Welcome to Read This Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that I think you absolutely must read. The books will vary across genre and age category to include new releases, backlist titles, and classics. If you’re ready to explode your TBR, buckle up!
This week’s pick is one of those books that I bought immediately upon release because I knew it was going to be my jam…and then life got in the way and I let it fall to the side until I finally picked it up on vacation and of course I loved it!
Content warning for speculation of suicide, digital stalking, infidelity.
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
Claudia is a twenty-something Chinese American woman living in New York City and trying to duck her family’s weighty expectations. She works for a firm called Veracity, which exists to verify the details listed on dating profiles for their anxious online dating clients. Claudia likes the job because it means she spends as much time out on her bike as she does in an office, and she’s keen on mystery novels even if her boss would be the first to insist they aren’t detectives. But when a client dies under suspicious circumstances, Claudia can’t let it go. Soon, she’s looking into the case on her own time, and what she finds suggests foul play.
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I loved this mystery because it has a lot of elements I love in a good murder mystery—a smart protagonist, mysterious death, interesting characters, and an intriguing set-up—and it’s not a procedural (I do like a good procedural but I am weary of reading about U.S. police departments). Claudia takes a lot of her inspiration from mystery novels and her favorite is a series starring Inspector Yuan, whom she invokes a lot in her investigation. She’s savvy and smart, but she’s definitely an amateur and that shows in the missteps she makes…but rather than detract from the mystery, it endeared her to me and lead to some interesting revelations and twists. The mystery itself is an interesting exploration of the tech world and journalism, which made the book feel very modern and relevant, and I liked how the investigation plot was balanced with subplots involving Claudia’s relationship with her siblings and mom, and a mini mystery her older sister was facing. Claudia is also queer, and while this book doesn’t have any romance in it, her queer identity is an important part of the story. This mystery is resolved by the end, but the author cleverly sets up a sequel—and hints at a surprising potential love interest for Claudia!—which I can’t wait to read! Definitely read this book if you enjoy the Vera Kelly mysteries by Rosalie Knecht, as they have similar sensibilities despite the 50-odd year difference in setting!
Happy reading!
Tirzah
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