For starters, don't let the title fool you, it's not some handbook about being productive, but actually a psychological thriller.

I've read 'Her perfect twin' & 'Her perfect revenge' by Sarah Bonner before, which I quite liked, so I kept an eye out and was waiting for something new from her already for a while.

The main character in this book is Millie, who gets an unexpected promotion when her boss Freya's assistant Sam doesn't come to work one day.
Freya is a very ridiculously demanding boss who travels a lot, and now Millie has to go to Paris with Freya instead of Sam.
At the hotel, Millie sees Freya behaving very strangely and soon a body is found. Millie starts receiving mysterious messages that encourage her to investigate this.

Right from the very first chapter, it felt a lot like "The devil Wears Prada", both story and characters wise and actually the reason for this similarity was also revealed later in the book.

I don't want to give away too much about the story, but my feelings about this book are quite mixed - I rather liked the overall structure and plot of the story, some characters were pleasantly annoying while others were irritating (and even pointless) in a negative way, there were quite a few unexpected twists and turns, but the motives of the characters were kind of bland and I didn't get the same thrill while reading as with Bonner's previous books.

Oh my God! Am I even reading the same book as everyone else?

After seeing all the five star reviews I had high expectations that this book could be an excellent mix of Sex and the City versus Sweetpea. In reality it’s just a constant flow of mindless, endless, drivel … The story is long and meandering and absolutely mind numbingly dull. It’s so far down chick lane that I’m not quite sure what category actually fits into

The boss, Freya, is an almost direct lift of the devil wears Prada Miranda Priestley!! Followed very closely by Millie who is our little mouse of an assistant, wannabe big-time player. I’d love to say that it started with a bit of a bang and then lost its way but really this boat never set sale and all the constant references to money and fashion and lifestyle just don’t really sit right with what they’re trying to achieve in creating a serial killer boss.

Neither as the characters are particularly likable or even well constructed from either persons point of view they change when the narrative flips to the first person. I felt that this inconsistency of character also added to my lack of interest with the narrative. If you’re going to be horrid, be horrid to the end don’t have any kind of emotional sympathy. Miranda Priestley wouldn’t have. All in all a thoroughly disappointing read and one I really wouldn’t recommend picking up. I don’t know who the people are that gave it anything above three stars but in my opinion they must’ve been paid or persuaded to give that vote because I can’t see anything about this book that would merit higher than what I’ve given it.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review my thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun dark read.
Millie takes on a new job and her boss Freya is a heartless mean bitch but there is more about Freya is she also a killer?
This story is just fabulous and great to read great characters and twists.

Loved this book! Millie has gotten used to working for a nightmare boss, but things take a definite turn when she suspects her boss of being a serial killer. She and her roommate/best friend Lissa begin investigating, and are pretty surprised at what they find out. We also learn that Millie and Lissa have an agenda of their own . . . .

I really enjoyed the teasing out of what really motivated each of the characters, and the humor and fast pace made this book so much fun to read. I was excited to learn that the author has two previous books, which I will be reading immediately.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I opened "How to Slay at Work," I knew I was in for an exhilarating ride filled with dark humour and twisted thrills. Sarah Bonner has outdone herself with this latest bestseller, delivering a story that seamlessly blends workplace satire with a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
As the narrative kicks off, we meet Millie, the beleaguered assistant to Freya—the quintessential boss from hell. If you’ve ever encountered a micromanaging tyrant, you’ll find Freya’s character all too familiar. With her dizzying demands, ever-changing whims, and fixation on Millie's heel height, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Freya's outrageous behaviour. However, I quickly realised that there’s far more to the story than just an unpleasant working environment.
When Freya jet-sets to a series of conferences where inexplicable deaths occur, the plot thickens. I found myself in Millie's shoes, drawn into her investigation as she uncovered a mysterious pattern linking her boss to these suspicious incidents. The brilliance of Bonner's writing shines here; the story is peppered with sharp wit and darkly comedic moments that had me laughing at times when I probably shouldn't have. How could I not laugh when Millie’s misadventures had all the makings of a wild office comedy combined with a murder mystery?
As I read, I felt a strange kinship with Millie. She's relatable yet thrust into a surreal situation. Her determination to unravel the truth about Freya's potential connection to the deaths is both admirable and audacious. With each twist and turn, I found myself second-guessing everything, often laughing out loud at the sheer absurdity of it all. Freya transforms throughout the narrative; what starts as outright disdain for her character morphed into a begrudging appreciation for her audacity and survival instincts.
Bonner’s skilful storytelling keeps the tension high, making it impossible to put the book down. The plot is artfully crafted, with surprises around every corner and revelations that left me reeling. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist would emerge that took the story in a wholly unexpected direction. It's a wild ride filled with secrets, intrigue, and the occasional gasp of shock!
The narration of the book was also a treat, as the dark comedy comes alive in the voices and personalities of the characters. Millie's inner thoughts and her banter with Freya draw you even deeper into their chaotic world.
Overall, "How to Slay at Work" is a dazzling blend of humour and suspense that left me eagerly turning pages late into the night. It’s a masterclass in how to mix a captivating plot with sharp wit, making for a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience. Sarah Bonner has solidified herself as an author to watch, and I can’t wait to see what she concocts next. If you’re seeking an entertaining thriller that will make you both laugh and gasp in disbelief, this book is an absolute must-read!

