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  • Published: 21 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761353529
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 480

The Mortons




A darkly funny, action-packed gothic thriller following a modern-day, old-money crime family with murderous intent. It's The Secret History meets The Sopranos, with a dash of Saltburn!

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.

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 her 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 - and it will set in motion a series of events from which there is no turning back.

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

‘Slippery, sinister and so much fun.’ Charlotte McConaghy

'Stunningly original and fiendishly good. The Mortons left me reeling. A masterclass in moral ambiguity and shocking twists.' Sarah Pekkanen

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

'The Mortons are the most spectacularly unhinged crime family ever imagined. Their story hurtled along so fast and surprised me so often I was shocked to realize I’d been contemplating and recalibrating my moral compass as I read, but so I had. An absolute delight.' E. Lockhart

  • Published: 21 July 2026
  • ISBN: 9781761353529
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 480

About the author

Scott Westerfeld & Justine Larbalestier

Justine Larbalestier & Scott Westerfeld are the authors of The Mortons, their joint adult debut, slated for simultaneous publication in 2026. Justine is an award-winning author of several novels for young adults, including My Sister Rosa, How to Ditch Your Fairy, Liar, Razorhurst, and Zombies v Unicorns (with Holly Black). Scott is best known as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for adults and young readers, including the Uglies and Impostors series, and the Leviathan trilogy. Justine and Scott are married and split their time between Sydney and NYC.

Praise for The Mortons

Slippery, sinister and so much fun.

CHARLOTTE McCONAGHY

The Mortons is a tour de force: witty, thrilling and deliciously cruel. Enjoy it with a stiff cocktail.

LEV GROSSMAN

The Mortons are the most spectacularly unhinged crime family ever imagined. Their story hurtled along so fast and surprised me so often I was shocked to realize I’d been contemplating and recalibrating my moral compass as I read, but so I had. An absolute delight.

E. LOCKHART

Stunningly original and fiendishly good. The Mortons left me reeling. A masterclass in moral ambiguity and shocking twists.

Sarah Pekkanen