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

My Rating: 4.5⭐

(Plot 4/5 ; Audio Narration : 5/5)

An exclusive institution for aspiring murderers …oh sorry, I mean  “deletists”  situated in an undisclosed location, The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts covers an expansive syllabus in the homicidal arts ranging from “Herbicide” to forgery to “Eroticide” and much more. Of course, the selection process for aspiring students is quite rigorous (the fate of rejected candidates is another matter, altogether!) and follows a procedure beginning with justifying one’s proposed “thesis” based upon certain principles, The Four Enquiries:

#1: Is this murder necessary?

#2: Have you given your target every last chance to redeem themselves?

#3: What innocent person might suffer by your actions?

#4: Will this deletion improve the life of others?

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes is presented as a handbook written by  Dean Harbinger Harrow of McMasters Conservatory and details the experiences of three students from the graduating class – aeronautics engineer Cliff Iverson ( whose anonymous sponsor remains a mystery revealed at the end of the story),   hospital employee Gemma Lindley and Dulcie Mown( alias for Hollywood diva Doria Maye) - each of whom seeks to execute a sanctioned deletion of their respective employer/boss. We follow all three candidates from their orientation, training and ultimately their “thesis” which translates into how to apply all they have learned in executing their plan, failing which has its own set of consequences. Much of Cliff Iverson’s story is told through journal entries (first person PoV).

Dark humor, the world of academics (complete with its infighting, rivalry and politics), and sanctioned homicidal intent with an element of mystery – what a fascinating combination! I enjoyed all three storylines but was partial to Cliff’s story which is discussed in much depth. Set in the 1950s, the author creates an intriguing and atmospheric setting with a cast of interesting characters. However, I do feel that the pace does slow down considerably in parts owing to excessive detail ( mostly in the first half of the novel) which also renders the narrative a tad too lengthy. The second half of the novel definitely picks up the pace as we follow the three graduates as embark on their individual projects. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  The author has done a great job of weaving an intriguing narrative around such a creative and unique premise. The illustrations by Anna Louizos perfectly complement the text. I wish we had more of those.

I paired my reading with the superb audio narration by Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Vance which made for an entertaining and immersive experience. This was my first time reading Rupert Holmes and now I can’t wait to read more of his work!