Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Racism'
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
12 reviews
cranshrooms's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy
justagremlin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
3.25/5
Recommended For: Fans of darkly humorous dark academia set in the past
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
homophobia transphobia racism:rachaeljs's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The book is set in the 1950s and while I imagine the author would justify his choices with that explanation, in the year 2023 there's just no reason to make trans women out to be dangerous, queerness out to be shameful, or suggest an unborn fetus is a whole person. Not to mention a cartoonishly evil woman is granted a second chance just because she's pregnant, to which I say- her unborn kid is better off never meeting her. There are also a few micro-aggresive descriptions of one of the non-white characters, saying her darker skin would help her blend in the dark?? and adding that her complexion would be "helpful for once" which maybe was supposed to be a commentary on racism but the author is a white dude... what compelled him to suggest a woman of color's skin is a negative in her life is beyond me. On top of all of this the book hinges on the idea that McMasters is a top secret institution that will kill you if you let the word out about it, but people are yapping about it the whole book. The rule only sometimes applies and the ending is so corny that even for a corny book, I had a hard time suspending my disbelief.
OH and after a very convoluted murder plot is executed by our (annoyingly perfect) main character, I couldn't help but notice a major hole in the plan that is never addressed. He makes it look like his boss committed suicide with the help of a two page typed suicide note...a typed note is suspicious regardless of context, but they establish moments before that his boss doesn't really know how to type. So much complicated thought went into this plan and it's honestly hard to follow at times, but the book overlooks that obvious blunder.
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Transphobia
audiobookish's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Cons: The plot wasn't particularly strong and felt somewhat bland at times for a novel centered on "how to murder someone" fictionally of course. I only found one of the three main characters highly likeable, the other two were unremarkable. The resolution at the end left something to be desired in my opinion.
Graphic: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Set in the 1950s, so sexism is prevalent in heavy doses alongside sexual harassment. Brief racism encounters mentioned also.bzliz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The manner is which the story is told could be confusing for anyone not in the right headspace. Primarily it is a manuscript written by the Dean of a university for would-be murderers (aka deletists)- telling the story of three students of the school, all angling to kill their employers, and we learn that one of them will not be successful. Cliff Iverson’s story is told primarily through journal entries as he must document his studies for his sponsor, whereas Gemma Lindley’s and Doria Maye’s (aka Dulcie Mown) stories are told primarily through a third person omniscient narrator. It is implied that these omniscient sections are retellings of their events from undercover agents and former graduates of McMasters. Additionally, the book is split in two clear parts. The first takes place at the school where our student heroes are learning all the skills they need to become well-rounded deletists; the second is their return to the real world where they must complete their thesis (murder) in order to graduate and failure will result in their own deletion.
The only reason I cannot give this a full five stars is the tendency to use underlines to ensure a pun, double entendre, joke, etc lands correctly. It was distracting for me. I will still readily recommend this to anyone looking for a mystery book that takes an unconventional approach to the subject.
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Transphobia, and Alcohol
Death, murder:arfog's review
4.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racism
drastichopeful's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia
cozyscones's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism and Transphobia
toffishay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
In addition to listed content warnings, story also contains mention of "Gambling/Gambling Addiction"honeyenbee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief