The Fraud Squad

Description

A working-class woman who infiltrates Singapore’s high society to fulfill her dreams risks losing everything in the process—including herself—in this propulsive novel by debut author Kyla Zhao.
 
For as long as she can remember, Samantha Song has dreamed of writing for a high-society magazine—and she’d do anything to get there. But the constant struggle to help her mom make ends meet and her low social status cause her dream to feel like a distant fantasy.
 
Now Samantha finds herself working at a drab PR firm. Living vicariously through her wealthy coworker and friend, Anya Chen, is the closest she’ll get to her ideal life. Until she meets Timothy Kingston: the disillusioned son of one of Singapore’s elite families—and Samantha’s one chance at infiltrating the high-society world to which she desperately wants to belong.
 
To Samantha’s surprise, Timothy and Anya both agree to help her make a name for herself on Singapore’s socialite scene. But the borrowed designer clothes and plus-ones to every glamorous event can only get her so far. The rest is on Samantha, and she’s determined to impress the editor in chief of Singapore’s poshest magazine. But the deeper Samantha wades into this fraud, the more she fears being exposed—especially with a mysterious gossip columnist on the prowl for dirt—forcing her to reconcile her pretense with who she really is before she loses it all.”Immersive, cinematic, and exquisitely fun! The Fraud Squad is the perfect debut, full of high society hijinks, high-stakes, and the joy of finding oneself. A delightful, transportive ride, and the New Adult book I was waiting for!”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of Love on the Brain

“With the glitz of Gossip Girl, the allure of vibrant and vivid Singapore, the glamour only the elite can bring, and the promise of a fake-it-till-you-make-it quest, The Fraud Squad is escapism at its finest. This book will swallow you right up and keep you awake until you turn the last page.”—Elena Armas, New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment

“The Fraud Squad is a cinematic and engrossing peek into the world of Singapore’s elite, as seen through the eyes of its ambitious heroine Samantha Song. As glamorous and page-turning as a glossy magazine, infused with sharp class critique, a vibrant cast of characters, and a poignant emotional core.”—Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood

“This glittering gem of a novel is an incisive reflection on the perils of status and the callousness of wealth. Rich with clever charm and scandalous sparkle, The Fraud Squad introduces a delightful and daring new voice in Kyla Zhao.”—Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

“Zhao (not my cousin) showcases both glamor and grit in this thrill ride through Singapore’s high society, balancing dazzling luxury with critiques of classism and inherited privilege!”—Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

“Lush, swoony, and delightfully exquisite, The Fraud Squad is an unputdownable debut that will transport you into the lavish world of Singaporean high society. With an irresistibly relatable heroine and vibrant cast of characters, this book is perfect for fans of Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada.”—Amy Lea, author of Exes and O’s

“Delightful and unpredictable, this drama is very The Clique meets Crazy Rich Asians.”—Cosmopolitan

“Zhao updates My Fair Lady in her sparkling debut, a high society farce set in Singapore. Zhao brings buckets of charm to her characters…The author also gets plenty of mileage from arrogant socialite Lucia, who reads like she strutted off the pages of The Devil Wears Prada. Readers will be eager to see how Zhao follows up this whip-smart and witty rom-com.”—Publishers Weekly

“Zhao’s debut is a sparkly page-turner, with hints of Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada… A delightful blend of emotion and aspiration.”—Booklist

“My Fair Lady meets Working Girl in Singapore… There is sweetness to this story of glitz and glam.”—Kirkus ReviewsKyla Zhao had her first women’s magazine byline at the age of sixteen, writing about weddings for Harper’s Bazaar Singapore before she even had her first kiss. Since then, she has also written for the Singapore editions of Vogue and Tatler. A native Singaporean, Kyla now works in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. She’s still trying to understand why Californians adore hiking and Patagonia fleeces so much.Reader’s Guide
The Fraud Squad by Kyla Zhao
Discussion Questions:

1. How do you think each member of the Fraud Squad trio embodies the concept of “fraud” in their own way?

2. A central theme of the book is the double standards placed on men and women when it comes to career and relationships. How do you think this gender gap is similar or different at the various socio-economic levels explored in the story? And how might those double standards play out similarly or differently in your culture?

3. Almost every character in the book exhibits some form of morally grey behavior. Do you think those behaviors by Samantha, Anya, Timothy, Lucia, and Samantha’s mother are a result of their personalities or a response to their environments?

4. What do you make of Samantha’s decision to not get back together with Timothy at the end of the book?

5. Taking that one step further, how do you think Samantha and Timothy’s relationship might develop after the book’s ending?

6. Do you think it is possible for two people from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds to be equals in a relationship—be it a romantic relationship or friendship?

