There’s something about the thrill of finding an Easter egg — whether you’re rifling through the garden hunting for chocolate or digging into a book or movie and uncovering a hidden gem the creators slipped in just for the sharp-eyed. And if you’ve been following Mort’s escapades, you already know AJ Wilton isn’t above planting a few of his own.

But first, let’s talk about Easter eggs — not the kind melting in the sun next to your nan’s rose bush, but the kind storytellers tuck into their work for the eagle-eyed, the obsessed, and the downright curious.

What Exactly Is an Easter Egg (Besides Delicious)?

In pop culture, Easter eggs are those hidden messages, inside jokes, or subtle nods that reward audiences who pay attention. Think the Pizza Planet truck in every Pixar film, or Alfred Hitchcock’s habit of cameo-ing in his own movies before it was trendy.

Books have their own version too — secret references to past works, author in-jokes, or cleverly disguised clues that only readers paying attention will catch. The literary version of a wink across a crowded room.

Want a deeper dive into how these hidden gems became a storytelling staple? Check out this detailed history of Easter eggs in the media from Mental Floss.

A Short History of Storytelling Easter Eggs

Easter eggs in fiction aren’t new — they’ve just had a branding upgrade. Writers have been sneaking themselves into their stories for centuries. Charles Dickens couldn’t resist naming minor characters after real-life frenemies, and Shakespeare loved a bit of in-group banter for the Elizabethan crowd.

But the modern Easter egg — the kind we actively hunt for — got its pop culture legs from video games (thanks to a sneaky Atari developer back in 1980 who hid his name in Adventure). Since then, it’s spread faster than spoilers, infiltrating books, movies, and streaming platforms everywhere.

Books with Cracking Good Easter Eggs

Easter eggs aren’t just for filmmakers and game devs — authors have been having a laugh at our expense for years.

Stephen King’s Multiverse — Characters, towns, and cursed locations drift between King’s novels like particularly unhelpful ghosts. If you’ve read It, The Shining, or The Dark Tower, you’ve stumbled into the same world — whether you realized it or not. Explore Stephen King’s mind-bending shared universe here on LitHub.
Agatha Christie’s Self-Spoiling Easter Egg — In The Pale Horse, Christie casually drops a clue about her own most infamous twist (no spoilers here, but let’s just say you’ll kick yourself if you missed it).
Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker Love — Adams sprinkled references to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in everything from Doctor Who to his lesser-known works. If you know to look for the number 42, you’ll find it.

The Hunt for Easter Eggs in Mort’s World

AJ Wilton isn’t above hiding a few Easter eggs in plain sight either.

Sharp-eyed readers might notice subtle nods to real locations from AJ’s travels, characters inspired by people he’s met in those 86+ countries, and even the occasional line of dialogue lifted straight from the mouth of someone who probably shouldn’t have been talking so loudly in a bar.

Then there’s Mort himself — a character whose origins are stitched together from a life lived in Brisbane, countless border crossings, and more than a few sticky situations that would make excellent fiction (or evidence, depending on how you frame it).

Some Easter eggs are just for fun — a callback to a previous Mort book, a mention of a past case, or a cheeky reference to one of AJ’s real-life mishaps. Others are clues, little breadcrumbs pointing toward what’s coming next for Mort, Pig, and the ever-growing list of people trying to kill them.

A Case Worth Cracking

So, why do we love these little hidden gems so much? Same reason kids love a good Easter egg hunt — the thrill of being in on the secret. Easter eggs make you feel like part of the inner circle, like you’ve spotted something the casual reader or viewer missed.

It’s storytelling gamified — a treasure hunt hiding inside the plot. And when they’re done right, they don’t just make you feel clever — they make you feel connected. To the story, to the author, to the world they’ve built.

How to Hunt for Mort’s Easter Eggs

If you’ve got a sharp eye, a suspicious mind, and a habit of re-reading chapters because you swear you missed something — you might already be ahead of the game.

Pay attention to:

Character backstories — They’re never just filler.
Locations Mort visits — If AJ’s been there, there’s probably a story behind it.
One-liners from Pig — You’d be surprised how many are callbacks.
Book titles — Let’s just say they’re chosen for a reason.

And if you really want to go full detective? Check out AJ’s world map of scratched-out countries. You might just find a clue about where Mort’s headed next.

So, this Easter, while the kids are hunting for chocolate in the backyard, why not hunt for some Easter eggs in Mort’s world? There’s more than one way to crack a case — and a few of them are hiding in plain sight.

Got a favorite Easter egg from Mort’s world — or another thriller you love? Drop your discoveries in the comments. Who knows, you might uncover a clue no one else has found.

Cracking the Case: Hunting Down Easter Eggs in Books, Movies — and Mort’s World