Novels No. 127

 

Imani Thompson. Honey. Canada: McClelland & Stewart, 2026.

Yrsa is a Black post-grad student at Cambridge, also working in the Sociology Dept. as an undergrad advisor. The Gen Z-ness of her reactions to everything surrounding her takes my breath away. It’s a novel start to a crime story; Yrsa’s Ph.D. thesis revolves around whether or how the liberation of Black women can take place. Some argue it can happen only if they die; there’s no other way to escape the white male patriarchy. When she hears that a Professor Richardson plagiarized her friend Nina’s research, she’s angry; a chance meeting with him results in his death from anaphylaxis. Yrsa stood by and watched without helping. She learns from a male student that her Black-ness had made her a prize goal among freshmen as a sex partner; infuriated, she pushes him off a building to his death.

Before our eyes this intelligent, restless woman devolves into a serial killer. She’s found the construct of her thesis—who says the woman has to die? Bored with men and useless dating sites, she actually begins to plan, making a list of misogynists. Ex-boyfriend Felix, internet incel hero Mack, and so on. Not getting caught requires utmost attention to details so she has some success. But, oh-oh. Her friend Blake’s grandson Isiah appears in her life and she can’t even name the special new feelings she experiences.

Apparently there’s no stopping a psychopath. Redemption is nowhere in sight. Fascinating at first, the journey becomes nothing but darker. A story for, perhaps, emotional masochists; sorry it took up space in my head for a while.

Yrsa

▪ Patience is not one of her virtues. Nor is faith, humility, or empathy. (42)

▪ And if she did—she won’t—murder another—then it would be a way to test her thesis. (91)

▪ When she thinks too hard about things—love—or people—or the heart—she becomes overwhelmed by a particular feeling that is nothing.(134)

▪ Besides, everyone knows that the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. (155)

▪ There’s something intoxicating in the air after death. (166)

Others

▪ “I didn’t like how you spoke to me in the lecture.” The boy looks both affronted and righteous. (15)

▪ “You never replied to my text after we slept together.” He says it quietly. (71)

▪ “I’m sorry to be saying this, but one of the students has made a complaint, about you.” (128)

▪ “You’re always just so ... cold with men. They’re in and then they’re out. On to the next.” (133)

Jakob Kerr. Dead Money. USA: Bantam Books/Random House, 2025.

Silicon Valley with all its stereotypes and feverish activity. Mackenzie Clyde looks like our protagonist, working for Hammersmith Venture (HV), run by the redoubtable Roger Hammersmith, HV is the major investor in a hugely successful startup called Journy; but Journy’s founder and CEO Trevor Canon has been murdered, shot in his office. Police have made no progress whatsoever although all accounts agree the man had lately been acting strangely. Everyone holding Journy shares expects a windfall from Canon’s shares, but Canon’s will specifies that should he be murdered, all Journy assets will be frozen – dead money – until the killer is on trial. Roger wants Mackenzie, his investigator and fixer, to find who did it so that HV, as the majority shareholder, can rightfully manage Journy. The FBI is called in, and she’s allowed to join their inquiry because of her tech-world knowledge.

Special agent Jameson Danner’s theory is logical; only Journy executives had access to Canon’s office at the time, hence, prime suspects. COO Eleanor Eden is still in shock, acting as their liaison, and has a solid alibi. The others insolently refuse to meet with Danner at the offices. CTO Stanley Yoo is suspiciously missing, not returned from one of his frequent remote work trips. CMO Cassiopeia was Trevor’s romantic partner as well, but doesn’t know why he’d lately turned paranoid. They find CIO Brady Fitzgerald who admits to a recent argument with Trevor. Layer after layer of motivation for killing Trevor slowly peels away while billions of dollars change hands. Investors, partners, rivals—is it always about the money?

Well-structured, the unimaginable scope of the plot becomes mesmerizing and timely. Beautiful job in developing Mackenzie’s character; a pleasure to read Kerr’s smoothly effective prose.

Players

▪ Hammersmith looked away. “Trevor and I were kindred spirits. Very close.” (25)

▪ “It is precisely your type of work,” Hammersmith said. “Investigation is synthesis. That’s your strong suit. Dig for information. Find the levers.” (29)

▪ “To be honest, he’d gotten more touchy about everything over the last few months. Almost paranoid.” (46)

▪ Danner’s voice was matter-of-fact. “Because I know exactly how Canon was murdered. And I’m close to knowing who did it.” (67)

▪ “Trevor was much more than Stan’s boss. They were like brothers.” (97)

▪ “Roger thinks Soti is all style and no substance. Soti thinks Roger’s a dinosaur, overdue for a meteor.” (152)

▪ “Doesn’t it bother you that Trevor got the glory while you cleaned up after all his mistakes?” (162)