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

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

Thank you to Avid Reader Press for this ARC.

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

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

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

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

I can't wait to see more of McMasters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what is this book about?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• ARC via Publisher

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

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

I really enjoyed this mystery novel, it has what I enjoyed about the genre and I think added to it. The characters were what I was hoping for and I was invested in their story. It was a great start to a series and I hope there is more to this series.

"Gemma shook her head. “No, the only thing for me more challenging than arousing Adele’s interest is not arousing her suspicion. But we have to become friends somehow. That’s why Coach Tarcott gave me the assignment of getting a particular student to befriend and trust me the way I’ll have to manage with Adele. I was hoping you might be able to guide me with that as well.”

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

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

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

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

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


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