{"product_id":"dead-money-isbn-9780593726723","title":"Dead Money","description":"\u003cb\u003e“A gripping thriller that pulls back the curtain on the secret world of tech billionaires.”—\u003ci\u003eTime\u003c\/i\u003e (100 Must-Read Books of 2025)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A stone-cold banger of a novel—a twisty journey through Silicon Valley’s dark side, wrapped in a stunning mystery package with some wild surprises along the way.”—Blake Crouch, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDark Matter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEDGAR AWARD NOMINEE • A \u003ci\u003eWASHINGTON POST\u003c\/i\u003e AND \u003ci\u003eCRIMEREADS\u003c\/i\u003e BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eDON’T CALL ME A FIXER. THIS ISN’T HBO.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley’s most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde’s an expert at wrangling tech bros and their multimillions—even as her own shot at a windfall remains just out of reach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut now she’s playing for higher stakes. Because the lightning-rod CEO of tech’s hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will—and Mackenzie’s boss is the company’s chief investor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a fortune on the line and the official investigation going nowhere, it’s up to Mackenzie to step in and resolve things, fast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie’s a lawyer, not a detective. Cracking this fiendishly clever killing, with its list of suspects that reads like a who’s-who of Valley power players, should be way out of her league.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExcept Mackenzie’s used to being underestimated. In fact, she’s counting on it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Terrific . . . filled with jaw-dropping twists and turns . . . an unpredictable nesting-box of surprises.”—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e“[Jakob] Kerr’s terrific debut . . . appears to be a traditional whodunit but is really an unpredictable nesting-box of surprises. Kerr, who worked at Airbnb for a decade, brings an insider’s knowledge and a satirist’s sensibility to the vanities and delusions of Silicon Valley . . . Mackenzie—6-foot-2, full of secrets, constantly underestimated—is the most interesting character of all.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fascinating, dark, and full of surprises . . . a twisty, fast-paced, and engrossing look at the world of venture capitalists and the tech industry.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eMystery \u0026amp; Suspense Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fast-paced dissection of modern tech culture and a genuinely thrilling page-turner.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eCrimeReads\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“With \u003ci\u003eDead Money, \u003c\/i\u003eJakob Kerr has penned a stone-cold banger of a novel—a twisty journey through Silicon Valley’s dark side, all wrapped in a stunning mystery package with some wild surprises along the way. . . . Compulsively readable.”\u003cb\u003e—​Blake Crouch, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDark Matter \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kerr’s twisty, propulsive debut explores Silicon Valley’s dark side through the eyes of a wily outsider heroine. . . . Kerr has created one of the most memorable female thriller protagonists in recent years.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A propulsive tale that brings together a skillfully constructed mystery and an instantly compelling heroine as it delves into the weird and wild world of the tech industry. It had me hooked from start to thrilling finish.”\u003cb\u003e—Kate Alice Marshall, national bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWhat Lies in the Woods\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Impressively unpredictable.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A must-read thriller set in the world of high tech’s billionaires.”\u003cb\u003e—Phillip Margolin, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eAn Insignificant Case\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eReverse, reveal, surprise \u003c\/i\u003eis my recipe for a great thriller, and it’s one that Jakob Kerr has mastered in \u003ci\u003eDead Money,\u003c\/i\u003e a terrific first novel that constantly surprises.”\u003cb\u003e—Joseph Finder, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Oligarch’s Daughter\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Compulsively readable, twisty, and unpredictable . . . The ending made me gasp.”\u003cb\u003e—Robert Dugoni, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A fine modern murder mystery. Just don’t be sure you understood the first page until you’ve read the last one.”\u003cb\u003e—Thomas Perry, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Old Man\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A novel that works on so many levels, and the key to everything, as always, is the mother.”\u003cb\u003e—William Lashner, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFreedom Road\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you’ve ever dreamed of murdering a tech billionaire—or if you simply love a good story—\u003ci\u003eDead Money \u003c\/i\u003eis for you.”\u003cb\u003e—Nick Petrie, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Price You Pay\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A glamorous, galling and sometimes humorous . . . exploration of high-stakes finance.”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eJakob Kerr\u003c\/b\u003e is a lawyer and communications executive working in the tech industry. He was one of the first employees at Airbnb and spent over a decade shepherding the company from tiny startup to global phenomenon. He has also been a bartender, sportswriter, and—for one disastrous afternoon—the driver of an ice cream truck. After fifteen years in San Francisco, he recently returned to his native Pacific Northwest, where he now lives with his wife and children. \u003ci\u003eDead Money\u003c\/i\u003e is his first novel.