Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes

10 reviews

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Don't be fooled. This is not Murder Your Employer For Dummies. You must be quite smart to succeed in your McMasters education. Cliff Iverson learns quickly that he must have his wits about him. First, he is kidnapped and taken to a secret conservatory with an unknown location after attempting to murder his employer. Yes, he messed up, but an unknown sponsor would like to make sure the job gets done. He then must pass a series of tests before undertaking his final thesis (it's in the title). There were definitely parts of this novel that were funny and engaging, but at other times I was bored. I think the author lost me at the other two students studying for and presenting their final theses; I honestly didn't care about them or whether their employers were 'deleted.' In my opinion, Cliff's reasoning for murdering his employer was far more compelling. Overall, the murder plans and alibis were clever. I would not want to get on Rupert Holmes's bad side.

Side note: Holmes is the singer-songwriter of Escape (The Piña Colada Song). 😆

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking and Murder

elenilkd's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• 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

3.75

A great mix of dark humor, thriller, and a little Hogwarts-esque fantasy! A little slow and predictable sometimes, but I can appreciate the base idea here, especially as a fan of horror and thriller comedies. 

Kind of wish the end was a little more flushed out though. I’m glad to see the three characters reunite, but was almost too happy and predictable of an ending for what’s overall such a dark comedy. Was the love interest really necessary if it wasn’t going to be fully addressed or developed? Could the Dean really not see his own death coming? How many students are offered to come back as faculty like that?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

flower_mail's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

asimpson7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a good read. Very strange and I often was very confused. Even at the end I was confused. But I liked the progression of their plans and that we had a progression of the stories of each person. I also liked that each of their stories intertwined and that not all of their deletions worked. But the one that didn’t work felt right. I would like to know what happened to the Dean at the end. But other than that it was an entertaining book and one unlike any I’ve ever read before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

agirlsnightbookbash's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Violence and Pregnancy

tabookish's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

dev921's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

madamenovelist's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

savvylit's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This clever and immersive book takes readers deep within the clandestine world of McMasters, a university that trains students in the fine arts of homicide. The curriculum includes classes on disguises, seduction, stalking, poisons, and just about every other potentially lethal topic under the sun. Cliff, Gemma, and Doria are each enrolled at McMasters to achieve one purpose: the murder of their employers. Murder Your Employer recounts their academic journeys and the execution of their final thesis.

Though at first, it took some time to adjust to the world of McMasters, I ultimately found myself thoroughly entertained by this novel. Rupert Holmes is an immensely talented and clever author. McMasters Conservatory is a fully-realized setting peopled by a delightful cast of characters and home to humorous, deadly escapades. Holmes has populated this book with exaggerations and caricatures but that's what ultimately makes it work so well. All in all, Murder Your Employer is both a dark academia romp and a fun deconstruction of classic murder mystery tropes.

Thank you to @avidreaderpress for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide and Stalking

Minor: Homophobia and Transphobia

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Gun violence, Terminal illness, Medical content, Stalking, and Alcohol