Please Kill My Boss

by Evie Ross

Her awful boss has been murdered and everyone in the office is a suspect in this bright, witty, chaotic, and all-too-relatable mystery.

Julia wants her boss dead. We’ve all been there. Who hasn’t spent hours daydreaming about the ways their egotistical, bullying, sexist, controlling boss might meet his demise? Of course, Julia would never act on her murderous fantasies—they are just a healthy way of channeling nine years of suffering, resentment, and unspoken grievances. Totally normal.

Until one Monday night, working late in the office, awful boss Reg Manning unexpectedly drops dead in front of her. Julia panics—convinced she must have killed him with the power of her mind—and she flees the scene. When she comes to her senses (no one has ever been thought to death!), she knows she’s messed up. There’s only one sensible course of hide the body.

But things don’t go to plan. Reg Manning’s death was no accident. Julia’s boss was murdered, and now Julia is being framed. With the unexpected help of Hot Todd From Design (and no they definitely did not have a moment at the summer social), and Poppy the intern, who seems a lot more interested in murder solving than learning the chair sales business (slacker!), Julia must find the killer, serve justice, and really fricking nail the PowerPoint for the new customer pitch next Thursday . . . all before she gets accused of a crime that she didn’t commit.

Reg Manning certainly had enemies. Julia’s spreadsheet of suspects can be scrolled to infinity. They’ve all got motive, and everyone in the office is a potential killer.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, Humor

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 9, 2027

Reviews

[Gali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Please Kill My Boss" by Evie Ross is a tongue-in-cheek comedic thriller following a workaholic woman who fantasizes about the untimely death of her boss. Well, you know what they say about wishes coming true.

Julia is the head of sales at Fine Office Furniture, a company that sells chairs. She is overworked, her boyfriend has left her, and she has no friends or life outside the office. Her co-workers don't like her because of her prickly attitude and her lack of effort to get to know them or socialize with them. She hates her controlling boss and daydreams about different ways their egotistical, bullying, sexist boss could drop dead.

When he unexpectedly drops dead in front of her one Monday night while she is working late at the office, she panics and runs. Later, she makes some unwise decisions, such as trying to hide the body and tampering with evidence to clear herself of suspicion. Help comes to her surprise from unexpected quarters. Her co-workers, Todd from Design and Poppy, the new intern, join her efforts to solve the case and find out who is trying to frame her for murder. It's not an easy task, as she isn't exactly Miss Congeniality, and most of her co-workers dislike her and apparently fantasized about his death.

Who knew selling chairs was such a cutthroat business? The book explores work-life balance, sexism at work, office politics, and workplace dynamics. You either like the heroine or hate her. I belong to the first category. Yes, she isn't perfect. She is selfish, self-centred, oblivious to her surroundings, and judgmental towards others (especially good-looking women). However, she eventually becomes aware of her flaws and at least tries to improve, with varying degrees of success.

Most of the workers were unlikeable, except for Todd and Poppy. I liked that Todd was willing to help Julia even though he initially believed she had murdered their boss. I liked Poppy's direct approach and the way she tells it like it is. I liked the humour, wit, and writing. The emails from HR added a refreshing touch to the story. The mystery was well plotted and kept me interested throughout the book. The twists at the end caught me by surprise, as did the identity of the murderer. Speaking of the murderer, I wasn't satisfied with the solution. I thought the murderer got off lightly after killing two people. Neither victim was innocent, but that didn't justify killing them. Punishment, yes; murder, no.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and there are a few hilarious scenes, such as the discovery of the body and the comment about how murder enlivens the boring office routine, which made it a good read. It may seem chaotic at times, but that's what made it so entertaining to read. I recommend the book to fans of office antics who don't shy away from unlikeable characters. I will never look at office workers the same way after reading this book!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

* Review on my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2026...

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess that I should consider myself lucky in that I’ve never had a nightmare of a boss.
For the most part I’ve gotten along with my work colleagues, and I’ve come across a lot of different personality types.
Unfortunately for our FMC Julia, this isn’t the case.
Her boss is a sexist, misogynistic xenophobe who’s miserable and doe his best to make everyone around him miserable as well (and whom reminded me of a well-known, somewhat orange individual).

