This book was SO good, I could not put it down... just like all Rachel Hawkins books that I have read, but this was by far my favorite! I loved all the different character developments, the switching of perspectives with each chapter, especially with Ruby's letters from the past.. it was a page turner and such a great read. The theme of money with generational wealth was so intriguing, I loved the examples of things that have happened in the past that were solved with the families money and that was the only thing I wish there was more of. With her detailing all of her ex husbands deaths, it was very Glass Onion, meets Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Murdoch family! I loved every page and can't wait for more Rachel Hawkins books = will be recommending to all my friends!

Going into books blind is the only way I read apparently, and I’m always so glad that I do. I enjoyed this thriller, as it’s fast paced, short chapters for the most part, dual timeline, and keeps you on your toes. Lots of secrets going on here, and each character unfolds more as you read. I really liked the “letter” aspect. Overall, would recommend and am looking forward to reading more from Hawkins as this was a first for me!
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press!

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: January 9, 2024

Rating: 2.5 stars

Hawkins books have been a wild care author for me. I loved Reckless Girls but didn't care for The Villa. Unfortunately, this book fell into the camp of "didn't care for". This book ended up confusing me with all the mixed media and dual POVs. There was also such a slow burn that ultimately left me bored. I'm not sure what to classify this book: thriller? Mystery? Family drama?

Perfect for fans:
- Slow burn plot line
- Mixed media (letters, emails, etc)
- Multiple POVs
- Hawkin's previous books
- Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes
- Daisy Darker family vibes

This was Hawkins best work yet. In vein of Riley sager with dual timelines I couldn’t stop reading this. Propulsive book.

Rating: 4.0

I found this story on Net Galley and was so excited to find the newest Rachel Hawkins book on the "Read Now" section. I always find that Hawkins has a way to pull me into her stories and they are always a good thill-ish read and this new story was another example of this.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore died, she left everything to her adopted son, Camden. But even as the sole heir to not only her fortune but also the Ashby House / Este, Camden wants nothing to do with the money or the crazy family that comes with it all. Instead, he homesteads in Colorado with his wife Jules and loves his life away from the dysfunction and chaos. But a recent death in the family changes all that and with some encouragement from Jules, Cam finds himself back in the family drama and all that comes with the Ashby House and "Ms. Killmore's" legacy.

Told through the perspective of Jules, Cam and Ms. Ruby's letters we get to experience the hunting vibes of the Ashby House (spooky and gothic), learn about Ruby's history / secrets / husbands (She does have 5 last names after all), and better understand what it is about his past that made Camden never want to come back home and part with millions. Wealthy families always have drama and the McTavish family certainly has their own.

I love the way that Hawkins pulls together all of her stories by leading you one way and then...surprise! While I wouldn't call this book a thriller per say, this story definitely had it's own unique twists. I also enjoyed the various ways of how the story was told - historical letters, newspaper articles etc. It really varied up the story for me and allowed me to step into the vibes that the Ashby house, massive inheritances, family tension and Ms. Ruby truly embodied. This was a quick read and I just wanted to know what happened next (or what happened in the past - Ms. Ruby had quiet the story!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Rachel Hawkins who, in collaboration with St. Martin's Press, provided me a copy so that I could provide an honest review prior to publish date!

Okayyyyy!! I loved this. I find Hawkins books (this is my second, I also received The Villa as an ARC) are thriller light— I don’t love thrillers because I often find them too dark and too unbelievable but these are the perfect amount of unhinged. I was genuinely surprised by most of the twists and I loved the format of dual POVs mixed in with letters and news articles. I feel like I can’t say much more without spoiling but definitely add this one to your list! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC!

Oh, my goodness, what a great read! This book kept me hooked from the first page; I just couldn’t put it down.
The book is told in three different perspectives, Heiress Ruby McTavish, Cameron - Ruby’s adopted son and Jules - Cameron’s wife. Each has a secret. Who will uncover those secrets and what will the consequences be? This is a must read if you like a good psychological thriller.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

“Rebecca” meets “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” in this captivating, clever gothic tale about dark family secrets spanning generations. It will have you flipping pages, walking the rooms of Ashby House, opening the doors that are better off staying closed forever. This book will not only entertain you, but also make you think about the shadows that generational wealth casts on people, ponder about nature VS nurture, and whether love is capable of healing a broken person or maybe the rotten apple will always ruin everything that touches it.

If you are a lover of gothic mysteries, family secrets, old houses with the character and rich people dramas, do yourself a favour and get this book as soon as it is released. It is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year and I am sure you will not regret reading it!

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

This was a fun mystery to read, I would not categorize it as a thriller or suspense. I figured out the ending at about 50% in the book so it was a bit of a drag to finish. I do enjoy this author and will give her next book a try. What I loved most about the story was the description of the house.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a mystery/thriller that follows married couple Camden and Jules as they return to Camden’s childhood home after the death of his uncle. When they arrive, family drama both past and present begins to unfurl and not everyone is so innocent.

Rachel Hawkins is one of those authors where I can read her books and just kind of turn my brain off for a bit and just enjoy the ride. Even though I don’t always love the book, I can usually enjoy the experience. This book was not the case. The first half was very boring. I felt like almost nothing was happening. The last quarter was extremely convoluted and rushed. The pacing was just not great.

