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.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Dark Academia, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Horror, Adult

464 pages, Paperback

First published 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

[suspenseisthrillingme · Rating 4 out of 5]

A coming-of-age story that had a Succession-meets-Ready or Not feel with plenty of dark academia vibes, The Mortons was a unique, page-turning read that was truly impossible to put down. You see, not only did this fittingly dysfunctional family of killers have unsettling rituals and complex dynamics, but their morally gray beliefs, actions, and customs gave the whole book a deliciously unhinged feel. The characters, however, were the reason my eyes were glued to the pages the whole time. Charismatic, disturbing, and thoroughly twisted, their power plays, hidden motives, and kill-or-be-killed ways were the heart of the narrative. Jessica’s arc, though, was the best part of all as her internal conflict grew and she questioned the family’s dogma more and more. An intelligent and loyal individual, her crisis of conscience made this book what it was. Bravo, dear authors, she was quite the memorable character.

So what else did I love? Well, the world building was utterly phenomenal. Sinister, dark, and oozing a gothic vibe, it was both cinematic and chilling. I do have to warn you, however, that if you are going into this book expecting a thriller, you’re most likely going to come away disappointed. With a slow-burning first half and more psychological tension than action, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting and ultimately felt more like a crime-family saga. That being said, this story definitely had my attention. With shifting alliances, disturbing traditions, and a delicious sense of dry—almost satirical—humor, it was quite the fun, wild ride. So if you want to dive into a character study of some truly f***ed-up personalities, grab this one now. A character-driven read packed with secrets, revenge, and unchecked ambition, I’m now hoping for a sequel. I mean, there has to be after that ending, right? RIGHT?! Rating of 4.5 stars.

Read if you love books that have:
- An old-money aesthetic
- Drama over thrills
- Dysfunctional families
- Dry humor
- Coming-of-age stories
- Dark academia
- Crime-family sagas
- A gothic feel
- Unhinged, morally gray characters
- Unique world building
- Thought-provoking insight
- Secret societies
- Slow-burn suspense
- Ruthless ambition
- A Succession-meets-Ready or Not vibe

SYNOPSIS:

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 crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in the knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honor. But that kill will cut more ways than one, unknotting a series of revelations spanning the Mortons’ country estate, the New York City art world, and Helshire itself.

Thank you Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, and Pamela Dorman Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

PUB DATE: July 21, 2026

Content warning: child abuse, physical and emotional abuse, gore, violence, blood, murder, domestic abuse, drug use/abuse, animal death/cruelty, alcoholism, incest, sexual content, death of a parent

[Morwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ HAPPY RELEASE DAY! ✨
______________

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 🤞🏻 )

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This was a Strange Book, but very Satisfying. I really Enjoyed It, like got Captivated by it. Deals with an Old Money Family, who know how to dress, speak, use etiquette, and understand the needs of their moneyed peers. The dark academia vibes were fantastic as Helshire College is where the children of this crime family go. Jessica Morton is thought to be the smartest and most ruthless of the new generation of Mortons. Their goal is to access power through loyalty and use murder to achieve this goal. Yet, there are twists and turns that left me reading on. I was never sure who to trust or even what the end goal was going to turn out to be. Excellent, but in the way that horror and creepiness seep in. Suggest, keeping your rabbits well looked after.

This was such an original book. Recommended Read. One of the best books I’ve read this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

[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!

[Nikki Lee (Nikkileethrillseeker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

First, can we appreciate this cover?! It’s phenomenal! I almost thought it was a fantasy. It’s stunning for sure.

Imagine being raised by a wealthy family that are also trained assassins. This did give me a little bit of Succession vibes.

The story centers around Jessica. We get to understand her schooling and training. The story also focuses a bit on Jessica‘s love life with some romance thrown in. I enjoyed the queer representation as well.

This was slow in parts and especially in the middle. The narration was done well and held my attention.

The Mortons is ultimately a character study about finding out your whole life has been a lie.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to PRH Audio and Viking for the gifted copies

[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.

[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.

[Pia · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!!!