One evening, when she’s still at the office at 9PM being ordered around and insulted, nine years of built-up disdain come out and she gives him her opinion of him and ends it telling him to “drop dead”.
Just a moment later, that’s exactly what he does!

This book wasn’t as suspenseful as I was expecting it to be, but I’m not disappointed.
It was a fun read and really felt like work politics were more of a theme than murder mystery.
It was kind of like watching The Office, except that it’s in London and a very unlikable boss has just been killed.
I think that this would work well as a palette cleanser for people who usually read more serious/suspenseful things.

Overall, a great debut novel!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.

[caleigh]

first of all, thank you so so much to berkley and netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc 𖹭

the premise of this sounded so interesting, so fun, so like something that i would just have the best time with. unfortunately, the reality didn’t deliver.

i made it about 40% in before i got too BORED to want to continue reading. i mean, the business here is literally a chair sales company. and i think that tells you just how very 😐 the story is. the characters were super bland to me, and the attempts at humor just landed so flat.

i did end up going ahead and reading the last few chapters to see the whodunnit of it all, and let me just say, it felt like something that was pulled out of thin air (at least based on the halfish that i’d read and the skimming done after) and that will never not bother me in a mystery.

so while this has the *potential* to be a silly fun time, it ends up as a dry, wildly boring one instead. sigh.

── .✦ pre read
i just love a silly little fiction/mystery/romance book (see: dial a for aunties) 🤭

[The Enthrillerist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Kill My Boss by Evie Ross
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 4/5 Knives 🔪

Imagine The Office, but instead of worrying about getting fired, someone ends up dead, and suddenly the workplace drama becomes a murder investigation. 😂🔪

This book was an absolute blast! Evie Ross managed to blend workplace dysfunction, dark humor, and a genuinely entertaining murder mystery into one ridiculously fun read.

Meet Julia, the hardworking employee who gives everything to her job, only to be treated like absolute shit by her boss, Reg. She’s overworked, underappreciated, and pushed to her limits. Honestly, if you’ve ever had a terrible boss, you’ll probably find yourself sympathizing with her more than you should. 😂

Then there’s Todd, the guy who actually notices how terribly Julia is treated and somehow ends up helping her move a dead body. Because apparently nothing says potential romance quite like moving a corpse together and sharing a kiss over pizza.

And we cannot forget Poppy! The intern who knows Reg is dead and becomes the third member of this wonderfully dysfunctional little group. Smart, outspoken, and refreshingly bold, Poppy was an absolute gem. I loved how she held her own and brought another layer of humor and personality to the story.

The humor was hands down the best part of this book. The witty dialogue, ridiculous situations, and interactions between these three characters made the story incredibly entertaining. Their personalities complemented one another beautifully, and the character dynamics were just as enjoyable as the mystery itself.

But don’t let the comedy fool you. The mystery was fantastic! Beneath all the workplace chaos and hilarious exchanges was a plot that kept me questioning motives and wondering how everything would unravel. And that ending? Absolutely delivered!

What impressed me most was how seamlessly Ross balanced the humor with the suspense. The comedy never overshadowed the mystery, and the mystery never stripped the story of its personality. It was entertaining, clever, and wonderfully chaotic.

Final verdict: 4 knives! 🔪🔪🔪🔪

If you love a good murder mystery with sharp humor, entertaining characters, and a little workplace revenge fantasy, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.

And for the record, I’m not encouraging anyone to kill their boss. But I am encouraging you to read this book. HR, please relax. 😂

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Kill My Boss is a combination laugh out loud funny and oddly serious at the same time. Julia is the perfect main character who is redeeming herself by solving the murder of her boss that she lowkey covered up at first to save her own ass. I highly recommend picking this one up. It was such an easy and fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia REALLY hates her boss! Nine years working for him have her imagining ways to achieve his demise: ceiling lamps falling, falling down the elevator shaft, bookshelves crashing, a cricket bat, binder clips applied to certain body parts … you get the picture. Then one late evening (nothing new for this gal), it actually happens. Only thing is, she didn’t do it … but everyone (well almost everyone) thinks she did!

