DEAD MONEY was a twisty thriller set in the high-pressure world of venture capital and fast-moving technology. Trevor Canon, who has taken an idea into a multibillion-dollar company is found murdered in his office.

Mackenzie Clyde is assigned by her boss Roger Hammersmith to look into the case. Educated as a lawyer but now working as Hammersmith's investigator, Mackenzie has unique inside knowledge of the technology business. Hammersmith wants answers because his venture capital business has lent Canon's Journy $5 billion.

When the San Francisco Police seem to come to a standstill, Hammersmith pressures the FBI to get involved and pressures them to include Mackenzie as a liaison. It looks like a complex case and Mackenzie and FBI Agent Jameson Danner begin interviewing Canon's top executives who would have been the only ones with access to his office after hours. All of them are eccentric techies and all of them have tight alibis. But the dead money clause in Canon's will which freezes his assets removes one of the major reasons why one of his crew would want him dead.

I enjoyed this thriller. I loved an inside peek into the technology industry and the world of venture capitalism. I could understand Mackenzie's desire to succeed and what she was willing to do to reach that success. I liked the flashbacks to earlier points in time which showed Mackenzie's character.

I also really liked the twist at the end.

Original, suspenseful and twists that kept me guessing, Dead Money was a thrill of a read! Despicable characters abound, in this story of the murder of a Silicon Valley genius. Well written; lots of technical talk that was easy to understand; unique storyline. Highly recommend!

Dead Money - Jakob Kerr
Pub Date - 1/28/25
Rating - 3.5 rounded up to 4/5
Summary - Mackenzie is a problem fixer for venture capitalist Hammersmith whose sole job is to ensure the work is done, no matter the cost. When Silicon Valley's biggest tech startup's CEO is murdered, Hammersmith puts MacKenzie on the case along with the FBI due to a "dead money" clause in the CEO's will stating that his stock is frozen until his killer if found. Hammersmith has given billions of dollars to this company and wants his money back. In search of the killer, there is loads of lying, fraud, scheming, and more.

Thoughts- Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book - it was giving Suits vibes with fixers, fraud, and a whole lot of workplace drama. MacKenzie is a badass main character with her own secrets and lies and I loved how she was portrayed as a strong independent woman who is out to get what she deserves. Initially I thought I knew before the last chapter everything there is to know about this story, but boy was I wrong! Great read!

2.5 stars, rounded up. A Silicon Valley thriller with sloppy writing and meh characters, this book still managed to keep me reading till the end. There's definite potential with the plot, I just needed more well-rounded characters, a little less obvious reveals, and more attention to detail. Two small examples: Kerr refers to his female character as an "alumnus" (the masculine form of the word), and Kerr names a side character, who is an Indian-American man, "Indira," which is a woman's name in India and not one that I've ever heard used for a man. It was jarring every time I saw Indira's name on the page. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital review copy.

Oh Yes!! This will be a break out hit in January. A fresh story centered in Silicon Valley that keeps you guessing. The writing and the story are tight, compulsively readable and not at all formulaic. You want to read this one...

#DeadMoney #NetGalley.

"Dead Money" by Jacob Kerr plunges readers into the heart of Silicon Valley, where ambition and innovation collide with the ruthless pursuit of fame and wealth. We find ourselves in the cut throat world of companies reminding of Facebook, Uber or Tesla.

Mackenzie Clyde, a sharp lawyer with a knack for uncovering secrets of powerful people, finds herself unexpectedly playing the role of sleuth after the CEO of a promising tech company is mysteriously murdered. As she delves deeper, Mackenzie uncovers a web of deceit and betrayal. Meantime, we discover her character and life story.

The novel keeps readers guessing about the true motives behind the murder, with the plot twisting and turning at every page. Just when you think you've figured out the culprit, Kerr throws in another unexpected revelation, making "Dead Money" an unpredictable and thrilling read. You will not be able to put down until the secret is fully revealed.

Enjoyable with a good twist

I liked this book, but the pace wasn't fast enough for me. It starts with the discovery of a murdered man, the head of a transportation start-up like uber plus rentals of other forms of transportation. The story plays out with switches from before the murder to after it. The main character, MacKenzie, is sent by her boss, a venture capitalist who had given a large amount of money to the murdered man's company, to try to see what was going on. She works with an FBI agent.

I did get a little bored in the middle and have to confess I skipped a few chapters. I picked it up toward the end, when MacKenzie is at Burning Man. The pace was a little faster then.

There was a good twist that I did not see coming.

I did like this, I just wish it had been a little faster read.

After reading blurb, and as a (retired) software engineer, I was very interested in reading Dead Money. I was not disappointed! One of the best books I've read this year! Engrossing, twisty mystery and not too over the top.

The book has a good pacing and kept me hooked. Typically, I only read at bedtime. Very rarely I make an exception, but I did with this book!

I don't want to put any spoilers here, but some chapters starting at 37 had overly drawn out descriptions and I found myself skimming the pages. However, the ending was very well done and satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for providing me with an advance copy. A great debut novel from Jakob and I cannot wait to see the next title he has in store.

