The Rivals

PI Claudia Lin enters spy-thriller territory in Pek’s cunning sequel to The Verifiers. Veracity co-owners Claudia, Becks, and Squirrel are hired by New Yorkers to vet their matches on dating websites, but the agency’s true mission is surveilling the bots those sites use to manipulate their subscribers. When a potential Veracity client, Pradeep Mehta, suspects his disgruntled ex of creating a fake profile on the popular app Let’s Meet using Pradeep’s private information, the Veracity team suggests he file a spam report: “You already know [it] isn’t a real profile. There’s nothing more for us to do.” Then Pradeep dies, and the trio comes to suspect Let’s Meet of co-opting user data to instruct their bots, then killing to keep the practice quiet. Desperate for proof, Claudia tries to cozy up to the app’s developers while navigating her own fraught relationships with Becks and a Let’s Meet employee with opaque motives. Though the stakes are murky and the mystery gets too tangled up in the plot specifics of the previous installment, emotionally complex characters and Claudia’s snarky yet achingly candid voice earn readers’ investment. Lisa Lutz and Rosalie Knecht fans should take note. Agent: Julie Barer, the Book Group. (Dec.)