Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

How to murder your Boss – McMasters Handbuch zum Morden by Rupert Holmes

9 reviews

prairieraven's review against another edition

3.25

dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Picked this up based on a random post that came up on my feed and entirely based on the title. Clever and steady paced. Not exactly suspenseful more methodical including the plot, enjoyed the idea of training people to become better killers/how to get away with murder. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

lbrumler's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment

cranshrooms's review against another edition

4.25

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

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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.

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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

christinereads1823's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Super interesting premise for a book! I enjoyed the interwoven plots and the excellent character development, but it was a bit dry during the first third which made it a little hard to get fully sucked into. After getting past the initial sections, the flow was much better and the plot lines were more clearly developed.
Overall very well done, a great morally grey read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

goeagles91n's review against another edition

4.25

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

bigheadcam's review against another edition

4.25

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

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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!

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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

emilywemily6's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny lighthearted 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: Yes

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The dry, witty sense of humor in this book is my cup of tea. Listening on audio was hilarious! So many death puns. The concept was original and I loved the first half of the book. I did feel like we knew Cliff better than the other two characters highlighted in the book, and I wish we had learned more. I honestly was not a fan of Gemma as a person or her storyline, so when her storyline was a more prominent part of the book, I enjoyed reading this book a bit less. I found her a bit pathetic and uncreative in her deletion thesis, whereas I was totally on board with both Cliff and Doria’s plans, executions, and contingencies. The only other gripe I have is that the setting in the 1950s was pretty subtle for most of the book, so I had to remind myself what the culture was at that time to understand the book. Overall, this book was so fun to read, witty and smart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Classism

jhbandcats's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark funny informative mysterious 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: Yes

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A darkly humorous approach to getting rid of people who *really* deserve to be gone from this world. Employers are the main focus here but of course these techniques are universal when the goal is murder. 

The book is a fresh look at an ancient idea - how to get away with murder - and it’s cleverly told from several viewpoints so we get a well-rounded story. Each of the murderers-to-be is a sympathetic character, having suffered greatly at the hands of their future victims, and I was rooting for them all. 

I appreciated the clever wordplay the most, but also enjoyed learning about the varied curriculum (Wump = Wardrobe, Makeup, & Prosthetics; the Track Meet = track your prey, meet up with them for the killing) and the many sets (cozy bars and Chinese restaurants, forests, even a mini-castle accessible only via gondola). 

All in all an entertaining book but something about it just wasn’t 5-star category, and I can’t figure out why. This is the type of book that would normally make me swoon - funny, calculating, sick, a bit gory - but I just wasn’t swept off my feet, unlike a murder victim or two. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

purplepenning's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Wryly humorous, darkly satisfying, and only a bit too clever for it's own good, MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER is an ambitious and entertaining murder mystery turned inside out. Readers of this case study guide to homicide follow three would-be student assassins in the 1950s as they study, train, and enact their final murderous theses to successfully matriculate from McMasters Conservatory of the Applied [Homicidal] Arts. McMasters is a [poison] Ivy League-calibre "finishing school for finishing people off." The course work is high stakes but each student has such a deserving thesis subject that we can't help but root for high marks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

Minor: Racism, Pregnancy

Blackmail, assisted suicide, organized crime, vigilante justice, and a scene that plays too dangerously close to homophobic/transphobic for Reasons (those being context, motivation, and era)