Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Volume 1 by Rupert Holmes

After reading this book one can only hope that a Volume 2 will be published. This is more of a comedy than a guide to murder. A guide to murder that is hard to put down once it is started. The three main characters, students at the school, all have their reasons to kill their employer and it is for those valid reasons that the McMasters school in an unknown and undisclosed location. Cliff Iverson is sponsored and therefore is required to keep a journal of his progress for patron. Through this journal and the experiences of others around him and Gemma Lindley and Dulcie Mown the story of the school and the adventures the students experience is revealed. Thankfully, this is not a real guide on how to commit murder but the entire premise is what makes it absolutely hilarious to read. Maybe it was designed that way since there are so many alumni in positions of power and high standing in the government (pick one), religious leaders (again pick one and most likely there is an alumni), and corporate Executives. The book is great, and the readers will only hope that a volume 2 is present. Deleting your boss and deleting your spouse are the most common reasons people attend this school, however they are not the only reasons.

Character List/Book Summary:

Guy McMaster – acquired his family’s estate, disassembled it and brought it to the new location then the workers had unfortunate accidents.

Cliff Iverson – from Baltimore, tuition is paid for by a patron, so given some room to come to an understanding of why is there and what he will do for a thesis. Went to CalTech and MIT before starting to work at Wolton Industries. Wants to kill his boss after his boss hurt Jacek and Cora and destroyed his career. During his pre-trained attempt at murder he is caught by Captain Dobson and Sergeant Stedge who drug him and take him to the school.

Gemma Lindley – Used her entire life’s savings to attend one semester. Is given strong guidance to avoid her plan of befriending her blackmailing boss but does not change her plans until her boss asks her to have sex with a blackmailer and she shifts her plans. Meets with Dean Harrow in the hospital to receive her grade she gets an unexpected offer, because her boss was not deleted.

Dulcie Mown – a recognizable screen star who was not cast in a movie for a year after she did not have sex with the studio head, when she finally agrees he says he will only give her movies that she will hate and ruins her career even if they have sex. Dulcie has the most complex deletion of the three, but following the McMasters rules she did give her boss one more chance to change his behavior. After her deletion Dean Harrow warns the board she may need to be watched.

Merill Fiedler – Cliff’s supervisor, planted evidence in his car and Jack’s car to make it look like they were communist spys and sharing trade secrets. Modified Cliff’s designs to an airplane which will now make it deadly and refuses to change it. His vanity helps his deletion as it was his chance to change his behavior but he didn’t.

Jacek “Jack” Horvath – like an Uncle to Cliff, killed himself in a park because of the disgrace Merill caused him to feel. His wife was taken care of by his insurance policy and Cliff realizes that she was his patron.

Cora Deakens – connected to Cliff and Merill caused her to commit suicide by using naked photos of her in his office (after he drugged her) to blackmail her.

Captain Dobson and Sergeant Stedge – former police who are now instructors at McMasters and sent to retrieve Cliff so that he can attend the school and perfect his deletion of Merill. Return to give Cliff his grade on his deletion and make him an offer.

Coach Alwyn Tarott – teacher at McMasters, was an Olympic coach who killed a bronze medal winner.

Simeon Sampson – a know it all student, never made clear who he deletion target is,

Dilys Enwright – Dean’s trusted assistant

Dean Harbinger Harrow – thinks it is important that students are not taught one method for how to delete but are given an well rounded education so that if surprises happen the students can shift plans, uses Gemma as an example when arguing against Erma Daimler.

Cubby Terhune – almost killed Cliff with glass in a popsicle, bought his way into the school and is not doing a good job at deletion education but keeps buying more time.

Vesta Thripper – certified nurse practioner and Dean of Eroticde. Tried to counsel Gemma out of her original plan after Father Pugh was unable to.

Miriam “Mim” Webster – wants to delete her husband

Toma Saski – Dean of Math

Matias Graves – teaches English and Spanish Literature

Champo Nanda – RA at Hedge House and tries to help Cliff settle in

Jud Hlkampf – plan on deleting his step-father to gain an inheritance, was not granted an interview per Erma Daimler’s decision because she thought he lived in Greece she accepted him because he met the financial requirements. Dean Harrow reflects that he may an unacceptable candidate.

Leonid Kosta – head of the studio Dulcie is under contract with, sleeps with starlets while he lies to them about getting them roles or auditions. Had Flint Flood spy on Dulcie and her comings and going in her cabin.

Erma Daimler – School’s Chief Financial Officer, deleting spouse was her major when she attended as a student. Feels the financial status of the school would be better if they didn’t create well rounded students but created a 6 week course that focuses on their specific deletion and plan.

Audrey Jaeger – Cliff shares a bathroom with her at Hedge House, she thinks she will be deleted and works with Cliff during the track meet. Not all is what it seems with her.

Silvana Sparchese – adjunct professor, who teaches about electricity, and what music is best to cover screams of real people

Prisha Sunder – heiress who wants to delete her penniless fiancé who is having an affair with Prisha’s female spiritual advisor (and delete her too).

Faith & Charity Callaghan – two of three triplets, plan on deleting their sister Hope

Illarian Volkov – ballet dancer, plans to kill the director

Father Pugh – covers all religions at the school, has special privileges for religious services and acts based on many of the school’s alumni. Watches over Gemma as she attempts her deletion and finds out why it did not work, is there with the Dean when they inform Gemma of her grade and make an offer to her.