews6 followers
November 27, 2021
Kenzi Rivera is a divorce lawyer at her father's law firm. She is divorced and has a daughter. She thought that this day would be the day her father announced that she would be the managing partner of the firm since he was leaving. To her surprise, he announce her brother would be the one taking over.

Kenzi is clearly furious and threatens to quit the firm and make it on her own. On that day, a woman,
Maya comes in to hire her to represent her in a divorce case where her husband wants custody of their daughter. It's a case Kenzi can't resist taking, even though her father tells her not to. Maya had joined a group at church call Hexitel. A group Maya calls a religion, but others call it a cult.

This case will lead Kenzi into taking over a murder trial and fighting for her career.

I always enjoy anything written by William Bernhardt. A good suspense and lots of courtroom action!
361 reviews
December 17, 2023
I think Bernhardt has lost his touch. I liked his Kincaid books early on but have not read a good book from him for awhile. And this one is consistent with that thought. Kenzie is one poor attorney. All these surprises she ran into early on - maybe she should ask her client some questions about her case and that cult she belonged to. Or maybe do some research for gosh sakes. Lucky her daughter did all her work for her later. Kenzie was too busy ambulance chasing thru her blog. Stupid story. Stupid characters. The witnesses, judge, DA, Kenzie - brainless. Judges just would not allow a lot of this stuff to happen. And the DA should have been objecting over and over. How this unraveled was not believable. And a divorce lawyer handling a murder trial. C'mon. Really? Need I say more?
20 reviews
August 9, 2024
Fun story , Courtroom Drama a Fantasy

The author is an excellent storyteller. I enjoy his books and the quirky characters he creates. However the courtroom drama is a fantasy. No judge or prosecutor would have allowed the defense attorney to do what was done here. In essence with the jury seated, she was testifying.. Most everything described is not how a criminal trial would have happened and what transpired would not be allowed. As a retired member of the legal profession, I love legal thrillers. But the most adept authors of this genre, are able to construct a way to have truths revealed without breaking every courtroom procedure and getting away with it. It is just not possible.
3 reviews
October 1, 2022
This is my first time reading William Bernhardt and it wont be my last. Kenzi is a very appealing, complex character, at times extremely self-confident, at other times completely doubting herself. I particularly enjoyed Kenzi's spunky, enthusiastic daughter.

I'm an audiobook "reader," and the quality of the narration is a huge factor. Carrie Coello does an excellent job of seamlessly switching voices between males and females, young and old.

I'm a fan of legal thrillers, and this one, with its plot twists and well drawn characters, did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Paula Williams.
4 reviews
June 8, 2021
Pretty goodW

This story was good and unexpected. Except for the typos, I found it enjoyable. I don't like courtroom scenes, especially when the attorneys testify when asking questions that would never be allowed in a real court.

Read this one for yourself and make your own judgment. I will probably read this author again. Hope there's better proofreaders next time. It was worth the reading time.
Profile Image for Deanne Smithey.
676 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2021
This was a nostalgic read. I used to read the Ben Kincaid series by this author and enjoyed them. This is a new series about a divorce lawyer. I figured out some of the mystery before the end, but it was still a fun read. I liked that there was a group of women, including Kenzi's daughter that worked together to win their case. I read this on a Kindle and there were some editing errors. I will be back for more when the second book comes out.
591 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2021
Could not put this book down!
At first I didn’t care for Kensi, so arrogant and boastful. When I learned more about how she handled her law practice, charging a flat fee and staying loyal to her client even when she wanted to get out of the case, I respected her. I took off two stars because she learned to be a criminal lawyer way too easily. The ending was completely covered, maybe too easily but I enjoyed it!
Fun read.
240 reviews2 followers
November 20, 2022
I wish we still had Ben Kincaid

I tried the Daniel Pike series and abandoned it after two books because the main character was so pretentious. I bailed on this series after the first five or six chapters because the author is, once again, trying to appeal to an audience that no longer includes me. Kenzi is so young and whatever today's word is for "hip" that I have no interest in her or her life.
262 reviews4 followers
June 2, 2023
Better than expected

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. Kenzi is a strong woman. This book was better than expected, I thought it was just going to be about a couple fighting. But it was so much more. Don't let the title and description make you not want to read it.
Once I read a few pages the title made since. I haven't read a book that held my attention in a while. I have a running TBR list,this series is going on my list.
Profile Image for Betsey Kulakowski.
Author 1 book29 followers
September 19, 2021
I love a good audiobook and this was a great audiobook!

