The Rivals by Jane Pek is the sequel to The Verifiers, which I absolutely loved.
There is a severe lack of Sapphic amateur murder mysteries, but this series feels like a modern crime noir. The protagonist Claudia Lin is a Chinese-American lesbian woman in her mid-twenties. Now in control, or at least 1/3rd in control, of a semi-secret dating detective agency called Veracity. Veracity is a “personal investments advisory firm,” bluntly speaking they verify the person you met online is really who you think they are or who they are advertising themselves to be.
When Claudia’s not-quite-legal means to track people’s online dates leads to a murder and a discovery that some profiles in the big three matchmakers are actually highly sophisticated AI bots, she and her partners work to discover how the “Synths” are being created and why. This plot is continued from book one and honestly I don’t want to give anything away because the twists were fun.
This is a plot heavy mystery, filled with not only a deep background of our main character, including the complicated dynamics of the Lin family, and her relationships with her co-workers Becks and Squirrel. But also a techie spy plot with intersecting smaller mysteries. However Claudia’s clue loving, old detective novel reading, and general gay girl panicking personality keeps the humor and the plot from getting too dark

Immediately drew me in. Engaging narrative style. Well-paced. I wish I'd read THE VERIFIERS earlier, but THE RIVALS reads well on its own too. I would love to read more of Jane Pek's work!

Another exquisitely crafted mystery by Jane Pek that was well worth the wait. The will they won't they vibe she has with Becks is so promising for this series overall. I am fascinated by the Lin family, I enjoy reading about all the interpersonal drama alongside the murder investigation and romance.

I don't know when the next installment is expected but once again I will be putting in my pre-order as soon as it is announced.

liked this book and the pacing was good. This also set up for a next book very well. I enjoy these characters and the mystery that this story creates. I did find it hard to follow at times since it has been so long since I read the first book, so definitely reread before jumping into this one. Details from the first book were important for this story as well

The second book in this series picks up with Claudia Lin continuing her work at Veracity. I really enjoyed book one in this series and the second one did not disappoint! What a story full of twists and turns! I really enjoyed it.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy.

I was so obsessed with The Verifiers that I have been eagerly anticipating this sequel since turning the final page. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. This book is both vintage noir fiction and a modern commentary on technology, and handles the line between the two with humor and grace. I am eagerly awaiting more Jane Pek!

Overall a great sequel to the verifiers! I overall was still interested in the story but sometimes it dragged a little bit, perhaps the book could’ve been a little shorter. Besides this point, I enjoyed the read a lot! Well done mystery

The Rivals picks up where the Verifiers left off. Claudia tries to deal with her family, her (lack of a) love life, and her conflicted family relationships while co-helming Veracity. We are treated to a continued analysis of how dating apps treat our performative profiles and how bots are used to subtly or not so subtly affect our choices. And wait! Of course, there's murder!

And best of all, these 2 things that seal the books' charm: Claudia's detective skills have been honed by her adoration Inspector Yuan Lei of the Ming Dynasty Chronicles, a fictional book series; love book with in a book references. Claudia is a bike rider in NYC which is described in all its gritty glory, ups and downs, as practically another character in the books.

Jane Pek is a delight. Can’t wait for the next one. Her main character is interesting and complicated, navigating technology and contemporary relationships. No one is who they appear to be online and knowing someone in person isn’t knowing them if you ignore their online activities: that’s part of the lesson her detective is learning and teaching us. A truly millennial detective series is developing that is a worthy heir to the detective classics of the last two centuries..

The Rivals by Jane Pek is the sequel to The Verifiers, which I absolutely loved. The protagonist, Claudia Lin, is a Chinese-American gay woman in her mid-twenties who works for a semi-secret agency called Veracity that "verifies" the honesty of potential partners who have met through online matchmaking sites. Through their not-quite-legal means of investigation, the verifiers have discovered that some profiles in the big three matchmakers are actually highly sophisticated AI bots and not humans at all. That's the main plotline of The Verifiers, which leads to other discoveries in The Rivals.

While I enjoyed the tech plotline in The Rivals, my favorite part of this series has been the developing relationships among Claudia and her siblings and mother, as well as Claudia and her coworkers, Becks and Squirrel. The Lin family has some serious multi-generational trauma and extremely complicated relationships among the siblings as well as the separate child-mother relationships. I so appreciate the author writing a real, highly dysfunctional family that is not meant to be comic relief, while somehow not making the story too depressing.

One other thing I love about this series is Claudia's obsession with the Inspector Yuan spy novels, which she often uses as a blueprint or key to figuring out something in her work for Veracity. The spy-novel trope and mystery genre are regularly mentioned in a tongue-in-cheek way that gives the story a little levity.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this e-galley.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. The MC is so fun and, let's be honest: adorable. I love the idea behind this book and the intrigue that having a dating detective agency automatically implies.

