The Raise

by Ali Kriegsman

Codependence kills.

This heart-pounding psychological thriller follows a founder who must rescue her company from the brink of bankruptcy – and solve the mystery behind the untimely death of her best friend.

Your mentor and CEO just fell 25 feet to her death at Burning Man. Now it’s your job to raise 75 million dollars—or bury the company you built together.

Alexis Ecker never wanted the spotlight. But after the sudden, suspicious death of her best friend and business partner Darcy Lyons, the 29-year-old finds herself alone at the helm of their billion-dollar fashion-tech startup—and under ruthless pressure to deliver a massive new round of venture capital funding.

Grieving and unprepared, Alexis is forced to perform her most convincing pitch yet: that everything is fine! That the company is thriving! That she didn’t lose the only person who ever truly believed in her! But when whispers of betrayal begin to swirl—and Alexis starts unraveling the secrets Darcy took to her grave—she finds herself caught between a powerful investor with his own agenda and the mounting realization that Darcy’s death wasn’t an “accident” after all.

Taut, darkly funny, and emotionally charged, "The Raise" is a compulsively readable exploration of female ambition, codependent friendships, and the price of loyalty in a world where image is everything and women are always being watched.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

306 pages, Paperback

Published September 17, 2025

About the author

Ali Kriegsman is a founder, marketing consultant and author based in NYC who is unhealthily obsessed with ambition and the way women contort themselves to get ahead. Her company sold for eight figures in 2022 and she has been consulting for other businesses ever since. Her non-fiction book, "How to Build a Goddamn Empire," was published by Abrams in 2021 to acclaim from The Information, The Today Show, Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine. A recipient of "Forbes 30 Under 30" and named one of Fast Company’s "Most Creative People in Business," you can read Ali's weekly hot takes via her Substack, "New Motives," and follow her on Instagram @alikriegs or on Tik Tok @ohmygoodnezz_.

Reviews

[Lexie (never ending TBR) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I read this book in less than 12 hours and I'm feeling... everything.

This book was incredibly well written, with in depth, raw characters. The writing itself felt fresh and modern. The stakes were always high, the energy urgent, and I empathized so greatly with not only one, but multiple fictional characters. To the bitter end, I stood with Alexis, the woman who has just been thrown into her company's CEO position after her best friend and business partner, dies tragically. The pure anxiety, rich emotion and jarring plot twists had me invested from page 1.

Kriegsman kills it with this one - a job well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Cashmere Street Press for an early copy for my honest review.

[Jonathan Dahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This piece of fiction in no joke. I could NOT put this book down, it had me salivating for more. I don't get to read as much fiction as I would like to anymore so I try to be purposeful with what I pick. I am envious of the people that get to read this for the first time because I wish I could be doing the same. The Raise has it all and touches on so many pertinent themes happening in current events. The ending had me stunned and Kriegsman kept us on our toes the entire time. I LOVED How to Build a Goddamn Empire and didn't know what to expect from Kriegsman's first fiction publication She didn't disappoint. Long flight, vacation, lazy weekend, beach getaway, escape from your job in healthcare?? THIS is your book.

[Lauren Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book could be a sister to The Bear, except instead of a kitchen it’s based in 2019 millennial girl boss culture. We find our main character Alexis in a pickle of sorts after losing her best friend and cofounder of her company Savvy. She has to navigate the loss of her closest friend, manage her company, step up into the role of CEO and is confronted with the never ending cascade of work problems that have been dropped into her lap. Not to mention try to keep her company afloat by securing a raise that will make or break the legacy business she built along side her BFF.

Her story oscillates between putting out fires in her life and staying afloat by whatever pharmaceutical means necessary. There’s never a dull moment between her complex family dynamic, strained relationship, responsibilities in her newfound roll, work scandals, deceptions, grief, possible murders and uncovering what really happened to her best friend. Was it really an accident? Will Alexis girl boss too close to the sun? Will she succumb to the pressure?

This novel was so captivating and I loved feeling like it was a quick trip back into (a not so far away) time. I’m not someone who has worked in business field but the story kept the terms and concepts easy to understand and worked well for moving the storyline along. The characters were dynamic and the ending was very satisfying. I wish we could follow along with Alexis journey moving forward. I could also see this being adapted into a TV series and would be so fun visually.

