Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

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

10 reviews

flower_mail's review

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

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

matcha_cat's review

adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Murder

Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

emilywemily6's review

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

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, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse

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

dexkit10's review

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Medical trauma

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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

imds's review

• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Violence, Terminal illness, Death, Gaslighting, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Suicide

calicat42's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book isn’t as dark and menacing as I thought it would be! It actually turned out to be quite an insightful, sometimes comical and sometimes sad, commentary on humans and our institutions. Yes, the apparent commentary is provided through a darker narrative, but I ended up having so many philosophical and moral conversations as I moved through each characters’ stories. I think the use of a darker and over-the-top narrative worked so perfectly! In no way does this book justify such violence (nor should it), but I do think it starts great conversations and it was a fun read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Classism, Torture, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Bullying, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Body shaming, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness

mtnest's review

funny informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Vomit, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Grief

brewingespresso's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed this adventurous take on a murder mystery! Instead of finding out “who dun it” you’re finding out how they did it; and on top of that you’re in the rare position of not only knowing who “they” are, but rooting for them! I think this should be enjoyed in the audiobook form if possible as Neil Patrick Harris and Simon Vance provide a funny, memorable performance! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Minor: Suicide

purplepenning's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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

Minor: Racism and 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)