What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lockup Period
Not yet published
Expected 20 Oct 2690 Days to IPO Riches–if they can just figure out what to do with the body!
A fast, fun, and twisty ride through the underbelly of Silicon Valley—where fortunes are made overnight, and everyone is chasing their cut.
Mario Kennedy yearns to be part of tech’s in-crowd. But with an unfair rap sheet and a job slinging pizzas, he’s stuck on the outside. When MenuAi—a startup in which he holds advisory shares—announces it’s going public, he finally gets his shot. That is, if he can survive the ninety-day lockup period… and the stock lives up to the hype.
Driving that hype is Ravi Singh, a rising star in venture capital determined to land his first unicorn—no matter the cost. Covering the frenzy is Jamie Villanueva, a young reporter caught between breaking the story and settling a personal score.
On the night of the IPO, a troubling
A dead body turns up in the CEO’s apartment. Expose the truth, and everything collapses. Conceal it until the lockup period expires, and walk away rich.
In Silicon Valley, it may be that making a killing… isn’t just a figure of speech.
A fast, fun, and twisty ride through the underbelly of Silicon Valley—where fortunes are made overnight, and everyone is chasing their cut.
Mario Kennedy yearns to be part of tech’s in-crowd. But with an unfair rap sheet and a job slinging pizzas, he’s stuck on the outside. When MenuAi—a startup in which he holds advisory shares—announces it’s going public, he finally gets his shot. That is, if he can survive the ninety-day lockup period… and the stock lives up to the hype.
Driving that hype is Ravi Singh, a rising star in venture capital determined to land his first unicorn—no matter the cost. Covering the frenzy is Jamie Villanueva, a young reporter caught between breaking the story and settling a personal score.
On the night of the IPO, a troubling
A dead body turns up in the CEO’s apartment. Expose the truth, and everything collapses. Conceal it until the lockup period expires, and walk away rich.
In Silicon Valley, it may be that making a killing… isn’t just a figure of speech.
407 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 20, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀.
I came for the Silicon Valley thriller. I stayed for Mario.
His earnest innocence makes him impossible not to root for, while Ravi Singh adds plenty of complexity. Every character feels distinct, has a meaningful role, and is brought to life brilliantly by Chris Andrew Ciulla's phenomenal narration.
I also loved how accessible the Silicon Valley setting was. The world of startups, venture capital, trading, and crypto added a fascinating layer to the story without ever feeling overwhelming.
The pacing never quite reached page-turner territory, and the humour was more smile-inducing than laugh-out-loud, but the satisfying ending tied everything together beautifully.
The audiobook is absolutely the way to experience this story.
Thank you to Vince Thompson, Dubious Ventures Press, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own.
I came for the Silicon Valley thriller. I stayed for Mario.
His earnest innocence makes him impossible not to root for, while Ravi Singh adds plenty of complexity. Every character feels distinct, has a meaningful role, and is brought to life brilliantly by Chris Andrew Ciulla's phenomenal narration.
I also loved how accessible the Silicon Valley setting was. The world of startups, venture capital, trading, and crypto added a fascinating layer to the story without ever feeling overwhelming.
The pacing never quite reached page-turner territory, and the humour was more smile-inducing than laugh-out-loud, but the satisfying ending tied everything together beautifully.
The audiobook is absolutely the way to experience this story.
Thank you to Vince Thompson, Dubious Ventures Press, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 23, 2026
Mario has a pizza place in Silicon Valley. He wants a shot at the big time, but is regularly dismissed by those with “real” investor credentials. Then he has a chance to make serious money on an IPO, but it’s complicated by debt, several people who aren’t what they seem, and a potential love interest. It’s complicated, silly fun. The audiobook is well narrated.
My thanks to the author, @DubiousVenturesPress, @VictoryEditingNetGalleyCo-op, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheLockupPeriod for review purposes. Publication date: 19 October 2026.