This little murder mystery is equal parts “9 to 5”, “Working Girl” and “Weekend at Bernies”! Fearing the worst – that she’ll be charged, Julia tries to dispose of the body. Enlisting the help of two co-workers (it seems no one actually liked Reg Manning), they do a “Good-bye Earl” by boxing him into a large office chair carton and deposit him by the dumpster. Only, Reg makes a re-appearance in the middle of an important pitch meeting!

The tale gets more twisted as it moves along, and the reader becomes privy to all the office machinations, back-stabbing, affairs and stilettos to the back as folks try to climb to the top of the heap. At times the plot resembles a honeybee communication pattern (google it) with u-turns, wiggle butts and a lot of wing flapping – it’s hard to decipher the unwinding plot. But I’ve got to give Ross credit, she can write comedy!

I enjoyed it. There is murder (twice), mayhem, and some genuine community building afoot (and I don’t mean the team-building retreat). 4 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author, Evie Ross for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Hailey Melamut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review of Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley

This gave me the vibes of Only Murders in the Building in book form.

The writing was too flimsy for me and I felt like we lacked a richness of back story and context outside the literal scenes. Unlike usual thrillers or mysteries I didn’t find myself guessing along, only working to finish.

Good for a light read but just not for me.

[Charisa Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this book. This was was a silly mystery and I loved it. The whole premise seemed hokey. And loved that Todd was willing to help to help Julia even though he thought she was guilty. The characters were fun and the writing was good. I laughed out loud a few times and smiled my way through the rest of it. Loved this book would definitely recommend.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy (ARC) of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

In the acknowledgements, Evie Ross notes that this novel originated as a short story written on a whim that mostly served to entertain her friends. Personally, I feel it should have stayed that way.

Despite the novel's relatively short length, it has the feeling of being dragged on indefinitely. To put it bluntly, there is nothing exciting about this book - and, given that the premise is someone being framed for their boss's murder, that might be the single greatest crime committed here. Of all the bland settings Ross could have chosen, she elected to set her murder mystery in an office building in which the workers sell... Chairs.

Cards on the table? I'm not a fan of The Office (I should note I am speaking of the US version of the show, having never seen the UK original). I didn't find much entertainment from the dull day-to-day lives of office workers tasked with selling paper, and apparently there isn't much improvement on that when you sell chairs instead. Which, I suppose, does explain why every character I encountered in this novel is bitter and positively miserable in their own existence, but it does not explain how Julia (FMC and narrator) is such a workaholic devoted to her job. You're head of sales... Of chairs. I don't know how many times I can say that to emphasize just how dull this is. Julia is so fanatical about her job that she drives everyone away in both a personal and work environment, and then has the audacity to be insulted when her coworkers don't seem eager to speak with her.

Julia's main problem is that she has the epitome of a victim mentality. She is the type of woman who, despite her mature age, does not possess a mature mind or personality to match. Without venturing into spoilers, she spends much of the novel blindly accusing anyone who comes near her, without a shred of proof, and lets her own misplaced judgment cloud her vision. Her internal monologue was often comprised of judging how other women around her dressed, acted, even ate. Tall women were spoken of as giant and unfeminine (one is even described as a "dragon lady"), while a thin woman is often referred to as a stick insect.

Granted, Julia is so hateful that she criticizes the men, as well, but the misogyny here is strong and doesn't even attempt to conceal itself under false pretences. She's just truly an awful person.

And, by the end of the book, I wouldn't even feel comfortable saying I thought she'd changed. Perhaps she believed she had - or, more accurately, the author thought she'd done enough half-baked attempts at showing "redemption" that Julia had changed - but I don't feel that there was much growth or improvement at all. Julia is still complaining about her boss, her coworkers, the office... And just as much of a sour, unlikeable narrator as she was at the beginning.

Again, to avoid spoilers, I won't divulge details of the murder or the culprit, but I will say that the scheme behind this was enough to effectively ruin any semblance of good feelings I may have had towards this book.

I would strongly advise against wasting your time on Julia & Co., unless you're looking for something to cure your insomnia. If you're seeking a page-turning murder mystery that will keep you guessing, search elsewhere.

[Anne T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. My honest review is below!

