I think this fizzled a little bit at the end, but so much of this book is SO entertaining. I love its exploration of the tech world and while I would personally have rearranged some of those last few timeline jumps for maximum impact, I still found it very fun. Also Mackenzie/Eleanor is so good, I don’t care what the stir is trying to tell me.

I loved this mystery/thriller/FBI procedural. It was a fascinating look at the world of tech startups, venture capital, and SF companies. It was a little slow during the first half, but the payoff at the end was totally worth the buildup. I didn't really like many of the characters, but Mackenzie grew on me and I empathized with her as I learned more about her. I'll definitely be looking for Jakob Kerr's next novel! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advance digital copy!

I absolutely love a good psychological thriller and Kerr’s debut novel hit the mark. It is enthralling, dark and full of some really good twists.
Mackenzie Clyde is the Director of Investigations for Hammersmith Venture. She is known as the problem solver for Hammersmith so when the CEO and co-founder of the tech start-up is found dead, Clyde is called into action.
This is a fast-paced engaging story that explores the tech world and venture capitalists and the secrets they hold. I could not read this one fast enough. I look forward to more books by Kerr.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for my ARC.

This was totally giving tech-world noir vibes, and I was here for it. We’ve got a lawyer-turned-investigator (sort of?) who’s been wrangling billionaire egos for so long that solving a murder kinda seems like just another Tuesday. The whole setup? A super-hot startup CEO gets offed, leaving behind a boatload of “dead money,” and our girl Mackenzie? Yeah, she’s on the case—except she’s less detective and more corporate shark in heels.

And OMG, the twists?? Like, every time I thought I had a grip on what was happening, boom—another plot grenade. The pacing was chef’s kiss—fast, sharp, and totally absorbing. But, real talk, some of the tech-world jargon was a little much, and at times, it felt like I needed an MBA just to keep up. Also, while the setting was super slick, I wanted more of that gritty, atmospheric feel—San Francisco kinda blurred into the background.

But Mackenzie? Ugh, loved her. Smart, ruthless when needed, and totally underestimated by every dude in the room (which she fully weaponizes). She had me rooting for her even when I wasn’t sure if she was the hero or just the most cunning player in the game.

Overall, it was twisty, fast-paced, and had that juicy “who’s screwing over who” energy that made it impossible to put down. Not mind-blown level amazing, but definitely a solid, smart thriller. 4/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 💖

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Ballantine Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful debut thriller by Jakob Kerr. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Mackenzie Clyde is a lawyer who works for Silicon Valley's most ruthless venture capitalist as an unofficial problem solver. But when the CEO of tech's hottest startup is murdered and Mackenzie's boss has a fortune at stake, she is sent in to resolve things quickly. With the police out of their depth, the FBI is called in to investigate with Mackenzie assisting. She's not a detective and is used to being underestimated, but Mackenzie is determined.

Wow - I was shocked to learn that this is a debut novel, because even at over 400 pages, it kept me glued. Told in the present during the investigation along with many flashbacks, you can't help but root for Mackenzie. Raised by a single mom who worked long hours, Mackenzie is used to being overlooked and having to prove herself. With an insider's look into the tech world with so much money involved, the plot was so well crafted and kept me guessing with its twists and turns. If you are intrigued with the tech world or just love a great thriller, this is the book for you. Do I dare hope for a sequel?

Who killed a tech titan?

Mackenzie Clyde was raised by a single mother who instilled in her the singular goal of working hard and being ready to seize bold opportunities to reach her highest goals. She did just that, and after getting a law degree at Georgetown she headed to California and took a job at the most prestigious venture capital firm in the tech world, eventually working for its owner Roger Hammersmith as the firm's Director of Investigation. Her job is to find ways to solve problems that occur, and the murder of Trevor Canon, founder of the latest tech startup wonder company Journy would definitely constitute a major problem. Hammersmith Ventures has over five billion dollars invested in Journy, money which will not be recouped if the company doesn't continue to grow and turn a profit. Unfortunately Canon added a new section to his will shortly before his death, something known as a dead money clause...in the event Canon was killed all of his assets would be frozen until someone is tried for his murder. After three weeks the SFPD still has no clue as to who was responsible for Canon's death, which leaves Journy in a bad place. The FBI has arrived to take over the case led by Special Agent Jameson Danner and Hammersmith has arranged for Mackenzie to work with them as an advisor to help navigate the tech world culture (and of course to keep Hammersmith informed on the investigation). The only people who had access to Canon's office were his four executives (one of whom Mackenzie once dated); all have ironclad alibis for the night of the murder and one of them has since disappeared. Who wanted Canon dead, and why? No one, not even Mackenzie, is being completely honest about their motivations...and there are forces that are willing to kill to keep this problem from ever being solved.
Set in the world of tech bros and Silicon Valley power players, Dead Money features a female protagonist who makes no bones about her aspirations to join the ranks of those with power; Mackenzie is smart, ambitious and will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals. Raised in Reno she grew up around gamblers, and has no illusions about life being fair. She is teamed up with Danner, who comes from a family with money and influence but is looking to succeed on his own terms. The different characters swirling around include an arrogant tech man-child, a woman who has climbed high enough in the tech world to claim a "seat at the table", the new age-ish COO who also happened to be Canon's girlfriend, and all contribute to bring the cutting edge and cutthroat world of tech start-ups vividly to life. The plot is twisty and moves briskly along, with occasional chapters that flash back to look at Mackenzie's life in previous times, and leads to a wild finale set at the Burning Man festival. Fans of authors like Philip Margolin, Joseph Finder and Robert Dugoni have a new author to add to their TBR list in Jakob Kerr, who was an early employee of AirBNB and used his knowledge of the start-up world to excellent effect in this engrossing thriller. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine/Bantam for allowing me early access to the novel in exchange for my honest review.

