The Mortons, a forthcoming dark academia thriller, follows Jessica Morton, a student from an old-money family that treats murder as an inherited tradition. Set at Helshire College, where crime-dynasty heirs learn illicit skills, the novel explores whether someone raised without empathy can uncover compassion or escape their family’s cruelty.

The book is the first adult novel by Justine Larbalestier and her first collaboration with her husband, Scott Westerfeld. Its premise combines a gothic academic setting with black comedy, family secrets and moral ambiguity; Jessica’s childhood ritual of raising and then killing a rabbit illustrates the Mortons’ deliberately brutal upbringing.