NW Authors Series Presents Jakob Kerr

The library’s NW Authors Series welcomes attorney and tech insider Jakob Kerr, who will discuss his debut novel, Dead Money at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. The presentation is free and open to the public, available in-person at the library or livestreamed on Facebook. Books will be available for sale; come meet the author and get your book signed.

Dead Money is a mystery/thriller set in Silicon Valley. Trevor Canon, the CEO of the hottest Silicon Valley startup, Journy, is found murdered in his office. Canon, who feared such a possibility, had changed his will to include a “dead money” clause, specifying that, in the event of his murder, his $20 billion in company stock will remain frozen until his murder is solved.

Enter Mackenzie Clyde, the investigator and troubleshooter for Roger Hammersmith, a ruthless venture capitalist who has sunk $5.2 billion in Journy and now wants–make that needs–his money back. Hammersmith expects Clyde to work with the F.B.I. to solve Canon’s murder quickly. Clyde, all 6’2” of her, is tough, shrewd and resourceful, qualities she honed during a difficult childhood. Now using her street smarts, brash confidence and ability to read people, Clyde pushes her way to a surprising, yet satisfying, conclusion.

In “Dead Money,” Kerr draws on his experiences in the tech world to create a novel that is filled with dead ends, plot twists and Silicon Valley “types” that are recognizable and often very funny. Kerr, who spent fifteen years as a lawyer and communication executive in the San Francisco tech industry, was one of the first employees at Airbnb. He currently lives with his family in Seattle.

Kerr’s terrific debut, which 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 – New York Times Book Review:

“Impressively unpredictable…after setting the stage for a standard, albeit glitzy, murder mystery, Kerr takes the narrative on a series of hairpin turns before arriving at a jaw-dropping finale. This marks the arrival of a formidable new talent.” – Publisher’s Weekly (starred review):

“Twisty, propulsive… Kerr has created one of the most memorable female thriller protagonists in recent years…A sharply observed portrait of the tech world and the role ambitious women play in it.” – Kirkus (starred review):​

“Exhilarating and unpredictable…Packed with jaw-dropping twists, a compelling outsider heroine and scathing insights into the tech world’s glittering facade, “Dead Money” is an electrifying debut that demands to be devoured.” – Seattle Times