I really wish I liked this one more because I liked the idea of it. I liked the idea of grappling with the ethics of lives saved and loss (trolley problem anyone?) and the MC’s power to see how much life is left for a person was neat.
Unfortunately, I could not stand the writing in this book. It was such a chore to read; our protagonist was insufferable to me and seemed written to be a lot younger than the book wanted her to be (21? More like 13). There were also several instances where I had to put the book down and go “wait, what?” Like after reading this line: “I let out the breath I’d been holding for the past 30 minutes.” …humans can’t hold their breath that long.

I am grateful for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review but I will not be recommending this book. Because of this, I’m not planning to feature it on my bookstagram, but I do have a review up on Goodreads.

I really did not like the main character, Thea. I also was not a huge fan of the premise of the book. Thea has a godlike power and she can make you die just by touching you. So, she gets to choose whomever she wants. Just didn’t sit well with me.

It certainly would be tough to decide what to do if you discovered you had the ability to siphon off someone's life and give it to another. Humans are so very complicated and I must say I do not blame Thea for saving her best friend's life at the cost of the guy that hurt Ruth and caused her death. And what followed as she tried to figure out the power and who might be trusted with the truth is a pretty logical journey. I do wish Thea could have stood on her own two feet with her power, especially when others ended up using her for their own ends. I did get really irritated at the cop as well for hunting her, especially since the deaths caused by her power in no way looked liked murder (I mean choking on a hazelnut?!). This book did have some good messages about doing proper research before killing someone, and how sometimes there is another way to bring someone down, plus despite bad things that some people do, they can learn from their mistakes and change. As much as I was a bit disappointed by the ending (cause I wished Thea would find a way to use her power for good) it was full of feelings and a sweetness that showed how true friends will stick by you and help you choose right, even if it is hard.

So, I did like reading this book mostly, though it was a bit long. It had a good idea and interesting message, and though it had some messy bits, it will make me think about how I might go about it if I had that power.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review honestly.

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris is a darkly humorous and thought-provoking debut that blends magical realism with moral dilemmas. The story follows Thea, a woman who discovers she has the uncanny ability to determine how long someone has left to live just by touching them. But that's not all—she can also transfer life from one person to another. This newfound power leads to unintended consequences when she inadvertently saves her best friend, Ruth, by taking the life of the man responsible for Ruth's fatal accident.

As Thea grapples with her godlike abilities, she creates an "Ethical Guide to Murder," attempting to navigate the complexities of life, death, and justice. The novel delves into themes of morality, self-control, and the gray areas between right and wrong. Thea's journey is both relatable and poignant, filled with unexpected twists and emotional depth.

If you're a fan of stories that explore the complexities of human nature, the consequences of power, and the blurred lines between good and evil, An Ethical Guide to Murder is a must-read. It's a captivating tale that will make you question what you'd do if you had the power to control life and death.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I feel like the concept of this book deserves all the praise - the premise is pretty darn amazing! Someone having the power to help some people live longer by transferring time left between people? The morality of that alone would make for a fascinating book. However, the book was messy - the FMC was an utter mess and I couldn't stand her. She was very wishy washy and EVERYONE else was to blame, never her. It was very annoying and made for a rough reading experience.

really good book and loved how it brought up murder and whether or not she should murder someone. great story and enjoyed the journey.

I was kind of blown away by this book. This is a book that makes you think about what is right and what is wrong, and the gray in-between area of morality. We see that sometimes decisions (murdery decisions, obviously) that are made with good intentions lead to unintended, poor outcomes. It was really interesting to experience the effects of those decisions with the MC and see how people's lives were altered by them. The scenarios presented really had me scratching my head and agonizing with the FMC over what the right decision(s) was here. Parts of the middle of the book felt a little slow and slightly repetitive, but it was worth reading through to get to the ending. And what an ending it was. Super satisfying if not a little sad. This was an unusual read for me and makes me want to read more books like it! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

When I first picked up this novel, I was expecting something else, maybe along the lines of Rupert Holmes’ How to Murder Your Employer. What I got instead was a narrative far more layered: imagine the moral tangle of Nickelback’s “Savin’ Me” video spliced with the eerie notes of Victoria Laurie’s When, then add an ethical dilemma at the top of each chapter like a philosophical pop quiz.

From the moment Thea realizes her ability to see how long someone has to live simply by touching them, you’re hooked. Then the questions start to creep in. What do you do with that kind of knowledge? Can you redirect lifespans? Can you steal years from the villain and hand them to the saint? And if you do… are you playing God, or just playing the odds?

Morris doesn’t hold back. Each chapter opens with a new ethical quandary that forces you to pause and ask yourself what you would do. The bright, cheerful cover may suggest cozy mystery vibes, but what waits inside is a moral tug-of-war. As Thea’s grandfather wisely warns: “Doing a wrong thing for a right reason is still a wrong thing. Especially if you're the one deciding what the right thing is.” That line? It lingers. Right up there with, “just because you can, should you.”

Now, that’s not to say it’s all doom and dread. There are moments of humor, irony, and even dry wit, as you find yourself muttering, “Come on, Thea,” while she ignores red flags that are practically neon. Thea’s desperation to be seen makes her vulnerable, and Sam swoops in with just enough charm to make the reader suspicious. I didn’t trust him from the start. He was moving too fast. The charm is too polished. He found Thea’s weakness and took full advantage of it. Come on, Thea, believe in yourself and stop using a hypocrite as a moral compass.

Watching Thea evolve and how power changes her is stomach-wrenching. As she slips deeper into her role as an avenging angel, wielding mortality as a weapon and justifying her choices, the tension intensifies. Is this still the Thea we first met, or has the power transformed her into something else?

Throughout all of this, Thea balances life math with emotional fallout and giving, taking, and never quite letting the reader know where her finish line is. And then come the reveals. A twist knocks the wind out of you. The answers that click into place are tender and devastating, especially for a girl who never truly felt she belonged after losing her parents.

The ending surprised me, not just once, but twice. Just when I thought the story had neatly tied itself up, Morris tugged on a thread that unraveled even more. And that final passage? Worth it. It reframes the entire story in a way that had me revisiting earlier chapters in my mind.

So don’t let your expectations or the cover steer you wrong; this one’s worth sticking with. An Ethical Guide to Murder asks what happens when moral clarity runs headfirst into personal grief and unchecked power. And long after the last page, you’ll still be chewing on the choices made. And the ones that weren’t.

Thea has a secret power that she decides to use for good and eliminate evil. It's not as simple as it sounds. She discovers she can give a longer life to people. When her friend Ruth is killed, Thea takes the life of the killer and gives it to Thea. She knows she needs guidelines so she creates the Ethical Guide to Murder. it just seems she has a hard time following it. A good read.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher MIRA, and author Jenny Morris for providing an eARC. I'm leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I enjoyed the first 20% or so of this book. The set up was interesting, I enjoyed reading about Thea trying to understand her new power and use it for good, but things quickly dropped off for me.

I couldn't get into the romance at all. Thea and Sam's sudden shack-up caught me blindsided and I had to flip back a few pages because I felt like I had missed something. They went from "Wanna get coffee?" to cohabitating so fast I felt sure I'd overlooked something, but no. Sam also believes in Thea's power way too readily, so I thought we were setting him up to have some kind of power of his own or for him to be an actual murder/psycho killer. Neither of these things happened.

As other reviewers stated, this book got real repetitive, real fast. I lost interest but wanted to know if Thea would meet anyone like her, or face any kind of justice, or lose her power, or something. None of that happened either. There was a sort-of plot twist near the end of the book but it resolved in just a few pages and didn't have any lasting impact, so why bother.

Ultimately I'm left disappointed, wishing for more, and feel like the marketing for this book wasn't entirely accurate and missed the mark on what this book ACTUALLY is, and what it ACTUALLY is about.

I liked the idea is this book more than the execution. I thought it was a bit repetitive at times and could have gone emotionally deeper for more impact.

The pacing of the novel maintained my interest, featuring twists and turns that ensure the story remains engaging.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read to this complimentary advanced copy.

3.5 ⭐️ when you have a secret gift used with Al the best intentions initially but everything gets dark and twisted with entitlement. This leads down a conscience building road. This book has some taboo topics that can make you ponder quite a bit. Would I recommend yes but with some trigger warnings.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC to read. This my honest review with my own opinions and thoughts

Thank you MIRA and Netgalley for the ARC!

So I honestly don't know how I feel about this novel. I liked the theme, the conversation of when it is ethical to murder, when it is ethical to extend someone's life, and how we really shouldn't play G-d....but that we also would 100% do so if our loves ones were on the line. I loved how it showed the way men will cover for other men. Overall, the purpose and moral of the story I loved.

I hated the characters. The FMC is obnoxious and needed therapy. The best friend? I HATED HER. And don't get me started on the men, they were all walking red flags. Honestly, the only person I liked was the grandpa.

I do think this is a good and interesting read if one is into philosophy, but as a thriller I felt bored.

An Ethical Guide to Murder is kind of the definition of morally gray, right? I mean- sure it's kind of murdery by definition too, but if it's for a good cause, is that cool? That is literally the conundrum main character Thea finds herself in. She can give someone their life back, as she finds out quite accidentally... but only by taking it from someone else. So, there's the rub, and Thea isn't sure how to handle it. Like, at all. And this is where the story does get a little frustrating, because Thea is not so good at listening to herself at all. There is some growth during the story, but more when her back is against the wall than anything else.

She ends up leaving a lot of the decisions up to her on-again beau, Sam, who has very specific ideas of how Thea should use her power. But his definitions of "good versus evil" don't always align with hers, and she finds herself in even more complicated situations because she isn't advocating for herself. I really did enjoy her relationship with her grandfather, and her initial dynamic with her best friend Ruth. The story itself also has some definitely tense and exciting moments, which I definitely enjoyed even when I was frustrated with Thea. Add to it, I really enjoyed the thought provoking morality questions the book poses. What would you or I do if we found ourselves in Thea's shoes? I understood why she tried to make a code of ethics surrounding her newfound power, because how exactly would you manage to live with it? So yeah, I definitely found the whole concept worth reading about! It also provided a lot of really lovely moments, and some funny ones to lighten the mood when it was needed.

Bottom Line: What would you do with the power to decide who lives and who dies?

Thank you to Harlequin for the eARC! I was intrigued by the premise of this - a woman gains the power to know how much life others have left and to take and give life, then explores the ethical implications that apply (sometimes messily - as a character, not a criticism of the book!).
Some may be disappointed because this is more than just a fun exploration of the premise with a central plot. This is more of a character study (while still having interesting plot points) and it works so well.
I was so invested in Thea, at times disappointed and frustrated with her, other times empathetic and relieved by her choices. To me, that's a mark of great writing.
While I do feel this was a tad long, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and what it had to offer. An engaging story highlighting the ethics of murder and one's own responsibility/morality as it relates to it, this was absolutely for me.

This was a bit more a slow burn mystery than I was expecting. It was an interesting plot, and it took a bit to relate to the main character, Thea. She finds that she can tell how long a person has left to live by touching them.

I found the main character to be undecided in what to do with her powers, and I also got annoyed with how she didn’t own up to her own actions and tried to blame everyone else for her problems.

The plot, while interesting, left a bit to be desired. There were some things just tied together by convenience and it seemed like some things happened in order to move the plot along. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.

❤️‍🔥🔥ARC REVIEW🔥❤️‍🔥
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Confession: When I hear “sci-fi,” I think aliens and spaceship drama. 👽 So I wasn’t exactly racing to read "An Ethical Guide to Murder." I am SO glad I FINALLY gave this morally messy gem a shot. 💥 This book is sharp, emotional, and unhinged in the best possible way. And to top it off, it’s a debut! Talk about setting the bar high!💃

Thea is one of those characters you bond with—even when you’re yelling “girl, NO” at the page. She’s fierce and flawed, navigating a world where ethics aren’t black and white. They're blurrier than a late-night drunken text!

Jenny Morris serves up a mind-bending, heart-wrecking rollercoaster with just enough bite to make you think—and enough emotion to punch you right in the soul. That ending? It shattered me and somehow stitched me back together. 🔪💔✨

Thanks to @thelikelysuspects, @htpbooks, and Jenny Morris for the gifted ARCs. All opinions are my own.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

3.5/5 ⭐️
Thea can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. She can also transfer life from one person to another. She discovers this ability one night after her friend has an accident and is close to death. Thea wants to use her ability for good, but she learns that it’s not as simple as she first thought.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The middle dragged on a bit, and the pacing overall was weird/uneven. However, I did really enjoy the ending of the book so I’m glad I didn’t DNF. I did find it very hard to connect with Thea for most of the story. I didn’t feel like I truly liked her until the very end.

This book is definitely thought provoking. Does Thea really have the right to decide who should live or die?
The premise of this book is very unique!