Genre: Fiction / thriller
“Verity” is a novel about a writer named Lowen, who is living in NYC, struggling to pay her rent after taking care of her dying mother who just recently passed away. Leaving her apartment for the first time since her mother’s passing, she is caught at a scene in which someone has been run over with by a car, causing the blood to spatter right on her shirt. This is how she first meets Jeremy, who lends her his shirt, as hers is now blood-stained. As gruesome as this situation is, Jeremy gloomily informs Lowen, “I’ve seen worse,” in which she inquires him a bit more to find out that his young daughter had died somewhat recently.
Lowen’s agent, who is also her ex-boyfriend, has made an appointment for her with a possible publishing deal. This is unusual, as Lowen typically refers to do her business strictly over email. Lowen is shocked to see that Jeremy is at this meeting, along with two others. It turns out that Jeremy’s wife is “Verity” — a famous and vastly successful writer. Verity has been in an accident, and her team is looking for a ghost-writer to serve as “co-author” who will finish the rest of her series.
Lowen is extremely hesitant to take this deal, but Jeremy pulls her aside and urges her to reconsider. At this point, it is revealed that Jeremy has not only lost one, but two daughters, his twins, in the span of less than six months. On top of that, Verity has been in an accident so severe that she is unable to finish her book series. Jeremy advices her to ask for more money, but to please take this deal.
And so, Lowen moves into their home for a short period — which turns into a much longer period, due to finding out that her apartment has evicted her and the new apartment she applied to has rejected her because of the eviction — since she has not been able to pay rent for so long. Away from the city and deep in the eerie woods, Lowen stays as a guest in this mansion — with Jeremy, his injured wife, Verity, and their son, Crew, who is about five-years old. There is also a caretaker for Verity who occasionally visits.
Verity is bed-stricken and now has the child of an infant, unable to feed and bathe herself. But as time goes on, Lowen begins to question if Verity might be faking her injuries — or is she just seeing things? The story takes an incredibly creepy turn when Lowen finds a biography that Verity had written just before her accident. The biography reveals the sinister mind of Verity — who, at five-months pregnant with twins, attempts an abortion on herself because she is jealous that her husband is giving more attention to the babies than to her. And that is only the tip of the iceberg.
As Lowen grows closer to Jeremy, she also grows incredibly fearful of his sick wife, who may not even be injured after all — just sick in the head. Does Verity’s biography have any truth to it, or is it simply another piece of fiction? Is Verity watching her, or is she genuinely brain-dead? Could it be that she has something to do with the death of her and Jeremy’s daughters?
I don’t think I have ever read a book so fast! “Verity” is a page-turner that will keep you up all night, unable to fall asleep because you are itching to know what happens next. Each time I had to put the book down, my mind was constantly urging to find out more.
What is so great about this book is that it really keeps you invested. It makes you second-guess everything. It draws in just enough suspense to send chills down your bones.
The thought of living in a mansion with a woman who may or may not be watching you, who may or may not be a murderer, is absolutely terrifying. You really do not know who to trust, you don’t know if Lowen is having paranoid delusions or if she is seeing a harsh reality for what it is.
Along with that, there are also many steamy, passionate scenes! It gets very fiery at certain parts. Some scenes are very sensual, but in a mature and respectable way.
I will not spoil the ending, but I will say that there is definitely a twist. Just when it feels like the story is wrapping up, another surprise pops up. You must work as a detective and draw your own conclusions.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone. If you typically struggle to finish a novel, then this is truly the book for you, because it wraps you in and drags you down a rabbit hole. It has a great amount of suspense and eeriness, but in a classy and sophisticated way.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Crystal Aura Gaze 