\u003cb\u003eChapter 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTwenty-­two days after Trevor Canon’s death\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eIn Mackenzie Clyde’s experience, there were exactly two ways of dealing with a rich asshole.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first method was universal. It applied across the full spectrum of the rich asshole genus: CEOs, athletes, actors and influencers, micro-­dick hedge funders, god complex surgeons, trust-funded Ivy Leaguers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlattery.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe key, Mackenzie knew, was subtlety. You had to flatter the asshole without them realizing they were being flattered. Only total idiots enjoy being pandered to.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlattery of any kind didn’t come easily to Mackenzie. But out of professional necessity, she’d developed it as a weapon in her arsenal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe second method of dealing with a rich asshole was far from universal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was a carefully tailored technique that Mackenzie had developed out of geographic, as well as professional, necessity. Mackenzie found it uniquely suited to a very particular strain of rich asshole: the young, entitled, uber-­wealthy tech bros of modern San Francisco.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was this second method that Mackenzie reflected on as she followed a hostess across the shiny wooden floor of the Battery. The Battery was a private social club in San Francisco, archetypal for the tech industry: expensive, exclusive, and utterly lacking in self-­awareness. Mackenzie loathed it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe took long strides into the Battery’s bar area, an oozy space stuffed with polished concrete and reclaimed wood, the booths all tufted leather Chesterfields. She ignored the eyes that flitted in her direction. Most of them, she knew, were compelled by simple anomaly: the instinctive curiosity that comes from something incongruous to the typical environment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot that it made the stares any more welcome. But after several decades, she’d learned to live with them. Mackenzie was a very tall woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin Reiter waited in a corner booth, staring at his phone. The hostess pointed him out and slunk away, leaving Mackenzie solo for her approach.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Hello, Kevin.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin looked up, squinting with confusion. “Who are you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mackenzie Clyde.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin blinked at her. “You’re very tall.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Taller than you.” Mackenzie tossed her bag into the empty side of the booth. She plopped down next to it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin frowned. “I’m supposed to meet Rebecca.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie settled into her seat. “Rebecca’s not coming.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What do you mean, she’s not coming?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“They sent me instead.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Does Rebecca know about this?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Yep.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So you work with her at Hammersmith Venture?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I do.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin’s eyes narrowed. “Are you a partner?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie tilted her head to one side. “Not exactly.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Another lawyer, then.” Kevin shook his head. “I’ve told you guys a million times: I didn’t go with HV so I could get Legal shoved down my throat.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’m not a lawyer.” Mackenzie paused. “Well, not \u003ci\u003ereally.\u003c\/i\u003e”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin sniffed. “Look, I don’t do surprises.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Check your email,” Mackenzie said. “You’ll have something from Roger.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin hesitated at the name. “He sent me,” Mackenzie said, waving a hand. “The email explains.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin opened his phone while Mackenzie glanced at a menu. A server approached in a uniform. It had suspenders. “Drinks?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Manhattan.” Kevin spoke, eyes still on his phone. “The Duniway. Up. Rocks glass. Light vermouth. Keep the twist on the rim. Don’t let it touch the Duniway.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Very good.” The server turned to Mackenzie. “And for you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe handed him the menu. “Glass of white.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Any preferences?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Anything that doesn’t come in a box.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe server smiled and glided away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin finished with his phone. “Roger says you’re taking this off Rebecca’s desk.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I am.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“But that’s all he says. He didn’t give a reason.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie shrugged. “Roger’s not big on explaining himself.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin shifted in his seat, scowling. He wore a tight black V-­neck, the type that comes free with a CrossFit membership. Mackenzie didn’t recognize the logo on the chest pocket: an arrow pointing up and to the right, bisected by another half-­line of equal width.