I think the MC working in the environment she does is perfect for the book because it adds an air of mystery.

The characters in the book interacted well with each other and I liked the dialogue.

I was in love with book one of this series (The Verifiers) and was ecstatic when I found out there would be a sequel. I sank right back in to life with this loveable narrator and am always ready to go down any hilarious and mysterious rabbit hole with her.

The Rivals by Jane Pek – Thank you so much, @vintageanchorbooks, for my gifted copy. I enjoyed every part of this story. I didn’t realize it was the second book in the Claudia Lin series until I was more than halfway through, so it can definitely be read as a standalone. I love all the nods to classic murder mysteries, blended with Claudia’s acerbic wit. It’s the perfect narration/protagonist to keep me engaged.

Turns out I’m maybe a fan of thrillers! I really enjoyed this one, especially because it was ao easy to get invested in Claudia - a queer Asian American nerd trying to juggle other people’s expectations and finding her path. The mystery in this story is enticing!

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. Despite enjoying The Verifiers (the first in this series) this book never captured my attention. I’m DNFing at 50% to keep with my resolution of not forcing myself to read things I’m not enjoying.

The Rivals picks up where the first book left off. The FMC Claudia works for a company that’s basically a private investigation firm with a focus on online dating. After the somewhat suspicious death of a potential client, Claudia once again takes it upon herself to try and solve the mystery of what led to his death.

This book didn’t work for me on a number of levels. The first was way too much technical jargon that just felt unnecessary. I understand why the author put it in but it could have been drastically reduced with the same impact. There are also so many different code names that I wasn’t always sure what the characters were talking about. There are also a number of subplots that again felt superfluous and unnecessary. While the first book was enjoyable and introduced me to this author, this one just isn’t hitting the mark.

The sequel to The Verifiers finds Claudia still researching matchmaker matches, although this time there might be murder involved.

I really liked The Verifiers so I was excited for this one. However, I just found it slow. The intrigue wasn't the same for me as the first, maybe because the big reveal of the first wasn't lingering? I'm not sure, but it just didn't have the same magic for me.

This is a disappointing read. The murder mystery is anticlimactic, the central mystery is confusing and doesn’t end with this book, and we have an unnecessary love triangle. I would have been interested to see how this series ended if a love triangle hadn't been introduced.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for my honest thoughts.

I mean, who isn't into Jane Pek's books??
Tech lesbians, cultural stereotypes, family dynamics, and a nod to classic espionage stories... it doesn't disappoint!
My only criticism really is that the various parts of the story didn't always mesh / flow smoothly.
I will definitely read the next installment in this series.

Thank you to @netgalley, Jane Pek, and Knopf Vintage for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Skillfully avoiding the sophomore slump, Jane Pek's second installment in the Claudia Lin series enters epic spy-thriller territory in this richly detailed and atmospheric mystery. I couldn't wait to get reacquainted with the series' characters (and their sarcasm)!

The second book in this series picks up with Claudia Lin continuing her work at Veracity, a unique organization that investigates the truthfulness of individuals using matchmaking services. This time, the plot thickens as Veracity uncovers a disturbing trend: matchmaking companies are creating “synths” — highly sophisticated fake profiles that behave almost like bots, manipulating real users and influencing opinions.

The premise is undeniably timely and intriguing, but the execution feels overly intricate. The story is weighed down by dense technical explanations, an array of code names, subplots involving other characters, and speculative scenarios. There’s a lot happening here. Claudia, for instance, crosses professional boundaries by meeting a client’s girlfriend, Amalia, and starts to develop feelings for her. At the same time, she grows increasingly concerned about her brother Charles and his suspicious involvement with the matchmaking companies. Adding to the complexity, Veracity recruits an insider from the matchmaking industry to feed them information.

When the story focuses on action and relationships, it shines. Claudia’s personal connections—especially with her siblings, Charles and Coraline—are engaging and ripe for deeper exploration. Her queerness adds another layer of relatability, as she grapples with lingering feelings for her quasi-boss, Becks, while being drawn to Amalia. Unfortunately, the romantic tension is drawn out without much resolution, which can feel unsatisfying.

The book captures the unsettling power of fake online identities and their real-world consequences. While I could follow the plot well enough, the unresolved threads are frustrating. By the end, nothing significant is tied up—not the mystery of the matchmakers or the synths, nor the personal conflicts with Claudia’s siblings. It feels less like a complete story and more like a prelude to the next installment.

Claudia herself remains a standout—a wonderfully queer, quirky protagonist. This series offers a unique premise but caters to readers who enjoy layered, cerebral mysteries and don’t mind a lack of immediate payoff.