My thanks to the author, @DubiousVenturesPress, @VictoryEditingNetGalleyCo-op, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #TheLockupPeriod for review purposes. Publication date: 19 October 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Lockup Period is a fun romp through Silicon Valley’s startup culture - the greed, the pressure, and unalloyed ambition that makes it hum! Vince Thompson deftly sends up the Valley’s entities in their wild pursuit of fortune, bringing it all together in a tight fast moving narrative.
--Nancy Dunn
--Nancy Dunn
June 9, 2026
This is a fun, intriguing look at the fight for integrity in silicon valley. We are following Mario Kennedy who is trying to get in on the start up of a tech company. Ravi Singh is a ruthless venture capitalist who is running the company Mario has a small stake in. Jaimee Villanueva is a tech journalist on the hunt for a story. Everyone is racing towards the lockup period for the company.
Mr. Thompson has an impeccable sense of timing, keeping the narrative flowing at a pace that keeps you turning the page, while not losing you in the story.
There are impotent themes of right versus wrong and what will a person do to succeed.
Beyond all of that this is just a lot of fun. This would be a home run for fans of John Grishams The Firm or Michael Connolly even though this is not a police procedural. An enthusiastic 4 stars!
Mr. Thompson has an impeccable sense of timing, keeping the narrative flowing at a pace that keeps you turning the page, while not losing you in the story.
There are impotent themes of right versus wrong and what will a person do to succeed.
Beyond all of that this is just a lot of fun. This would be a home run for fans of John Grishams The Firm or Michael Connolly even though this is not a police procedural. An enthusiastic 4 stars!
Read
May 9, 2026Read for a review.
September 3, 2026
Would you rather become a millionaire or escape you past?
Mario has a chance to make a mint on MenuAI's IPO but he gets roped into much more than he expects. He gets involved in conspiracies on top of conspiracies that just spiral out of control in thrilling plots and as well as few decent bad jokes. All the while Mario struggles with figuring out what is the right thing for him to do.
The story in The Lockup Period is weird to talk about for me. I spent the majority of my time with book irritated with the characters and oddly angry about the the whole financial situation that drives much of the motivations. Yet when I stepped away from the book I wanted to talk about portions of the story that I found absurd and entertaining. I think the important part is that I loved everything around the tech-startup and financial junk but all that junk was grating and boring to get through. While I realize that the tech and financial stuff are important to the story, I just believe that it could have been more engaging for me as the reader.
When it comes to the characters you can begin and end with Mario. Mario is an outstanding character that is easy to connect with because of the internal turmoil he is going through. On top of that Mario is the type of character that you want to root for, and even though he makes some major mistakes, it makes him feel that much more human. The characters around Mario are decently written, but make no mistake that this IS Mario's story.
I finished this book in a marathon and was quite satisfied by the ending. While I did get bored at times with the first half of the book, I loved Mario as a protagonist and ended up happy with my time spent.
I RECOMMEND checking out The Lockup Period.
NOTE: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mario has a chance to make a mint on MenuAI's IPO but he gets roped into much more than he expects. He gets involved in conspiracies on top of conspiracies that just spiral out of control in thrilling plots and as well as few decent bad jokes. All the while Mario struggles with figuring out what is the right thing for him to do.
The story in The Lockup Period is weird to talk about for me. I spent the majority of my time with book irritated with the characters and oddly angry about the the whole financial situation that drives much of the motivations. Yet when I stepped away from the book I wanted to talk about portions of the story that I found absurd and entertaining. I think the important part is that I loved everything around the tech-startup and financial junk but all that junk was grating and boring to get through. While I realize that the tech and financial stuff are important to the story, I just believe that it could have been more engaging for me as the reader.
When it comes to the characters you can begin and end with Mario. Mario is an outstanding character that is easy to connect with because of the internal turmoil he is going through. On top of that Mario is the type of character that you want to root for, and even though he makes some major mistakes, it makes him feel that much more human. The characters around Mario are decently written, but make no mistake that this IS Mario's story.
I finished this book in a marathon and was quite satisfied by the ending. While I did get bored at times with the first half of the book, I loved Mario as a protagonist and ended up happy with my time spent.
