4.5/5 stars

This is from a debut author, and I must say that I'd be happy to read anything from him in the future. I'd call it a Murder Thriller with some FBI/private investigation thrown in as well.

The location is Silicon Valley and centers around the uber-successful tech company, Journy. When the founder and CEO is found murdered in his ultra secure office, the FBI and the company's venture capitalist backer want answers. So, a rookie FBI agent, Jameson Danner (with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove) and Mackenzie Clyde (a "problem solver" from Hammersmith Venture) combine forces and resources to try and catch the villain.

There are multiple timelines here reaching back to Mackenzie's (Hammersmith's investigator) early years to give a more in-depth view of her and her single mother's lives. But it's not confusing and is helpful in seeing Mackenzie's mindset during the story. As the suspect list is whittled down, things take a decided turn, and a larger game is found to be at play.

Lots of twists and turns here, and while I had figured out the "who", it was still fun to hear the play-by-play at the end. A clever and satisfying debut.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and Bantam Books for providing the free early arc of Dead Money for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

MacKenzie is an investigator and her boss has her investigating the murder of one of his friends, and someone this guy has invested a boatload of money into the dead guy's business, and until the murder is solved all the money is completely tied up.. let's just say MacKenzie has her work cut out for her.

I really enjoyed the investigation aspects of this story with MacKenzie and the FBI agent working on the case. The writing was really well done, nothing in the tech stuff felt like it went over my head, it's fast-paced from beginning to end, and the mystery aspect was full of twists and turns, and one huge one at the end that I definitely didn't see coming.

This was a great debut novel and I'll be keeping this author on my radar for his future releases.

Dead Money was FANTASTIC! This is one of my first 5-star reads for 2025!

When a tech mogul is murdered and his assets are frozen, everyone wants to know who done it. The cast of characters is lively and eccentric, and I love how Kerr's plot continued to go deeper and deeper unraveling the connections and the story the more I got into the book. It was a little lengthy, but, warranted to get to the meat of the story. The issue is interesting, the characters compelling, and the finale jaw-dropping. I could not get enough of this book and cannot wait to see how many others agree!

There was too much tech lingo for liking so it sadly a DNF. I expected some from it being a mystery set in the tech world. It's just a personal preference from someone not super tech savvy or knowledgeable about start-ups.

This was really good! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a really sold crime thriller. The mystery was so well-built and I enjoyed the “locked room” nature of it. All of the suspects/characters were complex and interesting, and I thought that all of them could plausibly have done it. And I really enjoyed the MC. She was so complicated but very relatable.

Despite that it heavily deals with technology and AI, it was explained in a way that a layman can easily understand. The world building centered around this industry was also very well done. All in all, I loved this!

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Netgalley for this ARC. Dead Money is out 1/28!

4.5/5 stars

This is kind of a mesh between a murder mystery, FBI Procedural, and technology/business story. So, it had a lot going for it.

I thought the initial murder was intriguing and wanted to solve the mystery. I liked our main characters and thought they brought a lot to the story with background and personality.

But there is just so. much. dialogue. I know they had to do interviews, but even just the conversations between Mackenzie and Danner were too much (“fair,” “understood,” “agree”). It was kind of distracting.

I did solve the murder very early on, but wasn’t 100% sure of the motive until later. I thought the motive was great and it truly made the story more interesting!

I really enjoyed the tangled stories and layers of truths in this one, but felt it could have been shorter, and there was one huge plot hole I just can’t excuse.

Thank you to @RandomHouse and #NetGalley for the DRC of #DeadMoney. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Outstanding debut novel!

This book is a wild ride that I didn't want to end. It kept me up late to see where the next twist would take me. Ending left the door open for a sequel (fingers crossed). Can't wait to see what's next from this author.

Great!! Please Jakob write another soon. Excellent twist and turn until the very end. Exactly my kind of book, kept me interested and eager to keep reading until the end.

Wow! What a fantastic debut! Cannot wait to see how Jakob Kerr continues to deliver! Combustible characters that had me on the edge of my seat. This was like a combo of a roller coaster ride and a ping pong match. I have whiplash and had no idea who to trust. Well done Mr. Kerr.
Thank you NetGalley, Jakob Kerr and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This is a story about Mackenzie and how she rose to her position at Hammersmith Venture (HV) and what role she played in finding the killer of Trevor, the head of a tech company. Mackenzie was the investigator for HV and her boss gave her the task to work as his liaison with the FBI.

Follow along and learn her background and how she played a role in more than one way. Try and follow the clues and guess who the person that was responsible for the killing. Read the conclusion to determine if you are right. The ending answers any questions that you might have.

This is a definite read, don't miss out.

This book gave me vibes of "First Lie Wins" where everyone is lying and there are multiple overlapping cons. The book moves back and forth between the days following the murder of a tech executive and years to months before where we see the development of the main character and how she becomes the woman she is. Mackenzie Clyde learns early on that life isn't fair. Her mother teaches her to work hard and to watch for a big opportunity and then grab on to it. You know Mackenzie is working a con but it really isn't clear what it is until the end of this fun twisty novel. This is a debut novel written by a Silicon Valley insider and he keeps us in suspense until the very end. I'm excited to see what he writes next.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an early ecopy. My opinion is my own.

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.