[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.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not every book can be 5 stars. For being about an old money murderous family it was kinda boring.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant surprise, provided you can get past all the dead rabbits.

I was expecting something akin to Inheritance Games and other Westing Game derivative YA novels, but this is something else entirely. Far more harsh, complicated, and nuanced, and infinitely better written.

The book has some hints of humor, but it’s largely pretty brutal, and I loved the way the authors humanized the characters without pulling any punches as the bodies pile up. There are certainly some elements of this that mimic Succession, but somehow the authors managed to make it both more brutal and more fun.

If you are a reader who tends to be upset by books that don’t have a clear cut sense of traditional right and wrong, then this is not the book for you. We have a lot of people doing a lot of very bad things and often getting away with them, and the authors (refreshingly, in my opinion) have declined to engage in much moralizing about it. That said, the central characters are not completely amoral, and they adhere to a kind of code that, while too harsh for most of us to ever imagine in reality, makes them very interesting to read about.

Also, I feel compelled to warn readers about the violent deaths of a lot of rabbits (some of which take place on page). I didn’t love this, but even as someone who really hates animal violence in books I found it tolerable enough, and it does at least play an important role in the story.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Chanel Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me drawn in from the moment I picked it up. Murder family, mafia, dynasty all rolled into one. I didn’t know who I should trust the whole read.

[Alyssa Austen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was dark and weird and I liked it!!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of the book was hovering over a 3, but I loved the ending.

[DaniPhantom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignore the reviews that say this is a coming-of-age story, because oh boy, if your life is anything like this? I’m so sorry for you

The Morton’s are a notorious crime family, and Jessica is in the middle of it. The story starts off with a bang, like literally. Throughout the rest of the book, Grandma Morton and her other fucked up family members make up new ways for her to prove her loyalty. There’s heartache, death, murder and way too much drinking. Great crime thriller!

[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

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very deep, complicated by characters and this blind family loyalty. Jessica is a warrior, tough and edgy. Peter gone too early in my opinion. The Patriarch is one controlling evil b itch! I think Jessica knew all along she was the prodigy but what happened with her and Grandmother, Elizabeth’s conversation was deep.

The sub characters like Hiromi and Bianca were decent but Faraday was unique. The names were a bit odd too but explained that they reuse them when someone dies young SAD

[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).

[Carole Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This family of killers doesn't tolerate loose ends

Helshire College has two kinds of students, the ordinaries and the legacies. The latter are the children of one of four very old, very wealthy families who specialize in all manner of crimes (up to and including murder) and who have a tradition of always sending their progeny there. The ordinaries are a certain breed of rich kid, rebels or just out of runway to a normal future, and to the legacies they are conduits through which the legacy families can control or compromise the "normal" rich families in perpetuity. The Mortons are one of these crime families; their family motto is "fides sine cura"...loyalty without care. From the time they are small children Mortons are taught to eschew emotions and dedicate themselves to the family business. Jessica Morton is the favored child of her generation (this despite her father's horrific behavior years earlier), a real prodigy who has embraced the family's way of life and excels in the many skills and pursuits deemed necessary for a true Morton. She is given her first assigned kill and executes it flawlessly, earning a special internship in NYC over the coming summer.. But something unexpected happens...she falls in love with her assigned target there, and events snowball our of control. The perfectly aloof and calculating Jessica finds herself questioning her loyalty to the family and her upbringing as a whole.. Now no one trusts her...and she doesn't know who she can trust either. When family is everything, what do you do when you no longer want to be a part of it?
The Mortons is part dark mystery, part crime family saga, part gothic, loaded with dark humor and an ensemble cast clawing their way through a cruel world. The students at Helshire, both legacies and ordinaries, are appropriately known as Hellions, and in these pages they do stir up a lot of trouble.. The novel opens up with Jessica bumping off a younger cousin at the orders of her grandmother, thereby grabbing the reader's attention and sucking them right into the crazy, cruel world of the Mortons and their contemporaries. As the characters down their various stylish cocktails, dressed in inherited clothing of impeccable taste, they are also mentally, verbally and physically jostling for position and striving to live up to the family's very high standards (those who don't can meet an early end, as poor cousin Peter does in the beginning of the book). The family doesn't look kindly upon failure, can't tolerate loose ends....and disloyalty can mean a death sentence, Will Jessica choose empathy over loyalty? What are the consequences of living a life built on secrets, violence and moral ambiguity? I didn't dare put the book down until I found out the answers to those and other questions. The story starts out slowly as it builds the world of Helshire and the Mortons but soon works up steam. There is a bit of a slowdown later on as well, but the action builds again and lasts right up until the end. I found it a dark, witty and stylish thriller that operated in the greyest of moral territory. Fans of the authors' other works as well as readers of Lev Grossman, Ashley Winstead and Donna Tartt should definitely give this 4.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 5) novel a try. If you wove together The Godfather and Harry Potter, you might just end up with something like The Mortons. My thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me access to this intriguing novel in exchange for my honest review.

