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A review by katiemack
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've been reading some excellent debuts the past few months, and I'm pleased to say this one continues the trend. The book follows Claudia Lin, a sardonic bibliophile who works at a tech company slash detective agency slash matchmaking company called Veracity that promises their clients that they'll find out whether their matches are telling the truth about themselves. (After all, everyone lies on the internet...right?) When client Iris is declared dead under suspicious circumstances and the REAL Iris shows up at Veracity, Claudia decides to investigate further to figure out who "Iris" really is. The result is a well-paced mystery plot, but also an in-depth analysis about the insidious nature of data collection. (We do put a scary amount out into the world, folks.)
As much as I enjoyed Claudia's detective work (delightfully, based on the main character of her comfort mystery series, Inspector Yuan), I also appreciated how Pek explored Claudia's relationship with her friends and family; it's a nuanced depiction of the Chinese diaspora, family dynamics, and the neuroses and idiosyncrasies and insecurities that plague all of us. Pek is also a skilled writer; the chapters flow well and feel substantial, but there are also many one-liners that I had to highlight in my Kindle to remember and chuckle about later.
I've been reading some excellent debuts the past few months, and I'm pleased to say this one continues the trend. The book follows Claudia Lin, a sardonic bibliophile who works at a tech company slash detective agency slash matchmaking company called Veracity that promises their clients that they'll find out whether their matches are telling the truth about themselves. (After all, everyone lies on the internet...right?) When client Iris is declared dead under suspicious circumstances and the REAL Iris shows up at Veracity, Claudia decides to investigate further to figure out who "Iris" really is. The result is a well-paced mystery plot, but also an in-depth analysis about the insidious nature of data collection. (We do put a scary amount out into the world, folks.)
As much as I enjoyed Claudia's detective work (delightfully, based on the main character of her comfort mystery series, Inspector Yuan), I also appreciated how Pek explored Claudia's relationship with her friends and family; it's a nuanced depiction of the Chinese diaspora, family dynamics, and the neuroses and idiosyncrasies and insecurities that plague all of us. Pek is also a skilled writer; the chapters flow well and feel substantial, but there are also many one-liners that I had to highlight in my Kindle to remember and chuckle about later.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, and Infidelity