Millie Brooks works as a Bid Analyst for cosmetic company Serendipity’s Sales Director Freya Ellwood-Winter but right at the start of her story she finds herself also taking on the role of Bid Manager when the job’s previous incumbent, Sam, leaves suddenly. Freya has to be just the most demanding and demeaning boss ever and very soon Millie finds herself on a business trip in Paris with Freya, but is astonished when she sees the woman scaling the back wall of the hotel like a spiderman. She later hears that a man has committed suicide in a locked room in the hotel whilst Freya has been missing, and when she gets a mysterious anonymous message hinting that Freya is now responsible for two deaths, Millie’s mind starts working overtime. Back home in London, another message tells her there are at least five victims. Sharing this with her flatmate Lissa, the obvious answer is that Sam is pushing her to investigate but Sam has disappeared leaving behind a web of lies. Together with help from Lissa and her friend Kieran from HR, can she prove her ice queen boss is a serial killer? Just as I’m wondering what will happen, the second of five parts is narrated by Freya. The reader starts to learn about her motivation and, indeed, justification for the killings. As the story unfolds told by both Millie and Freya, the pair begin a complicated game of cat and mouse, each suspecting what the other knows about the situation but both wondering how much danger they face. So, what will happen when they realise they’re not so dissimilar?
This is a very well told story that draws in the reader beautifully. My initial sympathy was for Millie but I soon began to empathise with Freya and have a certain amount of respect for the woman. There’s a brilliant line from her - "Maybe if we all went and snuffed out some lousy little man we’d all feel so much better. We could treat it like therapy." which I adored! What begins as one kind of tale soon morphs into something bigger and infinitely more interesting, and I can honestly say I was truly gripped through the many twists and turns right up to an ending you won’t see coming! It’s dark, it’s humorous and I loved it!

It started off well, with a good premise and I found the first half quite fun - however the latter part of the book just didn't hit the mark for me. And by the end it just all got a bit silly and felt rushed.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc ebook.

How To Slay At Work
Sarah Bonner

“Camilla. You should never start a game you aren’t prepared to play to the end.”

My early thoughts when reading this was it’s like if The Devil Wears Prada, character Miranda Priestly was also a serial killer.

‘My boss might be a killer and I’m powerless to do anything about it.’

The start was setting us up, worst boss, shady coincidental undertones but then the background story comes out and the plot detonates and kicks up a gear. I appreciated the underhanded maneuverers and the chess pieces falling as you need them too. As it unfolds you definitely know the shoe will drop for one of them, but you’re not sure which one.

‘Kai should count his blessings as this death will be quick and quiet and not cause any more ripples. The others can be splashier. More Avant Garde.’

When your boss is at a conference in a city where there’s a suspicious death, it’s unlucky. If it happens twice, it’s odd. Then again, is this a coincidence or a pattern? Could she be a stone cold killer? Everyone knows Freya is a psycho to work for, overly demanding, rude and obnoxious, cryptic instructions and nothing is ever good enough. But being her assistant, gives Millie privileged access to her diary, travel history and expenses. And a way to figure out exactly what Freya is up to.

‘Would you risk it? Ten years for manslaughter in a UK prison, out in five years for good behaviour, is one thing. Fifty years in a Thai hellhole where no one knows your name is quite different.’

I really enjoyed Bonner’s older book, Her Perfect Twin. And I did enjoy the twists in this one.

‘Fate intervened this time. But she is still a killer.’

How To Slay At Work is out today, September 26th!

‘I do not like to play nice with the men I will kill.’

Thank you to @theboldbookclub!

(Review posted 26th September 2024)

3.75 stars: She's a boss bitch and an icon. But, is she a serial killer?

Sarah Bonner’s How to Slay at Work is a wickedly entertaining tale of ambition, manipulation, and murder colliding in a corporate world dominated by the ultimate boss from hell. This fast-paced thriller offers a witty yet cutting take on the assistant-boss dynamic while weaving a murder mystery that invites readers to pick up the breadcrumbs.

It is a clever, unexpected thriller that fuses corporate satire with a murder mystery in an unpredictable, wildly entertaining package. Bonner’s sharp wit and fast pacing keep the story engrossing, and her ability to blend dark humour with genuine surprise makes this a quick but memorable read.

