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Guia para matar o Chefe
Decidiu cometer um assassínio. Parabéns. Pelo simples gesto de comprar este livro, já deu o passo primordial na direção de um assassínio bem-sucedido, do qual se possa orgulhar, e com o qual ganharia a admiração dos seus pares, caso alguma vez viessem a saber que o cometeu.
Este livro tratará de que nunca venham a saber.
Antes de avançar, deve perguntar a si próprio:
Este assassínio é mesmo necessário?
Deu ao alvo todas as oportunidades para se redimir?
Que inocente sofrerá com as suas ações?
O homicídio melhorará a vida de outras pessoas?
Este livro tratará de que nunca venham a saber.
Antes de avançar, deve perguntar a si próprio:
Este assassínio é mesmo necessário?
Deu ao alvo todas as oportunidades para se redimir?
Que inocente sofrerá com as suas ações?
O homicídio melhorará a vida de outras pessoas?
408 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2023
8210 people are currently reading
141351 people want to read
About the author
Rupert Holmes
31 books938 followersRupert Holmes was born on February 24, 1947, in Northwich, Cheshire, England. Soon after, he ventured forth to America (New York) with his British mum and Air Force dad. After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Mr. Holmes delved into the art of melodious sound. A successful piano player for both the Cuff Links and the Buoys, with whom he had his first international hit, "Timothy," in 1971, Rupert also wrote and arranged songs for Gene Pitney, The Platters, The Drifters and the Partridge Family.
With the new millennium, Holmes added novel writing to his repertoire. His critically-acclaimed mystery, Where the Truth Lies, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel; his second, Swing, was a San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Best Seller, called “imaginative, smart, sophisticated and impressively elaborate” by Janet Maslin of the New York Times. His short stories have been anthologized in such prestigious collections as Best American Mystery Stories, On a Raven’s Wing, A Merry Band of Murderers and Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. He was also commissioned by The New York Times to write the Arts and Leisure tribute celebrating the one hundredth birthday of Irving Berlin.
With the new millennium, Holmes added novel writing to his repertoire. His critically-acclaimed mystery, Where the Truth Lies, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel; his second, Swing, was a San Francisco Chronicle Top Ten Best Seller, called “imaginative, smart, sophisticated and impressively elaborate” by Janet Maslin of the New York Times. His short stories have been anthologized in such prestigious collections as Best American Mystery Stories, On a Raven’s Wing, A Merry Band of Murderers and Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop. He was also commissioned by The New York Times to write the Arts and Leisure tribute celebrating the one hundredth birthday of Irving Berlin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,287 reviews
May 3, 2025
Death is a sweet release…Unless it’s your own.…
Darkly enriching….this intriguing tale of mystery, mayhem and murder is the perfect blend of intelligence and intricacy.
Slow burn to edge of your seat, this story leaves you guessing and assuming…only to be questioning if what you read was truly fiction, or entirely possible.
Written from multiple perspectives, we follow the lives of three individuals on a mission to untangle their lives by order of ‘deletion’ (murder). Is it a justified killing, or simply revenge? As the story unfolds and you uncover what brought these students to learn the art of murder, you find yourself on the dark side, rooting for a killer.
Slow burn first half and eventually ramping up, all the backstory comes into play and becomes worth the read. I would have liked just a little more thrilling moments sprinkled through the slow burn to keep me more invested, but overall it was quite the fun read!!!!
Darkly enriching….this intriguing tale of mystery, mayhem and murder is the perfect blend of intelligence and intricacy.
Slow burn to edge of your seat, this story leaves you guessing and assuming…only to be questioning if what you read was truly fiction, or entirely possible.
Written from multiple perspectives, we follow the lives of three individuals on a mission to untangle their lives by order of ‘deletion’ (murder). Is it a justified killing, or simply revenge? As the story unfolds and you uncover what brought these students to learn the art of murder, you find yourself on the dark side, rooting for a killer.
Slow burn first half and eventually ramping up, all the backstory comes into play and becomes worth the read. I would have liked just a little more thrilling moments sprinkled through the slow burn to keep me more invested, but overall it was quite the fun read!!!!
September 5, 2025
1 stars
I thought this story was going to be amazing, but it just didn't work for me. It was messy, the writing didn't work for me, there were way too many unneccessary details and I felt no connection to the characters.
First off, the story is written as if you're opening an actual manual. It's about this school where people who have plans to kill somebody get shipped off to to learn how to do it. It's all written with a pretty blasé and funny tone. But my issue isn't with the tone. I really appreciated the tone, actually, but I disliked the writing. Too many unneccessary details, too many adjectives. The language used just didn't mesh with me. It didn't read easily.
Added to that, the set up wasn't consistent. First, you open up the book to read the foreword of the current dean of McMasters, the school. Then it starts adding exerpts in from one of the new students' diary, the diary of Cliff Iverson. The first chunk of the book is actually just that, with some additional quotes and info from the dean. But then, quite a chunk in, we start to have two more perspectives. So where, from Cliff's and the dean's perspective we see Dulcie and Gemma as side characters for a big part of the story, all of a sudden they're also main characters??
Which, okay. Fine, I could get used to. But then the book kind of deviates from its entire concept: it being a manual and it including written reports of these students. It just follows Gemma and Dulcie and Cliff on their separate murder planning from their own perspectives, no diaries involved. Like, if you're committing to a concept, why not follow through with it?
Another gripe I had with this book is that the perspectives are all very "extrospective". Meaning it's mainly just characters describing a lot of what happens around them (hence the massive amounts of details describing A LOT of things), instead of them describing themselves, their character or their feelings. The characters only had a little bit of backstory and were solely focussed on preparing and executing their murders. This resulted in them having practically no personality, except for maybe the one or two traits Dulcie displayed. The author also tried to imply a little bit of a romance, or at least an interest, between Gemma and Cliff. But because they had no personality, this was wholly unbelievable.