This cozy, campy murder mystery follows Julia trying to clear her name after her boss drops dead in front of her and it’s clear someone is trying to frame her for his death. The choice to have their business be “Fine Office Furniture” focused on the apparently cut throat world of office chairs added a hilarious and interesting layer to this story. Julia is a workaholic for this seemingly silly job, at the expense of her reputation, relationships, and sanity. While it adds a humorous overlay to the story and lightens up the entire story, it also kind of makes you reflect on the fact that many industries and jobs that people “kill” themselves over are really not that serious. Thought it was a clever lens to cast this story through. I felt this was a little long and could’ve been maybe 15-20% shorter, it was just dragging a bit for me at the end. Though this wasn’t a total page-turner, I will say the resolution was quite satisfying. Worth it for a light and comedic murder mystery read!

[Abbie · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Julia’s wish finally comes true when her awful boss literally drops dead!

This debut was more workplace drama than murder mystery, with “The Office” vibes but set in London. It was a fun, entertaining read and a nice change of pace from darker thrillers.

Overall, a great debut! Thanks Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC via Net galley

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and Foremost, a huge thank you to #NetGalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you have ever had the unfortunate luck to be stuck in a dead end job with a pain in the butt boss, this book is your perfect read. This book is the definition of "misery loves company". I laughed out loud SO many times reading this!

The book follows our FMC Julia who is stuck in a monotonous office job with a horrible boss and, like many people would in her position, she daydreams about ways to "get rid of him". One day while she is being reprimanded and degraded, per the usual, she just wishes he would croak... and oh boy does he! Then kicks off a romp of a time filled with silly office drama and politics and how she is going to hide the body because obviously she didn't think him to death! Right?!

It must be said that the writing of this book killed it with the tongue and cheek humor. There were some fantastic one liners but not to mention the underlying ironic moments (clue in during the training session scene in the basement ;) It reads as a satirical cozy mystery and less so a murder mystery. Surprisingly, it also includes some heavy topics such as SA, which are handled with care. I do feel at times it dragged just a hair but not enough to make me lose interest. I also was unsuccessful in guessing who did it, so props to the author for keeping me guessing! I would rate this a whopping 4.25 stars. What a great debut!

[Meg Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and Please Kill My Boss absolutely delivered on the silly, chaotic fun I was looking for!

Julia has spent years working for an absolutely dreadful boss, so when he unexpectedly drops dead right in front of her, you might think she’d be relieved. Instead, panic takes over, and she makes a series of increasingly questionable decisions that turn her workplace nightmare into a murder investigation. With plenty of coworkers who had reasons to want their boss gone, figuring out who actually did it becomes quite the challenge.

You definitely have to suspend your disbelief at times (Julia, why are we hiding a body instead of calling the police?!), but once I settled into the ridiculousness of it all, I had a really enjoyable time. The office politics, workplace drama, and dark humor make this a fun, tongue-in-cheek mystery, and I loved the addition of Poppy and Todd as Julia’s unlikely allies. There’s also a little romance woven into the chaos, which adds another layer to the story.

What surprised me most was that beneath all the hijinks and questionable decisions, there was more depth than I expected. The story explores how easily work can take over your life and how being stuck in that routine can affect your relationships and the way you see other people. It manages to balance those more thoughtful moments with plenty of levity, which I appreciated.

The pacing occasionally slows, and Julia’s choices won’t always make sense, but I think embracing the absurdity is part of the experience. This is more of a comedic workplace mystery than a serious, hard-hitting thriller, and I had much more fun with it once I stopped questioning every decision and went along for the ride.

If you enjoy quirky mysteries, dark humor, office shenanigans, and a little romance mixed into your whodunit, this is worth picking up. Just maybe don’t take notes on Julia’s approach to handling a workplace crisis!

Thank you to Evie Ross, Berkley, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[January · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please Kill My Boss by Evie Ross (2026 UK, Feb. 2027 US) [read in Oct. 2026]
384-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Comedy Crime Fiction, Dark Humor

Movie Rating Equivalent: PG-15/R

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½🏬🪑🖥👩‍💻🤵🕵🏼‍♀️

Dumb and Dumber Meets 9 to 5
​Please Kill My Boss is the type of story you will love, hate, or just go with. These characters are ridiculously idiotic. If you are expecting a true comedy, it can be hilariously entertaining, but if you are expecting a more serious mystery, it can become incredibly frustrating. Which experience you get depends on you. I took a break from this one because my mood was not ready for the hijinks, but it was actually a pretty good story once I got my mind right and realized she is going to choose the worst-case scenario almost every time. By the end of the story, there is a more serious tone, but it is still wrapped up in a lot of humor and coziness.