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Why are you replacing Rebecca? I worked with her for months.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Yeah,” Mackenzie replied. “That’s the problem.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What is?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It’s been \u003ci\u003emonths\u003c\/i\u003e. Three of them, to be exact. And this lawsuit still hasn’t been resolved.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin bristled. “That’s not my fault.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“F*** no.” Kevin’s brow fell. “Go talk to my neighbors. They’re the problem here.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin Reiter was the prototypical Peter Pan, an overgrown man-­child set loose in the consequence-­free playground of San Francisco. He was founder of a fintech company that’d just closed its Series B, making him worth a few hundred million on paper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin was also emblematic of the latest iteration of tech bro, one that fused the new age faux-optimism of Silicon Valley with the unapologetic, old money privilege of Wall Street. Ten years prior Kevin would’ve been safely ensconced in the buffoonery of an investment bank. But now the capital had moved west, and the money hounds like Kevin had followed the scent, tails wagging behind them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHammersmith Venture, Mackenzie’s firm, had invested $72 million in Kevin Reiter’s company. Roger Hammersmith, Mackenzie’s boss, had personally overseen the investment. And because the gravitational laws of corporate physics require that shit always slides downhill, Mackenzie now found herself at the Battery, tasked with talking reality into a man who’d grown accustomed to creating his own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe server arrived with their drinks. Mackenzie took a long sip of her white wine, enjoying the familiar acidity as it washed down her throat. She stared at the twist of lemon perched on the edge of Kevin’s glass.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What does ‘not really’ mean?” Kevin asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Excuse me?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin tasted his Manhattan. “I asked if you were a lawyer. You said ‘not really.’ ”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I went to law school. I’m a member of the Bar. I joined the legal department at Hammersmith Venture.” Mackenzie took another sip. “But no, I’m not a lawyer.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Then what are you?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Someone who finds things. Solves problems.” Mackenzie paused. “Like this one.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So you’re a fixer.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie gave a thin smile. “This isn’t HBO.” She dug into her bag and emerged with a business card, passing it to Kevin. He read the text aloud.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mackenzie Clyde. Director of investigations.” The embossed text reflected in the Battery’s calibrated light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie nodded. “That’s right.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin frowned. “I still don’t know what means.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt means nothing, Mackenzie thought. Her title had been vague for the five years she’d been in the role. Both she and Roger Hammersmith preferred it that way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“When one of Hammersmith Venture’s portfolio companies becomes entangled in a particularly thorny knot, I find a way to untie it.” Mackenzie stared across the table. “Like I said: I solve problems.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“So Roger put you on this because he thinks it needs to be solved.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Roger put me on this because it needs to \u003ci\u003eend.\u003c\/i\u003e Roger is bullish on your company. That’s why he’s so concerned about the specter of this nasty lawsuit. It’s bad for you, bad for your company, bad for our firm.” Mackenzie sipped her wine. “Roger sent me here to do my job: Make it all go away.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin made a low snort. “And how do you expect to do that?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A settlement.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“No.” Kevin’s entire face fell; he dropped his glass heavily on the table. “I told Rebecca a thousand times: I’m not settling.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMackenzie raised a hand. “Listen—­” But Kevin cut her off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“My neighbors are a bunch of whiny NIMBYs. They don’t \u003ci\u003ewant\u003c\/i\u003e to settle. They want to bleed me dry.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Stop—­”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin jabbed a finger on the table. “I want to \u003ci\u003ecountersue\u003c\/i\u003e. I want to take them to f***ing court.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eStop,\u003c\/i\u003e” Mackenzie said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe took a breath and quelled her rising irritation. Stick to the game plan, she thought. “I’ve talked to Rebecca. I’ve talked to the neighbors. I know all the huffing and puffing. But that’s exactly why I’m here. I’ve put something together that will make everyone happy.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKevin’s scowl lightened, but only slightly. “I don’t know.”","brand":"Bantam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233075278053,"sku":"NP9780593726723","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593726723.jpg?v=1767724830","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/dead-money-isbn-9780593726723","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}