A wacky, whimsical tale, MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER, THE McMASTERS GUIDE TO HOMICIDE, VOL. ONE is told as an instructional guide, complete with case histories, from McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts. The applied arts being murder, this clandestine conservatory teaches the novice assassin the proper ways and means of “deleting” one’s enemies, and in this case employers. But it is not one for the serial variety of executioner, and one not without certain morals. McMasters not only teaches a variety of methods to reach one’s goal of proper deletion, but also provides a series of philosophical enquires one must ask oneself to justify the means.

Told in a highly sophisticated, tongue-in-cheek style, full of witty wordplay and puns, MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER is a delightful romp into the macabre world of murder and modi operandi. A most enjoyable, entertaining, and fun read filled with a myriad of mirthful would-be murderers and their expert instructors in the manners and methods of dispatching, or “deleting,” their marks. This humorous Hogwarts tale of a murder conservatory is sure to be another hit (pun intended) for Edgar, Tony, and Songwriting Award Winner Rupert Holmes.

I had high expectations for this book as its description was very attractive, and I loved the quirky title. Alas, while it might be a diamond in the rough, this book was not for me (at least right now). I thought the concept of this novel was good, but it lacked the smoothness in the writing style that typically draws me into a story and propels me to the end. I wanted to be able to read faster but found that the addition of the other two students was just too much, and I ended up as a DNF about 3/4 of the way through. It may just be a mismatch in style for me and other readers might truly enjoy this novel.

(ARC of Murder Your Employer courtesy of NetGalley and Avid Reader Press)

I was so intrigued by this concept and had high expectations when diving into this one. It did not disappoint nor did it live up to my expectations. It was a good read, but I had maybe too high expectations. I really liked that it had multiple POV and the whole boarding school trope, which by the way is one of my favorites. The writing style was not my favourite, but I ended up liking this book very much.

Cliff Iverson is a man with nothing more to lose. His love interest, Cora, has committed suicide; his friend and mentor has been murdered in an apparent mugging gone wrong; and his former boss, Merrill Fiedler, has planted company information on him so that he has lost his job (and is unlikely to get another one in his field of aviation design). Cliff decides to murder the man he believes is at the root of all of his problems: Merrill Fiedler, his former boss. When, despite his careful planning, he manages to botch the murder, he is startled but unsurprised to be approached by two policemen. These turn out to be former policemen who are now recruiting new students for the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts (the Applied Arts in question being murder and its execution). Cliff is drugged and taken to the school, although he is never sure where it is located.

Once at the school, Cliff finds a beautiful campus with everything students and staff could desire, which is fortunate, since no one can leave the premises until they "graduate" and are sent to fulfill their missions: killing someone who has made their lives a misery. Bewildered Cliff soon learns that although tuition at the school is very high, he has a kind benefactor who is paying all of his expenses. One of the requirements of this scholarship is that Cliff must keep a detailed journal for his anonymous benefactor, which is how the reader is able to follow what goes on at that esteemed institution. Cliff also learns that once you are a student, there is no dropping out or failure. Due to the nature of the instruction and the necessary secrecy behind it, failure equals immediate death for the unfortunate student. So that's an extra incentive to succeed!

There are two other students whose stories we follow: Gemma, a nurse who is being blackmailed by her boss and Doria, an actress who is being punished with humiliating parts for refusing the advances of the studio head (where she is under contract for many more years). The story is very funny and clever while the students are studying at the school. They learn about poisons,and antidotes, how to set up alibis, train in martial arts, practice with disguises, and even might be referred to the Dean of Eroticide, Vesta Thripper, for some one-on-one tutoring. The staff monitor the progress of the students and allow them to leave the school to "complete their thesis" on a case-by-case basis. They are also monitored after leaving to ensure the thesis is completed and in a way that won't endanger the school.

The second part of the book, when the students are out in the world planning their murders, gets a bit bogged down. There are so many moving parts that need to be set in motion for each plan that it all got a big confusing and wildly complicated. When the final plans are finally revealed, it all seems a bit overly complex, but all of the murder set-ups are undeniably clever.

I really enjoyed the humorous tone and descriptions of the book. There are some moral guidelines in place, even at a school for murder ("What innocent person might suffer?"), so the book isn't a total bloodbath. I just wish the "deletions" (murder has such negative connotations) weren't so complicated.