If you enjoy
-high stakes corporate thrillers like industry/ the bear/ succession
-millennial shit talk text threads
-nostalgic 2019 trends: açaí bowls, saying slay and avocado toast
-Sophia Amoruso ambition
-workplace buzzwords
-sleuthing through a hidden notes app
Then THE RAISE is for you ✨

Thank you @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this eARC

[Rita Bochi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW what a start to 2026 with this book!! this might actually be one of my fav reads ever and i will be recommending this to everyone this year. kreigsman’s writing is just so insanely captivating and this book had me locked in from the first word to the last. just chefs kiss 🙌🙌

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was real juicy with a fast paced plot and a lot of “do the right thing” contemplations. Alexis was a great main character and I was impressed by how she handled grief, leading a company, and making really difficult big decisions. There were definitely funny parts to this book as well as suspense and shocking plot twists. It’s also a relatable story for the times we live in now with a chaotic corporate environment.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah Ramanuj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Equal parts witty and intense, The Raise kept me hooked from beginning to end. It’s the perfect mix of suspense, unexpected twists, and an incisive (as well as hilarious) commentary on startup culture and female dynamics. I’ve been a huge fan of the author’s non-fiction work, and it was such a delight to see her enter the world of fiction. I can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next—because I need more!

[Azora Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ali’s story re: this book getting made and as a former founder who shut down my 2020-era marketplace, she sure hit the nail on the head sending me the brilliantly done advance PR box of the book! This book gets startup lore and founder vibes right, better than any other fiction I’ve read. I really didn’t know what exactly was going to happen until the very end— and the end really resonated. Huge congrats, Ali!!

[Scott Baxter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Other people might like this book; this was not a book I enjoyed.

The Raise is a first person female centric thriller set in a technology company in Manhattan. One of the problems I had with Kriegsman’s book is that I did not understand what service the company actually provided for its customers. At times, I was reminded of John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood and the case of Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was the founder of a blood testing company that would use tiny amounts of blood to test for many diseases. Holmes was good at dressing for success and convincing investors. However, the fact that she is currently incarcerated at a federal prison in Texas tells you everything you need to know.

Back to The Raise.

To give an example of the language in the book, there are many descriptions of clothes makeup, and appearances.

Victoria is wearing what I can only describe as a funeral muumuu. Even though it looks better suited for a sixty-year-old and does her delicate frame no favors, it likely cost upwards of four hundred dollars at some “shabby chic” boutique in Southampton, where her family vacations in the summer, and where Victoria has retreated for a string of mental health days since the accident. Lucky bitch (location 260).

After slathering my under eyes in color corrector and concealer and dabbing on some ruby ChapStick, I slip on my trusted wide-legged trousers, oversized black blazer, and gilded loafers. The outfit says dutiful and methodical, while the gold-studded loafers promise spunk. The goal, Darcy would say, is to look polished but approachable, like you can pound a beer with the sales team, then playfully demand that they get back to work. “No one wants to work for a stiff cunt in a sheath dress” (location 686).

Overall, Kriegsman leans toward short sentences and a fair amount of the book is copies of text messages and emails. The point being that I would not call this book literary fiction despite it being labeled as such.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

epub. 302 pgs. 29 September 2025

[Kiersten Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Most Dangerous Game meets the all-consuming cyclone of a tech startup in this emotional, witty depiction of being a powerful modern woman.

To me, this book leans more towards literary fiction with sapphic undertones than pure thriller. I really enjoyed the range in Alexis’ admiration of Darcy - effortlessly going from friendly compliments to serial-killer creepy.

The ending unravels really quickly; I wish more time was spent in the third act. That being said I was definitely surprised with a few big reveals… I was kicking myself because the breadcrumbs are definitely there so keep your eyes peeled.

I received a free advanced readers copy (ARC) in exchange for this review.

