An interesting, though underdeveloped, thought experiment into one of the biggest questions in philosophy – what is the value of a human life, and are some lives more worthy than others?

Thea Greaves wakes up one day with the inexplicable ability to tell how long someone has to live. On that same day, she accidentally-on-purpose kills somebody to save her best friend’s life – transferring the remainder of her victim’s life to her friend. This power is heady, and Thea is unprepared to deal with the ethical consequences. She teams up with Sam, a lawyer with the inside scoop on the worst criminals in the city. With their self-written ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’, Thea and Sam are bringing justice to sweatshop owners, human traffickers, drug dealers, and more – people who can afford to be above the law. But sometimes good and evil aren’t as simple as what’s on the surface, and Thea may not be the best arbiter of justice after all.

The premise is certainly interesting – if someone was able to shift life from supposedly evil people and into the deserving (children with cancer? Homeless shelter directors? The book is vague on this point), is it ethical to do so? But for a book that promises deep philosophical ramifications, this book is skimpy on actual philosophy, or indeed, any type of internal struggle or moralizing. The closest to real philosophy the author gets is the trolley problem (one of the most famous thought experiments in the field, but also very basic). I was expecting something more like The Good Place – a hefty dose of deep thinking and important issues against a lighthearted background with jokes. That was what the opening chapters seemed to set up. Instead, it was a self-involved and impulsive protagonist with too much power and few ethical boundaries performing ad-hoc vigilante justice when the whim took her. The book is interesting but ultimately unsatisfactory.

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris is a thought-provoking novel about morality, power, and the consequences of playing with life and death. The book focuses on Thea Greaves, who wakes up one day with the ability to see the lifespan of those she touches and realizes that she can also transfer life from one person to another.

Thea and Ruth have been best friends since they were children. That’s why Thea didn’t believe her “hallucination” of seeing Ruth dying later that night. But when an accident leaves Ruth bleeding out on the sidewalk, Thea then discovers that she can actually take life from one and give it another. That was how she was able to save Ruth’s life. But this leads down the road of morality, ethics, and the power over peoples lives. Where Thea seems to want to do good, how is one person able to decide who gets to live or die?

This novel is very thought provoking, especially with each chapter opening with one of Thea’s “Ethics to Murder” statements. The book really makes you think about your own moral compass while reading Thea’s justification of her actions. The whole book is character driven and you see Thea struggle through most of this book. I didn’t really find her relatable though, mostly just aggravating. I found it hard to sympathize with her, but could just be me! I had thought this book was going to be funnier, but there’s really not much humor or comedy here. I did like the twists and I thought the ending was perfect.

While it did take me a while to read because it didn’t hold my interest through the whole story, I would still recommend this book to others. I also think this book would be great for book clubs since it could open up discussions about moral compasses, Thea’s justifications, and if readers feel the same about Thea’s “ethics” for murder and giving life.

This book begs the question: with the power to give and take life; where is the line that it’s too late to come back from?
I think what I liked most about this book is the believability in Thea’s Story on what coming with the power to save and harm people by taking their years of life can do to a person.
If I had a window into seeing when someone close to me was going to die and I could change it by taking away another persons life force (especially people who are in the sense, wasting the life that they have) and save them with it? I would do it without a second thought. But I could also see how that would be a slippery slope to navigate. Following Thea on her journey through this terrifying god like power was for sure an anxiety inducing ride.
Some scenes were fillers and could have been tossed out but overall it was an engaging story you didn’t know what was going to happen.
I would give it a 4 star rating and would recommend it to anyone look for an interesting take on the morally grey genre .

At first, An Ethical Guide to Murder felt like a slow burn, but once it picked up, I was completely hooked—reading until midnight just to see how it would all unfold. This book doesn’t just tell a story; it forces you to sit with the complexities of morality, questioning what is truly good or bad. The lines between right and wrong blur in ways that are both unsettling and thought-provoking, making it impossible to look away. The twists and emotional weight of the narrative took me on a rollercoaster, leading to an ending that was as unexpected as it was beautiful. It’s a book that lingers long after the final page, leaving you reflecting on just how grey life really is.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest

Thank you to HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this novel. An Ethical Guide to Murder will hit store shelves on May 20th and will be featured in this year’s Summer Reading Guide.