[hannah ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I was expecting it to be, but I mean that in the best possible way. Gun to my head, I truly don’t think I’d even be able to tell you what genre this book falls under because it was just this wonderful conglomeration of so many different genre elements. I went into The Mortons expecting a typical thriller with a crime family at its center, but what I got was something much stranger, sharper, and far more psychologically and character-driven. Imagine an elite legacy family where murder is considered both an art form and a family tradition, then throw in secret societies, old money, manipulation, and a protagonist who has never had a reason to question the world she was raised in… but then she begins to.

Jessica Morton was such an interesting, unique character to follow. She’s brilliant, disciplined, and almost unnervingly composed, making decisions with the confidence of someone who’s been taught her entire life that she’s destined for greatness… but that greatness is murder. Watching that certainty slowly fracture as she uncovers the truth about her family, Helshire College, and the carefully constructed reality she’s been living in was my favorite part of the book and everything unraveled perfectly.

The atmosphere shines, and whether you’re at the sprawling Morton estate, wandering through New York’s elite art circles, or navigating the halls of Helshire, everything feels elegant on the surface but you know with absolute certainty that something deeply sinister is lurking underneath. The contrast between luxury and brutality gives the novel such a distinctive identity, and I never wanted to leave this world. I think this book would’ve been even better stretched across more than one book because there was so much to explore, and it felt like this book only scratched the surface.

I also appreciated that the story isn’t interested in violence simply for shock value. There’s a reason behind everything, and beneath all the murder and manipulation is a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of legacy, loyalty, family expectations, and what happens when the person you’ve been raised to become no longer aligns with who you want to be. I can’t remember where I saw it, but someone compared this to Ready or Not meets dark academia meets The Sopranos, and I can absolutely see elements from all of those things.

The reason this lands at four stars instead of five is that the second half became a bit harder to follow. There are a lot of twists, shifting alliances, and revelations that felt like they came too quickly, and I found myself wishing we’d spent more time developing certain characters and exploring the fascinating rules governing these crime families. I loved the world so much that I simply wanted more of it before everything wrapped up.

Overall, though, The Mortons is stylish, unsettling, and incredibly unique. It’s equal parts dark academia, crime family saga, psychological thriller, and twisted coming-of-age story. If you enjoy morally gray characters, elite secretive institutions, dysfunctional families, and stories where every revelation changes your understanding of what’s really happening, this one is definitely worth picking up. I loved this so much more than I was expecting to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for this eARC!

[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

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mortons 🩸🐇✨Review✨ thank you so much partner @vikingbooks for free book!

The Mortons
by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld
out now!

Meet the Mortons: 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 crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in the knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honor. But that kill will cut more ways than one, unknotting a series of revelations spanning the Mortons’ country estate, the New York City art world, and Helshire itself.

My thoughts 💭:

Oh, this was dysfunctional and delicious, and I couldn’t look away. I went into this expecting one thing and got something completely different, but, it was exactly what I needed. Ruthless, dark, twisted, and filled with the kind of family drama that makes you want to pull up a chair and watch the chaos unfold. It didn’t necessarily feel like a traditional thriller to me, but that didn’t stop me from being invested in the Morton family and all of their secrets. There’s something so fascinating about watching these characters unravel and seeing just how far their family legacy of murder reaches. I honestly don’t think I’ve read anything quite like this before, and I am HERE for it. Give me a dark, messy character study with morally questionable people plus generational dysfunction any day and I’ll be seated!

