A good story with interesting characters. I liked watching the lead character do her thing, as well as the nice surprises. Recommended.

i enjoyed this way, way more than i expected to! i loved all the twists and turns and the complex morals of our main character, .

Silicon Valley’s glittering façade cracks when a murdered CEO leaves behind billions in frozen assets and only Mackenzie Clyde, a sharp-witted but undervalued fixer sees the opportunity in the chaos. As she unravels the murder, every twist reveals deeper greed, ambition, and betrayal. Mackenzie isn’t just solving a crime... she’s rewriting the rules, proving that in a world of dead money, the smartest player walks away alive. If that sounds up your alley, this is the book for you. It's really a fun quick, movie like read. 3.25 out of 5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. I love that she was tall, it was refreshing to be able to relate to a character. It kept me on my toes throughout, jumping from one potential suspect to the next. Dead Money was a cool peek inside of Silicon Valley and the "characters" that exist.

Dead Money is a tense, high-stakes thriller that blends crime, greed, and danger into a gripping read. Ray Banks delivers sharp dialogue, gritty characters, and a plot that moves fast without wasting words. The story pulls you into the underworld of poker, scams, and betrayal, keeping you guessing who will come out on top—or survive at all. It’s lean, punchy, and perfect if you like your crime fiction raw and unpolished.

Dead Money is a high-tech mystery thriller by Jakob Kerr. Released 28th Jan 2025 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 416 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a very well written mystery thriller with a sort of FBI/corporate espionage vibe, a high-visibility tech-bro CEO murder, and billions of dollars at stake. The main protagonist is a venture capital "fixer" and assistant to the CEO of the largest hedge fund in existence; she's tasked with getting to the bottom of the murder and navigating the traps and secrecy of the closed pool of tech executive suspects.

It's engaging, and despite the length, the plot moves along at a pretty good pace. It doesn't read like a debut work. It's not at all derivative, but fans of Joseph Finder (Nick Heller) and Matthew Quirk (with fewer guns and more corporate skullduggery) will probably enjoy this.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home library, or a nice buddy read. A promising author to keep an eye out for in future.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was the first book I've read by Jakob Kerr so I'm not sure if he has other books or not. I also don't know if he has other books if they're all a wild ride like this one was. I was onboard though and it was one heck of an ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the early read. 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.

The back and forth of the time frame is really well done especially with the setting of a tech startup. Leaving you wanting more. I am curious as to what Kerr will come up with next.

3.5/5⭐️
This was fun to read and listen. I half way guessed who did it but not really 😅 it was a bit long in my opinion and some parts got a bit too long but over all it was intriguing and mysterious. The audiobook is good as well and of course, I think the narrator did such an amazing job. The ending was not disappointing and I can see myself reading this again. Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of the book.

I loved the concept of a silicon valley-set murder mystery and Mackenzie was a great protagonist, but i did feel it was overly long and the cast of characters/suspects became confusing because they were so similar. very excited to see the adaptation though, it will lend itself well to a miniseries

I enjoyed, but didn't love, this book. I guessed the "bad guy" within the first 10% of the book, which made the first reveal less surprising. I didn't guess the second reveal, though, and I enjoyed that one quite a bit more. The characters in this were just OK - I wish that they had been a bit "meatier." The culture around the Silicon Valley money rang true, though I don't have firsthand knowledge. All in all this book was just OK for me. It was a quick read but not necessarily a memorable one or one that I would recommend.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The book is about tech billionaires and solving a "who is the killer" mystery. The idea is right up my alley with rich people being rich and an inside look at the tech world. For me, the book had some silly cliche moments and some the book could have gone through another edit. Several times I would roll my eyes which is never a good sign. As for the characters, I didn't sympathize or like any of them. In a book, I want to root for someone and I couldn't find anyone in this book. That said, there were fun twists and turns that will appeal to lots of readers. Heartfelt thanks to the publisher for the copy!

I'm home sick and clearing out the backlog of some review books that I didn't get around to reading.