I RECOMMEND checking out The Lockup Period.
NOTE: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 19, 2026
*I received an ARC for this book from the publisher and am leaving a honest review.*
The open chapter or two I felt were a bit confusing to read, as the book has more of a movie adaption style of writing. However I was very quickly drawn into the story.
I did feel the writing greatly improved as the book went along which kept me interested and involved. The author clearly did his research on the Silicon Valley and the ins and outs of the start up world. For a first time novelist, this was a really enjoyable and original story!
**Major Spoilers Below**
****
****
I went back and forth on if the twist should have been revealed as early as it did. Though I landed on finding out the body was nothing more than a lifelike doll made the story that much more enjoyable and comedic. It was not a comedy genre book, but I had plenty of laughs while reading it. Mario is a believable character and I felt myself rooting for him. Once the author started to include details on his estimated wealth and current debts I felt myself feeling the story would not have a happy “rich” ending for Mario.
The investors, the schemes, the law all felt like it could have been true. I’m not a finance guru myself, but I felt like I learned a good deal about the inner workings of an IPO process which was fun. While technical at times, having Mario needing things dumbed down to a simple understanding helped me in understanding things as a reader.
Overall this was a great story, and it would be a really fun comedy/thriller movie if it was ever adapted. I’d recommend this book personally. It was a fun read and worth the time spent enveloped in the pages of Mario’s story.
The open chapter or two I felt were a bit confusing to read, as the book has more of a movie adaption style of writing. However I was very quickly drawn into the story.
I did feel the writing greatly improved as the book went along which kept me interested and involved. The author clearly did his research on the Silicon Valley and the ins and outs of the start up world. For a first time novelist, this was a really enjoyable and original story!
**Major Spoilers Below**
****
****
I went back and forth on if the twist should have been revealed as early as it did. Though I landed on finding out the body was nothing more than a lifelike doll made the story that much more enjoyable and comedic. It was not a comedy genre book, but I had plenty of laughs while reading it. Mario is a believable character and I felt myself rooting for him. Once the author started to include details on his estimated wealth and current debts I felt myself feeling the story would not have a happy “rich” ending for Mario.
The investors, the schemes, the law all felt like it could have been true. I’m not a finance guru myself, but I felt like I learned a good deal about the inner workings of an IPO process which was fun. While technical at times, having Mario needing things dumbed down to a simple understanding helped me in understanding things as a reader.
Overall this was a great story, and it would be a really fun comedy/thriller movie if it was ever adapted. I’d recommend this book personally. It was a fun read and worth the time spent enveloped in the pages of Mario’s story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I liked this more than I expected to! It was delightfully satirical and much of the world was easy to recognize for someone who used to work for startups.
Premise - a couple tech bros, Mario and Ravi, have 90 days to IPO riches, as long as they can survive the lockup period and hide the dead body that's turned up in their CEO's office. Complicating matters is Jamie, a young reporter trying to uncover their dirt.
This was twisty and humorous, with some standard archetypes, but also fun twists on themes. It reminded me a bit of the tv show 'Big Mistakes,' with Dan Levy. The premise isn't the same at all, but it also takes a mostly grounded world and situation, then adds quirks that turn the whole thing into something insane. In the book world, I'd liken it to LOST LAMBS, but without the weird girl angle.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla. He did a great job with the read. I'm very picky about male narrators, because often I just don't want to have a man in my ear for 8-10 hours, but this was enjoyable!
Thanks, NetGalley and Dubious Ventures Press, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Premise - a couple tech bros, Mario and Ravi, have 90 days to IPO riches, as long as they can survive the lockup period and hide the dead body that's turned up in their CEO's office. Complicating matters is Jamie, a young reporter trying to uncover their dirt.
This was twisty and humorous, with some standard archetypes, but also fun twists on themes. It reminded me a bit of the tv show 'Big Mistakes,' with Dan Levy. The premise isn't the same at all, but it also takes a mostly grounded world and situation, then adds quirks that turn the whole thing into something insane. In the book world, I'd liken it to LOST LAMBS, but without the weird girl angle.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla. He did a great job with the read. I'm very picky about male narrators, because often I just don't want to have a man in my ear for 8-10 hours, but this was enjoyable!