​Recommend to others: Yes and no. If you are into Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler movies, you definitely want to give this story a try. Although it is not quite that level of comedy, it is in the same ballpark. If you are more into Grisham, Patterson, and Connelly, you might want to throw out the legal rulebook before diving into this one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Featuring: London, England; Monday Night Shift, Corporate Chair Sales Office, Romance, Office Setting, Office Politics, Stupidity, Murder Investigation, Text Graphics > Messages, Misogyny, Harassment

Live Status Updates: 🔖63% [Chapter] 24 Friday, afternoon - The story took a while for me to warm up to because of how ridiculous the plot was, but I'm invested now. I'm only stopping because I have to get ready for a book discussion.

[Kita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC. I was intrigued by the title and the plot.

Although the book was not exactly what I expected, but after reading the acknowledgements, it makes sense. The book was intended to be a short story, so I guess certain parts feeling dragged out is expected. When I first picked up the book, maybe I was expecting thriller/who-done-it. The blurb on the book says it's about a woman who has a boss she hates. In a fit of rage, she tells him to drop dead, and he quite literally does (is it magical realism? no). So, it's the aftermath of her dealing with her daydreams coming true.

Sometimes a book that's not quite a thriller can be salvaged by likable characters or character development or a group of people coming together. However, this book was missing a very critical thing - likable characters. Even our main character Julia is very not likable. She is a self-described workaholic who puts her work above friendships, relationships, and anything else in life. She is also described as oblivious, as someone quite literally not aware of her surroundings, someone who is judgmental of other women and someone who is willing to assume the worst of them.

I knew that Julia and I would never be friends when she said that she doesn't believe in work from home because she believed that people who work from home aren't actually doing any work. If you say so, Julia. Rich coming from the girl making powerpoint slides for the "boss she hates" on Friday nights. Girl is stuck in an imaginary cage the whole time.

Another thing that bothered me the most about this book is the miscommunication trope. Anyway, I don't want to get into spoilers, but this all felt amateur to me. Unfortunately. this was not for me.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so as someone who is actually a boss, I went into this one thinking, "Oh my goodness, I hope none of my employees think about me this way!" 😂

The premise immediately caught my attention. A woman absolutely cannot stand her boss, spends her days imagining his demise, and then one day he actually drops dead right in front of her! And of course, instead of doing the logical thing, she makes a series of questionable decisions that only make everything worse.

I thought this was such a fun concept for a murder mystery! An office full of employees who all have reasons to dislike their boss, and now everyone is a suspect. There were definitely some funny moments, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who was responsible.

I will say, I struggled a little with Julia. Some of her decisions had me shaking my head, and I never really connected with her the way I wanted to. There were also parts that moved a little slower than I prefer. I'm someone who loves a good mystery that keeps me turning the pages, and I just wanted a little more from this one.

That being said, I appreciated the humor and the different take on a murder mystery. It was entertaining, had an interesting premise, and was a nice change from the darker thrillers I usually gravitate toward.

Overall, a solid 3-star read for me! And maybe a little reminder to check in with my employees and make sure everyone is happy at work! 😂

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Christin · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

The setup is a good one. A woman who has spent years fantasizing about her boss’s death finds him dead in the office, and she’s convinced her own resentment somehow did it. That’s a fun hook, and the office-as-suspect-pool idea works well for a mystery.

