Verity – Colleen Hoover (2018)

Verity by Colleen Hoover, published in 2018, is a dark and suspenseful psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of love, obsession, and deceit. The story follows struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh as she is offered an extraordinary opportunity to complete the best-selling book series of an injured and enigmatic author, Verity Crawford. As Lowen uncovers chilling secrets in Verity’s house, the line between truth and lies begins to blur in haunting ways.

Plot Summary

Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin, witnesses a fatal accident in the streets of Manhattan. Blood splattered across her clothes, she is helped by a kind stranger named Jeremy Crawford. Unaware of the depths to which her life will intertwine with his, she focuses on her purpose for being in the city: a meeting with a prestigious publishing house. Jeremy, as it turns out, is also attending the meeting.

Jeremy’s wife, Verity Crawford, is a celebrated author of a wildly successful thriller series. A car accident has left Verity incapacitated, unable to fulfill her publishing contract. Jeremy and Verity’s publisher propose that Lowen complete the remaining books in Verity’s series, using her existing notes and outlines. Reluctant but desperate, Lowen agrees. The task will require her to move temporarily to the Crawford home in Vermont, where Verity’s materials are stored.

Lowen arrives at the sprawling Crawford estate, an imposing structure nestled by a serene lake. The house feels oppressive, weighed down by tragedy. Jeremy and Verity have endured unspeakable losses: their twin daughters, Chastin and Harper, died in separate, tragic incidents just months apart. Now, Verity herself is confined to her bed, seemingly nonverbal and dependent on care.

Lowen’s initial discomfort grows when she encounters Verity in person. Pale and lifeless, Verity’s presence is unnerving, her wide, vacant eyes following Lowen as she navigates the house. Lowen turns her attention to the reason she’s there: sorting through Verity’s office. Among stacks of papers and manuscripts, she stumbles upon a shocking discovery—a manuscript that appears to be Verity’s autobiography.

The manuscript is a raw, unfiltered account of Verity’s life, brimming with disturbing confessions. Verity writes of her obsessive love for Jeremy and the resentment she felt toward her daughters, believing they stole his affection from her. The manuscript details chilling actions, including attempts to harm her children and manipulative schemes to maintain Jeremy’s devotion. Lowen is horrified by Verity’s words but cannot bring herself to confront Jeremy with the truth. She fears the consequences of revealing what she’s found, yet she’s equally unable to ignore the dark secrets the pages reveal.

As days pass, Lowen finds herself drawn closer to Jeremy. His tenderness with his son, Crew, and his obvious pain over Verity’s condition evoke sympathy and admiration. The attraction between them simmers, fueled by shared grief and moments of vulnerability. Lowen’s growing bond with Jeremy is complicated by the haunting presence of Verity, who seems to linger like a specter in the house.

Lowen begins to notice unsettling behavior. Verity’s eyes seem to track her movements, and she’s almost certain she’s seen Verity move when others aren’t looking. Doubt creeps into Lowen’s mind—could Verity’s injuries be less debilitating than they appear? The possibility fills her with unease, especially as her relationship with Jeremy deepens.

One night, Lowen and Jeremy succumb to their feelings, sharing a moment of intimacy. The encounter solidifies Lowen’s belief that Jeremy deserves happiness and love—something Verity’s manuscript suggests he was denied during their marriage. Lowen dreams of a future with Jeremy, but the manuscript’s contents remain a heavy burden. She fears that revealing its existence will shatter the fragile hope she and Jeremy have begun to build.

When Lowen finally shares her suspicions about Verity’s manuscript with Jeremy, he is reluctant to believe her. Lowen’s fears, however, reach a breaking point when she catches Verity in an undeniable act of movement. Convinced that Verity is more aware and capable than she pretends to be, Lowen urges Jeremy to read the manuscript himself.

What follows is an explosive confrontation. Jeremy’s love for Verity dissolves into rage as he processes her written confessions, including the role she claims to have played in their daughters’ deaths. He confronts Verity, demanding answers, and the tension escalates into chaos. Verity’s fragile facade crumbles under the weight of her secrets, and the confrontation ends with her tragic death.

In the aftermath, Lowen and Jeremy begin to rebuild their lives, attempting to piece together a semblance of normalcy. Lowen, now pregnant with Jeremy’s child, feels a sense of hope for the future. They decide to leave the Crawford house, haunted as it is by memories of loss and betrayal.

However, as Lowen prepares to leave, she makes one final discovery. Hidden in Verity’s room is a letter addressed to Jeremy. In it, Verity insists that the manuscript was a work of fiction—a writing exercise recommended by her editor to help her understand her characters better. She claims she never acted on the monstrous thoughts the manuscript described. Verity portrays herself as a victim of misunderstanding, her truths forever buried under lies and assumptions.

Lowen is left reeling. If Verity’s letter is truthful, then everything she and Jeremy believed was a fabrication. The questions remain unresolved, and Lowen makes the fateful decision to destroy the letter, leaving Jeremy in blissful ignorance of its contents.

As the Crawfords’ past dissolves into ash, Lowen holds onto her new reality with Jeremy, even as the weight of her secret lingers.

Main Characters

• Lowen Ashleigh: A struggling author, introverted and haunted by her past. She becomes entangled in the Crawfords’ twisted lives after taking on the daunting task of finishing Verity’s series. Her curiosity leads her to uncover unsettling truths about Verity’s life and family.

• Verity Crawford: A famous author incapacitated after a car accident, whose eerie presence looms large through her manuscript and house. Verity’s hidden writings reveal a chilling, manipulative side that contrasts starkly with her public image.

• Jeremy Crawford: Verity’s devoted yet enigmatic husband. Grieving the loss of their twin daughters, Jeremy is charismatic but shrouded in mystery, leaving readers questioning his true intentions.

• Crew Crawford: The young son of Verity and Jeremy. His innocence is overshadowed by the tragic losses in his family, and his behavior often hints at the unsettling atmosphere of the house.

Theme

• Truth vs. Perception: The story challenges the concept of reality, forcing readers to question what’s true and what’s fabricated as Lowen sifts through Verity’s manuscript and personal notes.

• Obsession: Obsession with love, success, and revenge drives the characters’ actions, leading to destructive outcomes. Verity’s fixation on Jeremy and her children’s fate illustrates this theme powerfully.

• Grief and Trauma: The characters grapple with profound loss and its psychological effects. Jeremy’s mourning, Verity’s writings, and Lowen’s isolation underscore the weight of grief.

• Morality and Choices: The novel examines moral ambiguity, leaving readers to ponder the ethical dilemmas faced by Lowen, Jeremy, and Verity.

• Motherhood: The story explores the darker sides of motherhood, questioning societal expectations and personal sacrifices through Verity’s unsettling perspective.

Writing Style and Tone

Colleen Hoover’s writing in Verity is gripping, evocative, and unnerving. She employs a dual narrative technique, juxtaposing Lowen’s first-person perspective with excerpts from Verity’s manuscript. This structure amplifies the tension as readers navigate the disparity between Lowen’s discoveries and Verity’s confessions.

The tone oscillates between eerie and intense, enriched by Hoover’s precise use of suspense and foreshadowing. Her ability to craft vividly descriptive scenes draws readers into the Crawfords’ sinister world, while her emotionally charged prose ensures a visceral connection to the characters’ turmoil. The story’s psychological depth and its twisting, unpredictable narrative leave readers questioning every revelation until the chilling end.