This novel is a wildly imaginative and macabre story about a school that teaches the art of murder.

A mix of strange characters learns how to successfully snuff out their targets with a specifically curated curriculum for each student. While they aim for graduation, they must come up with a mandatory thesis that explains how and why they chose to remove their specific person from this earth.

I didn’t think I would enjoy the premise initially, but I loved each character and what they brought to the story. It was just strange all around but in a good way. If you’re looking for something different and unique, I highly recommend this novel.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be witty. The story follows three people who absolutely loathes their employer and it follows three different timelines in their life. My favourite was the scene that was set during their schooling years as it was very interesting and abundant with so much information regarding their courses. I was curious and found it gripping.
The only fallback for me was the writing at the very beginning. I was a bit hesitant going into the story as it didn’t captivate me like the title did at first but I can guarantee once you get going it’s impossible to set down.
Brilliant!

With a title like this, I wasn’t sure at all what to expect. This oddball thriller/mystery/fantasy magic school for those seeking revenge was such a ride to read. I actually enjoyed the writing very much, which was surprising to me. Fun read

Thank you to Avid Reader Press for this ARC.

I have to be honest, I went into this with low expectations and was absolutely blown away. Murder your Employer follows the stories of three McMasters students as they prepare to, well, murder their employers. There are multiple POVs and an omniscient narrator, which I don't see a lot of but thought was the perfect choice for this book.

I had so much fun with this read. I was gripped by Cliff's story and by the time we got to the McMasters conservatory I was completely in the book's clutches. I'm a sucker for worldbuilding and when it's done well I will eat up every miniscule detail like a little snack and MYE was a whole feast of visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory and olfactory imagery and the illustrations were the cherry on top. Boarding school is such a fun trope and now I can add Holmes to the list of authors who did it excellently.

The cast of characters is big, which I thought fit the setting very well. I had fun finding out everyone's motivations, and the side characters felt fleshed out as well as the main cast, with Doria definitely taking the number one spot in my heart (sorry Cliff).

Now, the writing. I have to admit, the beginning had me scared that I wouldn't get far. It felt a bit gimmicky and it took a while until I realized there was actually a story here, and not an actual guide (a tweak in the description could help). Past that, it was smooth sailing. I'm too young to have understood some of references to pop culture at the time, but they didn't feel condescending as it's often the case. The writing was witty without being exhausting, the dialogue flowed and the twists and turns conveyed just right. For a mystery that's about commiting a murder rather than solving it, the suspense was real and palpable.

I can't wait to see more of McMasters.

If Agatha christie and Terry Pratchett collaborated for a murder mystery this is what would result.
I loved this!
Readers are introduced to the murderers and get to know the victims. The mystery is in how it happens and how the ethics will play into the plot. The attention to detail in the writing is brilliant. The setting of the McM grounds was more well-described than Hogwarts, and absolutely more sinister. The magic here is in the cleverness of each character and the brilliant dialogue that stays on the acceptable and witty side of very punny. It is a plot that knows what it is and delivers clever entertainment on each page. Characterizations, series of plot events, and dialogues are all solid and without useless filler writing. I will admit, it does start to make you think like a murderer. Multiple times, I paused for a thoughtful look around my reading space. I was looking for any makeshift weapons just in case an intruder necessitated a split-second decision.

This is absolutely a Book Club pick if ever I read one, and it deserves to be turned into a movie in the same fashion as Knives Out.
Buy this book. And get a copy for a friend.

The concept of this sounded rather promising. That's why it pains me to say that I could't get into the story at all and, sadly, had to DNF this book.

There’s a secret school to teach you how to delete someone deserving it. (In other words, kill them) But to graduate, you need to present your deletion plan and reasons why. Foremost the plan needs to be solid so that you are not a suspect.

Fantastic and original. If you’re wondering why Rupert Holmes’ name is familiar, think Pina Colada song.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read! Clever, punny and laugh out loud quips with a healthy side helping of danger. I was only 20% in when I knew it was going to be a favorite!

Cliff, Doria and Gemma were each super unique and engaging to keep track of as you followed them on their journey. As was the whole cast of characters! From prior life, to school, through to their thesis. Each story was different and so fun to read. I kept thinking I was going to be able to see the next twist and then was caught by suprise multiple times.

