Eventually Caltech led me to MIT, which led me to aircraft manufacturer Woltan Industries, which led me to homicide.

In between, Lily and Atlas steal away for romantic moments that are even sweeter for their authenticity as Lily struggles with child care, breastfeeding, and running a business while trying to find time for herself. It was messy, the writing didn't work for me, there were way too many unneccessary details and I felt no connection to the characters.This book was a cozy mystery in the vein of dark academia, with an undercurrent of cheek and black comedy that made for an intriguing and highly entertaining read. As I finally sit down to start typing this review, I still haven't decided if I'm going to round up or down from my 4. There are also entries written by faculty and administrators as well as scenes following the educations of Dulcie Mown and Gemma Lindley, two other students. A case study in the droll amusements of homicide, Rupert Holmes’s send-up of higher education and even higher crimes and misdemeanors will keep you up at night—alternately turning pages and checking to make sure the front door is locked. Welcome to 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.

The book focuses on three students, and the methods of achieving and dodging murder are sometimes offensive by modern standards (the book is set in the 1950s, but doesn't feel like a historical novel.

One can’t test-fire a shove and trace it back to its origin, there’s no entry wound revealing its angle, nor does it leave telltale residue. Coupled with the physical evidence and obvious premeditation, what would you figure he’s got coming? 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. I envied them their easier burden, my newly minted secret being a leaden knapsack I bore to the grandly outmoded Van Buren Hotel and Ballrooms where I was staying. I loved the setting of the school, from classes to the assignments given to through the eyes of our main characters.

Set in a secret location, this very exclusive institution boasts a bucolic campus, three (unpublished) Michelin stars, and a comprehensive education in assassination. The book blew me away so many times, it’s definitely one of a kind and one I wholeheartedly recommend, despite my “middle-book” experience.But I’d also ruled out poisons and all other arms-length methods that had sprung to mind, for they seemed too calculated and detached, requiring the meticulous planning of a certifiable psychopath. For a book set in the 1950s, much of the school's lessons seem especially like overkill (pun intended).

One justifiable shove for all the demeaning, degrading insults and condescending sneers Fiedler flayed and spewed in all directions each workday. An impromptu celebration on the beach at sunset with champagne becomes a weekly touchpoint to their lives as they learn more about each other and themselves.

Williams had been the blandest name I could think of after Smith or Jones, easily forgettable unless one’s first name was Ted. The reviews and comments posted on this site reflect the opinions of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Cannonball Read. His first novel, Where the Truth Lies, was nominated for a Nero Wolfe award for Best American Mystery Novel, was a Booklist Top Ten Debut Novel, and became a motion picture starring Colin Firth and Kevin Bacon. The 1950s are going to be boom years for companies like Woltan, all you’ve achieved is making life harder for all of us!