This book is ideal for those who enjoy stories that delve into the darker side of ambition and power while still delivering comedic moments. Fans of outrageous, witty thrillers will be hooked from page one - whether drawn to the comedy, the murder mystery, or the unnervingly familiar world of workplace politics.

A minor critique: Freya’s exaggerated persona leans heavily into the familiar “boss-from-hell” trope, which, while entertaining and fitting the book’s comedic tone, occasionally undermines the tension, making it harder to fear for the other characters. Similarly, Millie’s passivity can be frustrating at times, but her transformation from overwhelmed assistant to active investigator in the second half adds depth and delivers a satisfying sense of empowerment.

Ultimately, How to Slay at Work is a deliciously devious tale in which ambition, manipulation, and murder collide in the most entertaining way.

Recommended for fans of:
- Fans of Katy Brent (How to Kill Men and Get Away With It) and Bella Mackie (How to Kill Your Family).
- TV shows such as Killing Eve.
- A cheeky, funny narrative that breaks the fourth wall.

Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on this book tour and Boldwood Books for allowing me access to the book via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers #HowToSlayAtWork #BlogTour #SarahBonner

Favorite Quotes:

This will be dressed as an opportunity and I’ll take it, make some sycophantic noises about how I relish the challenge and then bitch about it to Lissa later. Welcome to office life in the twenty-first century.

Lissa has this whole fantasy about meeting an attractive stranger and having a night of unbridled passion leading to an illicit affair. Unfortunately, this results in a monthly incident where she will end up doing the walk of shame, or knocking on my door to ask for help in the removal of said attractive stranger, who never ends up looking quite as alluring in the cold light of day.

Lawrence Delaney was voted ‘Most Likely To Succeed’ by his high school. But no one ever said what it was they thought he might succeed at.

‘Now here’s what I believe. Your husband is a dinosaur and eventually his kind will go extinct.’ I assumed she’s a creationist who thought God created the fossils to test his followers’ conviction.

I am completely over it. If I say it often enough, perhaps it will be true.


My Review:

This deftly penned tale was a fun, lively, and deliciously amusing ride with multiple jaw-dropping plot twists and clever unexpected shifts and reversals. Sarah Bonner has mad word skills and must have a direct bulk supply of pixie dust for her ink pen.

This nimbly written and well-nuanced missive shifted from warped vengeance to fierce revenge, on to cruel bloodlust, and back again. No one was as they initially appeared and each had their own, tightly held, secret agendas.

I fell upon this one like a binge dieter at a buffet and loved every nibble. Sarah Bonner has a new acolyte.

Millie believes her boss is a serial killer. The story started off very entertaining and I was immediately pulled in to the story. I loved the premise.

About mid way the story took an implausible turn. I found the second half of the book to be less interesting. It felt like it dragged at times even though there were several twists. Also, I’m not sure what I missed but I definitely wouldn't describe this book as funny or fun as the blurb suggested and many other reviewers indicated. It does tackle some heavy topics.

I feel like this book had great potential but for me it fell a bit flat in places. However, if you are a fan of cosy mysteries I think one is worth checking out.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book review 📚
How To Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Millie is the FMC of this story and she experiences such a turn of events when she’s randomly thrown into a promotion after someone quitting. But this promotion is anything but good! Her boos, Freya, is an absolute nightmare. Think ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, that is exactly what poor Millie is experiencing.

But that’s not the main plot to this story. No no, when her boss starts some …. extracurricular (?) activities, Millie starts to question what Freya is up to. You get to experience through multiple POVs which just makes it so much more interesting.

I absolutely loved this book, it wasn’t a full in thriller but there are certain moments of “what the heck” happening throughout. Its defiantly a cosy read during the autumn months.

DNF @ 30%

Just not as interesting as I hoped it would be. I think I’m not the audience because I couldn’t connect to the main character and found her irritating in a way that just made me feel like I was too old for this book. Very interesting premise though, I felt it had a lot of potential

Millie works for a high profile make-up company and when a colleague leaves suddenly she finds herself promoted to PA to her boss Freya. Unfortunately her boss is also a conplete cow and her promotion means more work rather than more money!