With all of the detailing and overtly explaining how they all learned and planned their murders - the methods were smart, don't get me wrong - it became kind of repetitive. The book was way too long.
Long story short: where this book hooked me with its concept, it fell short on the execution.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this story was going to be amazing, but it just didn't work for me. It was messy, the writing didn't work for me, there were way too many unneccessary details and I felt no connection to the characters.
First off, the story is written as if you're opening an actual manual. It's about this school where people who have plans to kill somebody get shipped off to to learn how to do it. It's all written with a pretty blasé and funny tone. But my issue isn't with the tone. I really appreciated the tone, actually, but I disliked the writing. Too many unneccessary details, too many adjectives. The language used just didn't mesh with me. It didn't read easily.
Added to that, the set up wasn't consistent. First, you open up the book to read the foreword of the current dean of McMasters, the school. Then it starts adding exerpts in from one of the new students' diary, the diary of Cliff Iverson. The first chunk of the book is actually just that, with some additional quotes and info from the dean. But then, quite a chunk in, we start to have two more perspectives. So where, from Cliff's and the dean's perspective we see Dulcie and Gemma as side characters for a big part of the story, all of a sudden they're also main characters??
Which, okay. Fine, I could get used to. But then the book kind of deviates from its entire concept: it being a manual and it including written reports of these students. It just follows Gemma and Dulcie and Cliff on their separate murder planning from their own perspectives, no diaries involved. Like, if you're committing to a concept, why not follow through with it?
Another gripe I had with this book is that the perspectives are all very "extrospective". Meaning it's mainly just characters describing a lot of what happens around them (hence the massive amounts of details describing A LOT of things), instead of them describing themselves, their character or their feelings. The characters only had a little bit of backstory and were solely focussed on preparing and executing their murders. This resulted in them having practically no personality, except for maybe the one or two traits Dulcie displayed. The author also tried to imply a little bit of a romance, or at least an interest, between Gemma and Cliff. But because they had no personality, this was wholly unbelievable.
With all of the detailing and overtly explaining how they all learned and planned their murders - the methods were smart, don't get me wrong - it became kind of repetitive. The book was way too long.
Long story short: where this book hooked me with its concept, it fell short on the execution.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2023
Not sure why this took me so long to get through! It's certainly a uniquely told story from a unique author, filled with a bit of mystery and humor and a lot of drama. In some ways, it reminded me of a TJ Klune book, and in other ways of a quirky suspense tale.
We are introduced to our main character Cliff Iverson when he attempts unsuccessfully to kill his horrible boss. Presented in the form of a textbook for the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, we follow Cliff mostly through his journal entries as he navigates his education to learn how to successfully "delete" (aka murder) his employer, and most importantly, to get away with it. We also follow two of his other classmates, Gemma and Doria, as they learn the skills to both murder their own employers and to avoid getting murdered themselves.
One of the things that I missed at first that really would have helped me was knowing that this book is set in the 1950s as I struggled for a while with the time setting. There is so much dry humor here, I could totally picture it as a movie on the screen with the witty one-liners. I came to really care for the characters and was rooting for their success in their deletions as their employers were truly awful people.
There are some parts that were slow and dragged a bit, but overall this is a highly original tale that has widespread appeal. The ending is superb, so even if you get to some of the slower parts definitely power through and you'll be rewarded in the end.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
We are introduced to our main character Cliff Iverson when he attempts unsuccessfully to kill his horrible boss. Presented in the form of a textbook for the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, we follow Cliff mostly through his journal entries as he navigates his education to learn how to successfully "delete" (aka murder) his employer, and most importantly, to get away with it. We also follow two of his other classmates, Gemma and Doria, as they learn the skills to both murder their own employers and to avoid getting murdered themselves.
One of the things that I missed at first that really would have helped me was knowing that this book is set in the 1950s as I struggled for a while with the time setting. There is so much dry humor here, I could totally picture it as a movie on the screen with the witty one-liners. I came to really care for the characters and was rooting for their success in their deletions as their employers were truly awful people.
There are some parts that were slow and dragged a bit, but overall this is a highly original tale that has widespread appeal. The ending is superb, so even if you get to some of the slower parts definitely power through and you'll be rewarded in the end.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
March 5, 2023
4.5⭐
(Plot 4/5 ; Audio Narration : 5/5)
An exclusive institution for aspiring murderers …oh sorry, I mean “deletists” situated in an undisclosed location, The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts covers an expansive syllabus in the homicidal arts ranging from “Herbicide” to forgery to “Eroticide” and much more. Of course, the selection process for aspiring students is quite rigorous (the fate of rejected candidates is another matter, altogether!) and follows a procedure beginning with justifying one’s proposed “thesis” based upon certain principles, The Four Enquiries:
#1: Is this murder necessary?
#2: Have you given your target every last chance to redeem themselves?
#3: What innocent person might suffer by your actions?
#4: Will this deletion improve the life of others?
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes is presented as a handbook written by Dean Harbinger Harrow of McMasters Conservatory and details the experiences of three students from the graduating class – aeronautics engineer Cliff Iverson (whose anonymous sponsor remains a mystery revealed at the end of the story), hospital employee Gemma Lindley and Dulcie Mown (alias for Hollywood diva Doria Maye) - each of whom seeks to execute a sanctioned deletion of their respective employer/boss. We follow all three candidates through their orientation, training and ultimately their “thesis” which translates into how to apply all they have learned in executing their plan, failing which has its own set of consequences. Much of Cliff Iverson’s story is told through journal entries (first person PoV).
