You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'
How to murder your Boss – McMasters Handbuch zum Morden by Rupert Holmes
37 reviews
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Transphobia, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
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
This book was a lot of fun! The style is innovative and engaging, it eas easy to invest in the characters and their stories, and the end was very satisfying. The afterword, however, felt rather on the nose and undeserved.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Transphobia, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Nice book if you’re in the mood for some dark academia shenanigans. The chapter sizes are small, which makes it a fairly quick read. I always like books that have “journal entry” formats. I did feel like even though this is a multi-POV book, they didn’t spend much time on the two female MCs. It got a bit better as the book progressed, but while they were at the school, we didn’t see any of them learning ; actually, on that note, they barely spend any time at the school. I would’ve loved to have read more about the murder curriculum, but it feels like barely any time is spent on that :( And towards the end, the segments with Cliff are hard to follow.
But overall its not a bad read and I had a fun time with it.
3.25/5
Recommended For: Fans of darkly humorous dark academia set in the past
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia
homophobia transphobia racism:The period this book takes place in is the early to mid-1900s so some of the characters are bigoted Murder/ViolenceRead. The. Title. Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment One of the targets to be murdered is a boss that sleeps with female employees and blackmails them. One of these employees is mentioned to be drugged. Another target is another boss who sleeps with several employees. SuicideThe Main character recounts an employee committing suicide after being drugged assaulted and blackmailed by her boss, another character is revealed to have faked his suicide to look like a murder. Also lots of talk of making murder seem like suicide.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It’s okay, but the schtick got old very quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Suicide, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book could use a better editor, much of the narration and exposition is unnecessary and it makes it difficult to get into. There are also way too many puns and quips that slow down the pacing, it's funny but would be so much funnier if someone cut down the amount of punchlines in parentheses. Once the plot got rolling I was genuinely invested in the characters and overall thought it was a fun ride but can't overlook the weird tones of homophobia, transphobia, racism, and pro-life messaging that come through in the last 50 pages.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Such a fun romp through the world of felonies! The slight mixed media and three separate stories actually all worked wonderfully, and it was so fun to see how each of the main characters worked on their theses. I never knew how each step would lead into the next one as the plot thickened and the crimes commenced. The murder puns and witty humor were abundant, and I am genuinely sad that I read this one so soon after it’s release because now I have to wait for the next one! There were a few commentary things (There is a plot point that feels slightly transphobic and homophobic to me that don’t get a pass just cuz the story is set in the 1950s) that take this down a half star, but for the most part it was a ridiculously enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Murder Your Employer is like if Harry Potter was written for the macabre, in a good way. It's a fun story with some interesting (if at times, simple) characters as well as a fantastical setting in the form of McMasters and the U.S. in the 1950s.
It's worth mentioning that I think part of the reason that this book takes place in this time period is because quite a few of the methods mentioned in this book around "getting away with murder" would not be possible due to today's surveillance state and much more accurate and sensitive forensic technologies. Still, a good romp through hypothetical murders and the fantasy by proxy of an evil employer being shown the door!
It's worth mentioning that I think part of the reason that this book takes place in this time period is because quite a few of the methods mentioned in this book around "getting away with murder" would not be possible due to today's surveillance state and much more accurate and sensitive forensic technologies. Still, a good romp through hypothetical murders and the fantasy by proxy of an evil employer being shown the door!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicide
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is everything I love in a campy mystery- it’s quirky, laugh out loud funny, and perfectly convoluted. And after finishing it I’ve learned that the author is the same Rupert Holmes who is a 2 time Tony winner and wrote the Piña Colada song. If I believed in such things I’d say it’s proof that god really does have favorites because this man is supremely talented.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Transphobia, Alcohol
Death, murder: I hope if these trigger you that you haven’t picked this book up. Multiple people will be murdered in this book, with specific details as to how it was done included.
Sexual harassment: Doria’s target Leonid Kosta exploits women looking to break into the film industry to lure them to his home. He also uses refusal of his advances against her, thus resulting in her desire to kill him. Gemma’s target Adele Underton essentially pimps her out (using blackmail) to a big wig coming to the hospital to secure them more funding. Gemma does not go through with it.
Sexual assault: Cliff’s target Merrill Fiedler regularly uses his station to entice women to his bed (or office). He also drugs them so they’re unaware as he takes photos of them in a compromised state that he can later use as blackmail when he wants them to go away so he can victimize someone else, but also as a threat to keep them under his thumb.
Injury: Gemma is nearly strangled at the school. Later she is hit with cinder blocks from 3-4 stories off the ground. Other injuries occur including a few poisonings, plus the murders themselves.
Alcohol: They drink occasionally. Alcohol is mainly used as a method of concealing poison.
Homophobia: There is clearly shame given to same sex partners that would be period appropriate. They are minor mentions.
Racism: Gemma notes that it’s acceptable that her white father married a woman of color but that it would not have been so if their races had been reversed. Some microaggressions about her mixed race in her real life.
Suicide: Cliff’s crush Cora overdosed on pills due to his murder target’s blackmail.
Transphobia: Police make some comments about the “evidence” left at one of the crime scenes showing how the murderer must be a man masquerading as a woman. They toe the line between homophobia and transphobia depending on if they believe the target knew about the guise, which is all manufactured evidence anyway.