Book Review: Dead Money by Jacob Kerr

This was my first Jacob Kerr novel, and I didn’t hate it! If you’re into mild mysteries that aren’t overly spooky or chilling, this might be a good pick for you.

That said, there were a few things that made it harder for me to enjoy personally. The language was heavy with curse words—lots of F-words, plus others like the D-word and A-word. The frequent use of G-d was particularly tough for me, as that’s my least favorite.

The book touches on some broader social themes, like women’s roles in the workplace versus being mothers. One quote that stood out to me was, “Women are forced to choose—work or being a mother—and it’s not fair.” There’s also a character who’s a lesbian with a family, though this aspect isn’t a major focus of the story.

Lastly, I did feel like there were so many characters in this story, I kept getting confused.

As for the plot, I found the murder mystery side intriguing, especially with its focus on AI, which was a fresh angle for me. However, some parts toward the end left me thinking, “There’s no way this would actually happen.” While I eventually understood the twists, they felt a bit unrealistic at times, and the final plot twist was just “meh” for me.

Overall, while there were a few aspects that didn’t click for me, the AI-centered mystery kept me engaged. If you’re curious about a unique take on murder mysteries and are okay with the things mentioned, it’s worth a read!

A thrilling and cleverly crafted mystery that explores the dark side of Silicon Valley. The writing is sharp and dynamic, keeping the reader engaged throughout. There are so many twists and turns that it makes it impossible to predict the outcome.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This brilliant debut novel features Mackenzie, a lawyer turned investigator for a venture capitalist firm in Silicon Valley. When the head of a tech company that her firm is highly invested in is murdered, Mackenzie is sent to assist in the investigation since the murdered man has his assets locked until his killer is found.

The book has occasional flashbacks to Mackenzie's past, showing the events that shaped her and brought her to her firm. The story is about betrayal, pretense, greed, and ambition. Nobody is who they appear to be. The plot is filled with twists and turns, and even though you might suspect along the way who the killer is, getting there is half the fun.

I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to lovers of mysteries with strong female leads.

Not family friendly due to profanity and violence.

I sometimes have a hard time focusing on an ebook and usually prefer my books to be of the audiobook variety so I can do other things while enjoying a book. I was just going to read a few chapters, but I read all of it in one day! It's been a long time since I've done that with a full length book.

I was a little nervous about reading a female main character (FMC) from a male author, but it was really great. No one tried mansplaining to me how female bodies worked. I was also worried there would be a relationship between the FMC and the manly man FBI agent, but that didn't happen. It was nice! We got a pretty kick ass main character and I loved the way this ended. No spoilers because I don't want to ruin it, but I was definitely smirking and felt vindication at the end.

There are so many twists and turns that are slowly unveiled as we shift back and forth between present day and the past. I like books where I learn something, and I understand the tech world and venture capitalism a bit better. Technical explanations didn't make me feel like I was being talked down to and flowed as part of the story. I also like a story where loose strings are acknowledged and tidied up, and I like the way they were addressed at the end of the book.

I give this one 5 stars. It's the author's debut novel and I hope that he has something else ready to come out soon because I'll read it! Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an early copy of this book.

Silicon Valley is a place where one minute you are riding the wave of wealth and the next.......dead.

A fixer for a Venture Capital fund, Mackenzie, knows the challenges and secrets in world of Tech. The story unfolds as she is asked to assist with the death of a tech giant. She is wise, wiley and sarcastic. Mackenzie has been looking for an opportunity.....

Fast paced.
Twisty plot.
Engaging story!

very dramatic and thrilly thriller that's very well written. mackenzie, the main char, is awesome, and the executive team is very cool. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

What a twisty and twisted thriller! Jakob Kerr’s debut novel Dead Money is fascinating, dark, and full of surprises. Mackenzie Clyde is the Director of Investigations for Hammersmith Venture. Her unofficial job is as a problem solver for the ruthless venture capitalist Roger Hammersmith. When the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of tech’s hottest startup, Trevor Canon, is found murdered and the San Francisco police are making no progress, Roger wants Mackenzie to resolve things.

Unfortunately for Roger (and others), Trevor made some changes recently resulting in leaving behind billions in dead money frozen in his will. Roger has a fortune on the line. While Mackenzie is not a homicide detective, Roger manages to get her attached to the Federal Bureau of Investigation task force when they take over the case. While this sounds unlikely, all will be revealed in time.

Mackenzie is a lawyer and a problem solver who is confident and logical. She uses flattery as a weapon, but it doesn’t come easily. When that doesn’t work, she goes to her reserve skillsets. The other characters have depth as well and readers learn more about them throughout the novel.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel. The intricacies in the plot and the twists are fascinating. The novel starts 22 days after Trevor Canon’s murder, and occasionally goes back and forth in time. While this isn’t my favorite style of writing, it allows readers to gain more background on some of the characters and starts to set the stage for some of the twists in the plot.

I was intrigued by the characters, the technology start-up world, and the look at venture capitalists. As the investigation unfolds, additional motives and opportunities for the murder are discovered. The author does a great job on characterization and plotting, but I wanted a little more world-building to make it seem like San Francisco. There were also a few minor inconsistencies that could be cleaned up, but didn’t adversely affect the story for me. What an ending! While there are hints as a reader gets closer to the end, there are still some surprises along the way.

Overall, this was a twisty, fast-paced, and engrossing look at the world of venture capitalists and the tech industry mixed with a murder investigation. It was fascinating to watch the story unfold and see the secrets that are revealed. The ending was a wake-up call that makes you wonder what’s next. Will this become a series? It has the potential.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine – Bantam and Jakob Kerr provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for January 28, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Welcome to the Machiavellian jungles of Silicon Valley, where brash young tech buckos and their mostly male venture capitalist backers partner up in the constant search of a runaway start-up tech success that will transform them into billionaires. Amidst this bro-crowd come some savvy, ballsy women who have learned to play the game and will go to extreme lengths to try even the field. All of which Kerr delivers at a break-neck pace of tech thriller, murder mystery, and venture capitalists gone amuck.

Enter our heroine, Mackenzie Clyde, a super smart, ambitious lawyer who grew up poor and wants her own chance at the golden ring. She’s taken on as a mentee by Eleanor Eden, a tech start-up powerhouse often assigned to keep a handle on wildly brilliant but out of control and unsocialized young male tech founders. Eleanor convinces Mackenzie not to join a prestigious tech law firm but rather join Hammersmith, one of the hottest venture capital firms in Silicon Valley as in-house counsel. Mackensie stumbles on a unique opportunity to leverage her way up the ladder in the firm and takes on the role of in-house investigator.

There are barely disguised, sharp, and quite amusing, jabs at Cheryl Sandberg relationship as the “adult in the room” and pacifier to Facebooks’ Mark Zuckerberg, as well as Sandberg’s book Leaning In which posited the solution for women in the workforce to balance life simply depends on leaning more into work. In this novel, Eleanor Eden, Sandberg’s doppelganger, writes a similar self-help book, which in ironic counter position to Sandberg she privately admits is completely untrue. Eden also has constant babysitting duty against the wild impulses of Journy’s young and rash CEO.

Meanwhile, Trevor Canon, CEO of Journy (a barely disguised amalgam of Uber and Lyft) which is one of Hammersmith’s biggest investments, is discovered shot dead in his offices. This launches an elaborate hunt for the perpetrator, with Mackenzie partnering alongside a young, connected FBI agent after the San Francisco police make no progress. The FBI agent, Jameson Danner, is the on of a powerful U.S. Senator and out to prove his mettle. This turns out to the quite the challenge as everyone on the senior team of Journy comes under suspicion, and even more challenging as Journy’s CTO has completely disappeared off the grid.

All this culminates in a hold-your-breath ending at the annual Burning Man festival held deep in the Nevada desert, with you hoping that Mackenzie will soon be back as the female badass ready to take on more of the tech-bros.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy.

First and foremost, I enjoyed the read. It is a great mystery with interesting characters and some twists and is a remarkable first book from Mr. Kerr. That mostly overcomes the aspects I disliked. One was manner in which the book alternated between past and future. Throughout the course of the book, it became evident that key characters had previous in-depth knowledge of crucial facts that were completely suppressed in the future sections. This created a sense of dishonesty in the narrative, which I found somewhat annoying by the end. I was also quite dissatisfied with the ending, which I cannot discuss without revealing spoilers. Nevertheless, it was still a good read, and I am curious see what Mr. Kerr will present in his second effort.

Wow I was really impressed by this book! It was fast-paced, fun, and kept my attention every moment! It is a mystery with a bit of a thriller feel, but thankfully it's not an over-the-top emotional whirlwind. Instead it was a foll0w-the-breadcrumbs logical murder mystery with a lot more packed in. Mackenzie is a fabulous protagonist. You want to root for her throughout the book. You want to learn the whole story. Read if you love murder mysteries, read if you love thrillers, read if you love books with strong women protagonists! Thank you to the publisher and the author for not wasting my time but instead giving me a great source of entertainment. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. #sponsored

Dope little debut! The blurb from Blake Crouch drew me in and this one definitely delivered. While it doesn’t have the same sci fi elements that I adore from Crouch’s catalog, Dead Money is a really well written thriller with twists that were actually rooted in the realm of plausibility.

The characters were well written and while the pacing starts off on the slower side, the book manages to accelerate steadily leaving a satisfying read. I loved Mackenzie and Eleanor and appreciated the strong *yet* wise woman trope that isn’t super common amongst male writers. This book has many layers and even learning what pushed Mackenzie into her career trajectory was a nice added element.

Overall if you appreciate well written thrillers especially within the tech realm, I’d highly recommend giving this one a go. I know this is Kerr’s debut but I hope we see more from him moving forward.

Dead Money is a we’ll-written suspense novel with a good plot and good character development I especially appreciated and enjoyed the window into the omnipresent tech bro environment in tech startups as experienced by women and the ways these ventures are funded. A really good read!

