This book has all the juicy drama I love. Family drama, lies, secrets, and murder.

Told from multiple POVs, this story is a deep dive into Ruby McTavish’s life and how she got her famous nickname, Mrs. Killmore.

Cam, Ruby’s adopted son, wants nothing to do with the McTavish family and their fortune. But his wife Jules has plans to reunite Cam with who he truly is.

This story was fast paced and full of drama. Hawkins knows how to write people and give them enough substance to make them feel real. This book felt like a TV drama you’d want to binge watch because it’s just so unbelievable. I read the book in one sitting and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

Rachel Hawkins can write a darned good thriller -- you know, the kind you stay up all night reading because you just really, really need to get to the end and figure things out. Phew, this one was great!

If you think someone named "Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore" has a brilliant backstory and a lot of secrets that need to be told... read on. They're in this book.

I can't tell you much without the threat of spilling my guts and telling you everything, so just know this: stay up all night reading. It was fun from start to finish!

I enjoyed this one - very atmospheric and the crazy family story was so good. Thank you for my copy!

I could not get through this book fast enough. Unputdownable. The twists were delicious and the characters were so well written

This was a fun, fast read. Sometimes I felt like Ruby was Evelyn Hugo if Evelyn decided she wanted to end her marriages on her own lol. There was really nothing at all redeeming in the McTavish family so I can understand why Ruby took matters into her own hands with Cam.

I think most of my knocking it down a few pegs comes from Jules. Although her part in this is somewhat explained, I felt like it left me with more questions than answers and I didn't really get why her specific part in this story was needed. It seemed like a superfluous addition to a story that already had many compelling layers.

And let me say - having read this a few months after Before We Were Yours, the whole paying poor families for babies things is really crushing. I'm sure it still happens today, but it's heartbreaking to think kids are being unknowingly taken from families that did actually love them just so families can stay afloat. That's not all that happened here, but again, after having read these books so close together, it's a theme that's fresh on my mind.

I do want to circle back to the McTavish family being unredeemable to just put this out there for all stories everywhere - it makes for a less enjoyable reading experience when the bad guys are just bad. If there had been any humanity or caring in even one of those folks, maybe I would've been more drawn in. I suppose that was kind of the point based on what Jules saw in the end, but I also think it would have made that particular plotline more heartbreaking in a way to add some more humanity in, you know? Just my two cents.

This was a fun ride though. Definitely great for a one time read.

I heard Rachel Hawkins speak about Reckless Girls. I loved that and wanted to try another.
I loved the small town secrets and twists and turns in this book.
Recommended for fans of American gothic writing.

I received this book and sadly it took far too long for it to make its way onto my TBR list. Rachel Hawkins sets a brilliant stage for mystery, intrigue, secrets, and lies with this family.

Rudy is shrouded in mystery throughout this book, she was kidnapped when she was young and eventually returned. She has been married four times, but sadly all of the have passed away in some pretty freak accidents. Finally, instead of leaving her wealth to her sister, she decided to adopt a little boy and he, Camden, was left with a fortune when she finally passed away.

There was so much going on in this book, partially about Rudy and her like through letters, it also follows Camden and Jules. Camden inherited all this money but just lets the rest of the McTavish's use it and still live in the mansion while he pretends that this horrible family that never accepted him don't exist.

There was so much going on throughout this mystery. Between Cam and Jules, and all the other family members and then Ruby and her story. I loved Ruby's letters they were so good. Ruby was strong, sadly for all the wrong reasons, but she was also determined and independent and often sarcastic and unreliable.

Jules is also a POV, she is telling her story as she hopes for Cam to settle here. She yearns for the life they could have with this money. Cam feels scandalized by this family most of the time, they are rude, mean and so unaccepting, but he holds the cards to them having anything and staying in the house. Sadly, he just lets them live because he is far nicer than all of them.

This was a crazy, exciting, read and it kept my head spinning the whole time. If you like mysteries, secrets, lies and a dose of murder, this could be a great read for you.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is about the death of Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore and how her adopted son Camden wants nothing to do with the inheritance she left him. However, when Camden's uncle dies, he finally must go home to finally settle the estate. The Ashby House is just as stunning as ever, but will it take hold of Camden and his wife Jules?

A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy I received of this novel. Rachel Hawkins is a talented author, so I was thrilled to read her latest story, and I wasn't disappointed in the least.

When I finally started reading Rachel Hawkin's latest work of art, The Heiress, I had a little trouble getting into the storyline, but that didn't last too long and was sucked in after the first few chapters. The story was set up so that as the reader, you don't really trust two of the three main characters of the book, Jules and Cam. Both of them tell their portion of the story in the present and definitely are keeping secrets ... I couldn't wait to find out what those were. The other main character is Ruby, who tells her portion of the story in the form of letters that were written and seems to be a reliable narrator.

Rachel Hawkins did a fabulous job of creating a fabulous story and making the reader what possibly could come next. I didn't quite expect the ending of The Heiress, and I know I will be thinking about it for quite some time. I do have a lingering question about part of the ending, but I 'm going to do my research on that so as to not spoil anything for those who haven't read this book. At times, it felt like the author pulled elements of a V.C. Andrews novel into this one, and I don't mean that in a bad way because I loved it. It was like reading an adult version of a V.C. Andrews book but better!! Five out of five stars.

