The Rivals: A witty and thought-provoking espionage mystery

Part literary mystery, part family story and queer romance, The Rivals marks the return of Claudia Lin: a sharp-witted heroine for the 21st century.

Claudia Lin – mystery novel superfan and, until recently, clichéd 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.

The follow-up to Jane Pek's 'thoroughly modern twist on classic detective fiction', The Verifiers, The Rivals plunges readers straight back into the action as Claudia and her colleagues risk their lives to investigate the dating platforms' deadly AI conspiracy. Perfect for fans of Maggie Terry by Sarah Schulman, Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy and Rosalie Knecht's Vera Kelly series.

‘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

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

‘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

‘Pek nestles timely and increasingly relevant questions about the role of technology in our everyday lives… The Rivals is the best kind of second-in-a-series: the kind guaranteed to leave readers eager for more’ – Shelf Awareness

© 2025 Verve Books (Rafbók): 9780857309235

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Rafbók: 18 mars 2025