Death at Morning House

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. 

But 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.

About the Author

Maureen Johnson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and lives in New York City.

Reviews

"Johnson’s latest juxtaposes Marlowe’s clever, funny first-person voice with chapters about a mysterious historical family. Compelling mysteries unfurl in the past and the present. Marlowe serves as an anchor amid the many contemporary characters who seem like they may be deceiving her, keeping readers guessing. An engaging and expansive mystery." —Kirkus Reviews

"With quips both humorous and prescient, Marlowe is the perfect mix of pluck and wit, and she joins the long line of girl detectives looking to right the world’s various wrongs... A guaranteed hit with fans of Tess Sharpe’s The Girls I’ve Been or Durst’s The Lake House." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"...it is endearing, awkward, kind Marlowe who drives this narrative; readers can’t help but root for her... An enjoyable, fast-paced read. VERDICT A fun, thrilling mystery than spans almost a century, and a must-read for mystery fans." —School Library Journal

“Death at Morning House is another phenomenal mystery from a maestro in the genre. Maureen Johnson just knows how to write the kind of stories that keep you reading until the early hours. They are incredibly well paced, with stellar characterisation and terrifyingly good twists. This is a great standalone mystery from Johnson—pivoting across two timelines to create two compelling and complex cases. Death at Morning House is the YA mystery of the summer, potentially the year. Miss it at your peril." —The Nerd Daily

Dimensions: 13.97 x 2.18 x 20.96 cm