I love to read a book that I hope turns into a movie. With its twists throughout the story, Dead Money by Jakob Kerr keeps you guessing throughout the book.
4/5 stars ★★★★☆
About Dead Money:
The Silicon Valley in California is filled tech billionaires and start-up companies. When one of the top CEOs is murdered, there are a lot of suspects. A lot of money is on the line. Shares could be distributed throughout the investors and executives. However, everything is frozen or becomes “dead money” until the murder is solved.
As the FBI and police try to solve the case, the biggest investor company brings in Mackenzie, a trained lawyer and company investigator as a liaison . How will the FBI handle having someone on the outside tag along to help solve the case? Will the murder be solved when everyone seems to have an alibi? Who will end up as the guilty party?

My Thoughts on Dead Money:
I enjoyed this mystery adventure that took me on a ride through the tech industry. I have toured the Google building in Denver, and I pictured the story taking place in a building just like it. I had to keep guessing who killed Trevor Canon, the CEO, and I love that in a story. I was right, but I kept second-guessing myself as Kerr slipped in clues along the way.
I loved the character of Mackenzie. Kerr did a great job of creating her character, showing the strengths and weaknesses of Mackenzie’s personality. She wanted to succeed so badly, and she was willing to do what it takes to try to find the murderer.
I was surprised to read that this is Jacob Kerr’s debut novel. As an English teacher, I know strong writing when I read it, and I know this is just the beginning of Kerr’s writing career. As I said, I hope that this book is turned into a movie. I would definitely pay to see it.
I gave this book four out of five stars. I read it quickly and enjoyed the story line.
You can buy this book at: https://amzn.to/4i1Jr2F
Extras:
If you enjoyed this book by Jakob Kerr and you are looking for another mystery/thriller, I recommend:
- The Waiting by Michael Connelly – https://amzn.to/4imJzcI
- Target Acquired by Lynette Eason – https://amzn.to/3D3FM5e
- Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni – https://amzn.to/4h8DDCU
*If you want to read more of my book reviews, you can find them at: https://judiholst.com/book-reviews/
*If you missed my post about my Top Books of 2024, you can find it at: https://judiholst.com/top-20-books-that-i-loved-in-2024/
Thank you to NetGalley, Jakob Kerr, and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for my free copy of this book. This is my honest review.
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