Death at Morning House
An instant New York Times and Indie bestseller!
From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.
With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?
Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.
All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.
* Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction 2024 * Horn Book Fanfare 2024 Booklist * Children's Book Council Favorites Award List 2025 * Edgar Award Nominee *
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Community Reviews
Let’s start with what works. The setting is spot on—Morning House is the kind of place that practically oozes atmosphere. You can almost feel the chill in the air and hear the creaks of the old mansion as Marlowe wanders through its halls. Maureen Johnson knows how to build a world that feels both enchanting and eerie, and she does a great job pulling you into the island’s dark history.
But then there’s the relationship drama. Oh boy. For a book that promises a murder mystery, we spend an awful lot of time on Marlowe’s romantic woes. Look, I get it—teen relationships are complicated, and Marlowe’s situation with Akilah is relatable. But when you’ve got a house with a body count and a history of people dying under mysterious circumstances, I was hoping for a bit more focus on the creepy murders and a bit less on whether Marlowe was going to get a second date.
The mystery itself is intriguing, but it often feels like it’s playing second fiddle to the drama. I wanted more of those spine-tingling moments where you’re not sure if a ghost is going to jump out or if another tragic accident is about to happen. Instead, we get a lot of internal monologues about relationships, which, while well-written, can be a little distracting when you’re in the mood for a good old-fashioned whodunit.
So, three stars it is. If you’re a fan of Maureen Johnson’s style and you enjoy a bit of romance mixed in with your mystery, you’ll probably love this one. But if you’re like me and came for the creepy murders, you might find yourself skimming through the relationship drama, wishing for more of those eerie, hair-raising moments that Death at Morning House could have delivered in spades.
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