Dark humor, the world of academics (complete with its infighting, rivalry and politics), and sanctioned homicidal intent with an element of mystery – what a fascinating combination! I enjoyed all three storylines but was partial to Cliff’s story which is discussed in much depth. Set in the 1950s, the author creates an intriguing and atmospheric setting with a cast of interesting characters. However, I do feel that the pace does slow down considerably in parts owing to excessive detail (mostly in the first half of the novel) which also renders the narrative a tad too lengthy. The second half of the novel definitely picks up the pace as we follow the three graduates as they embark on their individual projects. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The author has done a great job of weaving an intriguing narrative around such a creative and unique premise. The illustrations by Anna Louizos perfectly complement the text. I wish we had more of those.
I paired my reading with the superb audio narration by Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Vance which made for an entertaining and immersive experience. This was my first time reading Rupert Holmes and now I can’t wait to read more of his work!
(Plot 4/5 ; Audio Narration : 5/5)
An exclusive institution for aspiring murderers …oh sorry, I mean “deletists” situated in an undisclosed location, The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts covers an expansive syllabus in the homicidal arts ranging from “Herbicide” to forgery to “Eroticide” and much more. Of course, the selection process for aspiring students is quite rigorous (the fate of rejected candidates is another matter, altogether!) and follows a procedure beginning with justifying one’s proposed “thesis” based upon certain principles, The Four Enquiries:
#1: Is this murder necessary?
#2: Have you given your target every last chance to redeem themselves?
#3: What innocent person might suffer by your actions?
#4: Will this deletion improve the life of others?
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes is presented as a handbook written by Dean Harbinger Harrow of McMasters Conservatory and details the experiences of three students from the graduating class – aeronautics engineer Cliff Iverson (whose anonymous sponsor remains a mystery revealed at the end of the story), hospital employee Gemma Lindley and Dulcie Mown (alias for Hollywood diva Doria Maye) - each of whom seeks to execute a sanctioned deletion of their respective employer/boss. We follow all three candidates through their orientation, training and ultimately their “thesis” which translates into how to apply all they have learned in executing their plan, failing which has its own set of consequences. Much of Cliff Iverson’s story is told through journal entries (first person PoV).
Dark humor, the world of academics (complete with its infighting, rivalry and politics), and sanctioned homicidal intent with an element of mystery – what a fascinating combination! I enjoyed all three storylines but was partial to Cliff’s story which is discussed in much depth. Set in the 1950s, the author creates an intriguing and atmospheric setting with a cast of interesting characters. However, I do feel that the pace does slow down considerably in parts owing to excessive detail (mostly in the first half of the novel) which also renders the narrative a tad too lengthy. The second half of the novel definitely picks up the pace as we follow the three graduates as they embark on their individual projects. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The author has done a great job of weaving an intriguing narrative around such a creative and unique premise. The illustrations by Anna Louizos perfectly complement the text. I wish we had more of those.
I paired my reading with the superb audio narration by Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Vance which made for an entertaining and immersive experience. This was my first time reading Rupert Holmes and now I can’t wait to read more of his work!
May 8, 2025
Well.
It had a great premise and I liked the tongue-in-cheek style in which the story was told.
But it was too long and drawn out for me to truly love.
There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary wheel-spinning in some parts and I started getting bored at the halfway mark.
I think the problem was that I pretty much knew where the story was headed and just wanted it to hurry up and get there. But with three different students' stories each weaving in and out of the narrative, it gave the whole thing a somewhat draggy feel. <--for me
Ok, the skinny gist is that there's this school that teaches people how to get away with murder. Each of our 3 main characters has a very good reason to want some person dead, and they each arrive at the school via different means.
Their stories are set in the past and are read to us by the school's current headmaster through diary entries they were required to write.
Our main main character is a guy who tried to murder his employer and would have been caught if it hadn't been for the interference of some of the school's teachers. He has a mysterious benefactor who has paid for his tuition, and you learn through his journal that his boss is a despicable man who has changed the safety features on a plane our guy designed for the company, and it will probably fall out of the sky if it goes into production. Instead of listening to his engineers, he planted evidence that caused them to lose their careers. Bad things happened.
So. This guy has got to die.
There is also an actress who wants to kill the scuzzy studio head and a young woman who wants to kill her blackmailing co-worker.
My favorite character was the somewhat bitchy actress, to be honest. Everyone else had pretty decent intentions and a good heart. She was a tad more mercenary and I dig that kind of person.
The epilogue was funny and probably my favorite little twist in the book.
Unfortunately, there was never a moment that I truly cared about anything that happened, so I don't think I'll be pushing this one anyone. Great idea plot-wise, but it needed a zippier pace to pull it off. Why? Because if given too much time to mull over this school for murder, the reader will start pulling on the loose threads and unravel a lot of the plot holes in the school's arbitrary rule system.
The narration by Simon Vance & Neil Patrick Harris was fantastic if you're looking for a good audiobook.
It had a great premise and I liked the tongue-in-cheek style in which the story was told.
But it was too long and drawn out for me to truly love.
There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary wheel-spinning in some parts and I started getting bored at the halfway mark.
I think the problem was that I pretty much knew where the story was headed and just wanted it to hurry up and get there. But with three different students' stories each weaving in and out of the narrative, it gave the whole thing a somewhat draggy feel. <--for me
Ok, the skinny gist is that there's this school that teaches people how to get away with murder. Each of our 3 main characters has a very good reason to want some person dead, and they each arrive at the school via different means.
Their stories are set in the past and are read to us by the school's current headmaster through diary entries they were required to write.
