Jenny Morris is the author of the new novel An Ethical Guide to Murder. Also a behavioral scientist, she lives in Crowborough, UK.
Q: What inspired you to write An Ethical Guide to Murder, and how did you create your character Thea?
A: I came up with the idea after a close friend of mine suddenly and unexpectedly died. I found it very difficult to process how someone so wonderful and deserving of life was gone, especially while people I felt less kindly towards lived long and healthy lives. It seemed so unfair. So, I came up with a story about a woman who has the power to save people, but only by stealing life from others.
Thea came to me fairly fully formed. She’s a hot mess of a person who hates her crappy HR job and spends too much on avocado lattes. Not someone who should be trusted with complete power over life and death. To me, this made her story much more interesting. Partly because it felt more relatable. But also, because we all overestimate our ability to make moral decisions—Thea certainly does.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Thea and her friend Ruth?
A: Above all, they are fiercely loyal to each other. They are best friends, and Thea would (and does) kill for Ruth.
They are very different people, particularly when it comes to their moral standpoints, but Ruth loves Thea just as much. They met when they were 8 years old and both at a vulnerable time in their lives—Thea having just lost her parents and Ruth being treated for leukaemia—so it’s an intense bond closer to sisters than friends.
I say sisters but sometimes there’s also a parent-child dynamic to their relationship. Ruth takes care of Thea, even when she doesn’t want it. And Thea puts Ruth on a pedestal, sometimes not understanding she’s just a flawed human like everyone else.
Q: The writer Heather Critchlow said of the book, “Beautifully written, funny and heartbreaking, it asks questions that will stay with you long after the final page.” What do you think of that description?
A: It makes me very happy because that’s exactly the book I was hoping to write. To me, humour and heartbreak are a natural fit—if you can’t laugh then what’s the point?
As a psychologist, I’m obsessed with asking questions. I love nothing more than hearing people talk about how they would use Thea’s power. Also, how much they’d have to be paid to eat a human toe… (Chapter 17, you’ll get it when you get there).
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: My original ending was completely different! I knew it felt flat and ended up putting the novel in a drawer for months. When I wrote the new version, I knew it was the right way to end it. I had to do quite a lot more editing earlier in the novel to set it up properly though.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My second novel, another crime fantasy or “crimantasy” which will be published with Simon & Schuster (UK) and Mira (US) in 2026. It’s standalone, so unrelated to Ethical Guide but still full of psychology, philosophy, and murder. It’s about cultish tendencies in groups and how to find purpose when it feels like the end of the world.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: That I’d eat a toe for 50k. Assuming it’s been ethically sourced in this hypothetical scenario where this anonymous oddball is paying me to do it, of course. Also, I love connecting with readers on social media—nothing makes me happier than hearing you liked my book. I mainly post normal stuff like dog pictures and talk less about toes.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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