Dead Money by Jakob Kerr

DEAD MONEY by Jakob Kerr is an exciting mystery set amongst the risks, potential corruption, and infighting which surround venture capital funding for innovation and technology firms. Kerr is an insider, having worked as a lawyer and communications executive in the tech industry, including nearly a decade at Airbnb after starting as one of its first employees. And he does a remarkable job of conveying the excesses of that business culture which sets the tone for Mackenzie Clyde, a young lawyer-turned-investigator for a key rainmaker named Roger Hammersmith. Hammersmith has invested billions in Journy (a transport firm with scooters, buggies and soon-to-come autonomous vehicles) whose CEO and founder is murdered. Eventually, the FBI gets involved and Mackenzie joins the investigative team. Current Journy employees, including key executives, are quickly suspect. Utilizing flashbacks to provide background and motivation, Kerr also weaves in organized international thuggery and numerous surprises. DEAD MONEY received starred reviews from Kirkus (“[this] twisty, propulsive debut explores Silicon Valley’s dark side through the eyes of a wily outsider heroine”) and Publishers Weekly (“Impressively unpredictable.”).