Our main main character is a guy who tried to murder his employer and would have been caught if it hadn't been for the interference of some of the school's teachers. He has a mysterious benefactor who has paid for his tuition, and you learn through his journal that his boss is a despicable man who has changed the safety features on a plane our guy designed for the company, and it will probably fall out of the sky if it goes into production. Instead of listening to his engineers, he planted evidence that caused them to lose their careers. Bad things happened.
So. This guy has got to die.
There is also an actress who wants to kill the scuzzy studio head and a young woman who wants to kill her blackmailing co-worker.
My favorite character was the somewhat bitchy actress, to be honest. Everyone else had pretty decent intentions and a good heart. She was a tad more mercenary and I dig that kind of person.
The epilogue was funny and probably my favorite little twist in the book.
Unfortunately, there was never a moment that I truly cared about anything that happened, so I don't think I'll be pushing this one anyone. Great idea plot-wise, but it needed a zippier pace to pull it off. Why? Because if given too much time to mull over this school for murder, the reader will start pulling on the loose threads and unravel a lot of the plot holes in the school's arbitrary rule system.
The narration by Simon Vance & Neil Patrick Harris was fantastic if you're looking for a good audiobook.
August 23, 2023
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes is a Uniquely Written Historical Fiction and Mystery-Suspense Story!
Anyone up for some Poetic Justice?
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide has a bit of mystery, a smidgen of mayhem, a splash of dry humor, and a dash of murder. It's a slow burn but who cares with Simon Vance and Neil Patrick Young narrating the audiobook. Take your time, Gentlemen!
Cliff Iverson is our main character who, after failing to murder hisdespicable boss is whisked away by parties unknown to The McMasters Conservatory of the Applied Arts. We meet other failed murders students as Cliff's journal entries walk us through the day-to-day shenanigans as they all learn the skills necessary to murder their deserving target succeed at their desired task...
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide is an original and fun story, and the narrators definitely add to the listening experience. It's a bit long at 14 hours, with that said, it's entertaining and similar to watching an old black and white movie from the mid-20th Century. It's also a story I didn't want to end, so apparently I'm a touch on the fickle-side about this listen.
Disclaimer: This review is not meant to promote the murder of despicable employers, but rather to encourage the enjoyment of this book/audiobook. I highly recommend!
4⭐
Anyone up for some Poetic Justice?
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide has a bit of mystery, a smidgen of mayhem, a splash of dry humor, and a dash of murder. It's a slow burn but who cares with Simon Vance and Neil Patrick Young narrating the audiobook. Take your time, Gentlemen!
Cliff Iverson is our main character who, after failing to murder his
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide is an original and fun story, and the narrators definitely add to the listening experience. It's a bit long at 14 hours, with that said, it's entertaining and similar to watching an old black and white movie from the mid-20th Century. It's also a story I didn't want to end, so apparently I'm a touch on the fickle-side about this listen.
Disclaimer: This review is not meant to promote the murder of despicable employers, but rather to encourage the enjoyment of this book/audiobook. I highly recommend!
4⭐
February 26, 2023
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide, Vol. 1 is the clever brainchild of author, playwright, composer, and singer-songwriter Rupert Holmes.
Those of a certain age (ahem) may remember him for 1979’s earworm “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).”
Full of endless puns, dry humor, and nostalgia for a bygone era that evokes the early 1950s, Murder Your Employer chronicles the experiences of students at McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a finishing school that teaches one how to “finish” people off.
McMasters dean Harbinger Harrow, offers the case studies of three pupils — Baltimore engineer Cliff Iverson (on full scholarship from a mysterious benefactor), British hospital worker Gemma Lindley, and incognito Hollywood star Dulcie Mown — to educate at-home students by example.
The first half is a slow-burn with focus on campus life in an idyllic setting of unknown location. In fact, the school’s location is so secret, students arrive blindfolded after being taken on quite a circuitous journey. Upon arrival, they don’t even know what country they are in.
You see, once a student sets foot on campus, there are only two ways to depart: either as a fully accredited graduate or in an attractive urn.
From slow burn to edge of your seat, the second half of the novel picks up the pace considerably.
Having received a comprehensive education in assassination, our three case studies return to life outside of the conservatory to execute their final thesis: delete their targets without being caught.
Here Holmes successfully turns the mystery genre upside down by making us root for our three goodhearted killers, who if they fail, don’t just receive an F — they pay with their lives. Gulp.
Should this at-home study manual entice you to enroll in this fine finishing school, remember: don’t skip a class, develop good study habits, pay attention in your courses on weapons, poisons, and the art of disguise.
Most importantly, remember the McMasters golden rule: "Do in others as you would have others do you in."
After all, your undertaking may result in… undertaking.
Those of a certain age (ahem) may remember him for 1979’s earworm “Escape (The Piña Colada Song).”
Full of endless puns, dry humor, and nostalgia for a bygone era that evokes the early 1950s, Murder Your Employer chronicles the experiences of students at McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a finishing school that teaches one how to “finish” people off.
McMasters dean Harbinger Harrow, offers the case studies of three pupils — Baltimore engineer Cliff Iverson (on full scholarship from a mysterious benefactor), British hospital worker Gemma Lindley, and incognito Hollywood star Dulcie Mown — to educate at-home students by example.
The first half is a slow-burn with focus on campus life in an idyllic setting of unknown location. In fact, the school’s location is so secret, students arrive blindfolded after being taken on quite a circuitous journey. Upon arrival, they don’t even know what country they are in.
You see, once a student sets foot on campus, there are only two ways to depart: either as a fully accredited graduate or in an attractive urn.
From slow burn to edge of your seat, the second half of the novel picks up the pace considerably.