A Silicon Valley mystery/thriller? Yep, who knew the world of venture capitalists could be so exciting, so dangerous? Seriously, Dead Money, the debut novel by Jakob Kerr really surprised me with just how good it is. Mackenzie Clyde is a great character and this story…wow, so many twists. I swear every time I thought I had it all figured out, Kerr would throw another curveball and I’d be totally rethinking everything. Now I imagine there are some that are going to say the first half feels a little slow, but I found it interesting and thought Kerr did a great job setting the stage for what was to come. Stellar debut and I look forward to seeing what he comes out with next. 4.5 stars. I also believe the book has been optioned for a show by Paramount. Can’t wait to see the casting for this. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Dead Money.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RVG3F4AVJX75B/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like this book but the description sounded interesting and it was the typical crime thriller/police procedural. The story is told in two parts with the past meeting the present. As you are reading you start to put most of the pieces together and think you know how it ends but then there is just enough of a twist to surprise you at the end making the end very satisfying.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, I was thrown another curve ball.

This is a debut novel. Sometimes debut novels hit it out of the park, and other times, not so much. This one hits it out of the park in my mind. It pulls in intricacies of the Tech world, California, Burning Man, and so much more. It is like a thread is pulled and everything starts to unravel.

I enjoyed Mackenzie's character. We learn her back story in bits and pieces, which enhances the story and keeps the reader guessing. I appreciated her determination to get what she wants from life despite what other people think. She is smart and savvy and is not to be underestimated.

Danner is the son of a congressman who is trying to forge his own path in the FBI. Working with Mackenzie could make or break his career. But is he being truthful with her? What is his angle?

I enjoy a good thriller, and this novel has it in spades. While others might be able to figure out what will happen next, it was always a surprise for me. As I drew closer to the end, I did suspect a few things, but not many. I learned that you can't trust anyone but yourself.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will want to pick up this book at your earliest opportunity.

We give it 5 paws up.

The characters are complex. The mystery full of twists. There is a lot of tech jargon, but I felt like it was necessary. Mackenzie had me invested in her. And that ending! I loved it.

In the tech world of San Francisco, it is a dog eat dog world. For Mackenzie Clyde, a fledgling lawyer trying to get a leg up in the world, a cunning mind and maybe a little help from her friends open a door to not only more money but more power.

When the Founder of the hottest ride share company is murdered, Mackenzie is assigned by her venture capitalist boss to follow the FBI case closely and report directly to him any findings. There's a lot of money at stake that is seemingly tied up in "Dead Money" stocks that cannot be released until someone is tried for murder. Enter a hot up and coming FBI agent trying to make a name for himself outside of the spotlight of his famous father. Mackenzie has a good head for the tech business and becomes a critical asset to the investigation.

There may be quite a bit of tech jargon floated around the storyline, but Jakob Kerr does an excellent job of not allowing the tale to get bogged down with unnecessary detail. For the most part, this is precise and to the point, with flashbacks to give more background on most of the characters. This was a good thriller that kept you guessing who dunnit for the entire book. I did not see the reveal coming.

Overall great mystery and the pace of the story was good, not too rushed or drawn out too long. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for my complimentary eARC of Dead Money. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fantastic debut mystery thriller.
Lots of twists and turns and heart pounding action
The dual timelines give great insight into Mackenzie’s choices. I did not foresee that ending

“You want to move on from the past, you just do it. Move on. My mom always said “You get one life. So get the hell on with it.”

Book Thoughts: Author Jakob Kerr’s impressive debut novel was a page turner and standout. This book went from present time to flashbacks of the past. It was suspenseful and twisty and I enjoyed the premise of a murder involving a billion dollar new startup tech company CEO. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I received an advanced electronic copy from publisher Bantam books and Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview this book.