The letters from Ruby were probably the most interesting part. They almost reminded me of Evelyn Hugo in the way her character was written. But I found Camden to be like a wet blanket and Jules became increasingly more aggravating as the story progressed. Add that to Camden’s already pretty unlikeable family and you just don’t end up having the best times. Between Camden’s chapters, Jules’ chapters, Ruby’s letters, and the random media clippings, the story telling just felt strange and unnatural.

The writing style itself is easy to read and the book isn’t very long so I was able to read it pretty quickly but I think I could have put this down at any point and never thought about it again.

Cam McTavish has spent 10 years living as far away from North Carolina as he could get. He and his wife Jules, the beauty he met in a Caifornia bar, moved to Colorado to begin their new lives. They live in a small rental house, drive an old car, and are very happy...but Jules has found an email from one of Cam's cousins trying to get Cam back to the Ashby House, the place from which he had escaped. All that Jules wanted was to see where he grew up, and where he renounced a considerable fortune.
We find out that Cam was the adopted son of Ruby, the first-born and four times married heiress to the vast McTavish fortune. Even though she has passed, she tells her truthful tale in letters, kept in her desk drawer. The remaining residents of Ashby House all had a grudge against her which is passed on to Cam, who may or may not be the rightful heir. Everyone in the novel is hiding something and some of the the players are not as clever as they think they are-sort of an All in the Family with a huge fortune on the line and no guarantees of a winner. What could possibly go wrong?
This book really kept me guessing-when I finally figured something out, I would turn the page and find out that I fell hard for the red herring. Hawkins took me on a great ride!

I was intrigued by this book from the start and admittedly, I wasn't anticipating much. Thankfully, I was wrong and enjoyed it. The characters were very dynamic and kept my attention. Definitely a book I'd recommend.

When Camden, the adopted son and sole heir of an infamous North Carolina heiress, is forced to return to the family estate after several years away, he and his wife, Jules, aren’t quite ready for the homecoming that awaits them. Scheming relatives, a broody mansion with its own name (Ashby House) surrounded by treacherous woods, dark family secrets and intrigue…sign me up. When determining my rating for this book, my immediate thought was “don’t overthink it.” I’ve had mixed feelings for Rachel Hawkins’ previous books but keep reading them, mostly due to the gorgeous cover art, and I’m happy to report that this time I was NOT disappointed. I just really enjoyed the execution (always a sucker for letters and rich old ladies with secrets) and the twist(s). This was just a damn good time and I didn’t want to put it down.

Pub Date: 1/9/24
Review To Be Published: 1/2/24
eARC received from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“I wish snakes were the worst things that lived on this property.”

The Heiress had me engrossed from the first chapter. I absolutely love the flips between Ruby’s (the deceased matriarch of the family) letters and the present tense, how the mystery slowly unfolds. The story is also told from Ruby’s adopted son, Camden, and his wife, Jules’ POVs.

Set in a beautiful family mansion in the Appalachian mountains of a small town in North Carolina, this domestic thriller is as grand as it is dark. There’s a new twist revealed pretty much every chapter and no dull moments. The house and its owners hold centuries of lies that slowly unravel.

Every character has so many layers to them and each secret is revealed so well - usually in a “woah didn’t see that one coming” way. The dark truths of what being that wealthy means are captivating. I trust exactly zero of the characters.

This is a fantastic, fast paced domestic thriller. Solid 4 stars from me!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Appreciate the opportunity to read this ahead of pub day. This is my second Rachel Hawkins read. While this “thriller” wasn’t overly thrilling, I do enjoy when “random” characters end up having sooo many accidental and coincidental ties to each other. Gave me vague The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes when it came to the grandmothers 4 previous husbands.

If you've read other Rachel Hawkins books, you know what you're getting. This one doesn't disappoint. A quick read, twists, characters who range from mostly likable to horrible humans. It's quick and decently fluffy if you're looking for brain candy.

fantastic! The best of Hawkins yet!

Engrossing story with fantastic pace! I loved the added back and forth between the different POVS in present and the letters (to who?) of the story of the past and the newspaper articles. Kept the reading fun.

While I did guess the twist before the end it didn't keep me from reading and being surprised by a few things along the way.

Absolutely solid!

I really enjoyed this book. I just wanted to keep reading to find out more although there were some parts that were a little slow. I liked the multiple narrator's and really liked Ruby's back story told in letter format, her multiple husbands and how they died. Ruby was a force to be reckoned with and I loved her personality. There were multiple twists that I was not expecting and we really surprising.

Detonates with an ingeniously orchestrated display of secrets, family, and of course money.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up!

I went into this with two concerns. 1. I've read a couple Rachel Hawkins already and they were rated 3 stars and 2 stars, respectively. 2. I just finished another book about a rich heiress surrounding an estate and it was a bummer for me. So I wasn't getting my hopes up.

This, however, was so much better than I thought it would be! I loved the writing, the characters were actually likeable (hard to find in a thriller these days), and the twists were unexpected yet not too unbelievable. Some characters were genuinely witty and had me laughing. The pacing was great and I never found myself bored like sometimes I do in the middle of thrillers. I enjoyed how some of the chapters were broken up with some news letters or clippings from the past. Sometimes its nice to have little breaks like that in books to break up the monotony.

I seriously couldn't put this down and read it in only a couple days. Strongly recommend for thriller lovers!