Reviews tagging 'Drug use'
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
2 reviews
jessiereads98's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Murder Your Employer is unique and so much fun. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Rupert Holmes utilizes humour masterfully to create a comedic murder mystery where you’re along for the murder. I love how he turned common phrases on their head along with utilizing tropes in unique ways. The description of settings also makes you feel like you’re right there in it without overdoing it on exposition. The use of Dean Harbringer Harrow as a narrator and interlocutor was genius and created a compelling flow through the unique tone the storytelling took.
This doesn’t quite make 5 stars for me as I felt the stories of Doria Maye and Gemma Lindley weren’t as well done as that of Cliff Iverson. At times those stories felt like they didn’t quite fit in with the rest or were rushed, creating an overall impression of a lack of focus. I wish the characters had interacted more than we got to see. I also didn’t particularly care for the ending to Doria’s story. The ending of Cliff and Gemma’s stories were predictable although not unsatisfactory. I just didn’t find the writing of the endings as compelling as the rest of the book.
This doesn’t quite make 5 stars for me as I felt the stories of Doria Maye and Gemma Lindley weren’t as well done as that of Cliff Iverson. At times those stories felt like they didn’t quite fit in with the rest or were rushed, creating an overall impression of a lack of focus. I wish the characters had interacted more than we got to see. I also didn’t particularly care for the ending to Doria’s story. The ending of Cliff and Gemma’s stories were predictable although not unsatisfactory. I just didn’t find the writing of the endings as compelling as the rest of the book.
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Drug use
calicat42's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book isn’t as dark and menacing as I thought it would be! It actually turned out to be quite an insightful, sometimes comical and sometimes sad, commentary on humans and our institutions. Yes, the apparent commentary is provided through a darker narrative, but I ended up having so many philosophical and moral conversations as I moved through each characters’ stories. I think the use of a darker and over-the-top narrative worked so perfectly! In no way does this book justify such violence (nor should it), but I do think it starts great conversations and it was a fun read.
Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Torture, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Bullying, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Body shaming, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
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