7. The Fraud Squad is set in Singapore (Southeast Asia). How do you think Samantha’s pursuit of upward mobility might have unfolded similarly or differently if the story took place in your country? Would it have been easier or more difficult for her to infiltrate high-society?

8. Do you think Tim’s frustration with his parents’ expectations of him are justified, or does he have a certain obligation to go along with the less appealing aspects of his status since he gets to reap the privileges?

9. Did you agree with Raina’s take that Samantha has changed for the worse? If so, at what point do you think Samantha’s shift in perspective and priorities crystallized?

10. Samantha, Anya, Timothy and even Lucia all have complicated relationships with their parents. Did any parent-child relationship stand out to you, or which you related to more strongly?

11. There is a sparsity of Asian representation in Western media. For Asian readers, were there certain themes, characters, and/or scenes that you particularly related to? For non-Asian readers, what did you learn about Southeast Asian society and culture?

12. If you were Samantha, which society event in the story would you be most excited to experience? A few options are: the dinner with Tim’s friends, the Christian Dada launch event, the Kingstons’ dinner party, the Elle photo shoot, Daisy’s engagement party, Anya’s birthday party, the S Gala.CHAPTER
1

Samantha shrugged off her leather jacket and flung it on her desk, breathing a small sigh of pleasure at the blast of air-conditioning against her clammy skin. June in Singapore was much too hot for any kind of outerwear, but she simply had to wear the cropped biker’s jacket both S and Vogue had labeled “the season’s must-have.”

Even if hers came from Taobao and not Tom Ford.

She collapsed into her office chair with enough force to send it swiveling into position in front of her workplace computer. Her reflection looked back from the darkened screen, sporting a halo of messy waves that emphasized the sharp chin of her heart-shaped face. On good days, her hair fell down her back in a curtain of sleek curls. But on hot days like this-and Singapore had plenty of those-her naturally curly hair frizzed up in a way no hairbrush could wrangle into submission.

“Sam, there you are!”

Heads turned as Anya strutted the short distance from her desk to Samantha’s like it was her personal catwalk, wearing a denim minidress belted with a brightly patterned Dior scarf that violated Arrow Public Relations’ corporate dress code in half a dozen ways and made Samantha wish she had kept her leather jacket on despite how it stuck to her skin. At least it would make her outfit seem a little less plain compared to her friend’s.

But only Anya could get away with an outfit that, on anyone else, would have meant being hauled in for a “talk” with Human Resources. The higher-ups turned a blind eye to her misdeeds as long as they weren’t too out of line, since it was an open secret Anya’s father was tight with Arrow’s leadership. Even during a recession when people were getting laid off left, right, and center, a spot at Arrow had magically opened up for Anya, even though she lacked the university degree that the job listing had asked for,-and in the most prestigious financial products group, no less.

“Hey, what’s up?” Samantha asked as Anya nudged the leather jacket out of the way and hitched herself onto Samantha’s desk. Her feet-clad in lace-up combat boots with the distinctive Gucci stripes-dangled slightly off the ground.

“I heard Heather kept the entire food and beverage team back for a meeting yesterday,” Anya said, adjusting her headband so that two front strands of hair fell out and framed her face perfectly. “What was that all about?”

Samantha laughed, her hands instinctively flying up to pat down her curls as she took in Anya’s full blowout. “Don’t tell me you’re so starved of gossip you’re actually interested in a work meeting.”

“It’s been a slow week, but at least it’s Friday now.” Anya smirked. “Anyway, dish.”

Samantha leaned back in her chair and sighed. “She wanted us to brainstorm ways to attract new F and B clients. We haven’t been doing too well these last few months.”

“Neither has the financial products team,” Anya admitted, not sounding bothered at all. “You would think finance is an evergreen industry, but nope. A recession hits and boom-the first thing they slashed was their public relations budget.”

Samantha shrugged. “I guess they know that no one’s looking for a fancy investment fund during a recession. But yeah, the meeting didn’t go well, and Heather looked like she was ready to tear her hair out toward the end. I was ready to tear my hair out too.” She gave a small shake of her head. “But enough about my work woes. How was your evening?”

Anya heaved an exaggerated sigh. “After a long day at work, I was really looking forward to a nice home-cooked meal. But when I arrived home, there was nothing on the dining table! My mom forgot she had given our maid the day off.”

“Don’t you have two maids? Why couldn’t the other one cook?”

Anya pouted. “Only Siti is a good cook, while Meri’s better with taking care of our pets and garden. In the end, my mom and I decided to pop over to Burnt Ends for dinner. They require reservations, but they let us walk right in since we’re regulars.”

“I was just reading about Burnt Ends in this month’s issue of S over breakfast!” Samantha groped in her bag but came away empty-handed. “Damn, I must have left it at home.” Then again, what was the point of showing Anya the article anyway when she had already seen Burnt Ends’ crisp white tablecloths and monochrome paintings in person? The other woman could simply waltz into one of Singapore’s top restaurants for a casual Thursday dinner.

“Although the food was delish as always, I’m trying to lose five kilos before my birthday in two months,” Anya said, her pout deepening. “I should be healthy like you and stop eating so much restaurant food, but I’m going out again with a friend tonight.”

Samantha’s eyes darted to the lunch box in her work tote, filled with leftovers from the dinner Ma cooked last night-her standard work lunch. Anya might think she always ate home-cooked food for health purposes, but if she had Anya’s money, she would be ordering in the tuna Nioise salad her friend got for lunch every day.

A glint appeared in Anya’s eyes. “Say, Sam,” she began, her tone sugary sweet, “would you like to join my friend and me for dinner?”

Samantha eyed her warily. “I don’t want to crash your hangout with your friend.”

“You won’t be crashing! Timothy’s going through some relationship troubles and wants to drink his sorrows away-it’s always the more the merrier for that! Besides, you straight people always have the wackiest relationship problems that I can’t relate to.”

“Why would he tell me anything when he doesn’t even know me?”

“It’s precisely because he doesn’t know you that he might be more willing to tell you stuff! Timothy’s social circle is pretty . . . insular, so he and his girlfriend share a lot of mutual friends. I think he’s pretty frustrated to have no one to vent to.”

“He has you, no?”

Anya scrunched up her face. “He knows I’m not her biggest fan, so he’s learned not to ask me for relationship advice.” Her voice perked up. “But you’re perfect! You’re not part of his world, so he can get a more objective opinion from you.”

Now it was Samantha’s turn to pull a face. Whoever this Timothy was, he sounded like he had a much too complicated background. “I don’t want to spend Friday night playing Dr. Phil . . .”

“But you’ll be doing a heartbroken man a favor! And also, me-your work wife. If I’ve to listen to straight-people relationship drama for an entire night, I need support.” When Samantha still looked unconvinced, Anya leaned closer. “You’ve heard of Enzo, right?”

Samantha snorted. “Do I live under a rock?” Prestige had called the newly opened bar-cum-restaurant “the place to be seen on a Friday night,” and the accompanying photos of Enzo’s official launch featured the crme de la crme of Singapore society.

“Well, Tim’s treating dinner at Enzo tonight. Eileen-that’s his mom, by the way-knows the owner, so we get to skip the ridiculous wait list.” She nudged Samantha’s leg with her foot. “Come on, how can you say no to Enzo? People would sell their kidney to eat there.”

The sharp studs on Anya’s Gucci boots dug into Samantha’s flesh, but she barely noticed. Eileen . . . surely Timothy’s mother couldn’t be Eileen Kingston? The Prestige article had included a photo of Eileen Kingston beaming next to Enzo’s owner, while carrying a limited-edition Chanel minaudire and wearing her trademark vintage Patek Philippe watch, her jet-black perm setting off her alabaster skin.

Gnawing on her bottom lip, Samantha mentally sifted through everything she’d ever read about Eileen Kingston. A Hong Konger who had come over to Singapore over two decades ago. Invited to every party that counted. The wife of the chairman of Kingston Management Group-she herself ran Kingston Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm. Had one son in his midtwenties, whom Eileen referred to simply as “T” in an interview last November with Highsnobiety.

A chance to experience-even for just one night-how Singapore’s elites lived? Samantha smoothed back her curls and smiled up at Anya. “You know what? I’d love to get dinner with you two.”

Samantha darted a quick look at her watch and cursed beneath her breath as she pushed open the door to her flat. SheÕd rushed home the moment her lunch hour started, but thanks to peak-hour traffic, it was now thirty-five minutes into her break. It looked like lunch would have to be an al desko affair today.

Still, this detour home for a change of clothes was a necessity. There was no way her simple linen sheath would cut it at a place like Enzo.

The door whined a protest as it swung open on its rusty hinges. Samantha took only a few steps into the flat before she stopped cold. Her mother was slumped on the couch, her eyes squeezed shut and a sharp grimace etched deep into every line of her face as she massaged her left wrist. She was still wearing her nail salon uniform-a stiff white button-down tucked into plain black pants-and her nondescript work flats. More than anything else, the last observation was what sent alarm bells blaring in Samantha’s head-her mother was usually fastidious about not wearing outdoor shoes into the house.

“Ma, what’s wrong? Is it the pain again?” Samantha dashed up to her mother, her words tumbling out in a panicked rush. Ever since her father had passed away from a heart attack at the age of thirty-nine, she had been on high alert about her mother’s health. She was the one who had pushed her mother to finally visit the doctor last April after years of hearing the older woman grumble about the sharp pain that sometimes shot through her wrists, especially her left one. And it was then that Ma had officially been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, which the doctor suspected was due to her many years of working as a nail technician.

Her mother’s eyes fluttered open as she grunted out an affirmation. “It’s acting up again. My hands were shaking so badly I spilled gel polish all over a client’s shoes. I got sent home early by the boss, and he said he’s docking my commissions this month. And I’ve to pay for the woman’s Prada heels-I bet they aren’t even real.”

Samantha couldn’t muster up the laugh her mother was looking for. Ma wouldn’t be trying to make light of the situation if it weren’t so awful to begin with. Her hands balled into fists. “But that’s so unfair! Your carpal tunnel’s getting worse because he’s making you work overtime so much.”

The groove between Ma’s brows deepened. “The next time he asks me to work extra hours, I’m going to tell him where to stick it. The pathetic pay’s not worth all the health issues this job’s given me.”

“That’s right, you tell him.” Samantha nodded furiously, but her words rang hollow to her own ears. How many times had they had this conversation before? And how many times had Ma slunk back to the nail salon where she had been working for the past decade, like a dog with its tail tucked in between its legs?

Ma would wash people’s feet and buff their calluses, accept their complaints with a smile, and readily obey all of her asshole boss’s demands. All because she had no other choice. The work was demanding and her pay was paltry, but it was still an income their family couldn’t afford to give up, not with debt hanging over their heads like a guillotine blade.

“Have you been to the doctor yet?” Samantha asked, desperate to focus her attention on something practical they could do. “Were you able to claim any medical subsidies?”

Her mother sighed. “Aiya, the doctor will just tell me to rest, but how can I take any time off? The boss will threaten to dock my commissions again. And even with the subsidies, it will still cost quite a bit. Not worth the money.” She waved her good hand around in an airy gesture that made Samantha’s heart squeeze. “The best way to deal with pain is to push through it-that’s life.”

A lump swelled up in Samantha’s throat. When she was younger, all she wanted was to grow up faster so she could start working and help Ma out. But being older just meant she understood better that life was about playing the hand you were dealt. If only there were more she could do besides collecting the financial aid forms from the community center every four months. If only she could offer more than the meager pay of her entry-level public relations job.

She had been lucky enough to even a find a job during this recession, but career advancement opportunities had been scarce, and one year on, she still didn’t have much to show for it. Ma had been ecstatic when Samantha graduated from university and found an office job-two things the older woman had never achieved-but that pride was now a distant memory.

Before Samantha could say anything, her mother fixed her with a piercing stare. “Why are you home?”

Samantha tore her eyes away from her mother’s swollen left wrist, tonight’s plans swiftly coming back to her. “I’m getting dinner with Anya and her friend tonight and the place is pretty atas, so I came back to change into something slightly fancier. But I’m not going anymore.”

A look of incredulity crossed her mother’s face. “Why not? A posh dinner sounds fun.”

“Ma, what about your dinner? You can’t cook with your hand like that. Of course I’m going to stay in and take care of you.”

The corners of Ma’s mouth quirked up into a faint smile. “That’s very sweet, Sammy. But you don’t have to do that. You’re young-you should go out and have fun!” She paused, then lightly asked, “Is Anya treating?”

Samantha understood her mother’s unspoken concern. “Her friend’s treating. Don’t worry, Ma-I know better than to eat at restaurants like that otherwise.”

Her mother relaxed back into the couch, still flexing her wrists methodically. “Good, good. And who’s this friend? Guy or girl?”

“It’s a guy,” Samantha said, rolling her eyes. “Do you want to know his shoe size and horoscope too?” Despite her snark, her heart lightened. Her mother’s face was still pale, but at least she had recovered her usual Asian-mom nosiness.

Her mother clucked her tongue. “Don’t be cheeky, Sam. If he’s someone who can pay for three people at an atas restaurant, then he must be very rich like Anya. Nothing wrong with being on your best behavior around him.”US

Additional information

Dimensions	0.9700 × 5.1500 × 7.9000 in
Imprint	Berkley
ISBN-13	09780593546130
ISBN-10	059354613X
Author	Kyla Zhao
Audience	General / adult
BISAC	FIC044000, FIC027250
Subjects	romance novels, romcom, romance novel, fraud, gifts for her, romantic comedy, new adult, contemporary romance books, relationship books, fiction books, books fiction, Asian American, women gifts, romantic novels, asian fiction, romantic comedies, romcoms, scammer, socialites, millennial women's fiction, millennial books, saga, relationships, romance, fiction, romance books, romantic, FIC044000, novels, chick lit, asian, women, romance book, women's fiction, love story, rom com, FIC027250, gifts for women, singapore, books for women, contemporary romance