Thanks, NetGalley and Dubious Ventures Press, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
To be upfront, I started this book not knowing that this was one of my least favorite narrator’s alternate names. I’m always open to trying new narrators while staying away from narrators I don’t enjoy (because I don’t want it to negatively affect my opinion of the book), but this one surprised me. One of my biggest issues was how they do female voices and I had a really hard time remembering what character POV we were in.
Trying to put narration aside, almost none of the characters are likeable the first 1/2 of the book (except one and we barely spend time with them). The second half gets more cutthroat and picks up pace. I think this might have been a not quite for me, made worse by one of my avoid narrators. Sorry.
🗯️ “‘It used to be me with a secret now we both have one’ … two men, now as equals, bound by a hideous secret, only one of them knowing the truth”
“It’s not about what I’ll do to you, but what they’ll do to us’
🧨Tech bro vibes trying to make quick and easy money
💰Most POV/main characters aren’t likeable, but some might be redeemable
🎧⏳11 hours + 23 min
Trying to put narration aside, almost none of the characters are likeable the first 1/2 of the book (except one and we barely spend time with them). The second half gets more cutthroat and picks up pace. I think this might have been a not quite for me, made worse by one of my avoid narrators. Sorry.
🗯️ “‘It used to be me with a secret now we both have one’ … two men, now as equals, bound by a hideous secret, only one of them knowing the truth”
“It’s not about what I’ll do to you, but what they’ll do to us’
🧨Tech bro vibes trying to make quick and easy money
💰Most POV/main characters aren’t likeable, but some might be redeemable
🎧⏳11 hours + 23 min
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Lockup Period was a fun and unusual crime thriller that takes a satirical look at the world of Silicon Valley startups. Mario Kennedy is hoping his connection to a hot tech startup will finally get him into the money, but everything becomes much more complicated when a dead body turns up in the CEO's apartment on the night of the company's IPO. Suddenly, the characters have to decide whether to expose the truth or keep quiet long enough to cash in, and watching their increasingly questionable decisions made for an entertaining story. I liked the combination of crime, humor, and Silicon Valley satire, although some of the plot felt a little over-the-top and I didn't connect with all of the characters equally. Chris Andrew Ciulla did a good job with the narration and captured the humorous tone of the story well. Overall, this was an entertaining and different take on the crime thriller genre. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
High stakes story about money, power, greed, kidnapping, blackmail, the FBI, and just how far people will go to protect their fortunes. In Silicon Valley, making a killing isn’t just a figure of speech!
With dozens of companies and venture firms at risk, exposing the truth could bring everything crashing down or keeping quiet until the lockup period ends could make him rich.
I liked the glimpse into the dark underbelly of Silicon Valley, where there’s a fine line between bad decisions, ambition, and honesty. One man simply wants a better life, but he has no idea what he’s about to endure.
My favorite characters were Mario and the reporter Jaime.
Read & listen on release date 10 /20/2026.
Thank you Netgalley.
With dozens of companies and venture firms at risk, exposing the truth could bring everything crashing down or keeping quiet until the lockup period ends could make him rich.
I liked the glimpse into the dark underbelly of Silicon Valley, where there’s a fine line between bad decisions, ambition, and honesty. One man simply wants a better life, but he has no idea what he’s about to endure.
My favorite characters were Mario and the reporter Jaime.
Read & listen on release date 10 /20/2026.
Thank you Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️½ 3.5 Stars — The Lockup Period
This was a fun one! 😂
We’ve got debt, money, shady people who are definitely NOT what they seem, a little potential romance, and Mario trying to figure out who he can actually trust. There were definitely moments where I was like, sir… what are we doing?! 😂
Overall, it was a cute, silly, entertaining listen. It didn’t completely blow me away, but I enjoyed the ride, and the audiobook narration was really good! 🎧
3.5 ⭐️ — fun, complicated, a little messy, and an easy listen!
