The Mortons

by Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld

Meet the In this family, murder is currency - and business is booming.

The Mortons are a modern day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste, from their exquisitely crafted cocktails to their expertly tailored vintage garments. They are also stone-cold killers. For the Mortons, homicide is heritage.

They, along with the other legacy crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where the legacy kids strategically intermingle with ordinary students from wealthy families. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in her knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill at her matriarch’s behest, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honor.

But that kill will cut more ways than one, unknotting deep secrets that propel a series of revelations, spanning the Mortons’ country estate, the New York City art world, and Helshire itself.

What happens to Jessica when all of her dearly held certainties face the axe?

Sharp and hypnotic, The Mortons is an epic novel of alliances and power, loyalty and kinship, and the consequences of ruthless ambition.

'The Mortons is a tour de witty, thrilling and deliciously cruel. Enjoy it with a stiff cocktail.' Lev Grossman

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Summer, Adult Fiction, Suspense

Kindle Edition

Expected publication July 21, 2026

About the author

Justine Larbalestier is an Australian young-adult fiction author. She is best known for the Magic or Madness trilogy: Magic or Madness, Magic Lessons and the newly released Magic's Child. She also wrote one adult non-fiction book, the Hugo-nominated The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction (Best Related Book, 2003), and edited another, Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century.

Her surname has been pronounced in several different ways, but the FAQ on her website says that Lar-bal-est-ee-air is correct:

Q: How do you pronounce your surname? A: Lar-bal-est-ee-air. It can also be pronounced Lar-bal-est-ee-ay or Lar-bal-est-ee-er. Those are all fine by me. Friends at school used to pronounce it: Lavaworm. I have to really like you to let you get away with that one, but.

Larbalestier was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. She now alternates living between Sydney and New York City.

In 2001, Justine married fellow author Scott Westerfeld.

Reviews

[Morwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, another surprisingly-perfect-fit-for-me ARC!
What genre is this? I basically kept forgetting it wasn't my usual fantasy cause the Gothic academia vibes worked like magic even without magic!
The ending felt a bit truncated, maybe, but I loved it anyway.

Vibes are exactly what I hoped for when I selected it: Addams Family without the child-safe levity. And all the dire consequences that putting into a more adult and real setting entails.

Absolutely fantastic!

Pre-read
I like the other duotone cover more, but this was the edition I was approved for, so I'll keep it got ARC purposes.

I'll be honest, the premise looks so very cool and I've been intrigued right away, but the wide range of ratings below here has me a bit perplexed. I haven't read any so not to be influencer by them, and I wholeheartedly hope it's just a case of "not everyone's jam" (pls be my jam, though, I hate when I have to rate ARCs low 🤞🏻 )

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a trip. From the opening chapter you are in a brutal world where anyone in the family can be killed for being incompetent or even just inconvenient. This family rules the world through brutality and accounting as a Mafia-esque organization. The pacing was great in this and the plot was interesting. I do think the final section felt a little forced, but I did enjoy the actual ending. There are a lot of interesting psychological debates in here, like what makes someone so ruthless with no guilt (nature vs nurture). It's a well plotted thriller that kept me engrossed!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Mortons is a story that starts off strong with a promising world and an intriguing premise. It leans into familiar tropes like crime family, assassin‑raised‑from‑birth, and a touch of Bonnie and Clyde energy. The first half was a rollercoaster, and I was genuinely engrossed. Even though the opening was a bit slow, the world‑building made up for it. It took me more than five days to finish, which usually means the book and I aren’t clicking, but I pushed through because the setup was so interesting.

The story dives into crime family dynamics and a university setting where the characters are constantly surrounded by death, betrayal, and torture. From page one until the end, I honestly didn’t know who to trust. Unfortunately, the characters felt forced together, and that made it hard for me to fully connect. I was really hopeful when I requested this because the concept felt fresh and exciting, but it didn’t unfold the way I expected.

What I Enjoyed:
• You‑and‑me‑against‑the‑world trope
• Crime family elements never get old
• Academia setting


What Didn’t Work:
• Slow pacing
• Lacked depth in some areas
• I struggled to connect with the characters

Breakdown
Setting: 3⭐️
Characters: 3⭐️
Writing: 2⭐️
Message: 2⭐️
Overall: 3⭐️

Overall, I’d recommend this to readers of crime thrillers who enjoy fresh concepts and promising plots. Even though it didn’t fully meet my expectations, I still enjoyed the experience and the world the authors created. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Australia, and authors Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier for my advance copy. My thoughts are entirely my own.