[Charlotte Minto-Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely sped through The Raise and loved how hooked I got from the first chapter. I appreciated being dropped right into the action. As someone who moved to NYC in a similar era, I found the surround sound of the plot to be super relatable and easy to "drop into" the world it's set in without needing to really understand the tech world. I found myself feeling every emotion towards the protagonist, Alexis, I still do not know if I like her...which should be a complement to the author writing a main character in a way that really exposed the not always nice inner dialogue we all have to ourselves and to the world.

The twists and turns caught me off guard and wondering how everything would shake out until the end. Without any spoilers, I appreciated how the author left some things to not be "all fixed" or "brought to justice" - it's infuriating in a great way...

I'd be super curious to see how the author can flex their writing skills to a subject matter when it's not as much of a lived experience for them. I do share another reviewers view that it doesn't have as much of a "thriller" aspect as I was anticipating so that might cause people who pickup the novel to be disappointed if they're looking for something more typical of a thriller.

4 stars, for me, is a really great book, great experience reading, and something I would recommend to a friend without hesitation (and already have)!

I received an advanced, free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this is 2 days and it only took me that long because I had other plans! I devoured it. It is succession vibes but with 2 best friends who run a company and one suddenly dies leaving Alexis to carry on in her absence. It was so beautiful getting to follow Alexis’s journey through codependency and finding herself. I wasn’t expecting where it ended up but it was truly a perfect ending. Highly recommend!

[Ivy Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book early from the author in exchange for an honest review. I loved many things about this book!

I loved the world of female founder start up culture and feel like I learned so much about it. The world was super specific but totally digestible at the same time.

Alexis was such a complicated but intriguing character and a wonderfully unreliable narrator. I found her at times extremely unlikeable and selfish and as a POC, ***bit of a spoiler for those who haven’t read*** I had a lot of feelings about how she thought about and handled the racially charged lawsuit and payoff. But that all felt so appropriate to the time period when (particularly white) women were desperately trying to break through glass ceilings no matter the cost.

Alexis was thrown into unbelievable, high stress, high stakes situations and the author expertly threw us right in with her, creating a twisty turny thriller that was impossible to predict.

I loved the twist and the slow burn/tense unfolding of plot. I really couldn’t put it down and basically devoured it all on two plane rides.

It is giving Succession meets #Girlboss with a little bit of Single White Female in the best way!!

Can’t wait to see what this author does next!

[Katie Landmesser · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Raise absolutely blew me away.

Despite being relatively unfamiliar with the world of startups, so much of the dialogue and urgency of this novel felt eerily familiar to my own background in fast-paced PR agencies. Ali Kriegsman so perfectly captures the volatility of everything in that kind of environment in NYC - multifaceted female friendship, tumultuous romantic relationship, and immense career pressure on top of it all. The book was extremely action packed and fast paced, but with lots of introspection about identity and looking for meaning and value in the wrong places. I didn’t want it to end!

[Rachel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this bad boy in under a week. The writing and pacing feel cinematic yet comforting, filled with iconic moments, places, and archetypes from NYC in the 2010s. If you’ve spent time in the city, you’ll instantly recognize someone you know in at least one of the characters and even if you haven’t, it’s still wildly relatable. It’s funny, it’s raw, and full of twists.

What really stood out to me was the character development, especially of the female characters, who are so often written one-dimensionally in other books I’ve read. Here, they feel layered, real, and compelling.

Overall, such a fun, immersive experience, the kind of story that sweeps you up and takes you on a journey every reader can enjoy.

[Morgan Compher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't read a book this fast all year. Couldn't put it down. Fashion tech startup thriller... all my fav things

[Jazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into The Raise expecting a psychological thriller. While it’s certainly rich in psychological depth, I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller. Instead, it’s a sharp exploration of two people whose growing codependency slowly disconnects them from reality—setting the stage for some truly unsettling consequences.

The novel also offers a thoughtful look at the immense pressure women place on themselves to succeed in a world that still measures them against men. It’s an insightful, layered story, and an impressive debut.