If things couldn't get any worse, whilst on a business trip abroad, she discovers that her boss is also a serial killer and she has inadvertently become an accessory to murder!

This is a humorous thriller which reminds me a little of Killing Eve. Fun to read with lots of twists in the plot to keep you guessing!

Thank You to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of How to Slay at Work, in exchange for an honest review.

"In 'How to Slay at Work' by Sarah Bonner, the MMC Millie stumbles upon a disturbing coincidence involving her demanding/nightmarish boss and a string of male murders in the cities she has worked in. The story takes unexpected turns, and will keep you engaged with its twists and dark humor. The author skillfully put together surprises throughout the narrative, leading to a wild ending that will leave you astonished.

The book is filled with unlikable and untrustworthy characters, but it's not a story that condemns all men. Instead, it presents a thrilling and wildly entertaining read that will keep you hooked until the final page."

If you like dry humor and suspense, you will love this book.

This book has Devil Wears Prada vibes with a twist of murder.

Freya is the mean boss to Millie who works at Serendipity Cosmetics. One day Millie's colleague Sam mysteriously quits leaving Millie promoted into her role. This new job means Millie now travels abroad for multiple business trips with Freya. On one of these trips Millie becomes suspicious of what Freya is doing at night after seeing her dressed all in black down a back alley of the hotel. Millie is especially suspicious when she hears the next day that a body has been found. From here Millie starts investigating to find out the truth.

During another of these trips there is a turn of events which leads to both women confiding in the other and looking to help each other with their problems.

Can they both find a way to settle old scores or will only one of them succeed?

This is a fun, fast read that keeps you guessing throughout. I raced through this reading it in a day and would recommend to fans of dark thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance copy.

How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner is one of the most delicious anti-hero mysteries I have read and so much fun! We have all had that b!tch boss, but what if your boss was potentially a serial k!ller?

Millie has one such boss, Freya, and she has no option but to stay in this job if she wants to get ahead. However, there is a slight problem. Whenever there is an unaliving, Freya seems to be not too far away...

I was howling with this book. A great mystery with whorls of intrigue and a whole lot of corporate snippiness and snark. Absolutely loved it and oh so glad I got out of that life!

Absolutely 5 stars of fun!

Thank you to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Sarah Bonner for this awesome ARC! My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This book was nice to read, i love thrillers. But unfortunately for me it was pretty predictable. There were barely any plot twists when there could have been a few. The only thing i didn't saw coming was that it was her and not the guys and that she killed more. But even that last one was a hinge. Besides it being predictable i still enjoyed reading it. The story was still very nice. Love how we got multiple POV's, always like that. I liked the characters, mostly Millie and Lissa. Kieran had his moments in the beginning. And Freya is just an awful person with issues.

Millie’s boss is a nightmare. She’s demanding to the extreme and would put Miranda Priestly to shame. When on a business trip together, a man dies in the same hotel. It’s not the first time it has happened though. When there are three deaths where Freya has been each time, Millie decides there’s more to it than coincidence. As she begins to look into the matter, things become dangerous. Can Millie find the truth before anyone else dies?

This is a funny, twisty mystery, with plenty of surprises. Millie had to be careful, as she didn’t know for sure what Freya was capable of. With some help, she went down a scary rabbit hole. Who could she trust? Why were all these men dying? It wasn’t a simple answer and I didn’t see it coming. The story was clever and surprising and a total revelation.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a brilliant and unusual read!

This was a fun and quirky story, written from mainly two perspectives, with a little mystery thrown in.

Millie finds herself unexpectedly promoted, after her colleague goes missing suddenly. She throws herself into the demands of her new role with her exceptionally unlikeable and nasty boss, Freya.

Millie travels with Freya to Paris and sees suspicious behavior from Freya. She then receives anonymous texts hinting at suspicious goings on and she really starts to suspect that her boss is, in fact, a serial killer.

As the story develops, more questions arrive and Millie and her friend Lissa, start to become more involved in the investigation and events as they unfurl. There is much travel and Millie finds herself becoming closer to events then she ever imagined.

