Whose truth is a lie? Stay up all night reading a sensational psychological thriller that obsesses readers, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “All Ends With Us” .
Lowen Ashley is a struggling writer who is on the verge of financial ruin when she accepts an offer for the job of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books of a successful series that his wounded wife cannot finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford house, ready to sort through Verity’s years of notes and sketches , hoping to find enough material to begin. What Lowen does not expect to find in the chaotic office is Verity’s unfinished autobiography, which Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of chilling confessions, including Verity’s memories of the night her family changed forever.
Lowen decides to hide the manuscript from Jeremy, knowing that its contents could devastate an already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she realizes all the ways she could benefit if he read his wife’s words. In the end, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his wounded wife, this horrifying truth will rob him of his ability to continue loving her.
This discussion guide and recommended literature have been distributed and sponsored in cooperation with Grand Central Publishing.
Discussion Questions
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
The novel begins with a sudden death that Lowen witnesses. Why do you think the author chose to begin the novel this way? What did this scene portend in terms of the fragility of life and how did the man’s demise contrast with the lingering in-between state in which Verity finds herself as a character?
Loewen likes living in New York because she feels invisible in the huge city: “The state of my life doesn’t matter in a place this size. There are a lot more people here with stories far more pathetic than mine.” Did you find yourself connected to Lowen at this point? Or were you surprised by the candor with which she compared her circumstances to those of others? Do you agree with Loewen when she says that people who have gone through great hardship often seek out people who are “worse off” in order to feel better about themselves?
Lowen feels an immediate kinship with Jeremy when she helps her on the street: “Most people come to New York to be discovered. The rest of us are hiding. What went through your mind as you read this? Did you think at that moment that Jeremy had something to hide? What, after all, was Jeremy’s biggest secret?
