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TL;DR: Struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh is hired to finish the bestselling series of author Verity Crawford, who was injured in a car accident. Staying in Verity's home with her husband, Jeremy, Lowen discovers Verity's secret autobiography, which reveals horrifying confessions about her children. As Lowen falls for Jeremy, she must decide what is true.
Table of Contents
Verity at a Glance
| Author | Colleen Hoover |
| First published | 2018 |
| Type | Novel |
| Best for | adult readers who want a dark, twisty psychological thriller |
Verity is a psychological thriller by Colleen Hoover, first self-published in 2018. It became a massive bestseller on BookTok. Below you will find a part-by-part summary, five key takeaways, ideas worth remembering and a note on who will enjoy it. Note that this summary reveals the ending.
Content note: Includes child death, violence, sexual content and psychological abuse.
Main Characters
- Lowen Ashleigh: A struggling writer hired to finish Verity's books.
- Verity Crawford: A bestselling author left incapacitated.
- Jeremy Crawford: Verity's grieving husband.
- Crew Crawford: The Crawfords' young son.
- Harper and Chastin: The Crawfords' late twin daughters.
What Happens, Part by Part (Contains Spoilers)
The offer
Lowen witnesses a pedestrian killed in front of her in New York. Soon after, she meets Jeremy Crawford, who offers her a job finishing the final books of his wife Verity's thriller series. Verity has been unable to write since a car crash.
The house
Lowen moves into the Crawfords' Vermont home to study Verity's notes. She learns that the couple's twin daughters, Harper and Chastin, died in separate accidents. Verity is cared for upstairs by a nurse.
The manuscript
Lowen finds Verity's autobiography, titled So Be It. It describes Verity's jealousy of her children, her attempts to harm them and her role in Harper's death. Lowen is horrified and begins to suspect that Verity is faking her condition.
Lowen and Jeremy
Lowen and Jeremy fall into an affair. Lowen sees signs that Verity can move. Fearing for Crew, she shows Jeremy the manuscript. Enraged, Jeremy kills Verity, and they stage it as choking. They leave together.
The twist
Later, pregnant with Jeremy's child, Lowen finds a letter from Verity. It claims the manuscript was a writing exercise from the villain's point of view and that Jeremy caused Harper's death and tried to kill Verity. Lowen destroys the letter, choosing to believe Jeremy. The truth is left ambiguous.
5 Key Takeaways
- Stories can be weapons.
- Truth depends on who tells it.
- Obsession can blind us.
- Trust is fragile.
- Thrillers can leave readers questioning everything.
Ideas Worth Remembering
These are paraphrased, not direct quotes:
- Every story has a narrator with an agenda.
- We believe what we want to believe.
- Some truths can never be known.
Who Should Read Verity?
Read Verity if you want a dark, addictive thriller with a shocking twist. It suits adults who are comfortable with disturbing content.
Questions to Think About After Reading
These prompts work for solo reading, a book club or a classroom discussion of Verity:
- Who do you believe, Verity or Jeremy?
- Why does Lowen destroy the letter?
- Is Lowen trustworthy as a narrator?
How to Use This Summary
Use this page as a quick reference before a book club meeting, an exam, or a decision about whether Verity is worth your time. The takeaways are written to stand on their own. If a point interests you, go back to the book for the author's full story, characters and style, which no short summary can replace.
A Note on Accuracy and Spoilers
This summary is based on the published text of Verity, not on any film, series or stage adaptation, which often change the story. Details are kept at the level of the main events so that nothing is invented. Editions differ slightly in length and wording, so page numbers and small details may vary between copies.
Should You Read the Book?
It depends. Many readers devour it in a day and love debating the ending. Others find the content, especially about children, too disturbing, and the sexual content is explicit. Hoover herself has called it a departure from her usual romance books.
Check price of Verity on Amazon
What to Read Next
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: a twisty marriage thriller
- The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides: a psychological thriller
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: a woman haunted by a wife's legacy
Related: Verity Ending Explained · 15 Books Like Verity You’ll Love: Dark, Twisty Psychological Thrillers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Verity about?
A writer finishing another author's books finds a disturbing manuscript.
Who killed Verity?
Jeremy.
Is Verity faking?
The letter suggests she was faking her condition, but the truth is ambiguous.
What is the letter?
Verity's claim that the manuscript was fiction and Jeremy was dangerous.
Who wrote Verity?
Colleen Hoover.
Is there a film?
A film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway has been announced.
How long is it?
About 330 pages.
Is it a romance?
It is mainly a thriller with romantic elements.
Why is Verity so popular?
Its shocking manuscript chapters, fast pace and open ending made it a BookTok sensation, with readers debating whether to trust Verity or Jeremy.
What is antagonistic journaling?
The writing exercise Verity claims she used, writing from a villain's point of view to understand her characters.
Where is Verity set?
Mostly in the Crawfords' isolated house in Vermont.
Who are the main characters in Verity?
The main characters are Lowen Ashleigh, Verity Crawford, Jeremy Crawford, Crew Crawford and Harper and Chastin. Lowen Ashleigh: A struggling writer hired to finish Verity's books. Verity Crawford: A bestselling author left incapacitated. Jeremy Crawford: Verity's grieving husband.
Is Verity worth reading?
It depends on what you want. The book is best for adult readers who want a dark, twisty psychological thriller. If that describes you, it is likely a good fit. If not, the titles under What to Read Next may suit you better.