When a high tech CEO is murdered there are plenty of suspects, not the least of which is the head of the venture capital firm that has fronted him billions. But as the police haven’t made any headway in the case, money talks and the FBI steps in. The head of the venture capital firm manages to get his lead fixer into the investigation as a translator of sorts between techies and the FBI.

The plot line is quite involved and twists with different personalities. At times it felt as if the same material was being covered over and over again. The crime was ‘solved’ but was the culprit caught? I liked that ending.

five star read! I devoured Dead Money by Jakob Kerr. I cannot believe it is a debut novel! It's a page-turner and has more than a few clever twists. I kept thinking I hate the synopsis figured out, but then got hit with "but wait! theres more!"

I devoured Dead Money by Jakob Kerr. I cannot believe it is a debut novel! I read that Paramount Television Studios has already purchased the rights to the book, even though it does not publish until January, 2025. I am not surprised. It reads like a well-made movie or TV show. The story carries you along with an interesting cast of characters and a well thought out, twisty plot. Nothing feels contrived. All of the dialogue feels completely natural and the descriptions perfectly paint the picture of what is occurring, without seeming to be too much or too little. The pacing is perfect and everything is well explained. I would give it 8 out of 5 stars. If this is a debut novel, I can't wait to see what Jakob Kerr does next.

Dead Money was SUCH a fun read. Twists and turns and misdirection. Just when you thought you knew who the murderer was (and I thought I knew early on), the Russian Doll opens up again with one more twist.

Mackenzie isn’t your usual lawyer. Not your usual investigator or employee at a VC either. She has her secrets!

When her boss asks her to investigate a murder of a top Silicon Valley hotshot… well that’s when the ride begins.

Who to trust? Who’s telling the truth and who isn’t. And where is everyone?

Thanks NetGalley for sending me this to read in advance of our date. Highly recommend!

I was emailed an offer to read this book. It didn't sound much like something I would be interested in, taking place in the setting of tech companies, but something grabbed me as it did involve murder and the FBI.

This story was fascinating because of the tech talk, but also because the main character, Mackenzie Clyde was assigned by her boss to consult with the FBI regarding the murder of the leading CEO of a tech startup, a billion dollar company. She didn't investigate crimes, but was supposedly good at investigating other things.
The story goes back and forth between days after the murder and years before it. I really had a hard time putting this book down because I really wanted to know who did it and how everyone was connected.

There were a lot of twists in this story and the ending will blow your mind. (burning man language) I really, really, enjoyed this book and I think everyone else will too. Great debut!

Thank you Random House Group and NetGalley for this ARC.

I got an email from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a> two days ago recommending this book and being pre-approved to read it. For a genre I don't normally turn to, it seems I do enjoy them when I do. I would have read this in one sitting if it weren't for other things like life and all and it being really late (I finished the last 30 or so pages after sleep.) It's a page-turner and has more than a few clever twists. Astute readers will see some things coming a mile away... and then find that, while right, "but wait! there's more!"

Disclosure: I rarely summarize fiction plots, mainly because I think it unfair to the author - there are plenty of people who do for those on the hunt, and there is almost always an extra teaser blurb somewhere - and I think it unfair to the reader who, like me, dislikes spoilers.

So, we've got an engaging debut novel, reminding me a little of Crichton (but better). Recommended.

This made me laugh:
<i>“How about you?”
“I started </i>Black Swan<i> but couldn’t get through it.”
“Why?” Mackenzie shrugged. “Taleb’s an insufferable prick.”
Brady’s face froze with surprise, then burst into an explosion of laughter.</i>

I am not a fan of Taleb or <i>Black Swan</i> (I noted: "Some people have the skill to make a complicated topic understandable. Some have the talent of making a simple topic complicated. Some can convolute the hell out of simple or complex… and think highly of themselves. Talib is one of those some people.")

I found this an interesting perspective:
<i>“It taught me something important. There’s no such thing as closure.”
Danner raised his eyebrows. “Closure?”
“It’s a bullshit concept,” Mackenzie said. “Invented by psychologists to indulge people who can’t move on. Everybody’s got shit in their past.”
“Isn’t that the point, though? To confront the past, so you can move on from it?”
“You can’t confront the past. It already happened. ‘Seeking closure’ is just an excuse to wallow in it.”</i>

I am exposed:
<i>He texted like a Boomer—sporadically, with unnecessary punctuation.</i>
Huh. {raises hand when reading “Boomer”} When is punctuation not necessary?

And sometimes vernacular doesn't fit:
<i>Punching the gas, she peeled a track across the desert, bearing for Yoo and Kovalev. Mackenzie had been in many Journy Buggies. They drove like any other golf cart: top heavy, jerky steering, electric motor.</i>

Gas? electric motor?