The trouble is Julia. The book asks readers to find her relatable, and I could follow the logic of her resentment without ever wanting to spend time with her. Her panic and her decision to hide a body feel like they’re supposed to be funny, but she mostly comes across as self-absorbed, and it’s hard to care whether she gets cleared when she’s so focused on her own fallout and her PowerPoint deadline.
The supporting cast does more of the work. Poppy the intern has more energy and curiosity than anyone in the story, and I kept wishing the book would follow her instead. Hot Todd From Design is a mostly decorative love interest, and the will-they-won’t-they beats felt more like running gags than real tension.
The suspect spreadsheet is a clever device, and the workplace satire lands in places, especially around the small indignities of corporate life. But the humor leans on a lot of setup and not enough payoff, and I found myself skimming through stretches where the chaos was supposed to be thepoint.
If you enjoy cringe-comedy mysteries where you laugh at the protagonist more than with her, this may land better for you. For me, the mystery was fine, but the main character was the problem.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really had a boss I've hated, but my friends sure have! I feel for Julie and her 9 years of stress underneath her toxic mess of a boss. Julia's boss is a sexist, manipulative, egotistical man who suddenly drops dead one late night while berating Julia for yet another task that he purposely convolutes in order to make her life harder. At first I thought this would be a simple whodunnit type mystery, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the twists and layers that kept unfolding until the end. This is a book about the murder of a boss no one honestly misses, but it is also a book that shows Julia's personal growth, from being so enmeshed in her toxic relationship with work to coming to terms with how that has led to her being complicit and oblivious to the harm of others around her. I do think this book could have dug a little deeper into the struggles women face at work if that was going to be one of the ending themes of this book, and would have liked it if Julia weren't so unlikeable, but overall, this was a fun read and I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access to it.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Kill My Boss
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 Stars

At first, I thought this was going to be a quick, funny, entertaining read. The premise, the setting, and the initial quirkiness of the murder were a little fanciful, but amusing enough to draw me in.

What surprised me was that the story had more depth than I initially expected. Beneath the murder and humor was an underlying thread of social commentary about workplace misogyny and the assumptions people make about women based on their appearance.

The characters were another strong point. There were definitely people to like and people to dislike, but they were also surprisingly relatable. I could especially identify with the heroine, particularly her relationship issues and workaholic tendencies. These aspects of her character made her feel very real, even in the midst of an otherwise quirky story.

Overall, this was an engaging, funny mystery with more substance than I expected. I enjoyed it, and I’ll definitely be reading another book by this author!

I received an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Cris ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Please Kill My Boss by Evie Ross has a fantastic dark comedy premise: a tyrannical boss suddenly drops dead right after his mistreated employees wish him gone, sending the office into absolute chaos. It makes for a breezy, low-stakes read with a few genuinely funny beats scattered throughout the workplace drama.

Where the book fell short for me was the character dynamic. Because almost everyone in the cast comes across as fairly abrasive or unlikable, I found it difficult to root for any of them or get truly invested in the outcome of the mystery. The fast pacing kept me turning pages to see how the situation resolved, but the lack of connection to the characters kept the story feeling a bit superficial.

Ultimately, it is an entertaining and easy way to pass an afternoon if you want a light, workplace-set murder mystery. It serves its purpose as a fun, quick read, even if it does not leave a particularly lasting impression.

[Elia Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please Kill My Boss gave me serious Psych 'Office Space' episode vibes which is one of my favorite Psych episodes! While the book is pretty insane at times (ie. conference room scene), I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of it and how Julia made tentative partnerships with Todd and Poppy to solve who killed Reg Manning and why. I mean seeing how Manning treated people, most of the office people has motive but who had the opportunity and who had the motive to frame Julia? I loved how the mystery also broke Julia out of her monotonous life living for work and not really living. she realizes how she interacts with her co-workers and how she judged people based on their 'covers', I appreciated her growth in the story while trying to find the killer. Th story was goofy and fun with an enjoyable mystery. I didn't really feel the connection with Todd and the pacing was off at times but I loved Poppy and how the story unraveled and Julia's Hercule Poirot moment of revealing whodunit!

*Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Evie Ross for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happens when you finally tell your overbearing, incompetent boss to drop dead... and he actually does?

This was a quick and easy read with a fun premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

The idea of an office full of people who all have a reason to want their awful boss dead had a lot of potential, and there were definitely some funny moments. I just struggled to get invested in the characters. I found most of them pretty unlikeable throughout the majority of the book, which made it difficult for me to really care about them.

It was entertaining enough to keep me reading, and I enjoyed the chaotic office/murder setup. It was a perfectly fine quick read, but not one that will stick with me.

Thank you to Berkley for providing me with an e-arc through NetGalley.

