I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The appearance of a body in the apartment of a CEO brings three people together unexpectedly in author Vincent Thompson’s “The Lockup Period.”
The Synopsis
90 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 twist:
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.
THE REVIEW
This was a compelling and gripping thriller. The exploration of Silicon Valley, both as a setting and as a concept, gives readers a great balance of humor and thrills. The world-building and character development are top-notch, and the detail the author brings to the writing style creates a truly immersive experience, from the haunting scene at the CEO’s apartment to the pizza place the protagonist starts out in the streets of Silicon Valley itself.
The powerful themes of the path to success, the dangers of corruption, and the search for morality in a cutthroat business make the story stand out. The author finds moments of lightness between the cast of characters while also delving into the personal histories and motivations of these characters in depth, from the main protagonist yearning to make a name for themselves and find success to the ruthlessness of the venture capitalist who stops at nothing to make sure his investment isn’t for naught, and a powerful journalist in the making seeking to unearth a true story, while each finds themselves up against the clock of this would-be company’s lockup period, adding tension and real-time stakes to the narrative.
THE VERDICT
Heart-pounding, thrilling, and entertaining, Author Vince Thompson’s “The Lockup Period” is a must-read upcoming Silicon Valley thriller. The detail the author pours into the tech startup world found in Silicon Valley, and exploring the will of the people hoping to make a name for themselves and those who have already amassed power and want more drives this phenomenal thriller, while also engaging readers in dynamic character development that will have them eager for more from this amazing author. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to preorder your copy today or pickup your copy on October 20th, 2026!
Rating: 10/10
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vince Thompson has been a waiter on L.A.’s Sunset Strip, a door-to-door seller of television advertising, an executive at major media companies, a CEO, and a public-company board member. Along the way, he has done business with venture investors, celebrities, and—unknowingly at the time—a few crime figures, all of which provided inspiration for his debut thriller, THE LOCKUP PERIOD.
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