Jakob Kerr's "Dead Money" follows Mackenzie Clyde, director of investigations for Silicon Valley's hottest venture capital firm, as she becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. Tech company founder Trevor Canon has been murdered, and a clause in his will stipulates that all of his company shares--worth billions of dollars--are to be frozen until his killer is brought to justice. That "dead money" motivates Roger Hammersmith, Mackenzie's boss and the major funder of Canon's company, to bring in the FBI and attach Mackenzie as liaison.

What starts out as a relatively straightforward murder investigation spirals into a cacophony of conspiracy, lies, and layers upon layers of deception. The tech world atmosphere is so wonderfully rendered, with details and insider knowledge that really made it come to life. I really enjoyed Mackenzie as a character--she's headstrong, smart, and resourceful. The plot was tight and incredibly well-paced--I didn't want to put this book down. All in all, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it!

Jakob Kerr's debut novel, Dead Money, is a thrilling ride through the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley. The story centers on Mackenzie Clyde, a fixer for a ruthless venture capitalist, who finds herself entangled in the murder investigation of a tech CEO.

From the start, I was hooked. The plot is engaging, filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Mackenzie is a compelling character, and her dynamic with the FBI agent adds depth to the narrative. The tech industry backdrop adds a unique twist to the mystery genre, making the story fresh and exciting.

Overall, Dead Money is a gripping read that left me wanting more. Highly recommended for those who love a good mystery with a tech twist!

I read an advanced readers copy thanks to the publisher and really enjoyed Jakob Kerr's Dead Money. This is a mystery novel with a technology industry twist. The murder is of the founder of one of Silicon Valley's leading tech firms. The title refers to the clause the deceased put in his will that if he is murdered, all of his stocks and company resources are frozen, until his murderer is tried for the crime. Trevor knew he had enemies and knew his life was in jeopardy.

The book follows the investigation, tag teaming a investigator for the venture capital firm which funded the deceased man's company, with an FBI agent. At first, that combo seemed a bit off, as in the real world, the FBI doesn't partner with private investigators to conduct a criminal investigation, but i went along with it. As the book proceeds, the story becomes more complex, and the book gets more and more interesting. The main character, Mackenzie's back story is revealed through sporadic chapters that tell her story from high school through the present day. Spoiler alert - these chapters are quite important to the story, so see if you can sort it out.

In the end, the book has more twists and turns than a mountain highway, and it comes to a satisfying end. I recommend this book, and while it was perhaps a bit longer than it needed to be, I enjoyed the novel a great deal.

Great debut novel! Suspenseful and kept me guessing til the bitter end. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 50%. Although I liked our main character, and our FBI agent started to grow on me, I was bored stiff. Aside from our initial murder, almost nothing happened except talking. Lots and lots of talking. The tech stuff was marginally interesting, but not enough to sustain me.

A debut novel that is full of twists and turns that kept you guessing till the end . I feel this author the author has a bright future ahead
Thanks for letting me read and review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

Five stars! Fast-paced, highly readable thriller that I couldn't put dow.n. I read it in practically one sitting. Twists and turns and an ending that doesn't disappoint!

What a fun book! Protagonist Mackenzie Clyde has an intriguing job--investigator for a huge venture capitalist firm. While normally her job involves doing due diligence and digging up dirt on potential investors or startups. But when the CEO of one of the firm's biggest investments is murdered, Mackenzie is tasked with teaming up with the FBI to investigate.

Mackenzie is a fascinating character, and we learn about her through flashbacks throughout the book. As the daughter of a single mom who struggled to make ends meet, she didn't have an easy childhood, and she vowed to "grab her chance" when it came. She works hard and takes advantages of opportunities that come her way. This contrasts with her "partner" at the FBI, who also works hard and is good at his job, but is trying to escape the shadow of his powerful and wealthy father.

This book had a rare combination of compelling characters and nonstop twists and turns. I can't wait to see what this debut author does next!

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

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?