[Sha Sha Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5)

Read this when you’re completely fed up with someone because trust me, you’ll probably relate to Julia (minus the whole murder situation, obviously 😭). This was funny right off the bat and honestly such a satisfying read when you’re in that kind of mood. There’s just something about watching a character deal with someone absolutely unbearable and thinking, “yeah… I get you.” It did take me a while to finish though. The chaotic energy from the first few chapters stayed pretty consistent, and at some point I got a little bored because I wanted something to switch it up. But it was still such a fun read and definitely the kind of book I usually go for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC! (Berkley did it again! can’t wait for the book to come out so i can buy the physical copy)

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC!

Julia hates her boss and so when he dies, she thinks she suddenly developed psychic powers and killed him with her mind. As any normal adult, she decided to hide his body and pretend that nothing is wrong.

This book was not for me. The premise was intriguing but the more I read, I realized that not a lot of things made sense. Julia is not a nice person and so I am not sure why Todd wanted to help her. I realize that people do crazy things when they are panicking but moving a body is crazy work. It also did not make sense that she didn't have hobbies or at least a guilty pleasure because if you don't even have that, how are you not depressed? As for the mystery, there was not really a sense of urgency and the person that murdered the boss made no sense.

[Tanya Konerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This dark tongue-in-cheek story is like others I've read in the past few years, set in the modern workplace yet stretching the boundaries of believability for comedic effect. However, unlike some of these other books, this one falls flat, the humor not landing, the characters--down to the last one--being unlikable and annoying, and the plot struggling to feel interesting or fun. Furthermore, the last quarter of the story becomes something else entirely, with a solid message, a bit of heart, and even a few nice twists, but because the beginning of the book does not do the work necessary to deliver readers to this part of the story in the right mindset, most will not hang on long enough to get there. I've rounded up to three stars to reflect the improvement as the story goes on.

[✨ Brianna Raquel ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting when I requested this arc, but this wasn't it. It was a decent and quick cozy mystery, but I really wanted more out of it. Everything is just kinda laid out on the surface, and I wish there had been more backstory, more action, or just something extra to give it some real substance.

Also, Julia was very annoying to me. She is way too grown to be acting the way she does throughout this book. Honestly, if I hadn't been paying attention to the details, I would have thought she was 18 with how immature she behaved. It's an okay quick read if you want a basic office mystery, but it just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kristin Tanner · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

If The Office series and Freida McFadden’s book The Coworker had a baby, this book would be the result! If you’re into those two things you will likely find this book very enjoyable.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t really up my alley. I didn’t find any of the characters to be likable, except maybe Todd. Julia jumped to weird conclusions way too often and I kept wanting to scream, “Just call the police already!!”

The ending did redeem the book a bit and the killer is absolutely not someone I expected, which is always great, it just took so long to get anywhere that I had to keep setting the book down for long periods of time.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This book comes out February 9, 2027.

I really enjoyed this because it was so different from what I thought I was getting into. We start off meeting Julia who narrates us through her horrible work life balance with one of the world’s worst bosses.

While this is a mystery murder, the story and the journey we go on with the characters is the real story. There are some real characters in here too! This book has amazing banter and some of the best quotes I have read in a while. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light, fun, entertaining murder mystery!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to review this fun murder mystery!

Julia's awful boss has been murdered and everyone in the office is a suspect. One night, Julia's awful boss Reg Manning unexpectedly drops dead in front of her. Julia panics and she flees the scene. With the unexpected help of Hot Todd from Design and Poppy the intern, they must find the killer and serve justice.

This was fun! It definitely kept me entertained and on my toes about who did it. I do think Julia as a character was kind of annoying and her narration sometimes was very cliche. The ending just wasn't great to me either because the murderer was super random.

[Destiny Chappel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A woman who spends her time fantasizing about her boss’s death is shocked when he actually dies right in front of her. Instead of calling the police, she makes the questionable decision to hide his body. Soon, she realizes someone is trying to frame her, and now she has to figure out who the real killer is before it’s too late.

The whodunit aspect kept me entertained, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who was behind everything. However, I really struggled with Julia as a character. She wasn’t very likable for me, and at times I found her more annoying than relatable. Overall, it was an entertaining mystery, but the main character made it difficult for me to fully connect with the story.