The Rivals Audiobook By Jane Pek cover art

The Rivals

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The Rivals

By: Jane Pek
Narrated by: Eunice Wong
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About this listen

ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S 10 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF 2024 • A witty and thought-provoking mystery that reimagines the spy story to explore the nature of relationships in a digital age: the follow-up to Jane Pek’s “thoroughly modern twist on classic detective fiction,” The Verifiers (New York Times Book Review)

“Jane Pek’s writing is really fun and will keep you hooked.”—Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

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.

©2024 Jane Pek (P)2024 Random House Audio
Amateur Sleuths Asian American Espionage Mystery Fiction Witty Feel-Good Detective

Critic reviews

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK: HARPER'S BAZAAR PASTE • CRIMEREADS • PUBLISHERS WEEKLY • ZIBBY OWENS

“In this sequel to The Verifiers, Pek again brilliantly combines a corporate espionage thriller with the messy drama of Lin’s family life.”The Washington Post, “The 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.”—The 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, New York Times bestselling author of Portrait of a Thief

What listeners say about The Rivals

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I loved this booked!!

I didn’t read the first one! By the time I realized this was the second book I was already hooked.

There were so many twist and turns! Some of the mysteries were a little obvious but others weren’t. I liked the mix.

I really hated how the older sister put so much on the main character. I think the author captured those feelings really well. I’m rooting for them in the next book!

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This was hard to get through

I read The Verifiers through my library and thought it was pretty good. The Rivals didn't hold my interest. As I approached the last three hours, I couldn't take it anymore and skipped to the last half hour. The writing is overwrought. Don't waste a credit on this.

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Bloated writing

I wanted to like this more! But it’s overthought, overwritten, overflowing with too many extraneous musings, details, and overly dramatic descriptions of…everything. The problem with audiobooks is you can’t quickly skim over parts of a book that add nothing to the story. I yelled out loud once or twice “move it along!”, but the book just meandered with every internal thought and heavy sentences laden thesaurus finds. It was joyless. The story’s premise is decent, though handled as if civilization was at stake. A third installment is teased; it could benefit from focus and a more relaxed telling.

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1 person found this helpful