“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, New York Timesbestselling author of Dark Matter Don’t call me a fixer. This isn’t HBO. In her job as unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley’s most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde’s gotten used to playing for high stakes. Even if none of those tech-bro millions she’s so good at wrangling ever make it into her pockets. But this time, she’s in way over her head—or so it seems. The lightning-rod CEO of tech’s hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will. As the company’s chief investor, Mackenzie’s boss has a fortune on the line—and with the police treading water, it’s up to Mackenzie to step up and resolve things, fast. Mackenzie’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. Except that Mackenzie’s used to being underestimated. In fact, she’s counting on it. Because the way she sees it, this isn’t an investigation. It’s an opportunity. And she’ll do anything it takes to seize it. Anything at all. Featuring jaw-dropping twists and a wily, outsider heroine you can’t help rooting for, Dead Money is a brilliant sleight-of-hand mystery. Written by a longtime insider, it is also a dead-on snapshot of the Valley’s rich and famous—and a glimpse at the darkness lurking behind the tech world’s cheery facade.
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0 0 A twisty tech startup murder mystery
The fixer for a venture capital firm gets attached to the FBI investigation of a tech founder's murder, his frozen assets leaving the VC investment in limbo.
I have quite mixed feelings on this one. In short, it has a slow start and a great ending.
The first half of the book was underwhelming, presenting a straightforward police procedural that was a little thin on the character development and didn't seem to have much to say for itself. Techbros are assholes? Groundbreaking. (And yes, please do read that in full Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly voice.)
Things pick up in the latter half with a number of genuinely interesting twists... but the downside? Said twists left me feeling like the first half of the book was a waste of time.
And the writing itself? The phrase "hung in the air like a fart at a funeral" is indelible, but not in a good way.
So, my conundrum. Do an exciting climax and an original explanation of what's really going on outweigh an uneven book? I'm not sure I have an answer.
I do know that startup and corporate satires appeal to me more than this piece did. If you're looking for a twisty thriller that happens to have a tech industry flavor, sure, this'll do the trick. But there are stronger works of corporate fiction out there, if that's your draw. For a wild ride in a startup, go with Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour. For women in tech and VC funded startups, read Snake Oil by Kelsey Rae Dimberg.
Thank you to publisher Bantam Books for my advance copy, provided in exchange for an honest review. Dead Money is now on shelves and is a February pick for Aardvark Book Club.
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