This was such a unique, fun story, with quite a lot of dark humour. For most of the story there was an element of unpredictability which made it quite refreshing. The characters were well written, Millie and Freya were very creditable and believable. Freya particularly, I found myself loathing her, and immediately feeling relieved that she wasn’t my own killer boss!

There was much content included here, with particular showcase of how women are viewed in the workplace and how their careers are affected. It was wonderful to see this highlighted in so many ways.

I would thoroughly recommend this book and gave it 4 stars. It lost a star due to a small disconnect when changing perspectives and believability. That being said, I really enjoyed the book and will look to read more from the author.

Told in parts by Millie and Freya’s perspectives, no break in time, flows from one’s view to the other when changing. When Sam mysteriously disappears from the work place, Millie’s employment suddenly changes, working even closer with Freya. After a work trip Freya’s behavior raises suspicions with Millie, then leading to her doing her own detective work to solve what’s going on each time she travels….

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I’ve not read anything from this author before but look forward to reading more in this genre. A definite should read, great for fans of Katy Brent and Bella Mackie.

How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

When your boss is at a conference in a city where there's a suspicious death, it's unlucky.

If it happens twice, it's odd.

But when she's in the same city at the same time as a third unexplained death . . .

Could she be a stone-cold killer?

Millie's always known her boss Freya is a psycho – the demanding and ever-changing coffee orders, the cryptic instructions, the apparently expected mind reading and don't even start on the insistence that Millie wears heels . . . All. The. Time.

But it only extends as far as exacting office standards. Right?

As Freya's assistant, Millie has privileged access to her diary and travel history and when a pattern emerges of men (who seem to have no connection to each other) dying in cities where Freya is travelling, Millie is determined to figure out what's going on.

After all, a stone-cold killer could be exactly what Millie needs . . .

My Opinion

I went into this book without knowing what it was about, I picked this based entirely on the cover and the title. I was surprised - this was definitely not what I expected. I definitely was not prepared for the plot.

Sarah Bonner has written a book filled with twists and it was a real page-turner. It is difficult to say what I loved about this book without giving away any spoilers, so instead I am going to suggest that you give this book a read and find out for yourself.

Rating 4/5

After getting an unexpected promotion, Millie finds herself having to work closely with her boss, Freya. One day, Millie noticed some suspicious behavior from Freya and decided to investigate further, which leads her to discovering a pattern: during most of Freya's work trips, people always seem to be dying, But it has to be a coincidence, right?

This book immediately grabbed my attention as I found the plot so interesting, and it was such a fun read. It got a bit too silly towards the end as twists and turns kept dropping on me and kinda took me out of the story for a bit at times, but I still really enjoyed it a lot and had a truly fun time with it.

The characters are so interesting and very very different, so switching from Millie to Freya's POV was always interesting and provided a fresh change in perspective as the story progressed. I did like Millie's chapters more and I found myself wishing we'd go back quite often during Freya's, but it was still interesting to see her side of things, especially as things started clicking into place. I liked Lissa as a side character, and I do wish we could've seen more of her.

Overall, it was a fun, fast paced read and it did keep me hooked enough the entire time. The writing was very easy to get into and follow along, and the style did a great job at pulling you in even when at its weakest points.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Millie finds herself getting an unexpected but unpaid promotion, which means she has to travel around the world with her nightmare boss, Freya. On her first trip away there is a suspicious death but then she realises that there are unexplained deaths in other locations Freya has travelled to. Could her boss actually be a serial killer?

This was a really fun, quick read. The dark comedy, female serial killer storyline has been a popular trope recently, however the author has managed to make this feel fresh and stand out in the field. There were plenty of unexpected turns and it was a wild ride to the ending. The characters were created well and even though I hated Freya’s personality I found her very entertaining. I will definitely be reading more by this author! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

When Millie is promoted with no extra pay and longer hours, she gets access to her boss Freya’s diary. Millie notices that whenever her boss is in certain cities, men start showing up dead. Millie starts to investigate if this is a coincidence or something more sinister. This book was like The Devil Wears Prada, only with a very dark side.
Told in dual POV (Millie and her boss Freya) this novel is a fun and entertaining read.
Short chapters and well-paced, this is a well-written novel that will keep you turning the pages.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.