This surprising genre-bender is a perfect read for fans of Assassin's Anonymous and The Good Place. It blends elements of fantasy, magical realism, and heart-wrenching drama.

An Ethical Guide to Murder centers around Thea, a woman with a profound yet morally complicated gift: She can determine how long someone has left to live by touch and even transfer life from one person to another.

When an attempt to save her best friend, Ruth, a gifted physician who does much for the world, goes awry and ends with an accidental death, Thea realizes that she can, essentially, suck the life out of the person who hurt her and transfer those years of life back into her best friend. As her gift becomes stronger and she becomes entangled in several accidental deaths around town doing a few trades, and an old boyfriend with incredible connections partners up with Thea to take down an elaborate web of evil people he has encountered as an attorney.

In these times of political upheaval and capitalist maneuvers, I found this fictional exploration surprisingly therapeutic- it paused my doomscrolling for an entire day! If you could trade the life of an evil person for the life of a child battling leukemia, it would be an easy trade. More than a few people are making headline news that I would like to shave a few years off to give to someone far more deserving.

However, complications arise when we discover that people aren't always who we believe them to be. As Thea ventures on a personal journey seeking vindication for a tragedy in her childhood, you'll find yourself navigating that beautiful gray area of morality that would spark fascinating discussions in a book club.

Thea's growth journey is powerful, and although some readers may find her use of her gifts questionable at times, the character development is strong and relatable. The plot unfolded in unexpected ways, and by the end, I was in tears—both from the emotional payoff and the way the author brilliantly tied everything together.

The book is slightly longer than necessary, featuring a beautiful conclusion that could have come much earlier, but I'm so glad I persevered. The author magnificently rewards the reader with an ending worth the wait. Don't be surprised if this book enters next year's book club lineup; it's a unique, thought-provoking read I can't wait to share with you.

DNF @ 21%. This was a very intriguing premise, but I found it very difficult to connect with the story. The main character was quite unlikeable and immature, especially when compared to the more dimensional side characters who I found myself becoming more partial to. Thea's moral compass often contradicted her actions, which I often disagreed with. For these reasons, I will not be continuing with the book.

2.75 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A book with a great premise that didn't live up to its potential. It does too much philosophical waxing instead of posing and exploring the moral compass in a more general manner. Some of the moral dilemma questions were funny and the book was engaging but I found the main character to be a bit flippant for how much psychological depth the book tries to have. I thought this was an interesting spin on a hero story, and by the end, I liked the main character a lot more.

I was hooked by the premise of this novel - a moral compass of who deserves to live or die. It’s an interesting and reflective topic so I appreciated the thought provoking themes.

There were times where I enjoyed the ideas of our main character but I had a hard time connecting with her. She was immature and not very likable

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris is a darkly intriguing and morally complex tale that blends supernatural elements with psychological exploration. The protagonist, Thea, discovers she possesses a unique and unsettling gift: the ability to determine how long someone has left to live simply by touching them, and the power to transfer life from one person to another. When her best friend, Ruth, is fatally injured, Thea's desperation leads her to save Ruth by sacrificing the life of the man responsible. This sets Thea on a path that challenges her sense of right and wrong.

As Thea grapples with her godlike abilities, she constructs her own "Ethical Guide to Murder," a set of personal rules for deciding who deserves to live and who should be punished. However, her journey into this moral gray area forces her to confront the complexities of human nature—what truly makes someone "good" or "bad"? And as Ruth’s borrowed time dwindles, Thea must confront the deeper consequences of playing god.

Morris weaves a compelling narrative that raises thought-provoking questions about morality, justice, and the weight of decisions that alter life and death. The book balances thrilling moments of suspense with a nuanced character study of Thea's evolving understanding of her power. Her internal struggle with what is right, the consequences of her actions, and the blurred lines between good and evil create a captivating psychological tension.

An Ethical Guide to Murder is a unique, thought-provoking read that will leave readers pondering the consequences of power and the moral dilemmas inherent in deciding who truly deserves life or death. Morris’s storytelling is engaging, darkly humorous, and filled with unexpected twists, making it a must-read for fans of speculative fiction with a psychological edge.

