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Quick answer: If you loved Verity by Colleen Hoover, try The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Verity is one of the darkest and most talked-about thrillers on BookTok, mixing a creepy house, a disturbing manuscript and a steamy romance with an ending that readers still debate. If you’re looking for more books with the same unsettling mood, the picks below include psychological thrillers, gothic novels and twisty mysteries. They’re adult books, and many include dark content.
Table of Contents
Why Readers Love Verity
Verity grips readers with a deliciously uncomfortable setup: a struggling writer moves into a stranger’s house and finds a manuscript full of shocking confessions. Colleen Hoover alternates between Lowen’s story and Verity’s chilling autobiography, building dread and romance at the same time. Then the ending leaves readers arguing about what was true. If you want dark secrets, creepy houses, forbidden attraction and an ambiguous final twist, these picks fit.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick below shares at least one thing readers loved about Verity: its characters, its mood, its setting or the questions it raises. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious choices, and we noted the genre and who each book suits best in the table, so you can scan for the right fit before you read the blurbs.
We kept every description spoiler-free and flagged mature content where it matters, since some of these books are written for adults and others suit teens. If you’re not sure where to start, the tips near the end of this list match each pick to what you loved most.
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Housemaid | Freida McFadden | Psychological thriller | Twisted households |
| The Silent Patient | Alex Michaelides | Psychological thriller | Shocking endings |
| Behind Her Eyes | Sarah Pinborough | Psychological thriller | Twisted love triangles |
| The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins | Gothic thriller | Creepy houses |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Gothic classic | The original haunting wife |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Gothic horror | Atmospheric dread |
| Ugly Love | Colleen Hoover | Romance | More Hoover |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | Psychological thriller | Toxic marriages |
| The Push | Ashley Audrain | Psychological drama | Dark motherhood |
| We Need to Talk About Kevin | Lionel Shriver | Literary thriller | Disturbing family secrets |
| The Shining | Stephen King | Horror | Writers and haunted places |
| Never Lie | Freida McFadden | Psychological thriller | Hidden recordings |
| Things We Do in the Dark | Jennifer Hillier | Psychological thriller | Dark pasts |
| The Last House on Needless Street | Catriona Ward | Psychological horror | Mind-bending twists |
| Lock Every Door | Riley Sager | Psychological thriller | Creepy buildings |
1. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
A woman with a secret past takes a live-in job with a wealthy family and discovers what’s really going on.
2. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A therapist tries to understand why a painter shot her husband and stopped speaking.
3. Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
A single mother befriends her lover’s wife, and nothing about their marriage is what it seems.
4. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
A dog walker in Alabama falls for a rich widower whose wife went missing. It’s a modern Jane Eyre.
5. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A new bride lives in the shadow of her husband’s first wife at the estate of Manderley.
6. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young socialite visits her cousin at a decaying mansion in 1950s Mexico and uncovers horrifying secrets.
7. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
A nurse begins a no-strings relationship with a pilot hiding his past. It’s emotional and steamy, without thriller elements.
8. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A missing wife and a suspicious husband in the classic of modern domestic noir.
9. The Push by Ashley Audrain
A mother fears her daughter is not like other children. It’s chilling and thought-provoking.
10. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
A mother writes letters to her husband about their son, who committed a massacre. It’s harrowing.
11. The Shining by Stephen King
A struggling writer takes a caretaker job at an isolated hotel, with terrifying results.
12. Never Lie by Freida McFadden
A couple snowed in at a psychiatrist’s house discover her secret session tapes.
13. Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
A woman accused of murdering her husband must face a past she’s hidden for decades.
14. The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
A strange man, his cat and a missing girl. It’s one of the most unpredictable books around.
15. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
A young woman takes a job apartment-sitting in a famous Manhattan building with strict rules.
How to Pick Your Next Read After Verity
- Want the creepy house? Try Mexican Gothic or The Wife Upstairs.
- Want the twist? Behind Her Eyes and The Silent Patient deliver.
- Want more Colleen Hoover? Ugly Love is emotional but not a thriller.
- Love classics? Rebecca is the inspiration for many modern thrillers.
- Check content warnings. Many of these are very dark.
- Read with a friend. Ambiguous endings are fun to debate.
Related: Verity book club discussion questions and what age Verity is appropriate for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after Verity?
Try The Housemaid, The Silent Patient, Behind Her Eyes or The Wife Upstairs.
Is there another Colleen Hoover thriller like Verity?
Verity is Hoover’s main thriller, though Too Late has dark suspense. Most of her other books are romance.
What gothic books are like Verity?
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia share its creepy atmosphere.