Book Recommendation: Murder Your Employer – Rupert Holmes

This was a book that kept popping up in my Goodreads feed as well as in blogs that I follow. Almost all of the reviews I read praised it for being clever, witty, a bit dark and creative. Now that I have finished it, I can say that those reviews were accurate.

I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. Is it a murder mystery? Not really. It is far from a Whodunit, but it was very entertaining. The premise itself is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

A devilish thriller with a killer concept: 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 delightful 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.

I put the book on hold at my library and when I picked it up, I noticed the author’s name – Rupert Holmes. The only Rupert Holmes I knew was the guy who sang “Escape,” otherwise known as “The Pina Colada Song!” You know it, of course:

“If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. If you’re not into yoga. If you have half a brain….”

My first thought was, “This cannot be the same guy!” Well, I was wrong. It is the same guy!

He is quite a successful author and has won two Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. Who knew?

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and enjoyed the way it all came together at the end. Check it out and let me know what you think….