The Verifiers by Jane Pek

The Verifiers

by Jane Pek

ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST MYSTERY BOOKS OF THE YEAR • Introducing Claudia Lin: a sharp-witted amateur sleuth for the 21st century. This debut novel follows Claudia as she verifies people's online lives, and lies, for a dating detective agency in New York City. Until a client with an unusual request goes missing....

“The world of social media, big tech and internet connectivity provides fertile new ground for humans to deceive, defraud and possibly murder one another.... Well rendered and charming.... Original and intriguing.” —The New York Times Book Review

Claudia is used to disregarding her fractious family’s model-minority expectations: she has no interest in finding either a conventional career or a nice Chinese boy. She’s also used to keeping secrets from them, such as that she prefers girls—and that she's just been stealth-recruited by Veracity, a referrals-only online-dating detective agency. 
 
A lifelong mystery reader who wrote her senior thesis on Jane Austen, Claudia believes she's landed her ideal job. But when a client vanishes, Claudia breaks protocol to investigate—and uncovers a maelstrom of personal and corporate deceit. Part literary mystery, part family story, The Verifiers is a clever and incisive examination of how technology shapes our choices, and the nature of romantic love in the digital age.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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You see, this is why I love Book of the Month. It helps me find new books that I otherwise missed out on. In this case, it was The Verifiers, written by Jane Pek. This has got to be one of the most original novels I have ever read, and I sincerely look forward to reading more by this author (hopefully in the near future!).

Claudia Lin is one of those girls who grew up devouring mystery novels. As an adult, she's struggling to find a balance between her desires (and her fascination with mysteries) and what her family expects of her.

This pressure is arguably why Claudia didn't tell her family when she quit her boring job following a highly unique offer. Now, Claudia works for The Verifiers, a company that deep dives into online dating profiles. This job helps to satisfy her naturally curious nature until a real mystery falls into her lap. One she can't walk away from.

“I bet somewhere inside there’s a custom-made dining table built out of reclaimed telephone poles and it costs more than a year of my rent.”

Man, BOTM knocked it out of the park with their March picks! Two of the books I grabbed (this and The Cartographers) are arguably the most unique books I've read in quite some time. Seriously, I don't think I've ever read anything quite like The Verifiers.

The Verifiers is one part mystery, one part contemporary fiction, but honestly? That hardly does an accurate description for this book. There are many different elements happening within, including family drama/issues, the need to be oneself, and finding a job you love. Again, that description feels shallow compared to the book itself.

This book is quick-witted, funny, emotional, and thrilling all in one. It reminded me of the mystery novels I read growing up (which I'm sure was intentional, given Claudia's love of the same), but with a twist.

The familial drama made the story heavier at times, but I think that weight was essential. It balanced nicely with Claudia's humor and added a different intensity to the murder case Claudia was following.

In other words, The Verifiers had a delightful balance of events, characters, and story. I loved every minute of this book. I'm going to be adding Jane Pek to my auto-buy list; that's how much I enjoyed this story.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 May, 2022: Finished reading
  • 3 May, 2022: Reviewed