The story grabbed me and pulled me in right away. I found myself cheering for Kenzi Rivera every time she “stuck it to the man”. As a woman in a man’s industry, I could relate to Kenzi going up against men in power, including her own father.

I can’t wait for the next book in the Splitsville series!
Profile Image for Stephen McCutchan.
Author 12 books5 followers
August 10, 2022
The pendulum of Justice

This is a fun read of the hand of justice swinging through years and surfacing through efforts of flawed characters who don’t give up. It engages the imagination while lifting your spirit. It’s the type of book to read when you are feeling stressed. short chapters allow you to take quick breaks, but the fun plot keeps pulling you back.
Profile Image for Cybercrone.
2,106 reviews18 followers
August 19, 2023
I think this was supposed to be the e-pub edition as the 'faceless' ones usually are. And there were two other audio editions.
2.5 rounded up.
The book was not much interesting at the beginning, but picked up well as it went on.
I like all of Bernhardt's books that I've read. Hope there are more in this series - it could prove interesting.
Profile Image for Vivian Zabel.
Author 7 books10 followers
May 25, 2021
Another best-reading bestseller

I have read many books by William Bernhardt over the years, some better than others, but I have to say Splitsville is my favorite to date. The characters developed into "real" people, the plot kept my attention, and the conclusion satisfied.
149 reviews2 followers
June 7, 2021
Splitsville

I didn’t think William Bernhardt could or would create another fabulous character but he did in Kenzie. Great story line and cannot wait for the next in her series of thrillers.
86 reviews1 follower
June 15, 2021
Not up to Bernhardt standards.

It was nothing I want to read sequels to. I love Bernhardt books and writing, but this was disappointing. Also, I was distracted by the many typos. Feel like a copy editor. Waiting for my check. LOL
547 reviews7 followers
November 1, 2021
Splitsville

Really a great read! I'll admit when I started this book I thought crap this is going to be a bunch of political stuff BUT once I got going I couldn't put it down. Loved Kenzi and her girls and loved the courtroom drama!
115 reviews1 follower
November 25, 2021
Wonderful and suspenseful story

I would have never figured out the ending which was magnificently presented. This would make a wonderful movie or docudrama with episodes and a part of the tv show Bull.
Profile Image for Chuck Clowdis.
Author 1 book102 followers
January 1, 2022
Another fine series emerges for Legal fiction readers

Well crafted with compelling plot and intriguing characters. I I'll forward to the KenziKlan's next challenges. I highly recommend them.
62 reviews
July 2, 2022
Cloned Characters

I have always enjoyed this author's books, but the characters in this novel remind me too much like those in the Ben Kincaid series. The story formula was the same as well so I am disappointed. I would rather have had more Ben Kincaid books.
Profile Image for Melissa Dallman.
30 reviews
August 2, 2022
Page Turner

Fun, gripping, lots of surprises (although I figured some out pretty quickly) and some where like whoa where did that come from! I love the little quips-just enough humor to balance the case.
82 reviews3 followers
January 18, 2025
What a great read!

This one had me on the ed thege of my seat the whole time. At times it seem to little bit lightweight but about halfway through I was totally invested. Thoroughly enjoyable.
5 reviews
October 21, 2025
Can't believe this was written by a man!

Interesting exploration into "Faith "
Exposes weaknesses of both sexes And highlights women's potential strengths.
Shocking enjoyable character twists.
Bad book cover choice
16 reviews
June 13, 2021
Seriously engaging and surprising

I loved the lead character and her daughter but couldn’t have begun to imagine how their relationship would evolve to solve the case
Profile Image for Shelley Levisay.
Author 8 books6 followers
July 2, 2021
Cults and Custody

Great new lead character who battles real world discrimination in the work place. Likeable sidekicks and antagonist within her own family.
Profile Image for Denise De Las.
6 reviews
July 23, 2021
Extremely well written.

Read book all in 1 day. Couldn't put down. I'll be reading many more.The narrator was eloquent. Totally enjoyed .
7 reviews
May 15, 2022
Decent storyline

Decent story and writing but not as good as a lot of his other books. The author's older stuff is better.
35 reviews
December 8, 2022
a great read, with a complicated finish

Enjoyed the story, enjoyed the courtroom drama and did not have so many characters, that it was difficult to follow.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.