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a twisty, well-plotted story with an interesting premise and characters. I wouldn't say I really enjoyed reading this book, but I respect it for what it was. It definitely kept me guessing and left me thinking.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in this genre this year. Hard to put down, lots of twists and turns…not unanticipated, but I as never quite sure how it was going to work out. Finished in one day.

Hope to see more from Kerr soon.

Mackenzie is a fixer for a venture capitalist firm. When the CEO of a start-up they have invested a huge amount of money is murdered, so is sent by her boss to help with the investigation which has been turned over to the FBI. She is to use her tech world knowledge and connections but the more she helps the dig; the more Mackenzie realizes her own life is in danger.

This popcorn thriller was action packed and would make a great movie or tv show. I loved hearing about venture capitalism and the tech start up worlds (and this wasn't written as confusing or too detailed.) I really liked the character development and intertwining plot points that pieced the puzzle together. Highly recommend this one for readers of crime fiction with an action-based plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Very well written from this debut author.

The story is faced paced and twisty and kept me guessing until the end! My kind of book!

Mackenzie Clyde is a problem fixer for Silicon Valley's most ruthless venture capitalist. She knows how to play for high stakes. However, with this new job that has been assigned to her by her boss she becomes way over her head.

The CEO of tech's hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in a "dead money" clause in his will which freezes the money in the company. Mackenzie teams up with a detective to solve this case.

This kept me guessing the whole way. Such a twisty story that I had no idea it was going to turn out the way it did. Also, loved the strong and smart female character of Mckenzie Clyde.

Jakob Kerr is on the top of my list for crime mystery thrillers! I cannot wait for more books by him!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam books for this complimentary copy for an honest review.

The rotten under belly of silicon valley and tech in the SF Bay Area. I enjoyed the character development, the mystery and intrigue. Some of the book seemed absolutely bonkers, it was fun and thrilling and smartly written.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

This book I predict will be the must-read book of 2025.. I'm just saying it is so good, I don't want to stop reading and get to life good. Jakob Kerr for a debut novel wow! What I loved about this book is that it takes place in San Francisco during the Silicon Valley boom and Jakob does an amazing job of writing about not only this lovely city but about this time. The characters in the book are well written and the way Jakob has you learn of their background is well done I found it very easy to get into. Even characters whom I was not fond of I enjoyed reading more about. I can't wait for more books written by Jakob Kerr. I am so grateful that Netgalley chose me for an ARC

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr is a slick, high-stakes thriller that pulled me in from page one. Mackenzie Clyde is the kind of protagonist I couldn’t get enough of—smart, gritty, and just a little morally gray. As she digs into the murder of a tech CEO, the layers of secrets, power plays, and deception unravel in ways that had me guessing the whole time. I loved how Kerr captured the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley without losing focus on the human cost of ambition and greed.

This book has it all—twists, tension, and a protagonist you can’t help but root for, even when the odds stack against her. If you’re into fast-paced mysteries with sharp writing and a badass lead, Dead Money is a must-read. It’s sleek, addictive, and left me wanting more of Mackenzie Clyde. ★★★★☆

This is an explosive story. The plot is filled with many twists and turns. The story is told from the perspective of several characters and from the past and the present. Mackenzie is the main character and the one who leads the tale. The story is set in Silicon Valley and features billionaires involved in murder and mayhem. The author is a great storyteller as he weaves a story that holds the reader’s attention. This a really exciting story that will leave you surprised.

Really enjoyed this! I hadn't really ever read anything about advanced AI technology.. and even though there was a murder mystery behind most of it - what was more intriguing was how the Kerr told a story within story!!

These are my favorite kinds of stories where you realize something is happening behind the scenes and you just aren't quite sure yet? It reminds me of The Woman in the Library with it's complexity!

-Women in Stem read!!

**Thank you to Bantam for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

I did not expect to be so drawn in by this mystery nor addicted to the point where I stayed up til 2am to get to the end. You are taken on a trail throughout the tech world and given little tidbits of info of Makenzie and Eden's relationship that makes you wonder if you're being taken on a ride with Danner. This tale is well thought out and has all the right nuance of someone who has been in tech. I was wholly unsurprised to find Jakob Kerr was formerly of the tech world given how well aligned it is to what being in the tech world is like. This is an amazing novel and I highly recommend to anyone who loves a good mystery full of intrigue!

Across the globe lies Jakob Kerr’s “Dead Money” (Jan. 28, Bantam, $30), an exhilarating and unpredictable thriller that delves into the shadowy depths of Silicon Valley. Mackenzie Clyde, a resourceful “problem solver” for a ruthless venture capitalist, finds herself investigating the shocking murder of a tech CEO whose frozen billions have left the Valley in chaos. As suspects pile up and secrets unravel, Kerr’s razor-sharp prose captures the adrenaline-fueled world of professional gambling while touching on themes of greed, loyalty and the cost of survival. Packed with jaw-dropping twists, a compelling outsider heroine and scathing insights into the tech world’s glittering facade, “Dead Money” is an electrifying debut that demands to be devoured.

An enjoyable read that keeps you guessing with carefully placed red herrings with a back and forth timeline. Tech & venture capitalists figure prominently in this twisty tale that cautions “ follow the money” along with the FBI and fearless interesting female characters. RECOMMENDED