Thank you to the author, Dubious Ventures Press, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for the early audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review. 📚🎧
📅 Publication Date: October 19, 2026
This was a fun one! 😂
We’ve got debt, money, shady people who are definitely NOT what they seem, a little potential romance, and Mario trying to figure out who he can actually trust. There were definitely moments where I was like, sir… what are we doing?! 😂
Overall, it was a cute, silly, entertaining listen. It didn’t completely blow me away, but I enjoyed the ride, and the audiobook narration was really good! 🎧
3.5 ⭐️ — fun, complicated, a little messy, and an easy listen!
Thank you to the author, Dubious Ventures Press, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for the early audiobook copy in exchange for my honest review. 📚🎧
📅 Publication Date: October 19, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dubious Ventures Press for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Chris Andrew Ciulla was an okay narrator. There was not a lot of emotion or inflection in his voice, which at times caused me to zone out while listening. I do not recommend the audiobook.
Mario Kennedy is hoping his connection to a hot tech startup will finally get him into the money. But everything goes sideways when a dead body turns up in the CEO's apartment on the night of the company's IPO.
I really did not connect with any of the characters. While the concept of the story was fun, the execution was not to my liking. I did enjoy the ending.
Mario Kennedy is hoping his connection to a hot tech startup will finally get him into the money. But everything goes sideways when a dead body turns up in the CEO's apartment on the night of the company's IPO.
I really did not connect with any of the characters. While the concept of the story was fun, the execution was not to my liking. I did enjoy the ending.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a very unusual book, not like anything I've read before. It takes place in Silicon Valley and focuses on toxic startup culture but then there's a crime and then there's Mario who helped them before they were somebody and how he needs to wait the lockup period before he can get the money he so needs. And you're rooting for him and then you're not and then you are again. And crazy things are happening. I felt like it lulled in the middle for me a bit but I really enjoyed it in the end. It was a fun ride.
with gratitude to netgalley and Dubious Ventures Press for a great audio and for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
with gratitude to netgalley and Dubious Ventures Press for a great audio and for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, netgalley for the ARC of this book.
This one was just okay for me—maybe it simply wasn’t my book. I never felt particularly connected to any of the characters, and the quick switches between different perspectives were confusing at times. It also wasn’t a book I found myself excited to get back to.
That being said, I did find the ending satisfying. Seeing the good guy come out on top definitely redeemed it for me—without that, I probably would’ve rated it closer to 2 stars. Not a bad book, just not one that really pulled me in.
This one was just okay for me—maybe it simply wasn’t my book. I never felt particularly connected to any of the characters, and the quick switches between different perspectives were confusing at times. It also wasn’t a book I found myself excited to get back to.
That being said, I did find the ending satisfying. Seeing the good guy come out on top definitely redeemed it for me—without that, I probably would’ve rated it closer to 2 stars. Not a bad book, just not one that really pulled me in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of "The Lockup Period" from the publisher and I can't recommend it highly enough. Vince Thompson is a skilled writer with a thorough understanding of Silicon Valley culture and an edgy sense of humor. He brings the characters fully to life and keeps the plot moving at a brisk and engrossing pace. One of the most valuable things about this site is discovering new authors and this is one to watch.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was all over the place with this one. In the end, it was a really fun concept with humor and loveable characters. I wanted all the good things for Mario. I stayed for him and just wanted him to thrive. I appreciated that the author helped us finance dummies understand what was happening. That being said there was more than once I was a bit lost and was pushing through only for Mario.
Always a fun ride with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley for the listen!
Always a fun ride with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley for the listen!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Lockup Period By Vince Thompson is a smart, witty, and fresh silicon valley mystery with a dash of thrill! Mario is a very likeable character, even through all of his flaws and odd quirks. Mario finally gets to be apart of something that could really change his life, when all of a sudden, life SLAPS him in the face! Not just life, but numerous people just make things so hard for Mario. This is such a great book, I just kept thinking, how the hell is able to so this?! I'd lose my cool!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews