Dead Money

by Srinath Adiga

“An impressive debut.” – Publishers Weekly
***International Book Awards Finalist — Best New Fiction ***

They said you can’t take your money with you when you die.

What if they were wrong? Srinath Adiga’s timely satire explores the pitfalls of modern capitalism and the dangerous power of myth.

Hong Kong, 2002. A stock market trader desperate to pay off a gangster debt invents a Afterlife Dollars. A product inspired by an ancient Chinese custom that allows people to buy their way into heaven.

It’s the beginning of a dizzying chain reaction that ripples in Mumbai, where one man does the unthinkable to secure his afterlife—while thousands of miles away in Amsterdam, another man races against time to stop an apocalypse. As a cast of larger-than-life characters grapple with unprecedented moral dilemmas, their choices will affect the rest of humanity.

Profound, exhilarating and full of unexpected twists, Dead Money balances intelligence and dark humour with compassion, empathy and hope. Its cleverness lies in its ability to convince us that the impossible can happen—a compelling, thought-provoking read at a time when the world stares at an uncertain future.

“A memorable premise lifts Adiga’s impressive debut. Adiga makes the central conceit work as he effectively sends up the tendency of people to believe anything.” – Publishers Weekly

“Exhilarating pace, intriguing proposition, and plenty of dark Dead Money’s the thriller I’ll be burning through in the afterlife.” – Kate Veitch, author of Without a Backward Glance and Trust

“A unique and highly original story. If you’ve ever wondered about the rise of BitCoin or how money really works, you’ll enjoy this book.” – Sion Scott-Wilson, author of The Sleepwalker’s Introduction to Flight

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2021

About the author

After living in four continents, Srinath Adiga has forged a unique voice based on his travels and attempts to find common threads that unite humanity. his debut novel, DEAD MONEY, was inspired by the 2007 global financial crisis, which occurred around the same time as a personal tragedy. he’s currently based in the UK where he works as a freelance copywriter.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hong Kong 2002: A stock market trader desperaate to pay off a gangster debt invents a scam: Afterlife Dollors. A product inspired by an ancient Chinese custom that allows people to buy their way into heaven. It's the beginning of a dizzying chain reaction that ripples in Mumbai, where one man does the unthinkable to secure his afterlife - while housands of miles away in Amsterdam, another man races against time to stop an apocalypse.

The story is devided into three books. Each book has a different setting and characters. We get a good look into the beliefs in the spiritual world, religions and myths. It's a cleverly written, disturbing and funny debut novel. The three protagonists were believable. The stroy also gives us compassion and hope. I loved this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #CentralAvenuePublishing and the author #SrinathAdiga for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emma Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never thought I could enjoy a book about money but here we are.

This book follows the lives of three men interacting with dollars, in very, very different situation and circumstances. Raymond is desperate with an idea who owes money to the mob. Sanjit is suffering an unfair fate. Theo is fiercely trying to make things right.
Its hard place this as satire because its so like real life. The dystopian feel was so gipping even though sadly this is our reality. the writing made me continue even when I didn’t think I wanted to.
I enjoyed Mara’s character the most.
I thoroughly enjoyed the twisted humour and sharp insight

Overall, this an interesting read and I recommend it if you are going for something with dark humour but also very intelligent.
I wanna thank netgalley for this (e)ARC
4 stars

[alailiander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I left my job reading books about economics… and yet here I find myself. I wouldn’t have thought I could enjoy a book that talked about money this much, and yet… this is a great story. I didn’t buy in (pun intended) at first, but as time progressed narratively - and pages progressed in the text - it just comes together.

The story unfolds through the lives of three men, each interacting with Afterlife Dollars (think: a retirement fund for your 6-ft-under retirement eternity) in very different situations. Raymond is a desperate man with an idea who owes money to the mob. Sanjit is a man suffering an unfair fate and a desperate hope. Theo is desperately trying to make things right.

There are some obvious heroes and villains amongst the pages, but there is so much more nuance here than that. The book examines what hate and fear and consumerism and capitalism lead us to - personally and societally. Despite the seeming insanity of buying into (sorry, just abusing the pun now, but it works!) the whole Afterlife dollars thing, it also rings truer than I would have liked. What is any currency or economy but a choice to adhere to exchange and valuation? What even is the stock market but people tossing money into the void and hoping it fells some extra?

I’m grateful the book ended with Theo, as he wasn’t exactly a lot of hope, but he was some and I needed it. This novel is philosophically dense while still being impressively page-turning in terms of pacing. I’m impressed, but I think I’d rather read Grapes of Wrath or Don Quixote again before again facing Dead Money… which sounds like a criticism, but I don’t mean it as such, it is just a serious book about the best and worst of humanity and the world we live in and that doesn’t make it easy to read in the midst of a pandemic and capital infiltrations and you know, life as we know it these days.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[eindra · Rating 4 out of 5]

so mans really caused a global economic catastrophe all because his impulsive ass needed to pay off debts. is this satire? or is this just real life? you know, if this book was published some time ago, maybe 10 or 20 years ago, it would be labeled as dystopian no question. the end of the capitalist world caused by the driving force of capitalism itself: money. reading this now, Christmas eve of 2020, it's just a story of our reality. it's hardly even satire anymore because it's just reality. the last page of this book? yeah that's just present day. the fact that it ends there is eerily terrifying and yet not surprising at all.

coming into this book, i thought that the three stories were actually separate stories, all a different satirical approach to exposing the invisible chains that hold us to the man-made concepts of capitalism and religion. but upon finding out that they were all connected stories about three different men in different stages of the downfall of the economy, i realized i was in for a treat because this is the perfect way to illustrate how capitalism as an economic system is doomed for failure in its nature, that its very structuring is what will topple itself over. economic crises don't just happen because one person made a mistake or even a group of people or a company. it's the gradual conditioning of the entire global population to value money over everything. it's governmental complicity in averting crises in order to keep their elected seats and not anger their under-the-table business partners. it's racist groups who sow hate to pass the blame of poor living conditions caused by capitalism to other people who can easily be labeled as 'different' and therefore 'dangerous', instead of accusing those who are perpetuating the system. adiga did a magnificent job exemplifying these concepts in the gradual way the crash came to be, all the little things that added and added to the inevitable outcome. the characters he created were also wonderfully written, giving each protagonist a well-developed backstory that humanized them even in their worst moments. we even feel sympathy for raymond, even as we gradually realize the absolute monster he had created. did he create the downfall? or did he simply speed it up? is he to blame for taking advantage of consumer vulnerabilities? or is the system that allowed him to do so to blame?

i found mara's character to be the most intriguing of them all. she starts as an impassioned activist for really whatever cause she can find, an exaggerated display of a, and i apologize for using this term, 'social justice warrior'. but as the weight and insurmountability of the crises take hold of the characters, she takes on a state of subdual, a passive indifference to a world that seems to take its course no matter what anyone can do. her change is an accurate and well-written portrayal of the average modern-day person, burdened by the influx of social media and the news and the impossibility to escape a feeling of responsibility for crises that are out of our control. how can we not be cynics when the last positive news was a war averted?

anyway, enough of my anti-capitalist rant. dead money is very well-written and does a superb job at depicting all the nuances in capitalist vs. anti-capitalist, religious vs. non-religious arguments because there are a lot of nuances. however, i found the ending a bit strange, cheesy but also didn't make sense? like what was the point he was trying to make? it seemed he posed a question but didn't provide an answer? or he did provide an answer but didn't develop it? the ending was a bit abrupt and frankly didn't fit with the rest of the novel, and is the only reason i am not giving this 5 stars.

[Evie Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting roller-coaster read that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. An extremely timely injection of dark humour and sharp insight that I desperately needed given current global events. This is a definite instant-recommendation to anyone looking for a sharp, intelligent read.

[Randee Busch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this Advance Review Copy by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, Central Avenue Publishing for the opportunity!!

Review:

It took me a long time to get connected with the stories. Usually if things don't grab me at the beginning they tend to take me a LONG time to read and this was like that. I did enjoy the short stories and the releavenace to our world right now. I also liked the twisted humor that was in the books even though it was small and spread throughout.

This probably wasn't the right book for me but I know lots of people will enjoy it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Srinath Adiga's debut novel, Dead Money, kicks off in February 2002 with what amounts to a captivating novella. Raymond Li, a Hong Kong stockbroker, has been making money for gangsters by investing it judiciously. When he loses millions of dollars for his key client, Mr Wu, he knows his life is worth nothing if Wu finds out - but how can he make so much money so quickly with no ready capital? Raymond thinks of a crazy idea: Afterlife Dollars, inspired by the Chinese tradition of burning paper money and objects for use by the dead. If he can persuade people that he can exchange money for Afterlife Dollars with the Afterlife Bank, he can essentially make something for nothing, while selling the idea of an affluent afterlife where you will have everything you want because you had the forethought to prepare in advance. This section of Dead Money reads like a speculative thriller, and is totally gripping as Raymond sets his scam in motion but is always looking over his shoulder to see if either his gangster clients, or the police, will catch up with him. Adiga's writing is, to be honest, a bit clunky and schlocky, but this doesn't matter so much at the start because his ideas are so interesting.

Unfortunately, while the rest of the novel isn't a complete write-off, it certainly steers off the rails with an unnecessarily sensationalist and stereotypical second section about Muslim suicide bombers, before getting back on track for a while in 2011 with its third narrator, Theo, a Dutch investment banker who is being forced to recommend Afterlife Dollars as investment stock to his clients despite the fact that he thinks they're immoral. Adiga pulls off some clever twists here as he explores the ways that the mythology of Afterlife Dollars has been developed in different cultural contexts, and thinks about how this new currency might impact the global economy. However, the novel slides to an uneven halt as it moves more towards dystopian fiction than satirical thriller, a genre switch that immediately exposes the limitations of Adiga's writing. I loved the sporadic originality and intelligence of Dead Money, but writing- and character-wise, it's a bit of a mess.

I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review.

[Kimberly Ouwerkerk · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most prominent thoughts in Dead Money is that everything is just an illusion spun up by people so they don’t have to think about the depressing fact that nothing matters, death will follow anyhow.

Dead Money builds on the Chinese beliefs about the afterlife. The main character, Raymond, takes the concept of Hell Money and turns it into the thriving economic asset Afterlife Dollars. Everything is make-believe, or is it? Good branding can convince you something is cool, but what makes one thing (for example a t-shirt) better than another? What makes Afterlife Dollars different from other new currencies like Bitcoin?

The three stories in Dead Money are very realistic and well-written accounts of how three people with different backgrounds deal with their struggles in life. Be it financial, healthwise, or purposewise. They’re stories of transformation. The content is interesting and the writing skills of Srinath Adiga are good. Despite all that, it took me a long time to finish the book.

This is partly because there was no surprising turn of events (to me). Dead Money reads like a case study. So while I greatly appreciate the character building, the setting, and the Afterlife Dollars concept with all of its consequences, I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I expected. I’d almost say it reads like a non-fiction book illustrating the rise and downfall of an economic asset and the industry surrounding it. The consequences of the Afterlife Dollars economy as a whole are more interesting than the stories of the narrators. So yes, it is a truly interesting book to read, but not the most exciting.

The main reason for my lesser reading experience is that the middle part is less interesting and hardly moves the plot forward. On the other hand, the first part reads like a thriller and I was curious where the third part would take me (a somewhat hasty dystopian ending apparently).

Regardless of the above: Dead Money leaves me intrigued and makes me think about my choices in life and how my choices influence the world. While I would never want to do something like Raymond, I do feel inspired to identify emerging industries and take part in their growth.

What also stayed with me is the question of whether I would realize it when I am being fooled? As for you, do you know what’s fooling you? What did you buy into recently? Do you believe what you see on the news or what you read in books?

I want to end my review with the following topic for discussion: Are Afterlife Dollars per definition bad if they contribute to the spiritual and mental wellbeing of people?

Many thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Claudia George · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is honestly one of the scariest book I've ever read. Its horror lies not in the supernatural, or any gruesome murder or crime plot, but in the startlingly reality it presents. The major economic crash in this book that leads to unprecedented poverty and homelessness, as well as the increase of extreme political and social movements, is caused by the idea of Afterlife Dollars, with increasing numbers of people investing in their afterlives at the expense of the current economy. The resulting fallout feels all too real in today's climate, and this book shows how a seemingly crazy concept - that of needing to save money for when we are dead - is actually something that can warp the minds of millions of people and cause the end of the modern world.
The book follows three people who are affected in differing ways by Afterlife Dollars, and the final section, following Theo, is where we see a culmination of the years of increasing value being placed on this Bank of Eternity. The chaos that ensues, and the fact that so many people in the book find ways for this chaos to inspire hate, especially towards other races and countries, feels scarily possible right now. I appreciate the fact that Theo is only able to find solace in meditation and inner peace. Where the Afterlife Dollars point to a crude and mercenary understanding of spirituality, the book ends with this more serene idea of a loving spirituality, one that we have to hold onto when everything around us is going wrong.

[McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is comprised of three smaller, intertwined “books” that each tell the story of a different character. These stories will make you question everything you thought you knew... about politics, about morality, about humanity itself.

There is so much literary goodness to unpack in this phenomenal book, I don’t even know where to begin. Adiga crafts a story that blurs the line between good and evil with morally ambiguous characters. He highlights the idea that people believe what they want to believe and see what they want to see. It happened with global warming and it is happening with the pandemic. Moreover, Adiga focuses a lot on the dangers of unfettered capitalism, “a system that’s neither just nor fair but promotes greed, exploitation, and mindless consumption”, and how it could ultimately destroy itself.

This story reminded me why I love reading. It reveals so much about human nature while also offering compassion and hope. It is dark. It is uncomfortable. It is one that I will think about for the rest of my life. This book is destined to be a classic.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book which will be published on 1/26.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I woke up in the middle of the night while reading this in a panic, desperate to find out if this book met the Bechdel test. For the uninitiated, the Bechdel test is a simple test that assesses whether a piece of media has two named female characters who have a conversation longer than a few lines about a topic other than a man. I tend to avoid male authors these days, simply because it seems so hard for them to pass it.

Spoiler alert, this book does not. Which is only the tip of the iceberg about why I didn’t like it. This is personal preference, obviously, but I don’t like to read books with unlikable characters. I need someone to root for and care about. And there wasn’t a single character to like in this book. Even the righteous one (which were few) were insufferable.

If I hadn’t read it for a book challenge, I would have DNF’d early on, but I stuck with it. If you need a book to confirm for yourself that people are selfish, greedy, and unscrupulous, this is the book for you. If you, like me, already know that the capitalism is destructive and money makes people do bad things, pick up one of my many five star romance recommendations instead.

[Mario’s Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book review

Dead Money by Srinath Adiga
Rate 3,5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫/ B+ (78%)

This is the debut novel of author Srinath Adiga. Dead Money is divided into three books(three parts), and each part is a story from a different perspective in three different places, but with the same scheme Afterlife Dollars.

The book started very good and I was very into it, but the second and third book were not for me and my taste. It’s a very interesting story with a good plot, good idea and excellent manipulation with people that I think can happen today or may already be happening.
For anyone who loves political, religious and spiritual books then this is the right book for you.


Thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandee (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Dead Money because the premise intrigued me. Those first few sentences of the synopsis reeled me in. I'm every so glad I happened upon this stunning debut. Although the story wasn't always easy to sit with, it's worth the time sitting with.

"How can you stop something that's on a mission to destroy itself?"
-Theo, Loc 6278

In Dead Money , SAdiga deftly weaves together three stories in three locales with three different characters connected by one cleverly crafted over-arching plot. In the first story, set in Hong Kong, we meet a stock market trader and see the scary genius employed to create Afterlife Dollars. We're also privy to the greed and corruption that led to its creation. 

The second story, set in Mumbai, India, follows a 30 year old man with a terminal diagnosis. He buys into the safety and comfort that Afterlife Dollars will provide and is will to do ANYTHING to secure the funds to make that possible. Even, essentially, sell his soul.

The third story, set in The Netherlands, revolves around an investment banker whose life has been and will be affected by Afterlife Dollars in myriad ways. 

SAdiga entwines race, class, religion, wealth, poverty, greed, politics, and economics to illustrate the folly and frailty of man. Afterlife Dollars prey upon human fears while fulfilling the desire of others to amass fortunes under any circumstance. And proves,

"...people became impervious to reason when they were under the spell of a con man."
-Former Police Officer, Loc 4553

Dead Money is very relevant despite being written prior to 2020. I found it fascinating to examine our global culture and economy as well as the things we all share as humans. Your faith in humanity is going to take a hit, I'm not going to lie. But it will be renewed, if only a little, by the end. I felt the story dragged a bit at the beginning as the stage is set and because Raymond, the stock trader, isn't exactly a likable character. Push through. I think you'll find the story worth it. It's illuminating but also deeply saddening. A masterpiece of a debut.

[Cathy Eades · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to net galley for a copy in return for a review. I'm a little unsure about my rating for this book to be honest, and it's the ending which has made it a 3.5 for me.

This isn't what I expected, this is essentially 3 different stories but they are all linked by this idea of afterlife dollars. Now first off I want to say that the idea itself is really clever and if it hadn't have been in a story, quite plausible, though I suppose they based scientology on a sci fi series so anything can happen! But really the idea is a good idea and it is for me a unique idea. The first story was a bit slow at first but once the idea was established things came together. I had already predicted the irony of the end of that novella, but it was nice none the less. Novella 2 was my favourite of the three stories and I think this was a story which could have been developed. This story had a little more pace and again it had a uniqueness to it. It was also an interesting concept and raised some deeper issues. The final story started off strong, but I have to admit the end was not for me. For the other two stories there was a build up and then a somewhat flat but ironic and fitting end. With the third it was like it built up and then worked back down again; it wasn't in keeping with the other two.

As for the characters, they were good. I felt their stories seemed mostly believable and their emotional responses were believable even when they weren't so much. Yes they were characters with an agenda, that was obvious, but I wasn't too bothered by the authors presenting their message through the character. The settings were good. I liked how we glimpsed different cities and the worlds of these people although again, the last story didn't do this so well. The writing style was comfortable and mostly easy to read, where the pace dropped it felt a little bit if a slog.

Overall an interesting read. This book raises several important issues and challenges the reader. It was let down by the third story and at times the pace was too slow; too much focus on the people and their conversation than the action and moving the story forward. 3.5 stars for me.

[Sonee Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first few pages, I didn’t think I was going to like it. But I held on and I don’t regret it. I was hooked into the tale, which is of how to get people to buy into a con. It was at times funny, at others entertaining. I mostly enjoyed the 3 separate yet interconnected stories because it showed how the con evolved.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up really liking this, though it took me a while to get into it.

A shady stock market trader owes an absurd amount of money to a gangster and comes up with a scheme to sell afterlife dollars. Ultimately, this ends up causing a world economic crisis.

This book shows the power of currency and proposes the point that currency only has perceived value. If enough people believe in it, it becomes powerful. I do think having some economics knowledge will help to truly understand this, but it may not be entirely necessary. The story itself is compelling and well told.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mahathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thank Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishers for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There's one known truth in the world. We all die. And when we do, we leave all our worldly possessions behind. Or, do we?

Raymond Li, a clever yet crooked stock broker in Hong Kong, makes a risky investment on behalf of a gangster. Unfortunately for him, this does not work out very well when he loses every penny of it. Fearing death, and desperate to pay his debts back, Raymond has but no choice to think about smart ways to make money again when he chances upon the Chinese concept of hell money. He thereafter sets up the Bank of Eternity, a bank that exchanges real-life money into Afterlife Dollars, the primary currency for the materialistic afterlife in heaven. Despite a bunch of initial hurdles in his way, Raymond takes advantage of an increasing death toll due to an ongoing pandemic to convince the world that Afterlife Dollars is indeed real and manages to make his company a success.

Nine years later, a young but terminally ill man in Mumbai is ready to go any length to secure his afterlife, whereas another young investment banker in Amsterdam identifies the scam that the Bank of Eternity runs, and is ready to fight against the world to prove his point. The question is, how far must humanity go until everyone realizes the truth?

Dead Money is an amazingly written well-crafted dystopian satire on the delusional fabric that has woven consumerism in our society. In a world where everything is ruled by money, the question of a materialistic hypothetical afterlife isn't far off the reach. This greatly researched book not only provides a satisfying yet thrilling story that is nothing but an emotional roller-coaster for your heart, but also makes us question the reality in many instances. The book takes a jibe on several political and religious ideologies that can at instances seem rather offensive, but towards the end provides a rather balanced point of view while consistently maintaining an anti-capitalist stance.

The one thing I definitely didn't enjoy is the stereotypical portrayal of Islamic jihad terrorism, it felt rather forced unnecessary for the propagation of the story heading well otherwise. The central characters were rather unlikeable, and the only one that seemed real was the third protagonist Theo. Even then, there were so few female characters and most of them did not have any role but as placeholders for sexual objects. The only semi-important female character, Mara, was also reduced to a dumb activist that existed for the purpose of sexual gratification towards the end of the story.

Overlooking these flaws, the novel delivers a powerful message to the young generation that can change the future of the world. The book makes its timely presence during a worldwide pandemic which has only reminded the population the impact of capitalism in our society. And bringing in such a throughly thought and well-researched novel for a debut author is surely an achievement. For this alone, I'm giving it a 4 star despite the several problematic parts I've already stated.

[Phil Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read, even if the story was not of pleasurable things.
I didn't know where it was headed and was surprised quite a few times by plot developments.
There was an underlying darkness from the start. It grew to the point of being central to everything as the world depicted descends into accelerating chaos. The logical conclusion of a world obsessed with Afterlife dollars is page-stopping. i had to read it twice because it was such an 'oh wow' thought.
The three central characters were likeable and I particularly enjoyed the humour of Theo's Grim Reaper (the weirdness of that statement will make sense when you read it).
The author's ability to tie together simple human emotions and needs with big themes like the relentlessness of capitalism and the dangers of ultra-nationalism make this a novel for 2021.
Give it a go and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Ann Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to Central Avenue Publishing and NetGalley for ARC and physical copy of this cleverly written and multi-faceted book.

This book had a lots of twists and turns. It connects three men who are connected to Afterlife Money, which is a Chinese mythology that you can have a good afterlife if you can bring your riches with you. One man owes gangsters 53 million dollars, one comes from Mumbai and absolutely believes in the Chinese mythology that you can bring your money and valuables with you to the afterlife, and one is a banker trying to stop a global crisis. Lots of twists and turns, cleverly written 4 stars!

Get your copy soon. It's a very interesting way of thinking.

[Meenu Annadurai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this Advance Review Copy by Netgalley and Central Avenue Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, Central Avenue Publishing for the opportunity!!

Review

Dead Money is the debut novel of the author Srinath Adiga. It is satire about religion, money, politics and spirituality. The idea of the book was so new and unbelievably different. The author had taken something very unbelievable and distinct as the core subject of his book and the most astonishing part is that he had written it pretty convincingly. I guess even the most rational and practical of personalities would forget the reality and simply delve into his story.

The book has been divided into three parts and each part is written from the perspective of three different individuals from different places like Hong Kong, Mumbai and Amsterdam respectively. The author had beautifully described all of these amazing places with his words. This book had so many different people from different societal backgrounds, religious backgrounds, languages, different ethnic groups and race. The way the author had brought all these set of people together to weave a plot was simply mind-blowing. But with the beginning of each part of the book it almost felt like reading a new story altogether and it took sometime to get used to the writing and narrative style of the author with each and every part of the book. The writing style could’ve been even more smooth and better. At certain point it felt tedious to read the book.

Though the beginning of each part was quite slow, the way the author had ended each of the part was simply amazing. The first two parts, that’s the story of a man from Hong Kong, Raymond Li and the story of a man from Mumbai, Sanjit was written down so very perfectly. With this book the author had come up with a novel concept called dead money, while Raymond Li’s character first came up with this idea of dead money, it almost felt like a joke initially but with each passing page the author had successfully rationalized the concept.

Among the three men, Theo, the guy from Amsterdam was the genuine personality and he is the guy I liked to read about in this book but somehow his side of the story wasn’t quite satisfying. The author could’ve worked more on Theo’s story to make it better and fulfilling. After reading the first two plots, Theo’s side of the story obviously felt quite disappointing and inefficient.

The author had talked about lot of issues in this book, the mad and blind beliefs of the people on myths, religions and spirituality. He had talked about the COVID Pandemic, economic recession, the fall of global economy, finance, racism, religious discrimination and many hard topics like that. Though it was all written very efficiently a couple of topics actually deviated the story from the main core. It was kind of forced and irrelevant.

The novel, anew idea of the book was outstanding. Despite having a slow start, the beginning and the middle of the book was amazing but somehow the end didn’t go so well. And that was highly disappointing.

My Views

The total idea of the book was so cool. I didn’t know how the author had come up with such a different and new story-line. It was completely a new experience to have read it. As I said earlier the end wasn’t satisfying, it felt inept. The ending of the book is as much important as the beginning of the book. Even if the book hadn’t been good from the beginning but if it had a good climax, the readers would almost forget the not so good beginning and will be wholly contented with the ending. So ending is very important, in that case, I would say the ending of this book actually damaged the good and amazing plot of the book. And the ending of the book was also written too very hastily.

There were stereotypical comments here and there in the book but I would like ignore it because of the novel idea and plot-line of the book. I really liked the way in which the author had satirically approached the issues spoken in the book. And also it made me think a lot. My favorite part of this book was, the way the first part of the book ended, that is the way Raymond Li’s side of the story ended. It was quite shocking and good.

My rating for this book would be 3 out 5 stars

I would recommend this book to people who love to read political, economical and religious satires. If you wanted to read something new and completely refreshing and satirical. You guys might enjoy this book to the core.

Do read this book and tell me how you feel about it on the comment session below!!

Happy Reading Folks!!

~ Meenu

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark satire that plays on the hope people find in life after death across multiple belief systems, Dead Money plunges its readers into a world that seems almost too absurd to be believable--almost.

Set in recent history through the contemporary period, the story begins in Hong Kong with a stock broker named Raymond Li who loses tens of millions of dollars in mob money as the relationship between the stock market and the greater economy starts to erode. It just isn't possible to make the same kind of money playing the market anymore that it once was, and Raymond needs to find an alternative to make some big money, and quickly. When he encounters a man in a park burning hell money for his grandmother, it occurs to him that one of life's inviolable truths is that you can't take your wealth with you when you go. That realization jumpstarts the launch of "afterlife dollars" -- a completely fictive "product" that people can purchase with their real money at an exchange rate of 0.01--eternal happiness for $3,000. Being an obvious con, reporters and the police quickly catch on, but just as he is facing arrest, a deadly H5N1 coronavirus plague hits and people rush to invest in their afterlife as they confront a huge increase in the risk of dying.

Book two takes us to Mumbai about nine years later to meet Sanjit, a young man who had all the reasons to anticipate a lucrative career playing cricket before the onset of ALS. As he struggles with what the remainder of his life will look like, he goes from seeing afterlife dollars to be sham they are to seeing them as a possible mechanism to hedge his bets (if it's a hoax, only his mother will lose out on her inheritance, but if it's not a hoax, he'll be stuck in a slum or in a vicious cycle of life and death for the remainder of eternity), to eventually something that he must have at literally any cost.

Book three centers around Theo, a bitter stock broker and economist who recognizes the broader economic and societal dangers of widespread investment in afterlife dollars. People are foregoing home ownership, retirement savings, and even having children in order to invest in their afterlife. The myth of being able to buy your way into paradise regardless of your moral choices in this lifetime exacerbates crime and hate. As Theo urgently tries to get his message out into the world, he encounters challenges ranging from politicians concerned about the unpopularity of reigning in the afterlife economy to a vehemently racist band of Orange Shirts who blame China for the economic crash the Afterlife Dollars have caused.

As an econ nerd, I was fascinated by the economic themes of this novel and some of the proposed (and opposed) solutions to reigning in the afterlife dollar economy. That said, the economic themes stay pretty high-level and there are only a few paragraphs on actual policy or ramifications, and they aren't always very believable.

I also was interested in the various adaptions of the afterlife dollars mythology to different world religions and also wish those pieces had been explored more.