Having received a comprehensive education in assassination, our three case studies return to life outside of the conservatory to execute their final thesis: delete their targets without being caught.
Here Holmes successfully turns the mystery genre upside down by making us root for our three goodhearted killers, who if they fail, don’t just receive an F — they pay with their lives. Gulp.
Should this at-home study manual entice you to enroll in this fine finishing school, remember: don’t skip a class, develop good study habits, pay attention in your courses on weapons, poisons, and the art of disguise.
Most importantly, remember the McMasters golden rule: "Do in others as you would have others do you in."
After all, your undertaking may result in… undertaking.
February 22, 2023
What a ride!
Cliff’s boss is a psychopath. And a powerful one at that. He managed to ruin Cliff’s career, have his best friend murdered and make the girl Cliff liked commit suicide. Cliff is a nice guy, but he decides to kill his boss for the greater good. He fails miserably but that’s where the McMasters “finishing school” (pun intended) comes to play.
The beginning of this book reminded me of Monty Python and Futurama, it was bizarre and so funny! The academy with its seemingly jovial and good natured dean was idyllic and cozy which contrasted with its murderous purpose in a brilliant way.
There are kitchen gardens so the food is fresh and there’s an ice cream van to complete the bucolic setting. But there are also poison gardens and there is ground glass in the ice cream.
As the story progressed it got darker. It should not have been a surprise, given the subject, but it was a little. All the twisted logic about murder (or deletion) being basically the only option for some individuals. All the mind tricks making you understand the motives and subsequently… root for the killer.
My only complaint is that this book is very long and at some point it started dragging.
However if you like dark humor and witty, intelligent writing, you will love it!
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cliff’s boss is a psychopath. And a powerful one at that. He managed to ruin Cliff’s career, have his best friend murdered and make the girl Cliff liked commit suicide. Cliff is a nice guy, but he decides to kill his boss for the greater good. He fails miserably but that’s where the McMasters “finishing school” (pun intended) comes to play.
The beginning of this book reminded me of Monty Python and Futurama, it was bizarre and so funny! The academy with its seemingly jovial and good natured dean was idyllic and cozy which contrasted with its murderous purpose in a brilliant way.
There are kitchen gardens so the food is fresh and there’s an ice cream van to complete the bucolic setting. But there are also poison gardens and there is ground glass in the ice cream.
As the story progressed it got darker. It should not have been a surprise, given the subject, but it was a little. All the twisted logic about murder (or deletion) being basically the only option for some individuals. All the mind tricks making you understand the motives and subsequently… root for the killer.
My only complaint is that this book is very long and at some point it started dragging.
However if you like dark humor and witty, intelligent writing, you will love it!
Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2022
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
January 9, 2026
This book was truly unlike any mystery I have ever read... in a good way! Therefore, it is difficult to actually write a review.
There are multiple plots that are well thought out with likeable characters, because there are multiple main characters. Don't get me wrong, there are despicable people in this book too, but only to act as a foil for our main characters. Students at McMasters (or McM) learn the applied arts necessary to perform a "deletion"/murder.
With humor, intrigue and surprises, this book will keep you guessing, yet desperately hoping to find out if each student can pull off their thesis and graduate from the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, which is literally a life or death proposition. -Jennifer K.
There are multiple plots that are well thought out with likeable characters, because there are multiple main characters. Don't get me wrong, there are despicable people in this book too, but only to act as a foil for our main characters. Students at McMasters (or McM) learn the applied arts necessary to perform a "deletion"/murder.
With humor, intrigue and surprises, this book will keep you guessing, yet desperately hoping to find out if each student can pull off their thesis and graduate from the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, which is literally a life or death proposition. -Jennifer K.
Read
July 6, 2024DNF bc not enough murrrderr
February 4, 2023
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes, a new author I found on NetGalley, is a 2023 mystery novel. Set on a campus where the institution teaches undergraduates how to murder someone without getting caught, the story was an original and filled with fun characters. Overall, I enjoyed the writing and the plot, and the descriptions were very imaginative. I found myself eager to see where the tale would go, as it's both a mystery and an instructional guide of sorts (thru journal entries and educational prose). It follows 1 main character and 2 other potential murderers as they take their courses and learn how to correct past mistakes. The beginning very much felt like a Harry Potter-esque tale (minus the fantasy elements) where you are whisked away to an unknown place by someone claiming to be your sponsor / secret guardian. And when it all unfolds, you think... wow, what type of craziness is this! Mostly, the content was interesting but it was about 20% too long, which I only mention because there were pages of background that while helpful and important detracted from the pace and action. Also, sometimes it got too wordy and technical, which had some charm and merit but it also caused a reader to feel tossed out of the imaginary world and forced into a sense of... "wait, what is going on here and who is this person again?" I think it would make a very cool movie or television series for that reason tho, so kudos to the writer for the concept and execution on many levels.
August 21, 2024
Yikes! Okay great idea, but not the best execution. I loved the classroom tidbits and wanted more of the actual lessons. I liked that we got multiple perspectives from students, but thought it jumped around way too much. Maybe it was because it was the audiobook, but it felt very all over the place and confused me at times. I found my attention drifting often and that is why I rated it what I did. I am surprised I actually finished it, but it put me to sleep each night and I’ve been having trouble sleeping 🫠 If there is a volume 2, I will not be reading. Just didn’t do anything for me to warrant wanting to continue on with the series.
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May 24, 2023Brilliant concept: a finishing school for would-be murderers teaching you how to do it and get away with it. I liked the start, in the form of a sort of handbook, and the depiction of the students at work.