Happy reading 📖🩸🐇

[Atelier Taylor · 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!!!!!

[Lewis-Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun and well written. Probably the most rabbit-violence I've read since Watership Down.

'The Mortons' is difficult to describe because it feels quite original. It's a crime thriller with a Tim Burton flair, some Dark Academia and one eyebrow firmly arched. It has a morbid Wednesday Addams sense of humour, especially early on. At one point, it also started to remind me of Robert Muchamore's CHERUB series, with a school that teaches violence and an extended undercover sequence.

The content here is joyously twisted. There's some incest and child-murder and heaps of animal cruelty, but it's all in good fun. Plus there's a huge number of interesting cocktails detailed.

It's a collaboration between Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld--being Westerfeld's welcome return to adult-oriented fiction after 23 years in YA. Each of these writers is talented, and you can feel the fine-tooth-comb of the editing with this one. It has a beautiful economy to the language. Which is necessary for a story this sprawling.

One of the best parts of this book is the narration. There is a tight rope here: (1) beautiful prose, (2)literal scenes, and (3)the narrator's thoughts and subjectivising of her experiences. The way the authors balance these three was absolutely essential to telling this particular story and this particular character.

Ultimately, I would read more in the world of The Mortens. And that's the sign of a great stand-alone.

Bonus: Larbalestier's 2005 novel 'Magic or Madness' was dedicated to Scott Westerfeld. It won the 2007 Andre Norton award, defeating two different Westerfeld books that had also been nominated.

[Emma Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia for the Advanced Reading Copy.
Oddly enough, I was drawn to requesting this book due to the cover art because it was mysterious and I wanted to know why each element was on the page. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to like it, and I was hooked for the first part of the book, but then I struggled to get through the remainder of the book, with the pace seeming to slow.
Jessica Morton is part of a legacy family where murder and intimidation tactics are used as means to control others. Emotion within the family is not a priority, and assassination skills are highly valued and developed. She is a student at Helshire College, where many of the families send their children, and the importance is on maintaining their dynasty, and it seemed like they were all trying to outdo one another, jostling for control. Jessica receives her first major assignment early within the book, where she becomes bloodied – it’s a devastating task and sets up her future, that of her family and those around her.
The ending was not what I expected, but I liked the way the authors concluded their story. The main characters were interesting, well-fleshed out, and you kind of became endeared to them (a blessing and a curse), even though you did not really want to like them or on occasions, wanted to cheer them on.
Whilst this book was not my cup of tea, I know that there will be many crime thriller readers who will be drawn in and enjoy the world of The Mortons.

[Onceuponaplace · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Mortons" has one of those premises that immediately sounds irresistible: an old-money family dynasty where murder is not an exception but an inheritance. It is stylish, macabre, and full of potential, and for much of the book, that promise is genuinely engaging.
The strongest element is definitely the atmosphere: a family that treats killing almost like a craft, a duty, combining privilege and brutality gives the novel a sharp, gothic edge.
Jessica Morton is also an interesting protagonist, though not always an easy one to fully connect with. Her loyalty to her family and her gradual discomfort with the world she has inherited create a solid emotional thread. She is shaped by a deeply corrupt environment, and the story is at its best when it lets that moral conflict unfold without oversimplifying it.
However, the tone walks a difficult line between dark comedy, thriller, family saga, and gothic campus novel: when that mix works, it is fun and distinctive; when it does not, the story can feel slightly overstuffed, as if there are too many ingredients competing for attention.
That said, there is a lot to admire here. The writing has style, the premise is memorable, and the book offers some clever commentary on inherited privilege, family loyalty, and the way violence can be normalised when it is protected by money and tradition.
Overall, The Mortons is an intriguing and atmospheric read with a great concept.

Thanks so much to the authors and NetGalley for my ARC!