This was a twisty captivating tale. As soon as you think you know what happened a left turn occurs. Interesting reveals will surprise you. Strong female characters.

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr is such an exciting debut thriller!
A fast paced, action packed mystery that kept me glued till the very last page.
Twists, turns, suspense, excitement and lots of action! This is to not to be missed!

Dead Money was an intricately layered suspenseful story with a fascinating glimpse into the tech world. The story was compelling, though I did have some issues with the pacing as the middle dragged a bit. I do think 50 pages or so could have been removed without losing the essence of the story. I did love the way the timelines came together and I enjoyed the character development.

This book had a very new and fresh premise. The story revolves around Mackenzie, an attorney for a venture capitalist who is placed on a murder investigation by her boss when a business associate is murdered. The story arc is unlike others in thriller that I have encountered. As someone who works in the city, I really felt like the book captured a lot of San Francisco's vibe, and wrapped up much about tech and the vibes in the area without being too kitschy. I would definitely recommend this book because the twists and turns are absolutely not something you would be ready for, and were surprising, fun, and gave the entire book that much more going for it.

This ebook was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Dead Money" had me hooked from the moment I learned the clever meaning behind its title. This isn’t your typical murder mystery—it’s a smart, sharp thriller set in the high-stakes world of venture capital. And trust me, it delivers.

We follow Mackenzie, a badass fixer and investigator who handles the kind of messy, high-profile problems no one else would likely want to touch. When the CEO of one of her firm’s biggest investments, Trevor, is found murdered, Mackenzie is thrown into the thick of it, working alongside the FBI. Trevor recently changed his will, adding a condition that freezes all his assets until someone is convicted of his murder. Talk about *dead money*!

The plot is packed with twists and turns, and I have to admit—some of them totally caught me off guard. It’s not just smart; it’s fun, unpredictable, and set in a world we don’t often see in mysteries. If you’re into sharp whodunnits with a unique setting, I’d definitely recommend this one.

3.5

This started off super strong. There was a good mystery that was relevant to the times. A good cast of characters. Technology that was pertinent. A setting that made sense. I was pretty engrossed in it until about 3/4 of the way through, and then it started to fall off. All the things that seemed so good in the beginning started wearing on me, and finally got to the point where I didn't care as much.

The story follows Mackenzie, an investigator for a large and important venture capital company. She's sent to help investigate the murder of the CEO of one of the biggest companies on the planet. She teams up with an FBI agent to help him navigate the tech world, while also updating her boss on the progress of the investigation. At first, everything was interesting and relevant. The victim was the CEO of Journy, a ride share company that could easily be swapped out for Uber or Lyft. It has its differences, but it's more or less the same thing. The suspect list is small, the motivation seemingly obvious. There are some twists to all this of course, but it kept going at a good pace. However, it started grating on me as it got closer to the end, Petty people fighting over billions because they think they're owed something in life? Eh. It didn't help that some of them had to let you know just how special they were, because they worked in tech and had a minimalist house and treated everyone as if they were beneath them. I get it; it's San Francisco and technology. Most people involved in that are insufferable. It also helped show how tech bros have ruined so many things. The Burning Man sections really hammered that home. And speaking of hammers, Hammer Angel is the dumbest name on the planet. Technology has advanced so much and brought so many good things to peoples lives, but at the same time it definitely has its downfalls, which I think more people are beginning to realize.

The ending absolutely was not for me. It made sense for how the rest of the story went, but I didn't enjoy it. I feel as if I'll be the outlier on that, but I could be wrong.

This will appeal to people who enjoy mysteries with a tech flair. It is well-written, and I think I would have rated it higher had it not been for the end.

Book review 📖

📜Dead Money
✍️Jakob Kerr
📠Random House/Ballantine Bantam
📚Thriller Fiction
🗓️Pub date: January 28, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @randomhouse for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to @jakob_kerr for penning this masterful and wild ride. Excuse me while I go twist my head back on straight…

✨Unofficial “fixer” for one of Silicon Valley’s most successful venture capitalists, Mackenzie Clyde, is used to dealing with high stakes. However, the CEO of one of the hottest tech companies is murdered, leaving a pile of “dead money” tied up in his will. Mackenzie’s boss is a chief investor in the startup.

✨Going head to head with some of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest and most ruthless power players, Mackenzie finds herself in over her head. At the end of the day, she’s a lawyer, not an investigator. Teamed up with Special Agent Jameson Danner from the FBI, they begin to unravel the inner workings of the multi-billion dollar techie underworld. Ultimately it all comes down to one thing—money—and who is greedy enough to kill for it.

✨This book had me hooked from page one! A cross between Showtime’s Billions
and John Grisham’s The Firm, this had a healthy mix of wealth and power, the tech industry, and a high-end criminal investigation. I soaked up every second of this twisty thriller, and the twists keep comin’ till the very last page—what an ending! Pure genius!!

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