~ JaNnA ~

[Elvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry. The primal scream is an example of what you’ll be doing while reading it, all the while shocked by how incredible and striking this book is.

I don’t think I’ve ever read something comparable. You’re thrown into something that feels like it should be madness, and yet everything clicks so perfectly, that you find yourself believing in it - the setting, the characters, the stories.

There’s so much this book has to say about love, about forgiveness, about compassion and care. You watch as these things are twisted and mangled, and yet they’re so believable that you feel them like the sharp sting of a knife.

For all we’re told Jessica is the perfect Morton, she comes alive on the page. She feels achingly real, balancing on a tightrope of expectation.

I want to talk about the last line so badly, but won’t for sake of possible spoilers, but the imagery it paints is possibly one of my favorites of late. It’s strangely poetic and yet fits the story itself so well. There is a beauty of the writing in this book, and I wasn’t expecting it. It was a lovely surprise.

I found myself in love with how Jessica experienced New York. Her love for the city, its people, her memories, it was beautiful to read. This is a book I can’t wait to experience again. While it may lose some of its surprise, it won’t lose its magic.

Reading the acknowledgements, I’m so grateful that this collaboration happened. The additions made the book, but they would’ve been nothing without the core ideas. But there is something so singular about this that I don’t think would have been possible without this book across its iterations. It managed to never feel rushed and never feel too long. It was truly as close to perfection as it could’ve been.

Thank you to Viking Penguin for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Shasta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been thinking about writing this review for days and every time I do I come back to the acknowledgments. There is reference that the people who brought this book to life have read many iterations of it over time. I think maybe that's why it was brought to life.

For me, I am left thinking "What?" Am I supposed to understand what the Mortons are? I do not. Mafia? Evil vampire family? A psychotic family a la Texas Chain Saw Massacre? No clue. And what are they after? Power? Money? Signatures on a blank sheet of paper? Okay. Still no clue.

And there were important (seemingly) parts that were just glossed over. Like, Sebastian was a different, what? Race? Skin color? Culture? I don't know but there's a comment towards the end about how being raised in a different race is difficult. If it was so important, could it have been shown more completely?

I went into this excited for it based on the snippet - "The Mortons are a modern day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste....They are also stone-cold killers." That's more information than I got from the entire book. And they don't actually seem to kill anyone but themselves. AND they spend a ton of time talking to everyone about what they do. AND empathy-enhancing drugs? Yeah. Not thanks. You lost me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for an advance digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m really hoping this is the most boring book I’ve ever read this year! I’m struggling to understand why it was published. Is it supposed to show an incestuous family? The story doesn’t make sense, and there’s no real reason for it. I don’t know what the family is all about, and the characters aren’t very interesting. I really need someone to explain why this book was made. I have to stop trying to finish books .
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy of this book.

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Pamela Dorman Books for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Mortons aren't just a crime family, they're the crime family, a large clan of stone-cold killers (and accountants-killer accountants?) silently manipulating the world's crooked elites since the times of the Roman Empire.

That said, although the Mortons are mentioned on every other page, this book isn’t so much about their operations or any particular mission or mystery as it is about Jessica Morton herself—a character study focused almost entirely on the Morton family’s star prodigy as she takes her first steps in the real world as a fully-blooded member. As a fan of character-driven narratives, that was a plus for me, although not necessarily what I expected given the book’s description. For die-hard thriller fans, the overall pace may come across as a little slower than what they’re used to, picking up at around the 50% mark rather than after the event marketed as the inciting incident.

In following Jessica Morton's foray into the family business, the book explores how callousness and empathy can both be weaponised for the benefit of unscrupulous individuals, and calls into question whether empathy has any bearing on whether a person lives an ethically laudable life. Personally, I would have liked the book to explore the latter topic in a little more depth, and found the ending somewhat abrupt and anticlimactic - although we are given a glimpse at what the answer to this question might be, it's not presented to the reader in as much detail as the narrative really required, in my opinion, hence my three-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.

Still a light, enjoyable read for fans of:
🩸 Dark Academia
🩸 Crime Families
🩸 Secret Societies
🩸 Complex FMCs
🩸 Character-Driven Stories
🩸 Mouth-Watering Cocktails
🩸 Old-Money Aesthetics

[Taylor Š · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay but truly… this book needs to include cocktail recipes because every drink mentioned sounded incredible 🍸

Now, onto the actual review.

