Reviews

i appreciated the verifiers‘s family drama and themes about technology + relationships, but felt like neither topic was given enough space to be explored with depth. this book suffered the most from explicitly telling the reader its ideas that tech can take away our agency to make authentic connections (and on a smaller scale taking us out of scenes of dialogue to just summarize what characters said) rather than showing how that impacts the characters. there’s examples with the supporting cast, but the protagonist, claudia, seems to have barely any stakes in the primary conflict as someone who is allegedly uninterested in romantic relationships and doesn’t use dating apps.

the reflexive nods to the mystery genre were fun sometimes (i liked the fictional inspector yuan series being included as claudia’s inspo to solve mysteries) but mostly felt too indulgent when i wanted more meat to the actual story + characters. i love a messy protagonist like claudia but wish she grew some self-awareness at some point so i could root for her; the verifiers makes more sense after learning it’s the first book to an upcoming series, because i can see all the hooks for claudia to grow and the romance + themes to unfold, but i just wish this book on its own wrapped up a more satisfying story!

taylorduhon13's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bookwormmelissa's review against another edition

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5.0

Thanks to Netgalley and Vintage for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.

Claudia Lin is a sharp, witty Chinese American mystery lover working for an online dating detective agency. When one of her clients fails to show up for their meeting, Claudia begins to uncover layers that look a bit more like murder than suicide. I adored Claudia in all of her talents and her flaws, and I loved that the side characters were also well-developed. It's as if Harriet the Spy were grown up, lesbian, Chinese, and immersed in technology, online dating, and privacy, And this is not only a literary mystery, it also delves into family drama and how we represent ourselves to each other, whether in person or online. The setting in NYC is immersive, with the food, the different neighborhoods, and Claudia's commute via bike. I loved the commentary on self-discovery and the mystery genre. I generally do not like locked room mysteries, but this did not feel like a "typical" one. Looking forward to many more works from this debut author!

bookwyrm76's review against another edition

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4.0

The main character of this novel loves a specific Chinese mystery series, but oddly enough I wouldn't say that all or even most avid mystery or cozy fans would like this novel. There is a hefty dose of meta info about the structure of literary mysteries and just as many literature references. However, if you are a writer or a member of a book group that likes to really dig into books and talk about not only the characters and plot, but the actual writting and style then this book is for you.
Claudia is the youngest of three siblings and the only one actually raised by her mother, her older siblings were both sent back to live with thier grandparents during thier childhood. This resulted in Claudia being morr americanized than her siblings and pretty much a classic youngest child. She quits a job her brother got her to join Veracity, a company that keeps an insainly low profile and has a stated goal of verifying info for online daters. She's not allowed to tell ANYONE who she works for or what she does. Going in, Claudia thinks that this will be like her beloved detective novels....saddly it doesn't live up to her expectations.......until a client comes in with an odd request followed by not showing up for a followup meeting. Weeks later, her sister shows up and tells them she's dead.....Claudia just knows that it must be murder even though everyone else including the police are sure it was suicide.

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