A thriller that will keep you guessing!
Mackenzie Clyde’s job for the high-tech venture capital firm Hammersmith Venture is to serve as investigator and problem solver for unusual and challenging problems. When the CEO of Journy, one of Hammersmith Venture‘s biggest investments, is murdered and her boss asks her to assist the police and the FBI in investigating the crime, Mackenzie definitely finds herself challenged. The crime becomes even more intriguing when it is revealed that the victim had recently changed his will to add a “dead money” clause that froze all of his assets until someone is tried for his murder.
The designation “thriller” is VERY appropriate for Dead Money. The book opens with a gripping suspenseful prologue… and then it gets better! I read a lot of thrillers and consider myself a fairly adept solver of the mystery, but there were loads of twists and turns I absolutely did NOT anticipate. A few things bothered me as I read the book and made me feel a bit critical, but then they turned out to fit. As the book progressed, it seemed every time I thought things had been worked out another surprise (but a credible one) popped up.
Mackenzie is a good main character, and I enjoyed her feisty personality. I loved the statement that “In Mackenzie Clyde’s experience, there were exactly two ways of dealing with a rich asshole”; the first is flattery; the second is to kill him! Someone in the book chose the latter. There were a number of throwbacks to Mackenzie’s past, which at first annoyed me until it was clear that they fit into the big picture. The supporting characters also seemed very human.
In addition to the plot and the characterizations, the setting was well portrayed. Part of the book takes place at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, and the description of that event made me want to sign up!
Jakob Kerr’s background as a lawyer and communications executive in San Francisco's tech industry helps him draw a credible setting for this book. Dead Money is his first novel, but I hope there will be another soon!
I received an advance review copy of this book from Bantam Books and NetGalley.

This one is a wild ride and I had a good time. My one hold up is that the first half of the book feels wasted with the reveals that come. Feel like some better editing could’ve been put in play.

I thought the premise of this book sounded so interesting, but unfortunately, I didn't care for the writing style. The character development was pretty good, but I just couldn't get into to the story, and the prose was very disjointed and clunky. Such a huge disappointment.

The murder of a young tech startup billionaire sets into motion an elaborate investigation into his death. Per a recently updated will, his vast fortune is frozen “dead money” until his murder is solved. Lawyer Mackenzie Clyde finds herself in the midst of this crime as her boss' fortune and investments are on the line. Despite being underestimated Mackenzie views this tangled web of deception as an opportunity.

The lucrative business of venture capital and advanced AI technology in Silicon Valley serve as a backdrop for an unputdownable, fast-paced murder mystery. Jakob Kerr’s career as a lawyer in the tech industry brings an authentic insider feel to his debut novel. This story was smart, accessible to non-techy readers like myself, and would make a fantastic series.

Read this if you:
-believe in no risk no reward
-enjoy reading about elaborate schemes
-have ever been under-estimated

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)

Many thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Really engaging mystery about the murder of a tech billionaire from the perspective of Mackenzie Clyde, a woman with a very specialized investigative role in a venture capital firm. Kept me guessing all the way through and it was fun to get an inside peek at the inner workings of Silicon Valley. As the story plays out, the reader gets glimpses of Mackenzie's back story which, when all unfolded, helps paint a picture of what motivates her and why certain things play out the way they do. The character study is interesting, as is the investigation, which is done in somewhat of a traditional police procedural manner, as Mackenzie is working with an FBI agent, who she helps with insight and access.

I had really mixed feelings about the ending of this book. I don't want to say too much, but for me, it changed the story in a way that left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. On the other hand, I think a lot of readers will find it fiendishly clever and I have to admit it does set this book apart from a lot of other mysteries. So if you're a mystery fan, I recommend reading and deciding for yourself.

Jakob Kerr's Dead Money, which hits shelves January 2025, is a fantastic debut thriller. It propels readers into the mayhem of Silicon Valley's depths of ambition and greed. Having been a fan of shows like Succession, Billions, and Industry, I was drawn to the book's exploration of extreme wealth set up against the backdrop of a murder mystery. This one will keep readers guessing.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

When the CEO of a tech company is murdered, there are a lot of suspects. But no one expected that he'd have a 'dead money' clause in his will which basically means that all of his assets are frozen until someone stands trial for his murder. The value of his assets is about $20 billion and affects the entire company's executive team as well as the VC firm that invested in him. The VC firm's owner tasks Mackenzie to partner with the FBI to investigate the CEO's death. As she digs, she finds out that there are more people who disliked the man and could be responsible for his death.

Mackenzie was a great MC. There is also a lot more to her story as the book jumps back in time in Mackenzie's life as she becomes a force to be reckoned with in the VC/Tech world. As a woman, she's used to being underestimated, but she has always wanted to make a name for herself, so she's intent on helping the FBI find the person responsible.

As a debut novel, this was very well done. Lots of twists, lots of suspects, and a satisfying ending.