Completely unexpected. I was not prepared for the amount of twists and turns that this took, it was so much fun and I could have easily read it in a day if I hadn’t been working.
There was a really dark underbelly which made this a satisfying read, I enjoyed peeling back the layers and seeing how the characters were motivated.

What would you do if you realised your boss was a serial killer?

This book was brilliant - a little bit of drama, some excellent twists and fantastic characters. I was totally hooked!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy of the book to review

How to Slay at Work was a fun read. I loved how there were sections from Millie's POV and Freya's POV. The POVs were seamlessly woven together. and I enjoyed all the different characters and how they interacted with Millie and Freya. I loved how the ending came as a complete surprise.. I'm definitely looking forward to what Sarah Bonner writes next.

What a fantastic book. The twists and turns will astound you. A serial killer boss using work trips to cover up her killings but is this the only agenda in play.
Desperately trying to hang on to her job Millie can't believe what is happening but does she have her own reasons to try and land a job in the LA office? Right upto the last page you won't be able to stop turning the pages to find out what happens next

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this book in return for an honest review!

Millie wants to climb the corporate ladder, unfortunately for her, her boss is the definiton of a 'killer boss'. I found the character of Freya really unlikeable for a portion of the book, however I also thought this added to the overall characterisation of Freya as she should be unsavoury. She's the type of character that you love to hate. I thought Millie was very easy to root for and you had fun with both of them along the way.

This book was very snappy and had a fun and playful writing style that complemented the characters brilliantly- especially Millie's sarcastic style. This book is a brilliant example of how your characters bring the story to life. I do however wish we had seen a bit more of a back story for our characters. The twists werent the main focus but were fun and made me want to keep reading.

Overall this book is really fun, super easy to binge and has a lot of personality which I absolutely loved. A quintessential feminist thriller

This is perfect for fans of Bad Men, How to Kill Your Family and Finlay Donovan is Killing It!

Amazing! This was a gripping read that kept me hooked to the end. It has twists and turns and great characters (even if you don't like them!) It's hard to write more about this as I am so afraid of giving any of the story away. I liked that I went into this one knowing absolutely nothing about it.

A highly recommended read and I look forward to future books by this author.

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

This was a fun, fast-paced read with a lot of dark humor I appreciated and a fun cast of characters. There were plenty of twists that were shocking, yet also managed not to be so outlandish that you couldn't predict them if you looked carefully enough. I wasn't a huge fan of the slang usage, like how "yeet" was randomly thrown in a normal sentence that kind of took me out of the narrative a bit, but that's a very small gripe.

What a fun ride it was. I’m a big fan of Katy Brent and I decide to try that new (for me) author. It was so wild. Do never had an impossible and annoying boss ?? But jeez bring the dark and thriller style and you get the perfect book for mystery thriller lovers. It’s so twisted and the plot thicken on the last 20%. Love every minutes of that book and can’t recommend it enough.