The Mortons are one of four legacy families who act as fixers for the rich and powerful. To be a Morton means being unfeeling, unquestioningly loyal, and willing to do whatever the family demands. From birth, they’re trained to kill, to endure torture, to inflict it, and, above all, to serve.

We follow Jessica Morton, a prodigy within the family, whose first official assignment is to kill her own cousin, her shadow. That single command sets off a chain reaction that forces Jessica to confront the brutal reality of the family she’s been molded to protect. As cracks begin to form in everything she’s been taught, she’s left with an impossible question: does she truly have what it takes to be a CAREer Morton?

I absolutely loved this one. It dives deep into themes of loyalty, legacy, friendship, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. The writing kept me hooked; I was racing through chapters just to see what would happen next. The inner workings of the Morton family were fascinating in a dark, unsettling way. They operate less like a family and more like a highly polished crime syndicate, and that tension hums beneath every interaction.

The characters felt distinct and deliberate. Each family member had a slightly off-putting edge that made them feel dangerous in a way that fit the story perfectly.

This book is sharp, intense, and absolutely gripping! I definitely recommend picking this one up 📚

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley for my consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars***

Thank you to Penguin/Julia for this ARC!!

I can’t even gather my thoughts, this book had me hooked.

Okay, so the Mortons are an old money family and they make and keep their money by “incorporating” powerful families, which is basically them signing these families into their debt. They do crazy no-questions-asked shit for them like threatening/killing people who inconvenience these incorporated families. It’s giving John Wick universe mixed with dark academia vibes.

The Mortons are cruel and loyal and they’re willing to cull anyone in the family that can’t live up to that. With that said, the character arc of our MC was CHEFS KISS. Speaking of character, I loved all the characters and their interactions - scenes with Gertie were my fave. I also loved the letters (iykyk) and wish we got more!!! I think I could read an entire book of just short interactions between this cast of characters - Mortons and ordinaries alike.

The Mortons are an old family and with that comes old traditions and they’re wiiilllldd. I’m obsessed with this family, as any ordinary would be 🙂‍↕️ the love and homey-ness of the family estate is beautiful and manipulative; it’s like, of course you’d want to stay in this cruel fucked up family, but you can’t take any of it at face value.

I do feel the ending was a bit weak - the beats were missing meat and potato - and I’m not sure if this book is supposed to be read as a stand alone?? There’s a lot of potential for a sequel/series, but if it’s a standalone the ending is a bit disappointing.

I have so many Thoughts. I can’t wait for July when I can discuss with people!!!!!

[ml; · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started to read this, I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I was excited to give it a go. It seemed to have a Addams Family vibe to it, but in a more modern, 21st century way.

The first chapter was immediately gripping and exciting, with the following chapters continuing to set up intrigue while developing the world around the characters. Personally, though, I struggled keeping track of the characters since the family itself was so big, which only then became that bit more difficult when the other families were introduced. It became slightly easier in places as the story unfolded, but I still needed to remind myself who was who.

By part two I could see a real plot beginning to form, but I found myself needing to force myself to focus on reading, rather than getting lost in the narrative, so I felt quite a disconnect from the characters and the events playing out around them. Even by the final part of the book I found myself needing to be reminded of who certain characters were, so maybe if I had been able to get my head around each character then I’d have enjoyed this more.

Who knows, maybe I’ll come back and reread this one day and enjoy it more as I get to know each character again and look out for hints of foreshadowing. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC🖤

[Ishitha Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Netgalley and Viking Books! 👌🏼

The Mortons is one of those books where the plot isn’t the star. It’s such a good time despite that, and darker than one would expect.

At its heart it’s a coming of age story, peppered with archery, forensics, and best of all, knowing how to clean up after a murder. The FMC has been raised to be Morton prodigy through and through, and the Morton way is simple: protect the family, preserve the family, and if someone threatens any part of it, even if its family, you handle/cull it. The family is obscenely wealthy, and they set things right, with murderous intent.

What makes it so compelling is watching her navigate life with this completely conditioned black heart, and then slowly albeit reluctantly, watching it go a little red. This navigation flows smoothly, even if demands blood and bodies along the way.

The conversations are genuinely wonderful to read. And the characters, spicy! Gertie is a delight every time she makes an entrance. There’s this dark comedic undercurrent running through everything that you don’t really care where the plot is going.

So far, I’ve never read anything quite like this. It’s dark and witty without ever being droll. Four bright stars!

[Tabatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ Book Review: The Morton’s by Justine Larbalestier & Scott Westerfeld ✨

This book sucked me in completely. From the very first page, I was hooked and didn’t come up for air until the end. I love a good legacy or mob-style story — and this one? Truly one of the best I’ve read.

