“The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts – a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder where earnest students study how best to “delete” their most deserving victim. Who hasn’t wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you’ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this “Poison Ivy League” college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one’s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live. Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A “fiendishly funny” (Booklist) mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.” – Goodreads

It is 2026. I no longer wish to waste time on random books from the library that I’ll end up rating low and rushing through my review. Instead, I want to focus on books that get me thinking. Books that entertain without plot holes. Books that I feel good about recommending. I believe that starts by working through my actual TBR. Murder Your Employer has been on my TBR for a while ever since my mom recommended it to me, so when I saw it at Barnes and Noble 25% off, I knew it was time. Also I think it’s pretty funny that the guy who wrote the pina colada song is the author.

Rupert Holmes brings the creative premise of a “deletion” academy to life with his subtle wordplay, dramatic irony, and unexpected ending. Despite the dense writing style that took some getting used to, I thoroughly enjoyed Murder Your Employer and will most definitely be reading the next book.

The book walks the reader through three storylines of students at McMasters: the experiences of the main character and two women he meets at school (whose stories are fleshed out more through flashback and in-between chapters). This setup was a little bit inconsistent, as the three characters received varying amounts of page time and development, but it contributed to the “textbook” feel to show three different murder case studies all ending different ways.

Holmes reveals information and twists at the perfect pace, keeping the reader hooked but also letting them in on the secrets. I’ve read novels about whimsical and mysterious situations where the author never truly explains the situation to the reader, but I loved how the author gave detailed explanations for each possible “deletion” – for example, characters on campus practice their skills by stopping just short of killing one another in a myriad of ways, but Holmes outlines all their plans and where things might go wrong instead of expecting the reader to figure it out. As a mystery/thriller lover (just check how many Karen M. McManus books I’ve reviewed here), I can appreciate a good deductive detective hunt – but Holmes succeeded in flipping the genre around on its head and showing the reader a complete murder-plan from beginning to end.

Despite discussing a pretty dark topic, the author still keeps it lighthearted and fun. You find yourself rooting for the karma-wielding deletists as they train to murder their evil employers. Holmes constantly slips hilarious wordplay and dark jokes into everything. I will say some part dragged because of the over-detailed descriptions and constant jokes, but it still made for a fun ride.

As I said, the writing style was a little dense and you had to get used to it, but eventually I really came to appreciate Holmes’ brand of humor and the vibe of the book. Somehow the author made even the darkest and most dramatic scenes still feel light.

The characters get a lower score, mostly because Murder Your Employer was so plot focused that the reader rarely got a look at character’s personal lives or personalities much. The feelings readers are privy to are all reactionary, used for driving the plot forward more than characterization. I understand it can be a difficult task to craft murderers a reader can root for, but there were a few times when the main guy started to seem a little too casual about murder. All the characters acted like this at some points, speaking of targets and even bystanders as NPCs rather than humans. This was done in a lighthearted manner, btu I would’ve appreciated some added nuance from the students and staff at McMasters having to justify their behaviors a little more. Obviously as a Christian, I believe judgement is God’s to dole out and would never condone murder even for a horrible person like the employers described here, but I kind of had to suspend my belief and focus on the ridiculousness of the situation and intricacy of the murder plots.

Anyway, the actress girl was my favorite character. She was smart, sassy, and knew just how to behave to get her way. She used people’s assumptions about her to accomplish her goals without letting them drag her down. Morality-wise, I preferred Gemma, who seemed to understand the weight of taking a life a lot more (and the value of life in general – but I won’t spoil it here!), but she was a bit whiny… there was also a little romance plot between Gemma and Cliff (the main character) kind of shoehorned in, but it had very little development and didn’t really hit.

This hilarious and unique novel was a great way to start my year and reminded me about everything I love in the murder mystery genre. Holmes expertly reverses the conventions of the genre and brings in his own creative, dark-humor flair. While it could’ve used some more character development and moral nuance, the book was still plenty entertaining and mind-exercising for my flight back to college. 😉