This reading group guide for Murder Your Employer includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.

Introduction

Murder Your Employer, Vol. I of the McMasters Guide to Homicide follows a young Cliff Iverson, out to eliminate his murderous boss, Merrill Fiedler, after discovering his influential role in the deaths of two beloved colleagues. A failed attempt at murdering Fiedler leads Cliff unwittingly into the world of McMasters Conservatory, where an anonymous sponsor pays to have him trained in only the best methods of murder deletion while living on a luxurious hidden campus. Cliff’s journal entries supply many intriguing details of his education, interspersed with omniscient narration. Among many other curious fellows at McMasters, Cliff meets film starlet Dulcie Mown (Doria Maye) and the charming Gemma Lindley, both of whom seek to end the lives of their own employers. Filled with cunning and shockingly empathetic characters, devilish humor, and plenty of wit, this bestselling first foray into the maniacally magnificent world of McMasters is an absolute (and dangerous) delight.

Questions for Discussion

1. Of the three McMasters students featured—Doria Maye, Gemma Lindley, and Cliff Iverson, why do you think the author chose to feature only Cliff as a narrator?

2. The personalities of McMasters students are diverse, more so than one might suspect of murderers-in-training (consider the gentleness of Gemma, or the clumsiness of Cubby). Was there any one student in particular who surprised you in their endeavor to commit a murder?

3. Gemma is, technically, a veteran deletist. Can the Four Enquiries be applied to Gemma’s father’s death?

4. After Fiedler’s death, Cliff declares that he died not at someone else’s hands but by suicide. Why do you think Cliff felt it important to make this distinction?

5. Keeping the Four Enquiries in mind, do you believe Cliff is truly guilty of committing a murder?

6. Why do you think the author chose to set the story during the 1950s?

7. Judd Helkampf comes quite close to deleting Cliff and Gemma. At a school that teaches the art of murder, why was Judd scolded and himself deleted for appearing to be a rather quick study?

8. Throughout the book, there are several references to Biblical scripture. What is the significance (and, possibly, the irony) of this?

9. Toward the end of the book, Lilianna Horvath proves to be a rather significant character. Did you ever suspect Liliana to be Cliff’s sponsor? Why, or why not?

10. Gemma is allowed to return to McMasters as a student counselor, even after failing to complete her master’s thesis. Does this rare exception made for Gemma appear to align with McMasters’ values or depart from them?

11. What role do personal and moral values play in this book, particularly in the journeys of Gemma and Cliff?

Enrichment Activities

1. This novel is being made into a movie, and you are the casting director. Create a list of ten characters—including Cliff, Gemma, Doria, Judd, and Dean Harrow—and assign actors to each of them. Discuss your selections together.

2. You are starting your own school for murder (er, deletion). Rewrite the Four Enquiries to suit your purposes, then share with the group. Best to do this in a group with a delicious cocktail (but not a poisonous one!).