[David Fayngor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Raise is a sharp and witty murder mystery - I’d describe it as an elevated beach read. Something a bit more complex, but equally as enjoyable. The characters are well-developed, the twists are unexpected, and the pacing keeps you engaged. If you came of working age during the 2010s when startup culture was huge you’ll die for this book! 10/10

[Judith Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an early copy of "THE RAISE" from the first-time fiction author, Ali Kriegsman. I was so excited about the book, and it did not disappoint! It checked all my boxes: mystery, drama, character development, plot twists, and superb, colorful writing. I was hooked after just a few paragraphs and couldn't wait to find out who murdered Darcy and how Alexa would come of age in solving the crime. Like many older women who love to read, I am a big fan of New York Times best-selling fiction. I will highly recommend this book to all my book clubs! It is richly textured, beautifully written, and I can't wait for more from this new author!!!!!!

[LX · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC!

3.25!

I really enjoyed how this kicked off and it doesn't let up, it's pace is good and kept my attention but would definitely say it's less than a psychological thriller than I was expecting, which is probably why I rated it so for now as I was expecting just a tad more psychological thriller within it. But really liked how it was written and the twists!

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t really have many feelings about this book. It was marketed as a thriller but written (poorly) in a lit fic/finding oneself style. There was not a focus on mystery whatsoever. On top of that, the characters, their motivations, and the their decisions did not make sense. I think it would have been a good movie, but it was not a good book.

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a page-turner! I really enjoyed the narrator and her voice. Author did a great job of painting a vivid setting for the book. Filled with mystery and character development. Couldn’t put this one down!! Highly recommend.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO many spelling/grammar errors (maybe just in the Kindle copy?) but - yikes.

[Liz Chiodini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly my fault for reading a book about a hectic work environment when my job is currently a little busy 🤣 this was not the escape I needed. I had high hopes for this book and it was tracking towards a 4, but the ending lost me. I couldn’t believe some of the things the main character did. Also the communication via message and email really bothered me - that is not how people talk at work? I have never worked at a start up, but using “u” for “you” and “r” for “are” and other abbreviations like that felt unnecessary.

[Megan Stec · Rating 3 out of 5]

Squeezed one more read into 2025 in the nick of time!!!!!!! 3 rounded up to 3.75! I really liked this a lot! Read it in 24 hours hah. It was different!! Had a lot of anxiety from start to finish lol which was the point, I kno. I know nothingggggg about this career field so I was v interested in getting a lil behind the scenes scoop inside the e-commerce / startup world. I, like others, really enjoyed the interspersed emails/Slacks/texts/Notes … I thought the dialogue was super relatable, like I talk like that lol. I liked the ending. Overall, I thought the whole thing was realistically written, well-paced, and w/ a plot that felt fresh. Read this!!!

[Carley Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed with this book is an understatement. Ali captures life as a woman founder (hi from a former VC-backed founder who burned out hard). Never felt more scene / entertained at the same time. I couldn’t put the book down. I loled, I cried. Ready for the movie/tv show?!?

[Kendall Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!!! Ali Kriegsman's novel is a dark and twisted look at female relationships and the tech industry in the late 2010s. Her characters are so well developed, I felt like I was with them in the room and in their head throughout their scenes. I don't read a lot of fiction, but I got an early copy pre-release and I ate it up. There are so many themes that are relevant in today's culture, I loved it.

[abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a page turner, a nail biter, couldn’t put this down – read this in one day

the writing style, the plot-twists, the suspense

not sure what to say other than, this was a good novel

chef’s kiss

[Ally Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was soooo good. I literally am obsessed with this and probably won’t shut up about it for a while

[Lauren Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5ish rounded up since it was a very propulsive and bingeable book that actually made me *feel* anxious a majority of the time, which I think is a testament to the writing. I usually steer clear of tech/startup books since I was adjacent to that world for a long time but this was highly recommended. The dialogue is a bit painful at times, specifically the FMC texting/Slack messages but I do think it was spot on in a lot of the startup and fundraising world. There were a few twists thrown in that didn’t really go anywhere or pay off (I spent the whole book thinking she was hallucinating and her version wasn’t actually true, but alas it was). I’d be curious to read this author’s next book!

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received an early copy in exchange for an honest review. Verdict: Incredible page-turner! A perfect book for anyone wanting a fresh, genre-bending read from a brilliant writer. Part thriller, part coming of age. And the twist at the end is crazy - truly did not see it coming. can’t wait for her next project!