I was frustrated for most of this novel because literally all of the characters are completely unlikeable. It's not just a protagonist you love to hate, it's constant Holden Caufield-level angst and phallic references reminiscent of the seventh grade. From ALL of them. Women are either there to be fucked or to be repulsed by (and they should try harder to be more attractive). All Muslims are radical jihadi terrorists. It's just really hard to read after a while. I get that it's intentional and I could almost deal with the founder of afterlife dollars being a testosterone junkie with no regard for other people, but almost every single character in this book is completely insufferable, and that made it a major slog for me.

If this novel focused more on the economic or religious development and less on the gross worldviews of the characters, it would be a phenomenal read. But as it is, no more than three stars from me.

On a related note, suicidality is a huge theme in this novel for multiple characters, and it isn't resolved in healthy ways. I do not recommend this novel to anyone struggling with suicidality. It paints a very bleak nature of the future and of human existence.

My appreciation to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the eARC in exchange for the review.

[Michelle Alpizar Paez · Rating 5 out of 5]

English/Spanish

Thanks to Netgally for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book was without doubt one of the best that I have read, personally it is very difficult for me to give 5 stars to a book, for me it has to have certain aspects such as the narrator, complex us of times, proposal in the topic and the language, among other technical characteristics in order for me to consider a 5 stars book. But Death money blows my mind in all aspects.
Talking about this story is kind of complicated, but here I go.
Raymond Li is an accountant who works for the chinese mafia, because of some reasons Raymond owns the mafia a lot of money and in the middle of his desperations he runs away and ends up close to an old man who is lighting up some fake money, as part of a chinese tradition, in order for the death person to receive the “money” in the next life. Thanks to this event Raymond comes with the idea of the AfterLife dollars. With some coworkers Raymond creates the bank of the afterlife, a place where you can deposit your money (being alive) so when you are dead you are able to receive those savings and enjoy them in death and you can have a peaceful rest full of commodities and luxuries.
This is how Death Money begins, something you have to have in mind if you are going to read this books is that it isn’t about Raymond and his life, no, but the idea of the afterlife and what is waiting for us when we die, ¿is it possible to save your money to spend it in a kind of heaven? That's the main topic, Raymond is just one of the three main characters.
The story takes place first in China, then we move to Mumbai to finish in Amsterdam.
I must say this book is not for everyone, it has a complex structure that connects itself based on the main idea and not the characters; the narrator is curious in the way that in some cases it talks directly to the reader; the book is full of critic and it has to be read carefully if you want to understand deeply what’s happening.
Death money is a story that asks a lot of your attention and in return it gives you a great proposal and a strong reflection at the end. 5/5 stars





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Gracias a Netgally por brindarme una copia avanzada de este libro a cambio de una opinión honesta.

Este sin duda ha sido uno de los mejores libros que he leído, personalmente es muy dificil para mi darle 5 estrellas a un libro, para mi tiene que tener ciertos aspectos complejos como el narrador, uso de tiempos, propuesta de tema y propuesta de lenguaje para que lo pueda considerar como uno de 5 estrellas. Y Death money sin duda me voló la cabeza en todos los aspectos.
Hablar de que trata es un poco complicado, pero aquí voy.
Nos presentan a Raymond Li, un hombre que trabaja como contador de la mafia china a la cual por diversas circunstancias le debe muchísimo dinero, en medio de su desesperación Raymond huye y termina encontrándose con un anciano que quema billetes falsos con la esperanza de que el “dinero” le llegue a su pariente muerto en el más allá, como parte de la tradición china. Gracias a este evento a Raymond se le ocurre la idea de los dólares del Afterlife. Desesperado por conseguir el dinero para pagarle a la Mafia, Raymond plantea junto a un grupo de personas la idea de un banco en el más allá. Un lugar conde en vida podrás depositar tu dinero con la esperanza de que lo recibas después de la muerte y puedas disfrutar un eterno descanso lleno de paz.
Así es como inicia Death money, tengan en cuenta que no todo el libro se trata de Raymond, sino de la idea del más allá, que es lo que hay, ¿es posible gastar tu dinero en la muerte? ese es el principal tema, Raymond es solo uno de los tres personajes principales.
Aquí la historia inicia en China, se extiende hasta Mumbai y termina en Amsterdam.
Tengo que decir que este libro no es para todos, tiene una estructura compleja que se conecta a base de la idea principal y no de los personajes, el narrador resulta curioso pero muy acertado y sin duda es bastante lento, está lleno de crítica y tiene que leerse con cuidado.
Es un libro que te exige demasiada atención y por lo tanto tú como lector exiges de vuelta a la historia. Sin duda la propuesta es llamativa y la reflexión final es bastante fuerte. 5/5 estrellas.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trigger warning: suicide. If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at https://www.befrienders.org/ and www.suicide.org/international-suicide....

I really wish I had read the blurb more carefully before I placed this book on my TBR list. I do like satire and fictional ways of setting up an alternate monetary system from scratch eg. Daniel Abraham's Dagger and Coin series. Reading Dead Money, far from being enjoyable, raised my blood pressure. I am angry that a Chinese belief for honoring their dead has been used for entertainment fiction fodder. And it's inauthentic as hell to boot. First of all, Hongkongers "Raymond Li" together with his friends "George", "Yau Ma Ching" and "Lim Wei" don't have a lick of Cantonese dialogue between them. Cantonese is quite the colorful dialect, with many interesting sayings and expletives. "Granny Lau" a Chinese medium and "Gangster Wu" also have their presumably Cantonese utterances relayed (translated) to us in standard English, with "Gangster Wu" even managing to squeeze out the English word "psychological" while threatening "Raymond Li" with bodily harm for not repaying a debt (pretty implausible, English penetrance quite low in these groups). Again, no Cantonese cursing; I would have expected at least a tiu lei lo mo from a HK gangster, who is known colloquially in Cantonese as a 'ku wak zhai' (Young and Dangerous reference) belonging to a 'hak se wui' (triad). For borrowing money, Raymond Li would most likely have gone to an underground high interest moneylender, otherwise known in Cantonese as a 'tai yi long' (big ear).