Such an interesting premise and it brought up a lot of questions about morality. I really liked how much this book made me think. The main character was very unlikeable to me which made it hard for me to get into the book and want to read it. But I really appreciate how it was written and it almost felt like a villain origin story to me. It was very interesting to see Thea have to figure out how this new power works and how to use it. It made me think a lot about how I would handle things if I were in Thea's shoes. I'm glad I'm not!

Questions I love: “Would I kill a bad person to save a good one?” and another being “How much would I eat a human toe for?”

Wow, this book was hilarious, dark, emotional, heartwarming, and giving me existential dread at the same time.


What an incredible story of one woman’s unbelievable ability to take years of life from one and give to others. It truly had me gasping, and reflecting on what I would do with such power? Would I take from someone that I assumed wasn’t worth living? Out of spite? For love?


While there was some good laughs, and I had some love for our leading lady—I was also a bit disappointed in the immense filler before the end. Where I thought we would have an ending came more plot? It was worth the effort to finish overall. Karma, and all.

Thank you HTP books and Netgalley for my arc in exchange for my thoughts.

One day, Thea figures out that she has the power to know how long a person has left to live. Not only that, but she can transfer time from person to person. When she sees her friend Ruth has very little time left, Thea kills a man and gives Ruth the years mere moments before her death. Thea then sets out to make rules for when and how to use her powers. But she quickly learns that things aren't very straightforward on how to decide right from wrong.

I wanted to love this one even more, but it was a bit all over the place towards the end of the book. I think the book may have been even better if it was shortened/condensed a bit, as much was repetitive to get Thea to the same ending. I did read the uncorrected proof, so that may have caused some inconsistencies as well.

But I did like how the author was able to wrap up everything so nicely at the end. Thea as a character was well developed and went through the transformation and growth that I was hoping that she would go through. As the title implies, many ethical gray areas were discussed and discovered. One thing I know after reading this is that I would never like to be burdened with this type of power that may, at times, accidentally be used on others.

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and Jenny Morris, for the eARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.

it's 2025, we don't have time for women with mythical powers being told what to do by mediocre men.

40% in and the FMC irritated me enough that I had to bless and release! Cool concept just not the folks for me.

Ugh - this story had so much potential to be the greatest superhero paranormal story of all time but it just fell flat because Thea was so terrible. I couldn't stand her! She was super immature and dumb. It was awful and painful to keep reading this.

This book follows Thea’s story of gaining the ability to change fate by siphoning life from others to save those she deems more deserving. Unfortunately, Thea was a dreadful character to follow.

Maybe I'm not the right reader for a book like this. I wanted more from the story and characters than what was offered. The plot was repetitive and disengaging. It pains me to rate this so low because of the work the author put into the book. Simply, this book was not for me.

This book started off real great, Thea could tell how long someone will live just by a touch and she could be able to transfer it as well. The concept is nice but it did sort of repeat. Which I mean it makes sense it does as it is something Thea does. I like the inner battle of her being like well one more, and going after those who should be harmed. I mean it does make you think, would you take a life to save your best friend? What could you do with the knowledge of death and time. It was a fun read and I am glad to have been able to read it.

While I did not hate this one… I felt anger towards the main character and the ending did not make me feel content. There was no halt and it felt overly depressing. I would not read again

This book follows Thea, who has the power to feel the exact time people will die and the ability to siphon and give life. I thought the concept of the book was great. I found the book to be thought provoking, which I loved. However, I didn’t not care for a single character in the book. Thea was immature and annoying, Ruth felt entitled, Sam seemed disingenuous from the start. The side characters weren’t much better. I had a difficult time finishing this read because I couldn’t connect with a single character. The ending of the book was the saving grace. I found it to be perfectly emotional and a beautiful end to the story. Thank you to NetGalley for and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Ethical Guide to Murder brought up so many ethical questions and left me thinking about those long after the book ended. The writing itself was easy to digest, which I think is important with a premise like this one, and the humor was well done (I even found myself laughing aloud at some points). Even though there weren’t any characters that I felt were “likable,,” and there were some elements in the book that I disagreed with, Jenny still creates strong a foundation for understanding why her characters act and think the way they do.

At no point did I know where the book was going, but that made the ending all the more beautiful and impactful. This is the first book I’ve ever cried in (and I’ve been reading books all my life). The selflessness and growth Thea showed in the arc towards the end was so well done.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this arc.

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.