I felt this book was a good filler book. It wasn’t life changing, but also wasn’t terrible. I would categorize this book as more of a family drama than a thriller. The characters were not Likeable and I felt the book dragged on! I would have appreciated shorter chapters and just more excitement.

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC, the tiny town of Tavistock is ruled by the wealthy McTavish family. Their estate Ashby House is a sprawling mansion with secrets inside and out. When 3 year old Ruby McTavish vanishes in the woods, after several months a part-time worker from out-of-state is found with the child matching Ruby’s description in another state. This apparent kidnapping sets out the plot of this book, as the kidnapping continues to haunt Ruby as she ages. When Ruby dies, her adopted son Camden and his wife Jules are forced to go back to Ashby House and accept that they are the new heirs. But if they accept this inheritance, at what cost will it be to them? Both are hiding secrets from the other that they fear may destroy them both.

Told from multiple points of view, Ruby’s POV is the most fascinating to me, as she details her 4 marriages and the demise of each husband. Camden hates Ashby House with a passion and all the bad memories there, mainly due to his dysfunctional aunt and cousins who are still alive and think the estate and everything with it should be theirs. Jules sees the estate and money as their rightful inheritance, despite the less-than-desirable family members that come with it.

I listened to the audio, which I highly recommend. The voice of Ruby is excellent as an aging Southern lady (and I use that word lightly!), as she recounts her life in letters to her son. They are her “confessional” letters, but she’s not the only one with secrets that need to come to light. With a last minute twist that was a complete surprise to me, this book had me hooked from the beginning, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played all. Out now, and I highly recommend it! Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this one; all opinions are my own.

If you’re into soapy, gothic mysteries full of family secrets you will love The Heiress. This story is told from multiple POVs along with magazine articles and personal letters. I was captivated as secrets were revealed and the past came back to haunt the present. This atmospheric mystery had clues sprinkled throughout but still had enough surprising twists that led to a shocking conclusion. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy.

Well this was an interesting, twisty book with a messed up family and an old house. There were times that I didn’t really care for any of the characters in the book….but the story of Ruby kept me checked into it. I do love some family drama. I saw a few twists coming, others I did not. I feel like overall it was lacking something that would make this book memorable for me. I tend to forget books after a month or so without that extra something….and I feel like that is going to happen with this one. I liked it better than some others of hers I have read though.

Bottom Line: Read it

**I received an ARC copy of The Heiress and am leaving a voluntary review. All opinions are my own.**

*2.5 stars rounded up*

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“And if you can’t tell the truth at the end of it all, then what, I ask, is the fucking point?”

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the copy of this eARC. I have been trying to break into Thrillers/Mysteries more as a genre, and for the many times I debated throughout this read whether to throw in the towel, the ending made me understand why readers love this genre so much.

Knives Out meets Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The flipping narration gives you the perspective not only of Ruby and her son Camden, but also Jules, his wife. While the switches in POV had me very confused in the first quarter of the book, I was absolutely blown way by how the pieces came together in the end.

I spent the entire book thinking Ruby was writing these letters to her son, but to learn who they were actually directed to, the relation between those characters, and then also the fact that a certain someone knew about it all along was bonkers. I genuinely had a jaw drop moment which was a crazy turn of events from me not enjoying the beginning.

I know, that's vague and probably an obnoxious synopsis, but half the fun of mysteries is learning it for yourself. I mean, it's what saved the book for me? Genuinely I almost DNF'd at about 25%, but I struggle with being a quitter, and it made me keep going. That, and also the absolute insanity that is miss Ruby McTavish. This girl is absolutely delusional if she believes herself to be a good person, but honestly we all love a black widow--alleged or not.

If you are a fan of Thrillers and Mysteries, I think you will love this book. Please don't let my lack of genre interest be the reason you turn this down. The writing is superb and the way the threads are woven in this tapestry had me constantly on my toes. Of all the theories I had, I am proud to tell the author that only one was correct

Slam dunk. I couldn't put it down--loved the setting and the characters, as well as the twisty, surprising, and creepy vibes.

I have read and reviewed other books by this author. This one was no different - a fast paced plot with reveals I didn't see coming. Perfect for fans of kidnap, murder and greed. Muliple pov and some fun letters you are on a ride as the answers are revealed.

This wasn't my favorite book by Hawkins as i felt it drug on and there was lots of drama that wasn't needed. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

An incredible book with wonderful characters and a beautiful setting. It will keep you guessing until the end.

Rachel Hawkins knows how to write a thriller. This modern gothic tale explores family drama with a hint of murder. The ending left me wanting so much more from the many layers of this story.

There are so many twists and turns in this novel that it kept me reading late into the night! Everyone has secrets, from the fabulously rich Ruby, to her adopted son Cameron, to Cameron's wife Jules, and the rest of the family at the palatial mansion, Ashby House. You will enjoy uncovering the secrets as much as I did, and I expect be just as surprised by some of them. This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and will certainly not be my last.
Thanks to #netgalley, #rachelhawkins and #stmartinspress for the arc. All opinions are my own.

We love a Rachel Hawkins book! She writes quite a bit of similar books with a twist all the time. Shes amazing with her words and I throughly enjoyed being able to read this twisted ending!