It all went a bit downhill when the book moved on to following three students through three murders. The murders were hugely overplanned, in a way that sounds clever at first glance but entirely depended on a whole lot of people unknowingly doing things exactly as hoped, and detailed so lovingly that the book slowed to an absolute crawl. And also, they were three entirely unrelated murders! I wanted to see them woven together, or for something to bring the various characters and plots together (ideally in a way that would give them a bit more actual character work), but it was just three chopped up accounts of three unconvincingly elaborate plans to kill people, and by the end I will admit to skimming.
Also very heavy on the justification for each murder. Like, if you run a murder school, I don't think putting so much emphasis on whether a person deserves to die actually serves as any kind of moral absolution. Just do it, like the ad says.
Wonderful idea, lacked execution, and the last section feels like it was a cut chapter the author insisted on including, rather than a proper ending.
It all went a bit downhill when the book moved on to following three students through three murders. The murders were hugely overplanned, in a way that sounds clever at first glance but entirely depended on a whole lot of people unknowingly doing things exactly as hoped, and detailed so lovingly that the book slowed to an absolute crawl. And also, they were three entirely unrelated murders! I wanted to see them woven together, or for something to bring the various characters and plots together (ideally in a way that would give them a bit more actual character work), but it was just three chopped up accounts of three unconvincingly elaborate plans to kill people, and by the end I will admit to skimming.
Also very heavy on the justification for each murder. Like, if you run a murder school, I don't think putting so much emphasis on whether a person deserves to die actually serves as any kind of moral absolution. Just do it, like the ad says.
Wonderful idea, lacked execution, and the last section feels like it was a cut chapter the author insisted on including, rather than a proper ending.
May 22, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded down - An incredibly slow start here - it didn’t pick up till about 30% or so in, then it was pretty fun. The concept of the book “A murderer’s finishing school” is pretty clever, and I liked the stories of the M.C. and the two female leads. I’m guessing the 1950’s setting is due to a simpler time to commit “deletions” ? I would probably read a sequel to it
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September 26, 2023This is phenomenal, however...objectively a 4 star.
BUT! when compared to the stale-a*s-toast the publishing industry's been serving since 2020, this is a masterpiece.
Were there things that should've been edited/removed? Of course. But, regardless of faults, I was FEASTING!
This book does the impossible - being one-of-a-kind. It's truly a story I've never read before.
I was constantly blown away by the cleverness of the narrator and the depth of comedic knowledge they presented the murderous education in.
The illustrations through the text was a cherry on top.
I felt Gemma was a completely unnecessary character to add and served nothing to the story. If another volume has been produced reviolving her, I'm sure I would've care about her story. As it is, she was a largely unimportant character until over halfway through the story. Suddenly she's a POV and we're supposed to learn about her life and goals and a bunch of other stuff I didn't care about. It's a diservice to her character to toss her alonsisde Cliff's storyline.
Duclie had a similar treatment done to her but she's largely more fascinating. I really enjoyed her character and was intrigued by her story. But it did suffer from comparison with Cliff's POV.
Overall, I highly suggest this book. Especially the audiobook, which is narratted by Neil Patrick Harris. The physcal read is arduous and tedious at times. But does have stunning illustrations of the campus. I would sugges the audiobook over that though.
But please, read this. One of the best books to be published in 2023.
BUT! when compared to the stale-a*s-toast the publishing industry's been serving since 2020, this is a masterpiece.
Were there things that should've been edited/removed? Of course. But, regardless of faults, I was FEASTING!
This book does the impossible - being one-of-a-kind. It's truly a story I've never read before.
I was constantly blown away by the cleverness of the narrator and the depth of comedic knowledge they presented the murderous education in.
The illustrations through the text was a cherry on top.
I felt Gemma was a completely unnecessary character to add and served nothing to the story. If another volume has been produced reviolving her, I'm sure I would've care about her story. As it is, she was a largely unimportant character until over halfway through the story. Suddenly she's a POV and we're supposed to learn about her life and goals and a bunch of other stuff I didn't care about. It's a diservice to her character to toss her alonsisde Cliff's storyline.
Duclie had a similar treatment done to her but she's largely more fascinating. I really enjoyed her character and was intrigued by her story. But it did suffer from comparison with Cliff's POV.
Overall, I highly suggest this book. Especially the audiobook, which is narratted by Neil Patrick Harris. The physcal read is arduous and tedious at times. But does have stunning illustrations of the campus. I would sugges the audiobook over that though.
But please, read this. One of the best books to be published in 2023.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
An absolutely hilarious mix of wordplay, punnery, and howdunnit. You’ve never wanted to root for murderers—sorry, “deletists”—as much as you will while reading this.
January 17, 2023
I actually didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. It turned into a DNF at around 49%. I couldn’t get through it after that point. It was pretty boring for me. I couldn’t stay interested in the book. I had to put it down
April 21, 2023
Terrific concept and terrific sense of humour, which in my opinion worth 5 stars.
And I absolutely couldn’t resist that cover!
The ideas for the murders and the methods to commit a murder were creative and complex.
I enjoyed the writing but the development of the story was not that thrilling and it couldn’t hold my interest for too long, and sometimes I did not feel like picking up the book to continue from where I stopped, but I forced myself to finish it, mostly because I was very curious about the conclusion.
But I did enjoy the characters and their perspectives. I found them to be very sympathetic.
I usually read a book in two sittings, so there was definitely something missing in here, for me.
And I absolutely couldn’t resist that cover!
The ideas for the murders and the methods to commit a murder were creative and complex.
I enjoyed the writing but the development of the story was not that thrilling and it couldn’t hold my interest for too long, and sometimes I did not feel like picking up the book to continue from where I stopped, but I forced myself to finish it, mostly because I was very curious about the conclusion.
