I’ve always been really interested in the idea of the detective as a character. That there is some unknown, some mystery, some secret, and the detective can put together the clues and uncover the truth. For me, the character of Claudia came first. I had always wanted to write a gay female because growing up, I had never come across these types of characters. I wanted a gay female character who is out there, having adventures, doing these things which are unexpected for someone like her. To be honest, I was hesitant about also making her Asian. When you write a minority character, you worry that everyone will think, “Oh, that’s you.” Those sorts of concerns about being pigeonholed. But ultimately, I had a clear sense about who this character was, and it was that she is a Chinese American, second-generation immigrant, and because of that, she viewed the world in a particular way. Setting it up that way, the way she moves and thinks is necessarily informed by who she is. This isn’t a novel about Asian or lesbian identity, but about someone who possesses these traits, and you therefore see the world from their perspective.
― Jane Pek, Interview, Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network
What booksellers are saying about The Rivals
- Pek returns to the world hidden behind online matchmaking with a vengeance, Plot twists and ethical conundrums abound. Family and work relationships keep shifting making Claudia’s story one you can’t quit.
― Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina | BUY
- Claudia Lin is back solving mysteries, fighting with her siblings, and getting some action in Jane Pek’s The Rivals! This sequel to The Verifiers was everything I needed and more. Pek writes super-smart fun prose and the twists and turns in this mystery involving AI and matchmaking services kept me guessing. Wondering if there will be a third installment? They has to be, given the ending. Pick this up for a delightful read, perfect to escape into during a holiday or your weekend reading.
― Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia | BUY
- An homage to mysteries, films, spy novels, and all things noir, and a cautionary tale of love, artificial intelligence, and the big business of matchmaking, this intelligence op is narrated by a not-quite hard-boiled detective who loves a good story as much as finding out the answers to her clients’ concerns. Well-plotted, well-written, and loaded with references for those who love classic mysteries, this is a book to savor, even as it keeps you turning its pages.
― Emma Aprile, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky | BUY
- Tangled in the complex world of online dating platforms, this follow up to The Verifies is a meaty book, full of literary references and a slowly unfolding mystery. You can’t help but love Claudia, a quirky cyclist who is equal parts stubborn and brilliant. More of a literary mystery than I was expecting and I was delighted by every page.
― Jamie Southern, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina | BUY
About Jane Pek
Jane Pek was born and grew up in Singapore. She holds a BA from Yale University, a JD from the New York University School of Law, and an MFA in Fiction from Brooklyn College. She is the author of a novel, The Verifiers, and her short fiction has appeared in The Brooklyn Review, Witness, Conjunctions, Literary Hub, and twice in The Best American Short Stories. She currently lives in New York, where she works as a lawyer at a global investment company.
