What a lot of fun! This gleefully dark tale, filled with wry humor and some genuine insight into human behavior is better than a day at the amusement park. Characters that evoke images of people we may know (and hate) and the perpetual struggle to restrain oneself from strangling them resonate with real life, no matter the fantastic nature of the narrative. Perhaps strangling is not the proper way to deal with these pests: there are other, better ways that will not result in your apprehension and punishment.

Three disparate sufferers of oppression and discrimination find themselves enrolled (in one case by surprise) in an institution dedicated to the artful elimination of boils on the collective human body and the evasion of retribution on the hero who “deletes” them from existence. A syllabus, a list of required and optional texts, instructors, mentors, tutors, advisors and support staff are at hand to guide the questing scholars into the appropriate paths to success. The campus is, of course, closed, not to mention entirely secret and failure to complete a “thesis” is met with terminal action. Do or die.

Narrated from multiple points of view; student, academic administrator and third person observer, the yarn gallops at a delightful pace making this an easy read, and one that provides many pleasant hours contemplating the removal of odious persons who more than deserve to expire for the best reasons. Justice is merciless in some cases, and these are they. Dark fun.