Moving on, Raymond Li as an ethnic Chinese person would not need to go to a library to the "Chinese mythology" section to read up on his own culture's beliefs for "Beliefs Concerning the Afterlife." But a foreigner who wants to write a fictional book based on a ubiquitous Chinese cultural practice might, after encountering this quaint custom /s. The section from the book that Raymond reads starts with "Every living being has two souls, Hun and Po." Although Chinese characters are written the same way, they are pronounced differently according to dialect. Hún 魂 and Pò 魄 are the Mandarin hanyu pinyin for these words, a Hongkonger would have read it in Cantonese as Wan and Pok respectively. Lastly, Hongkongers as a whole are extremely nimble-minded and shrewd; living in a fast-paced metropolis, they are unlikely to be taken in by the proposed harebrained nonsensical scam.

There are interesting discussions to be had about this practice of burning paper money and goods for the dead, none of which are present in this book. For instance, a lot of the younger generation of Chinese in Asia have turned to Christianity. How do they reconcile the Christian concept of Heaven and Hell with this practice which (I believe) has roots in Taoism? When they no longer believe their loved ones are wandering as ghosts in the afterlife waiting for burnt offerings? This question is especially fraught during the Hungry Ghost Festival.

For the record, I am not saying that writers cannot write about another culture's beliefs and traditions. But one has to do research research research to get the details down pat. Be sensitive and respectful. Writing from the viewpoint of a local presents an extra hurdle of authenticity. This is why American Dirt got so much flak . But it can be done. MH Boroson's The Girl with No Face, a fictional story dealing with Daoist practitioners and Daoist beliefs with what happens to the soul after death (and includes burnt paper offerings plus mythological figures in the underworld), managed to accomplish this with responsible handling of source material plus creative imagination.

[Jamie Garwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very philosophical tale, based around the monetisation of the afterlife with the creation of Afterlife Dollars - a means of assuring your safe passage into the afterlife, therefore putting a price on your life and what value you place upon yourself.

Starting in Hong Kong, and created as a means to avoid getting whacked by a mobster it takes on a life on its own and becomes a commodity that branches out around the world - taking on a mythical stance based upon each cultures own view on death and the hereafter.

The middle portion in India takes a dark turn with threats of terrorism and asks the question there about meeting your virgins in the afterlife in that instance.

Yet the final act in Amsterdam, helps kick the narrative up a notch with fine patter of dialogue handled well asking these open ended questions leaving the decision down to the challenged reader.

[Firdaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for sending me an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.

It is February 2002 in Hong Kong and Rayomand Lee stands at the empty pit of the stock market looking at LED screens, only to realise that he has lost 53 million dollars of his client Mr Wu, a notorious gangster, who has a streak of unusual cruelty. He does not use guns, but wields a meat cleaver to do his job. Rayomand is totally at a loss and does not know what to do, how will he ever recover and repay Mr Wu the money he has lost.

Taking refuge in a garden he comes across a man who burns a paper house and car as well as hell money to satisfy a dead father who appears to him in a dream. Raymond gets the brainwave. He invents a dramatic short term death experience where he has been privileged to see “afterlife.” He describes to potential customers an economy beyond the pearly gates which functions exactly as in the world with lawyers to be appointed to plead your case with the Almighty, one bedroom apartments to be purchased, shopping malls…. For all these conveniences you need to purchase from the Bank of Eternity “Afterlife Dollars” which would guarantee sufficient funds for a comfortable existence.

The author satirizes the prevalent commercial, marketing gimmicks as well as the ability to tap people’s fears of death. On one hand, he shows how unscrupulous a modern day businessman is; he has no compunction of taking advantage of an epidemic to market his product. On the other, Srinath also shows how people lose every vestige of reason when they fall under the spell of a fraudster. So successful is Raymond, that the business grows at an unimaginable pace and soon occupies 10 storeys of a skyscraper.

Once again Srinath shows the greed and rapaciousness of the businessman in the 21st century as Raymond travels the world and markets his Afterlife Dollars. The scene shifts to Mumbai nine years later where we are introduced to a 30 year old, depressed Sanjit Sharma who has just been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a virtual death sentence. He is rescued from a motorcycle accident by his childhood friend, Ali, at whose flat he takes refuge. Sanjit reads about the the Bank of Eternity and the Afterlife Dollars which Ali has it has prominently displayed on the fridge and is obsessed with advertisement; but he does not have the finances to pay the requisite amount. Ali finds him a sponsor who is ready to lend him the balance; but nothing comes free and there is a price to pay.

If in the first two parts, the author plays with people’s gullibility and fear of death, in Book 3 we encounter Theo in Amsterdam in 2011. Theo is a financial consultant who loses his job because his bosses want to support the Afterlife Dollars which Theo recognizes as a fraud. The Afterlife Dollars have substantially increased in price and Srinath shows the herd mentality of people who purchase items not for their intrinsic value but because they are expensive. Theo goes to the Dutch parliament and also to the European Parliament in Brussels to explain the economic drain of the Afterlife Dollars but his pleas fall on deaf ears.

There is a subplot in the last section which deals with a radical group and their anti-Chinese stand. Though it reflects the main theme, it could have been avoided as it causes a certain dilution of Theo’s efforts to deal with the Afterlife Dollars.

The book starts with a very complimentary statement by the publisher praising the author. I thought it was an exaggeration, but I was forced to eat my words at the end of the novel.

