The Rivals

Claudia Lin mystery novel superfan and, until recently, cliched underemployed English major has scored her dream job: co-running Veracity, a dating detective agency for chronically online New Yorkers who want to know if their prospective partners are telling the truth. Unfortunately, along the way, she and her colleagues tech savant Squirrel, and the elegant and intimidating Becks have uncovered a far-reaching AI conspiracy. And the corporate matchmakers may be resorting to murder to protect their secrets.

In the wake of a client's sudden death, Claudia convinces his ex, an industry insider, to turn on his employer and feed the verifiers information about what the powerful dating platforms are really up to. But even as Claudia starts to get a feel for this new genre just call her Lin, Claudia Lin she's distracted by the possibility of romance with both Becks and a very charming target. She also fears that her beloved older brother is unwittingly being drawn into the matchmakers' deadly web. And as Becks reminds Claudia: spy tropes dictate that someone you trust will betray you.

'In this sequel to The Verifiers, Pek again brilliantly combines a corporate espionage thriller with the messy drama of Lin's family life.' Washington Post (10 Best Mystery Novels of 2024)

'The sweetly sardonic amateur sleuth Claudia Lin, who first appeared in The Verifiers, returns to solve another mystery when a client of her online-dating detective agency dies in a suspicious accident.' New York Times

'A clever, clear-eyed take on the modern spy novel, full of wisdom and sly humor. I'd follow Claudia Lin anywhere.' Grace D Li, author of Portrait of a Thief

'Jane Pek's writing is really fun and will keep you hooked.' Emily Henry, author of Funny Story

'Claudia Lin serves as the perfect guide to this captivating mystery.' Kevin Wilson, author of Now Is Not the Time to Panic

About the Author

Jane Pek holds a BA from Yale University, where she received the Meeker Freshman Prize for Poetry, and an MFA in Fiction from Brooklyn College, where she received the Lainoff Prize and the Himan Brown Award, as well as a law degree from NYU.

Her stories have appeared in Witness and the Brooklyn Review, and her work has received the Witness Literary Award for Fiction and been nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Originally from Singapore, she currently lives in New York where she works for an investment company as in-house counsel.