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!

📖 Title: An Ethical Guide to Murder-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Jenny Morris- a new to me author

📅Publication date: 5-20-25 | Read 5-13-25

📃 Format: eBook 381 pgs.

Genre:
*Fantasy
*Mystery/Suspense
*Adult Fic

Tropes:
*magical realism
*good vs evil
*vigilante justice

👆🏾POV: 1st person single

⚠️TW: grief, child abuse, leukemia, death of parents-h, suicide attempt, SA

🌎 Setting: London

Summary: When Thea knows her friend will die, she uses her supernatural power to take life from someone else to keep Ruth alive. As she uses her control over life and death, her moral compass shifts so she invents an ethical guide of who deserves to die.

👩🏾 Heroine: Thea Greaves-works in HR at a bank, raised by Grandad after her parents' car accident.

🎭 Other Characters:

*Dr. Ruth Levy-Thea's childhood friend and BFF
*Sam Ellis-a human rights lawyer who interned with Thea, becomes her love interest
*Zara-Thea's boss, Ruth's friend
*Oliver Locksley-Ruth's patient Thea saved
*Karly + Leo- young mother and son, Sam's client
*Othello-18, a socialite that lives in Sam's building, befriends Thea
*Officer Stewart-investigates Thea for being present at suspicious deaths

🤔 My Thoughts: I loved the concept of an ordinary person having the ability to control life and death. It called her morality into question, as well as other people. Ruth, Oliver, and Sam played pivotal roles in her decision to implode peoples' lives. Her relationship with Grandad is complicated but they found a way through it. I loved Thea went to AA to make amends which she did in the best way.

Rating: 5/5 ✨
Spice level 1/5 🌶️all off page

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, and Jenny Morris for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

A quirky, comedic take on a grim and morally slippery superpower

Thea has a dangerous secret—she can touch someone and know how much time they have left to live, and she has the ability to transfer life from one person to another. After a tragic accident leaves her best friend, Ruth, fatally injured, Thea unknowingly kills the man responsible and saves Ruth by transferring his life force to her. With this newfound godlike power, Thea struggles with the ethical implications of deciding who deserves life or death. To navigate her abilities, she creates an "Ethical Guide to Murder," but as she tries to right wrongs and balance good and bad, she realizes the lines aren't as clear as she thought. With Ruth's borrowed time running out, Thea must figure out the rules of her power before it's too late.

Thea’s superpower is an undeniably cool concept, and the novel’s central question - how do you ethically use such a fundamentally unethical power? - sets up a fascinating moral minefield that the story is eager to explore, if not always gracefully (as I doubt there truly is a correct answer).

The world-building shines most in the way it captures the intoxicating danger of controlling life and death, especially when no one around you knows you have that power. The necessity of an “ethical guide” becomes clear early on, though the book cleverly underscores how subjective, and sometimes hypocritical, ethics become when power is involved. Thea begins as someone trying to do the right thing, but it isn’t long before she’s justifying her own dark impulses under the guise of justice. This descent - into a borrowed lifestyle among the rich, and a slow unraveling of her moral boundaries - is where the novel’s character work starts to get interesting, if somewhat uncomfortable.

The novel also dives headfirst into messy, deeply human relationships. Sam, Thea’s manipulative boyfriend, is a standout antagonist - controlling, emotionally abusive, and disturbingly persuasive. His influence makes Thea’s choices all the more complicated. Ruth serves as the book’s moral anchor - her unwavering principles clashing starkly with Thea’s increasingly flexible ethics. These dynamics are well-drawn and thought-provoking.

The underlying notion that wealth breeds evil is both intriguing and heavy-handed. There’s a clear critique of privilege here - how money gives people the means and protection to commit harm. While this adds a sharp edge to the narrative, it also paints with a broad brush, making some plot turns feel a little too convenient or ideologically neat.

The pacing can drag at times, and while the writing style is often witty and biting, it occasionally undercuts the emotional weight of what’s happening. That said, the story lands a surprising twist that reframes much of what came before and offers a semi-satisfying rationale for how and why these powers exist.

An interesting premise makes for a thought provoking read. Thea's sudden ability to not only see when someone will die but also to transfer life between individuals comes as a surprise but she moves forward after she saves her friend Ruth's life. But who to cancel and who to save? Thea discovers it's not an easy choice, thus the ethical part of the title. What if there's a child involved? What if the power can be used for revenge? It's interesting to watch Thea work her way through the options. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. You'll think about this one later.

DNF.

Unfortunately, the writing wasn't for me. Felt very inconsistent.

I did love the premise and think the finished copy would make more sense.

Interesting premise that looks to humanize the ethical and moral implications of death. I enjoyed the concept, but tone and semi-stream of consciousness really didn’t fit for my reading style.

Good thriller debut. Interested to see what else this author releases.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & MIRA for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the publisher.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book via Netgalley. All thoughts in this review are my own opinion and given voluntarily.

I really enjoyed my time while reading this book. I found the premise to be incredibly unique. I thought that the topic of ethics throughout the plot was very interesting to read. To give a little backstory, our main character Thea finds herself with the ability to see how long people have left to live and she can suck the life out of someone, and transfer it into somebody else. From there she finds herself in various situations, where she finds herself deciding the fates of others. Some things go right, some things go wrong. I found myself incredibly drawn into the plot of the story. I felt like it was well paced.

I also found the characters of the story to be well written. While they weren't always the most likable, I found them all to be extremely compelling, and how the characters impact the decisions and the lives of one another. It made for a lot of drama between the characters that was fun to read. The main character Thea, definitely had a lot of character growth throughout the story. I wasn't really rooting for her for the majority of the story. The only one I was rooting for was Ruth. My main complaint about her is that she just felt like her character was to good, it was unrealistic. I don't have a lot to say about any of the other characters. I didn't like Sam, but I also don't think I was supposed to. He served his purpose as a character. I thought he was well written.

I also just want to note that there was some British terminology used in this book as it is set in London (Ex. Pushchair instead of Stroller). I would say that it is pretty well known terminology that the majority of people would know/can figure out with context, without having to look things up.

I really enjoyed my time reading this book, and would recommend. I would also read from this author again in the future.

This is a really interesting concept with maybe too many ideas to feel cohesive.

The thing that caught me the most off guard was the drastic tone shift in the last 20%. I actually quite liked that bit, but it seemed like the ending for a different type of book than the one I’d been reading.

I do love an antihero main character, and I enjoyed the inner turmoil over the trolly problem-esque ethics of her powers.

Thanks to Harlequin for providing an arc through NetGalley for me to review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris is a first person-POV speculative novel asking ‘What if you had the power to give and take life at your will?’ Thea lost her parents in a drunk driving accident years ago and has been struggling ever since, including failing to start a career in law. When she realizes her best friend, Ruth, is about to die, Thea takes life from a jerk close-by and gives it to Ruth. This starts her on a path where she starts becoming judge, jury, and executioner.

When I first heard about this book, the first thing that went through my mind was ‘Death Note?’ As such, I needed to read it for myself to see how similar or dissimilar it is to the animanga classic exploring how good intentions can be warped when someone has too much power. An Ethical Guide to Murder is similar in that Thea can take life and has some control over how it’s taken (mostly by how much time she takes vs Light being able to clearly state the how if he so wishes) and Thea goes on a similar arc where she starts to become intoxicated by her power. Where it’s different is that there are no death gods or any deities at all, the investigation aspects are not that big of a part of the book, and because Thea needs to touch someone to take life or know when they’ll die, she never reaches the international stage Light did. It’s a very different take on a similar premise but will still satisfy readers who want that character arc where the lead starts to become a villain even if you understand where some of it is coming from.

I found it really interesting how Thea has an incredibly strong moral code in regards to children and that is the main thing that threatens to make her change her decisions. She’ll never take life from a child and is resistant to leaving children without a parent, becoming hesitant when she learns one of her targets has a teenage son. From a societal standpoint, it makes perfect sense that she would have this code given her own history and we tend to agree that if there is anyone who needs to be protected, it is children. I think why I find this so interesting is that Death Note never really asked this question about who was always going to be a step too far so for Jenny Morris to give a clear answer and stick to it really worked for me.

The other thing I found interesting was how stuck Thea is in life and the ennui she has and how she starts being more active when she has a chance to take down capitalists who aren’t doing enough with their wealth. This is something that I think is a very common thought that many of us have as the world burns and keeps burning and yet many of the people with the most wealth don’t seem interested in actually doing anything about it. It’s a thought experiment that is very honest about how so many would handle this exact scenario if they were in Thea’s situation instead of making her this great champion of justice who always makes good choices. Even in times of despair, we need art that reminds us that when people have the power to decide who lives and dies, it doesn’t matter what their intentions are; they could always start doing more harm than good.

I would recommend this to fans of Death Note who a similar idea in a very different direction and readers looking for a book exploring a messy character who has power over life and death

I loved the premise. I didn’t love the execution.

I found Thea relatable in that she really wanted to use her gift for good, but I found her unrelatable in how entitled she acted about it later on. Her friendship with Ruth seemed so fragile even from the beginning. I really didn’t like Sam as a person, which I suppose was the point.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

I decided to DNF this book. I have health anxiety and the topic of how long someone has left to live was more triggering than I was expecting it to be. Nothing wrong with the book; it’s funny and unique, and if it weren’t for my own triggers I think I’d have really enjoyed it!

Thea realizes that she has the power to tell when someone is dying when she touches her best friend and sees that Ruth will die later that night. Later as Ruth lies dying, Thea discovers she also has the power to drain one person's life to give to another. She tries to use her powers in an ethical way, saving people who deserve it and taking the lives of those who don't, but everything of course gets out of hand. This was pretty good, not really what I expected (less on brand with the rest of the current trend of women serial killing for "good reasons"), but still not wholly surprising, except maybe the ending. 3.5 stars rounded to 3.