[Ciara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an e-proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I greatly enjoyed the originality of Dead Money, particularly because of how timely it feels with the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of consumerism. The book is made up of three stories. Book 1 focuses on Raymond, a stockbroker in Hong Kong trying to pay off his debt to a gang by selling afterlife money. Years later, Book 2 follows Sanjit, a man in Mumbai who’s just received a terminal diagnosis and is desperate to buy afterlife money. And Book 3 covers Theo, a man in Amsterdam who’s affected by Sanjit’s choices and is having an ethical dilemma about his company trading afterlife money, and follows the political and economic fallout of the world’s obsession with afterlife money. “Just like suicide bombers, consumers are being conditioned to believe that what really matters is the next life.”

This book made me laugh and feel uncomfortable with how close to home it felt to current events. If you enjoyed this book, you might look into A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism by Peter Mountford.

[John McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would you do, what could you possibly do . . . if you’d just lost 51 million dollars of someone else’s money by making bad investment decisions in the stock market? And if that cash belonged to a Hong Kong Triad kingpin with a history of killing debt welshers with a meat cleaver . . .That’s the first half of the concept It’s the second part of the plot however, that’s utter genius, attention-grabbing and irresistible. That’s because Raymond Li—the high-rolling con artist and protagonist at the heart of this satirical masterpiece of crime fiction—comes up with an ingenious plan to keep himself from being chopped into fish chum. After a chance meeting with a man burning fake money on behalf of his ancestors, and a subsequent library visit, where he researches Chinese mythology and superstitious beliefs, Raymond Li comes up with the idea of “Afterlife Dollars” . . . fictional currency that’s purchased for real money in the here and now . . . to ensure a prosperous and comfortable existence in the afterlife. He starts small, in a Hong Kong strip mall, where he gets a charter and calls it the Bank of Eternity. Then, by using an aggressive marketing and advertising campaign with the slogan “Life Insurance is NO Good to You When You’re Dead,” and guarantees that deposits are backed by the “Afterlife Central Bank” which is run by “entities in the afterlife.” And Raymond Li knows this, he says, because he had a near-death experience and met them. And, damned if he doesn’t get the idea to take off! Because people will believe anything.
It’s an out and out con job . . . but the Bank of Eternity works because humans everywhere are trained to believe in the afterlife. In fact, the idea works so well, that within a few years the Bank of Eternity is world-wide . . . and that’s where the law of unintended consequences rears up and changes everything . . . when the focus shifts to Mumbai, India and then Amsterdam, Holland in this thought-provoking and highly entertaining novel. It’s got an edginess on every page that you’ll remember long after you’ve finished reading the last word!

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please find my review for Dead Money by Srinath Adiga here

[AnnaReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead Money by Srinath Adiga is so out of my usual reading choices that I wasn’t 100% sure it was a good idea to request this book but the description caught my attention so I did. And it was a really good idea, I’m glad I requested it.

I can’t describe the book in one word or put it in just one genre. The book is about something that every one of us has thought about before: afterlife. What happens after we die? Do we go to Heaven? Or Hell? Does what we do in this life matter? It should, shouldn’t it?

According to Raymond Li - main character number 1 - if you have the money you get to have everything in the afterlife. Raymond comes up with the ide of Afterlife Dollars. The ide is based on Chinese mythology. He invents a whole background to Afterlife Dollars and sells it to the world.
Raymond is a very smart man, a genius really but behind his smart idea there is cowardice and greed. He starts out as a decent guy I guess but things spiral out of control for him and after he comes up with Afterlife Dollars there is no going back.

Sanjit lives in India, in Mumbai. He is a desperate man, he has nothing to live for since he found out about his sickness. But when he hears about Afterlife Dollars all he can think about is his Afterlife and to get the money to have it. He used to have a normal life, a working relationship but his sickness and then his obsession with Afterlife Dollars changes everything.

Theo is a banker, living in Amsterdam. He is rich, he is successful. Basically, he has everything he ever needed. Until Afterlife Dollars reach Europe too. He knows something is wrong from the start, he knows this is too good to be true. And he will do everything he can to stop Afterlife Dollars from taking over the world. Because even people who didn’t used to believe in the afterlife start making choices that influence this life so they can have a cushy afterlife.

Dead Money is not easy read. In its center is something that is very controversial and could be or maybe should be unbelievable but Srinath Adiga sells it to us. When I started reading I thought this was a joke but as the story unfolded I lost my humor and stopped laughing and started thinking and I couldn’t stop reading. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for my copy.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you heard about Chinese religious practice, they burn fake money (hell money), paper houses, clothes for their deceased ancestors? I asked my neighbour when he was doing that and his answer was,”so that my deceased father will get money and clothes in heaven,” to which I replied,”heaven is not called heaven for nothing. It's a place where all needs are fulfilled!” thinking that I, as a thirteen year old, had suddenly become wiser.

This story is about Raymond Lie, who had lost 53 million dollars of his gangster client mr. Wu in the stock market and is desperate to pay off his debt. When he’s in a garden, he met a man who burnt hell money, paper houses and cars. Raymond got an idea. He then invented a story to tell potential customers that he has had an accident and nearly dead experience, that he’s privileged to see what the afterlife’s like. He said that in the afterlife, a one room apartment is to be purchased by being a member of Bank of Eternity. His business went skyrocket and he flew to India and modified the myth story to fit their religious practice.

By this, the story switched to Shanjit Sharma, living in Mumbai and got diagnosed terminally ill. After a motor accident, his friend Ali helped him stay at his apartment. There, Shanjit saw an advertisement folder of Bank of Eternity and wanted to be a member, but didn't have enough fund. Ali’s boss agreed to help Shanjit pay to become a member of Bank of Eternity, but not without a condition.

The story switched again to Theo, an Amsterdammer who complained that the Afterlife money didn't exist only to end up fighting a lone battle.

The story is engaging. It combined fiction and non-fiction altogether. It’s been a pleasure read! Thanks NetGalley and Central Avenue for providing me a copy in exchange for a review