Dead Money is a blend of a procedural (the main character is a lawyer/investigator for a VC firm and helping the FBI with a murder case) and a tech suspense story, as the backdrop for the book is an Uber-adjacent firm with a transportation app.

Mackenzie was an interesting main character with a sports background. The story had some fun twists and turns along the way. Enjoyed my time with this story! Great for fans of The Verifiers and The Rivals by Jane Pek.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Did not read. Have way too many books on my shelf - need to cut back. Hoping to get to it in the future though.

Thank you to Random House and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Omg! This one was wild! I flipped between the physical and audio for this, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either one here. Mackenzie Clyde is a problem solver for one of Silicon Valley’s most ruthless VCs, and so you know that puts her in the company of some slick ricks. She is very good at what she does, and then one of them is murdered, and she is asked to work alongside the FBI to assist in their investigation. They think this is laughable, and she smh’s at them for that. Because as her mother once taught her, once you see an opportunity, you seize it. This was fast-paced, intense, and I could not stop once I started. While I thought I knew what was going on, I most certainly did not know everything, and Kerr got me with a twist at the end. If you have not read this, add it. It will be a top read for me this year, and I cannot wait to see what he writes next.

Thank you for approving me for this title. After some thought, I’ve realized it’s not quite the right fit for me personally, so I won’t be able to provide a full review. I appreciate the opportunity to access it and wish the book great success.

Dead Money offers a glimpse into the high-stakes world of Silicon Valley, but it never quite delivers the punch expected from a tech thriller. The premise—a venture capital lawyer, Mackenzie Clyde, investigating the murder of a tech CEO whose assets are frozen by a "dead money" clause—holds promise. However, the execution leaves much to be desired and the twists were a bit too predictable for me.

While the book attempts to explore themes like corporate intrigue and the dark side of the tech industry, it felt a bit more like a corporate procedural than a gripping thriller. The pacing is uneven, with moments of tension overshadowed by lengthy expositions. The tech elements, such as AI and encrypted communications, are present but not explored in depth, making them feel more like background noise rather than integral parts of the plot. Mackenzie Clyde, the protagonist, is portrayed as a sharp and resourceful character. Yet, her development feels superficial, and her motivations are not fully fleshed out. The supporting cast lacks depth, making it challenging to invest in their fates.

Dead Money is a decent attempt at a tech thriller but falls short of its potential. It may appeal to readers interested in the tech world, but those seeking a fast-paced, suspenseful narrative might find it lacking.

Sometimes you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. This was a fun story to read, moved fast, and plenty to keep your mind puzzling through. I enjoyed the underdog story of Mackenzie, following the money of Venture Capital icons, and the portrayal of big tech. The final chapter was a great wrap to the book. There are 3 options when dealing with a rich asshole ...

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

“Men never have to make those choices,” Mackenzie said. “They cruise right through the system because they’re the ones that built it. We shouldn’t be fighting for a seat at their table. We should be flipping the goddamn thing over.”


Dead Money was such a fun mystery book to dive into. In this, you will meet Mackenzie. She is the Director of Investigations for Hammersmith Venture. She is basically a problem solver for her boss, Roger. We aren't sure how she came into this position exactly, but we do know that she is pretty good at the job. So, it doesn't surprise her one bit that she is thrown into a mystery investigation on Rogers' orders.

I'll be honest here; there were a lot of unknown things happening in the background. Sure, we eventually find out about things, but it was very interesting how all the strings tied together. Not only watching Mackenzie putting the pieces together but also how well she worked with the FBI agent, Danner. Like her, he also pulled strings until the full picture came into play. I enjoyed them working together and I'm a little sad that I got no romance between them.

And yet, I still devoured this book and loved how everything played out. Sure, the world was corrupt. The people in this industry were also corrupt, selfish, or just really bad with money. It was all realistic, which made for lots of suspects to go through.

In the end, the killer, the motive, and everything in between made sense. Justice was served... sort of. Also, that ending definitely felt like this could be a series, right? Like, it's just not me who got those vibes?!?!