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?!?!

This was a great book, it gripped me from the beginning and I thought the setting of the tech world was very interesting. Although I predicted who was the bad guy correctly there were still twists that I didnt see coming.

The twists and turns in this story kept my turning the pages QUICKLY! It’s hard to believe this was a debut novel for the author. The originality of the plot was really refreshing. I could see this becoming a series as long as each book is as nicely done as the first.

Techy. Twisty. Ruthless. Would repeat
3.5 ⭐️
The only reason this isn’t 4 stars is because I figured out the twist very early in the book.
So good. Read it on an airplane. Kept me invested the whole time.

I knew I wanted to check this out after seeing that Blake Crouch reviewed it!

This was a unique concept! It’s hard to find original, twisty, thrillers and this one did not disappoint. Bonus points for the badass female protagonist.

Thank you so much, Netgalley, for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was shocked to get through this book so quickly and search for Jakob Kerr's other works, only to find this is his DEBUT NOVEL! The plot twists and little details he includes are so incredibly impressive, the immaculate execution of a dual timeline also shows how talented this author truly is. I found it to be incredibly engrossing and loved every second of it. There were some world-building moments where I felt like he could've done a lot more, or at the very least fleshed out our setting. But it never took away from the plot as a whole. The ending was what sealed my rating. I can't go into detail, of course, but all I will say is that the fascinating unraveling of this storyline and our characters is a must-read!

This was a difficult read for me. Slow moving with lots of details. A murder, and hunt for the killer. lots of twists with the FBIi trying to frame the killer. But the truth is a bunch of lies.

Dead Money is a look behind the artifice and underbelly of the tech bro world -- very appropriate as it is dominating so much of the political and financial scene right now -- to see just how omnipotent, superhuman and untouchable they see themselves.
VC investigator and FBI agent team up to investigate the murder of the CEO of an Uber-like company called Journy, with high probability of the C-Suite housing the culprit, and a collection of oddballs and a missing CTO to boot. The plot unravels with great twists and turns, including some red herrings that get revealed in a denouement worthy of The Usual Suspects, Wild Things, and other 90's twist-fests.
The showdown and the iconic scene is made for the big screen.

To read this book is equal to taking a 101 class in AI. If your basic knowledge of how money is transferred around between companies, competing startups and the amounts that are spent to get ahead is lacking, this is your intro. These people are ruthless to be the best, the first and the richest with no regard who they step on to get there.
     Mackenzie Clyde is a force. Raised by a mother who knew that to get ahead in life took work, drive and putting yourself in the right spot, getting there, though, may take an illegal turn.  
     She is a lawyer in a major Venture Capital company but is not moving ahead in her career as fast as hoped and not really enjoying her job but a new opportunity arises and things pick up. She's to work alongside an FBI agent when the hotshot of a startup gets murdered. Her company has a vested interest in this startup and her boss wants to know what happened to his money. This leads to a progression of conflicts in techniques to  chase down the possible murderer. Along the way, the FBI starts to appreciate her deductive skills to aid in apprehension of the murderers and they develop a symbiotic relationship.
     Mackenzie has a brilliant mind and while appearing discontented has had a long term plan in place that  is soon to come to fruition. Her methodology is ingenious and her accomplices match her in goals and abilities. It takes a few chapters for the real Mackenzie to appear and then all the lessons her mom taught her come into play.
    A series of constant surprises will keep the reader entertained.

Loved this! A great mystery with all the classic elements. There’s lots of money at stake when a tech founder is murdered, especially when he’s changed his will to hold all his money in limbo until his killer is brought to justice. There are secrets, lots of arrogant rich people, some crazy Burning Man scenes, and lots of tech startup cliches (that are on so realistic!) Super fun and fast paced.

A very tall woman, a “dead money” provision in a gazillionaire venture capitalist’s will and a cast of really nasty and unlikeable characters made for a much better read than I was expecting. There is so much lying just beneath the surface, it is palpable, but you just can’t grasp it. It is always a few inches away and while you are being distracted by the side roads, it is easy to lose the “I almost had it” moment. This story was really well done on so many levels.

I will be on the lookout for this author’s next effort and wouldn’t it be fun if he incorporated that one disastrous afternoon when he was an in team truck driver. His words, not mine. Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a copy of a great debut novel.

This fast-paced debut is a mystery that delivers surprises, as well as insights into the Silicon Valley world of tech and venture capitalists. I could just imagine the murder of the eccentric, genius founder of Journy (think a company like Uber). The female main character is a "fixer" for a venture capital firm that came from nothing, and we get occasional chapters talking about her past. This kind of reminded me of The Firm, where secrets keep coming out and the main character is on the run. Who is really the "bad guy?" This could have been a 5-star read for me, but I found myself skimming some of the action/fight scenes in the middle of the book.

Tech CEO and Silicon Valley billionaire, Trevor Canon, is dead—and his money has gone with him.

Fearing for his life, Canon added a "dead money" clause into his will which would freeze his assets (some forty billion in company stock) until his killer was found and tried. In an unlikely pairing, FBI Special Agent Jameson Danner partners with Mackenzie Clyde, notorious "fixer" within the tech industry, to investigate who killed Canon and why before it's too late.

Dead Money is a twisty thriller debut featuring Silicon Valley billionaires, dark money, and murder (oh my!). The author knows a thing or two about Silicon Valley, having been one of the first employees at Airbnb and the story shows this. The book feels like it was written by someone with a good handle on Silicon Valley politicking, a fairly pedestrian understanding of AI, and an idyllic view of law enforcement. Despite this, it was a fully immersive read with unpredictable turns, well-developed characters, and even a bit of cheeky humor as a nod to those within the tech space. If you enjoy thrillers or crime fiction, definitely pick this one up!

A sleek, smart, and satisfyingly sharp mystery, *Dead Money* delivers both high-stakes thrills and biting social commentary. Mackenzie Clyde is the kind of heroine you want in your corner—clever, underestimated, and always two steps ahead, even when she’s thrown into a game rigged against her.

The murder mystery is juicy on its own, but it’s the backdrop of Silicon Valley’s wealth-soaked ego-fest that really elevates the story. Power players, shady startups, billion-dollar secrets—it’s all deliciously cutthroat. Mackenzie navigates the chaos with dry wit and a morally gray compass that somehow still points true.

This one’s perfect for fans of twisty plots, take-no-prisoners protagonists, and the satisfying unraveling of the rich and powerful. Think *Succession* meets *The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*, but with better coffee and NDAs.

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr was such a fun and fast paced thriller! I loved the setting of the tech companies of San Francisco. I found the main character Mackenzie to be very multi faceted. I loved her back story and how it was slowly revealed. I was not familiar with venture capitalism and found the info in this story to be fascinating. I hope this becomes a series! I definitely recommend this book to thriller readers!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a very intriguing debut novel! It's a twisty, thrilling ride that hooked me immediately.It was well paced with a strong woman as the main character.I enjoyed how it dealt with being a woman working in a male dominated profession, I really loved the feminist undertones.

While I had some idea of where it was going,
I definitely didn't figure out everything. This book features well developed multiple timelines and a suspenseful storyline with a
unique plot!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a good thriller with lots of twists and turns. I liked the peek into the world of Silicon Valley and venture capital. I would say that I didn’t really like any of the characters by the end, but it didn’t really matter because it was such a fun story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this.

Dead Money was a twisty read from the start! If you didn't know that this was Kerr's debut novel, you'd have no clue. This book was incredibly well written. Although I did find it a bit long, I still greatly enjoyed it. This novel takes you into the tech startup world and taught me a lot of things that I didn't know, all the while, it didn't go over my head. 4 stars!