Death of a Billionaire, a Satirical Sci-Fi Murder Mystery Review
Book cover image from Amazon
Death of a Billionaire, published November 2025 by Tucker May, is a whodunnit murder mystery with a satirical science fiction twist. The year is 2028, and Barron Fisk, the richest man in the world and the CEO of Fisk Enterprises, was found shot dead in his office. Who did it? Was his rival CEO? His young successor? His wife? His doctor?
Fisk Enterprises is the tech company based in California behind the ePhone. But leading up to Fisk’s death, the company is facing an internal battle to approve its newest development: the Fiskiverse, an intricate virtual reality system. The biggest obstacle to the Fiskiverse’s approval is the company’s chief financial officer Alan Benning.
The Suspects
Alan is meek and lacks the personality for such a crime, but when his prints are found all over the crime scene, including the murder weapon, he instantly becomes the prime suspect. His known disapproval of the Fiskiverse gives him motive, making him the easy choice. Convinced that he’s being set-up, he teams up with Fisk’s personal assistant Sharla to investigate the murder for himself.
From the opening paragraph, May creates caricatures of prominent billionaires with a sense of self-awareness, allowing you to laugh at the absurdity of the story. Death of a Billionaire features a long cast of suspects, each fulfilling stereotypical roles, from the red herring to the unexpected.
Despite the predictability of the characters typical of murder mysteries, the plot was fresh and unexpected, engaging me through all the twists and setbacks. There was never a moment where I was actually able to predict the ending.
A Satirical Twist
The satirical element elevated the story with consistent commentary on capitalism and the wealth gap through both the narration and the dialogue. Although 2028 is not too far in the future, the advancements are exaggerated, creating an undercurrent of caution, warning that maybe this situation isn’t all that unthinkable.
Self-published, Death of a Billionaire is available through Kindle Unlimited and in paperpack on Amazon. Although this is Tucker May’s debut novel, he has shorter mysteries available on his website.
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Zina Mona
Zina Mona is a writer and student from Texas. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in the Trinity Review and 34 Orchard. She studies literature and economics, but in her free time, she loves watching Audrey Hepburn movies.
Visit her website to read more!
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Book cover image from Lanternfish Press
Book cover image from Bookshop.org