This is my first title by Sarah Bonner and I can't wait to read more! This book was so much fun! There have been a number of vigilante female books lately but this one has some crazy twists. Highly recommended!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this digital ARC.

An interesting, Fast paced and quirky thriller, lots of twists and turns. The unreliable narrators add an element of sadism to the narrative. Enjoyable and different.

This book was a surprising find. Even after I started reading it, I was unsure if i would finish because it is outside my norm. I am very glad I stuck with it because it was a roller coaster ride full of lots of twists and turns. Even with the back cover description talking about how she needs her boss to slay, I was surprised when she flipped the script on said boss after catching her somewhat red handed. Millie and Freya are both enigmas. Sometimes she exudes confidence and self assurance and at other times she blunders into something she shouldn't. I misspoke earlier when I said she caught the boss red-handed, actually they caught each other because of Millie's lack of planning. However, when Millie flipped the script on Freya, I was floored. That led to a big reveal from Millie to Freya. Still not even that reveal prepared me for the secrets yet to come out. One person with seemingly two identities playing both sides may be the biggest snake in the story. That person is surely the biggest bully whose loyalties flip as quickly as the names by which that person is referred.
Lissa and Sam played a large role in the finale which felt a bit necessary as Lissa was an early victim too and Sam was not what she appeared. They fit the overly theme of the story where nothing is simple and everyone has an ulterior motive. The last 20% of the book is illuminating as we finally see the depth of depravity one of the characters is capable of and we learn the identity of the snake and find a final surprise even in the epilogue. This book is very well written flipping between Freya's story and Millie's often times tossing you between characters just when things get tense. This was a change for me but wow what a change. In all honestly, with the exception of the period when the wheels came off the story right before the end, this was a very good book. I would give it between a 4.4 and a 4.5 and I will check out the users other works. When you read the number of books I do, this book surprised me which is rare and worthy of rounding up to 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a really fun little thriller, with a pretty original concept. The little twists and turns - especially the one right around the halfway mark - kept it interesting, and the characterization was on point. The writing, at times, was a little clunky, but the fun of the story was enough to ignore that. I think the epilogue is a good setup for sequels, and I can see this being enjoyed by people who like the Finlay Donovan series.

Millie’s boss Freya is an absolute nightmare to work for. She is endlessly demanding of her- the book starts with a request for Millie to go to Paris that same day after Freya’s assistant, Sam, leaves very abruptly. When a body turns up after the Paris trip and another after the next trip, and Millie starts receiving notes that suggests she looks into a connection, Millie realises that Freya might be an even worse person than she thought. But should she expose her, or use this information to her advantage?
This book is wickedly funny in places, and very twisty, with the plot twists coming so fast it made me feel dizzy.
Highly enjoyable. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

How to Slay at Work is an entertaining read.

Our first main character, Millie, is very amusing in a slightly 'put upon way.' The dynamics between her and Freya, her boss, are amusing and well-portrayed. As Millie's suspicions grow, it's almost a shame when our POV shifts and we encounter Freya herself. However, Freya's perspective definitely adds a whole new dimension to what's actually going on.

Indeed, the book's first half passes by very quickly, covering quite a short period. In some ways, the book suffers from having such a fabulous set-up, which can't quite be maintained throughout the second half as we learn more and more about our characters. The dark, twisty humour does die away a bit—perhaps unsurprising in the face of what the reader learns.

That said, the book's second half is still good, even if the ending seems a little rushed, as we meet our third POV.

Both of our main characters are untrustworthy narrators, which allows for a few 'I didn't see that coming moments'.

It's a fun and entertaining read. It's certainly twisty and stuffed with some fabulous dark humour (in the first half).

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This was fantastic! Highly recommend. The story was so original, and I loved how the main characters, Millie and Freya, spoke to the reader directly at times. As in, "you probably already figured that out" type of thing. This is one of those books you should go into without knowing much about it' just dive right in. It's fast paced and the twists keep coming. I guarantee you won't guess a lot of it. That said, I really can't give more of a review without giving away the details. Add it to your TBR right now! Definitely in my top 10 for the year.