Larbalestier and Westerfeld build such an interesting, chilling world — one that feels both elegant and brutal. The Morton family is the kind of dynasty that commands your attention, with hearts as cold as ice and rituals that will leave you both horrified and fascinated. Every member of this family feels alive on the page — flawed, complex, and unforgettable.

The pacing is spot-on from start to finish. It never drags, never loses focus — it just tightens its grip the deeper you go. By the time I turned the last page, I was utterly in love with this story, this family, and the dark, glittering world they inhabit.

If you love stories about power, bloodlines, and the haunting cost of loyalty, The Morton’s is one you won’t be able to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book far more than I expected to, especially after reading the blurb, which sounded like it would deliver a tense, emotionally charged family drama. Instead, I found it difficult to stay engaged with a storyline centred on a family plotting to kill their own members. While dark themes don’t usually put me off, this particular angle felt so extreme and uncomfortable that it pulled me out of the story rather than drawing me in. I kept waiting for a twist or deeper motivation that would make the premise more compelling, but it never quite landed for me.

That said, the writing itself had moments of promise, and I can see why the concept might appeal to readers who enjoy more sinister, morally twisted plots. For me, though, the emotional connection I hoped for just wasn’t there, and the tension didn’t build in the way I expected. I finished the book feeling more disappointed than thrilled, wishing the execution had matched the potential of the blurb.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

[faria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I hit the halfway mark of this books I absolutely sped through it. I think my slowness in the first half was due to my dislike of a certain character and their excessive use of the word ‘dear’ in a way that I’m almost certain was intentionally used to make them seem annoying and pretentious, at least that’s exactly how I saw them.. throughout the whole book (i was truly rooting for their demise (not revealing if that ever came about)).

The concept is super interesting because of how real it seems, a family spanning generations, hiding in the shadows, quietly manipulating the political landscape and placing people in positions of power in order to control the world. That feels pretty real.

I loved Jessica. Her desire to be perfect, exactly what her family wanted in all aspect. The evolution of her character throughout this book was so interesting. How far will you bend for your family? Are your emotions and thoughts even your own?

The way this ended was absolutely biting, I adored it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley for an advance copy of this book for review purposes. This was the perfect beach read. I found myself putting the book down, taking a walk, coming back and reading for a while. Jessica and her cousin Sebastian are Mortons (Sebastian is adopted). Their family purpose is to solve problems and integrate people who need help into their family. Sebastian and Jessica and some of their cousins attend the Hellion College. In addition to the Mortons, there are three other families in the world doing the same thing. The Mortons also have a tradition in which each cousin gets a rabbit, cares for it for a year and then kills it. The references to this could be disturbing for some although it is not graphic. Sebastian and Jessica decide that they are going to get out of the family business. They enlist some of the members from the other three families. This would be great for book club. Read this at the beach! Thank me later

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is somewhat different and somehow more involving than other stories of college students and their adventures. Perhaps it's the arranging of others deaths or the scheming to ensnare people into blind contracts, that sets it apart.

Realistically it is a young adult novel, with the associated juvenile relationships. I do find the intimacy elements irritating, though I understand that they are for those with tastes that are more gratuitous than mine. So I ignore them and move on.

I am not a person to over exclaim about endings, so I'll just say it was sad and bleak, but wholly in keeping with the tone of story. I don't anticipate a follow on, but I would certainly take a look if one came along.

I am thankful to the author, Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business | Viking
and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book for free.

3.5 ⭐

[Bethany (is booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Morton’s is what the Addams Family would be if set in an unsupernatural world and were interested in money or power not eccentricities. The premise is what drew me in the first chapter hits the ground running, I will say after the first two chapters the story already starts to lose its momentum. There are a few writing quirks the author uses which I despised, mainly the overt use of ‘dear’ and the superficial glazing over large plot points at times.

The Morton’s are crazy, like power, and only the “strongest/smartest” survive. I didn’t mind this concept, it feels on brand with the sulking in the shadows the family seems to do.

The cocktails used sounded absolutely delightful in this book. Even the ones I knew I wouldn’t like, I was immensely curious about.

Ultimately, it was enjoyable (pushing through the quirks) but missing something for me to rate it any higher.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope this book is a hit. It's got a unique premise, a Wednesday-Addams-like voice, and an intricate and well-formed plot that is engaging and clever. At its heart, the book examines, "Do we have to be who our families think we are 'supposed' to be?" but with knives, murderous intent, and wry humor. Larbalestier captures the spirit of growth and self-examination that often accompanies the college years (especially as Jessica spends the summer in the art world, where she is often on her back foot in terms of worldliness and experience).