But I did enjoy the characters and their perspectives. I found them to be very sympathetic.
I usually read a book in two sittings, so there was definitely something missing in here, for me.
March 15, 2023
Clever, fun, and irreverent. A school for murder. The three intended targets are less complex than the three would-be assassins, but Rupert Holmes has done an incredible job creating the campus of Murder U (not the real name of the school, but I don't dare write it down for fear of being deleted!) and the illustrations are marvelous. A unique mystery with a feel-good ending.
February 23, 2023
It started out with puns and potential, and ended up making me sorry I started it. The school setting is mostly abandoned halfway through, and then the book starts getting very slow. The book focuses on three students, and the methods of achieving and dodging murder are sometimes offensive by modern standards (the book is set in the 1950s, but doesn't feel like a historical novel.) Of the three students, I felt invested in one of their stories (Cliff's). He's the one we started following at the beginning of the book, and his story felt less pulled-from-modern headlines. For a book set in the 1950s, much of the school's lessons seem especially like overkill (pun intended). I preferred the McMasters POV, but we never learn about the school's origin. A prequel about its early days might appeal to some. Another note: It's weird that the title refers to employers. Murder Your Boss would have been more accurate. How to Murder Your Boss would have been a better title.
March 16, 2023
This book needed an editor so badly. It's an assassin school for people who are looking to commit just one murder. There is a bizarre sense of morality and some of the most unnecessarily convoluted plotlines that I have ever read. It read like there was no editor and the author watched Knives out a few times and had a bunch of ideas and didn't know how to pick one so threw them together without any concept of how to make them into a cohesive narrative. The beginning was slow. The middle showed some promise. Then he kamikazied the end of it with some of the worst plot resolutions I have read. Simon Vance and NPH as narrators was one of its few saving graces.
May 4, 2023
Just couldn't stay away from that "ewwww, a man in a dress" gag, could ya?
June 16, 2023
I was actually really disappointed by this. Super cool concept and it started out great. Kinda goofy, satirical sense of humor in the same vein as Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
But unfortunately once the plot actually picked up, things started to go downhill. Somehow this book was actually kind of boring. Like, it's about murders, how could it possibly be boring? But there's almost no plot for the entire middle half. While they're at school, basically nothing happens that advances the main plot. Just some random side bits with characters who drop off the page after they leave school and are never relevant to the main plot.
Our three characters are alright but they're not super complex. Cliff and Gemma are both "everyman" sort of characters, whereas Doria is more the sassy hot friend character. Everyone else they encounter at school is as flat a character as is possible. Actually, everyone else in the whole book is super flat. All of the villain characters are completely transparent and cliche. It's actually kind of uninteresting to see how they get their endings, because they feel so totally fake. We've got the psychopath student at school, and then a blackmailing mean-girl nurse, 80s american-psycho-style businessman, and sleazy old-Hollywood producer. The book bends over backwards to say it's ok to kill them because there's literally nothing redeeming about them, but IMO that just kind of makes the story uninteresting. They don't even feel human, just like cardboard cutouts. Holmes could have been a bit braver in having his characters walk more of a morally grey line. The book is about killing people, have some fun with it.
And then for the actual killing. SO slow and drawn out and frankly kind of boring. There were pieces that were clever but then the whole thing ends up so convoluted that in the end you just want them to get it over with and brain the guy. It felt weird to me that none of the murders have anything to do with each other and their storylines don't come back together in the real world in any meaningful way at all. Also, in the end . It felt like such a strange and anticlimactic place to leave it.
Bleh. The concept is way too good to be wasted on whatever this was.
But unfortunately once the plot actually picked up, things started to go downhill. Somehow this book was actually kind of boring. Like, it's about murders, how could it possibly be boring? But there's almost no plot for the entire middle half. While they're at school, basically nothing happens that advances the main plot. Just some random side bits with characters who drop off the page after they leave school and are never relevant to the main plot.
Our three characters are alright but they're not super complex. Cliff and Gemma are both "everyman" sort of characters, whereas Doria is more the sassy hot friend character. Everyone else they encounter at school is as flat a character as is possible. Actually, everyone else in the whole book is super flat. All of the villain characters are completely transparent and cliche. It's actually kind of uninteresting to see how they get their endings, because they feel so totally fake. We've got the psychopath student at school, and then a blackmailing mean-girl nurse, 80s american-psycho-style businessman, and sleazy old-Hollywood producer. The book bends over backwards to say it's ok to kill them because there's literally nothing redeeming about them, but IMO that just kind of makes the story uninteresting. They don't even feel human, just like cardboard cutouts. Holmes could have been a bit braver in having his characters walk more of a morally grey line. The book is about killing people, have some fun with it.
And then for the actual killing. SO slow and drawn out and frankly kind of boring. There were pieces that were clever but then the whole thing ends up so convoluted that in the end you just want them to get it over with and brain the guy. It felt weird to me that none of the murders have anything to do with each other and their storylines don't come back together in the real world in any meaningful way at all. Also, in the end . It felt like such a strange and anticlimactic place to leave it.
Bleh. The concept is way too good to be wasted on whatever this was.
October 14, 2024
I was greatly looking forward to this book but I had no idea how complicated it was going to be. You almost need a notebook to keep track of everything that is happening. I loved the premise of the book - a school that teaches you to get away with murder! But there were a lot of characters spanning multiple time periods. This is a book that I could read 4 times and still not catch everything that was happening!