I hope there will be more! I'd be thrilled to see what students and alum are up to next. (Doria can do no wrong in my eyes.)
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC, although I can't wait to purchase a physical copy!

Murder Your Employer was such a fun read, if it’s even acceptable to say that about a book about murder. This book was definitely a slow burn and the only negative I could possibly say is that the author could have trimmed it down a little bit. There was a lot going on and some of it didn’t quite seem necessary. Aside from that I try enjoyed this book.

This was a funny and interesting story. I liked the different POV throughout the book

.the book was a bit bloated, but still enjoyable, I would love to see this as a series following the other characters

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

I read an ARC of Murder Your Employer from NetGalley and Avid Reader Press.

The book itself has an interesting tone, but honestly, it needed to trim down the fat, a lot.

But what is this book about?

This book is about Cliff, a man whose employer is the scum of the Earth, who tries to push him in front of a train after his employer framed him and made him unemployable. Cliff finds himself followed home by recruiters who saved his would-be victim and offer him a place at a college meant to teach him how to “delete” a certain person, as long as he has the right reasons for killing said person, and he has unwavering conviction (since he’s already at the school, if he didn’t, then he himself would be “deleted”). From there it’s getting used to his new surroundings, making a few friends, and even an enemy.

The story is told mostly through Cliff writing notes to his mysterious sponsor who makes it possible for him to attend the school, notes written by the staff on updates on how various students are doing, and then third person narrative like a normal book. Honestly, the last part was where it lost me the first time. If the book is going to contrive to be a written account of people written in a dairy to some mysterious X or notes, then they should find other ways to convey information they want that way in other such transcripts otherwise it comes off as a bit weak.

That said, the story does have a quirky charm to how it was written, that got me through the first two hundred pages, and not much further. For one thing, it contrived to bring in two other students to focus on their attempted deletions after Cliff was already in school, and while I understand having a protagonist, its better to introduce all three characters one after the other if their stories are going to be followed through after they have left school, and their stories just seemed to bloat the story and I would have preferred just to hear about their exploits from Cliff’s point of view, perhaps some extras in notes from teachers and newspapers and the like.

I really think there was something in here, and I can see some people really enjoying the tone of the book. I’d suggest seeing if you can get ahold of a sample of the book before buying to see if it’s to your liking. Know it’s a character-driven story, and not an actual “How to Murder Your Employer” book.

3.5/5
At the McMasters School, murder is the focus. Literally as this school trains people to be killers. Not in the assassin sense but more in the there is one specific person they want to kill and they train on how to do it. It follows three storylines, although the focus is mainly Cliff.

My favorite parts were when they were at the school! When they leave, it was ok, but I missed all the creativity of the courses and tasks they had to do.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m honestly not sure that any book exclusively about murder has the right to be so wonderfully wholesome, but this one is. It’s just a freaking delight!

All of our characters, even those who really ought to be murdered, are funny. The writing is clever and smart and before you know it, you’ve finished the entire book!

My main fear was that the premise would get too precious and get a bit tiresome. It did not. Somehow the book stayed fresh and entertaining to the very last page.

I’m very glad I read this one. A true pleasure of a read!

• ARC via Publisher

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this!

The characters and writing were witty and I liked the idea of what this was supposed to be. However, when I started this I was bored within the first 30 or so pages. I liked where it was going and I think it's an interesting plot but..it missed the mark for me. I really had to push myself to get through it.

Super Fun ! Rupert Holmes is a well know novelist and playwright. He captures our (at least my) imagination with the title of his new book, Murder Your Employer.

MYE features the fantastic McMasters Conservatory - a school focused upon the deletion of your employer. McMasters has it's own lingo of course and deletion is preferred to murder! This super fun book covers the stories of a handful of people who have been disrespected so much by their employer that death (deletion) is truly the only solution. Potential students are recruited and find out very quickly that once you set foot on the Poison Ivy League Campus, you have no choice but to follow through. In fact, once you learn about McMasters, you become a member for life - however long or short that life may be.

Be prepared however, because to graduate you must present a successful Masters thesis - an untraceable death of your former employer. Failure, is simply not an option.

If you dislike your job, fantasize about killing your employer or just would enjoy a British style dark academia for adults, Murder Your Employer is for you!
.#AvidReaderPress

Thank you so much to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review,


The writing was very witty and filled with humor however I misunderstood the synopsis and thought this was going to be a story and not a how to guide.