For all book professionals, the scene near the end, when Jessica is tripped up in the library ("But the book in my hand was not checked out") should make this five stars for that laugh-out-loud moment alone!

The husband-wife writing collaboration, as detailed in the afterword, makes this book extra appealing. Would highly recommend.

[Gabi Staron · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the start you get a glimpse into the Morton family and who they are as well as what they expect of the next generations as well as what it takes to prove to be a Morton and earn the coveted title of "uncle" or "aunt" and the cut throat world that they live in. This book shows the reader what it's like to have a secret society at home through family masked by accounting, old money and old secrets... and the finest cocktail you can think of. When I say I could NOT get enough and had to force myself to put the book down because of all the twists and turns in this book that literally made it feel like you were there with Jessica trying to figure it all out I mean it. If you're looking for a book that embodies what a secret society is as well as following the uprise in wanting the old money aesthetic this is the one for you especially if you love a good murder or a few...

[Quinn Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Random House Aus and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!
My rating - 3.5 stars
I loved the premise of this book and was so keen to get started - university setting, legacy family, modern day dynasty & stone cold killers. I loved the off-putting vibes each character in the family gave, but I do feel like I still didn't quite understand what the true goal and purpose of the Morton family was by the end. The plot itself had some strong moments, especially early on & the writing was easy to get through - I found myself wanting to keep reading just to see where it was all going.
It’s an easy, fairly entertaining read, but the execution didn’t quite match the potential for me. Glad I read it, probably won’t think about it much going forward.

[Anita D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advanced reader copy review of The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

🌟🌟🌟 I liked it
🔥🔥 not-gratuitous sex scenes (f/f and f/m)

I love a good thriller. This book was a lot of fun. I liked that it was a thriller based on a group of mostly younger people. The rich, crazy, powerful family.

I found Jessica frustrating throughout most of the book. She wasn’t meant to be all that likeable, given her family and upbringing.

I got lost sometimes, jumping between the different places and stories.

Thank you to Larbalestier and Westerfeld, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC. I was not incentivised to read or review.

[Tabetha (tabsbooknook) · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC review: The Mortons
Publisher: Penguin Australia
Release date: 21 July 2026
⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Penguin for the early review copy.
Unfortunately this book was a let down for me. The first third started off strong, learning about this ancient family line and their propensity towards murder for their betterment on society gave it a very Succession meets Ready Or Not type of vibes. But once we got to the second third onwards, the book lost me. The characters were not likeable and not in a good way, and parts of the story dragged with the final third just being a bit meh for me.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg it's like The Kingsman Jr. but without the Arthurian stuff and with a more ~dark academia turn to it.

I could not put it down!

it DOES have a LOT of descriptions of cruelty to animals (which I hate obv) but I was compelled to keep reading anyway which says a LOT about the pacing of this.

I think teen readers who like dystopias/thrillers will like this even though it's not actually a dystopia. Or rather it posits that late stage capitalism is already a dystopia, perhaps.

[Emalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very dark academia-secret society-cult-Addams family vibe to this one. I was hooked in at the first chapter, but it really crawled through the middle for me. The characters are compelling and really wack, but they work well for the strange story. Thank you NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the e-ARC!

[Mon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've spent weeks trying to read this. I'd read a few pages and my eyes wanted to be on anything but the page. I hate Jessica - her arrogance and vague way of narrating. The story doesn't seem to be going anywhere except for how powerful and great her family is.

Thanks to the Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC, but this isn't for me.

[Cari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Booklist review, and oh boy, it was brutal. It was very well-written and compelling, but it was so hard to read just because of the cruelty of the characters. There were a few plot points that also didn't make sense. In this kind of book, I think it's okay for none of the characters to be likeable (they're all terrible, but that's kind of the point). But for me, that was tough to read.

[Silvia Ligorria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a stone-cold killer become anything else than what she was raised for? Where does her loyalty rests? What is more valuable? This novel takes us through a journey where choices need to be made but also choices were already made for them. An exciting start and interesting ending, but a slow-burn middle part felt too extensive.

[Library Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of my favorite authors wrote one intriguing story.
It grabbed me right from the start and was hard to put down.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read full of plot twists. Looking forward to a sequel (or sequels).

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting take on a different family dynamics. Holds the suspense until the very end, and keeps you wishing they chose different paths.