June 15, 2024
I greatly enjoyed this manual…I mean novel. I found this book to be hilarious and I literally devoured it over the course of a few hours. I loved that the format of the book stars as though you were reading this manual. I liked that there were pieces from the omniscient narrator (the Dean of the school) and pieces that were the main character’s journals. The changes of formats didn’t bother me (as it did some) as I felt like it added to the story and made it all more real. I especially loved the post script. The McMaster’s Conservatory of the Applied Arts is a special kind of school that teaches one how to delete (murder) someone. Now this isn’t a school of fancy assassins so much as a school to help good people find ways to kill the evil people ruining theirs and others lives. They have moral rules and a strict admittance procedure. This book focuses on one genre of thesis topic from the school - how to murder one’s employer. The book uses three case studies including journal entries to show the school’s methods. Cliff, Gemma, and Doria are our main protagonists and while Cliff takes a lot of the book I loved Gemma and Doria both. This book was full of humor, justice, and yes of course murder.
November 14, 2023
Have you ever had a terrible boss? Someone in even only a slight (maybe even falsely perceived) position of power over you, and possibly others, who shamelessly used that to their advantage? Someone so vile that you day-dreamt about murdering them? It's ok, you can admit it here, we're all talking about fiction if the cops ask.
The people in this book ALL had such terrible people in their lives - often to devastating consequence. And they decided to finally do something about it. However, "deleting" someone is not as easy as one might think. There are many things to consider and even IF you manage to pull it off, how will you get away (after all, you don't want to let the asshole employer have the last laugh, do you)?
Never fear, that's what McMasters Conservatory for the Criminally Insane aka McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts is for. An institution that, in actuality, is teaching righteous people to murder the monsters in this world.
I LOVED the wit with which this book was written - from deep historical knowledge to clever word plays to the delight I felt whenever an asshole got what he/she deserved ... it made me cackle gleefully! And the cast of characters was simply to die for. ;)
Moreover, there are quite some twists and turns in this story that made it even more interesting. Sure, one or two were expected, but to see how we got there was even more delightful than the actual event itself. There was also plenty of Schadenfreude to go around while never losing sight of what really matters in life (I never agreed with the notion that once you become a killer you're not better than any other murderer - there IS nuance and some just deserve getting killed but would never have to face any justice).
Wonderful writing style narrated by the brilliant Simon Vance and delightful Neil Patrick Harris in the audiobook edition, which rounded off this intrepid and engaging story of revenge. I really do hope there will be another volume, albeit . MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
The people in this book ALL had such terrible people in their lives - often to devastating consequence. And they decided to finally do something about it. However, "deleting" someone is not as easy as one might think. There are many things to consider and even IF you manage to pull it off, how will you get away (after all, you don't want to let the asshole employer have the last laugh, do you)?
Never fear, that's what McMasters Conservatory for the Criminally Insane aka McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts is for. An institution that, in actuality, is teaching righteous people to murder the monsters in this world.
I LOVED the wit with which this book was written - from deep historical knowledge to clever word plays to the delight I felt whenever an asshole got what he/she deserved ... it made me cackle gleefully! And the cast of characters was simply to die for. ;)
Moreover, there are quite some twists and turns in this story that made it even more interesting. Sure, one or two were expected, but to see how we got there was even more delightful than the actual event itself. There was also plenty of Schadenfreude to go around while never losing sight of what really matters in life (I never agreed with the notion that once you become a killer you're not better than any other murderer - there IS nuance and some just deserve getting killed but would never have to face any justice).
Wonderful writing style narrated by the brilliant Simon Vance and delightful Neil Patrick Harris in the audiobook edition, which rounded off this intrepid and engaging story of revenge. I really do hope there will be another volume, albeit . MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
November 22, 2022
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.
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.
February 2, 2023
The plot had me intrigued and invested the whole time. I loved the setting of the school, from classes to the assignments given to through the eyes of our main characters. Witty dialogue and banter helped the book to maintain a consistent flow instead of feeling stunted. A story with humor that's not overdone, details and "twists" were logical and keeps you on your toes along with characters that aren't the ordinary papier-mâché stereotypes.
The writing drew me in from the beginning and the personalities of the characters were established rather quickly and easily. These are the morally grey characters that are fun to read about. Cliff was definitely my favorite. He was a gullible doofus at times but I was rooting for him the whole time and felt proud of him as his skills approved. It's a little odd to say this when murder is involved but there was a wholesome nature to it. Also, it was a bonus that I kept imagining the schools dean as Keith Michell's character of Dennis Stanton in Murder, She Wrote. 😂 It just made sense. 🤷🏾♀️
If this were to become a duology or series then I'll definitely read it. I would consider this to be a dark academia novel that fits more along my tastes. I genuinely had a fun time from beginning to end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing a copy for an honest review.
September 3, 2024
THIS GUY WROTE AND SANG THE PIÑA COLADA SONG.
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. That was . . . such a weird thing to discover looking at the author bio.
But this book! So fun! Very dark humor, but so twisty and sort of . . . madcap. Yes, let's use the word "madcap" here. The school, the faculty, the three students we follow in their quest to complete their "theses." Madcap! At first I was like, Well, the cover's great, but what is happening? And also, THIS GUY WROTE THE PIÑA COLADA SONG?! Sorry. Sorry! Anyway. I was soon gripped, GRIPPED I SAY! And I'm very excited for the second one, Murder Your Mate!
Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. That was . . . such a weird thing to discover looking at the author bio.
But this book! So fun! Very dark humor, but so twisty and sort of . . . madcap. Yes, let's use the word "madcap" here. The school, the faculty, the three students we follow in their quest to complete their "theses." Madcap! At first I was like, Well, the cover's great, but what is happening? And also, THIS GUY WROTE THE PIÑA COLADA SONG?! Sorry. Sorry! Anyway. I was soon gripped, GRIPPED I SAY! And I'm very excited for the second one, Murder Your Mate!
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