(It’s possible I watched a lot of soap operas with my mom as a kid.)

If you are a person of a certain age, there’s a chance you grew up watching Dallas . . . and Dynasty . . . and Falcon Crest . . . and Knot's Landing (you get the drift). If so, this may be one to keep on your radar for release day. But PLEASE don’t let the Goodreads' tags fool you. This is not a “thriller” by any stretch of the imagination and the mysteries revealed can all be seen coming from a mile away. No, this is a nighttime soap opera from my childhood featuring a rich family and a lot of murder confessions. So tasty. Rachel Hawkins has definitely become a go-to author for me. I’ve enjoyed all of her stuff that wasn’t in the YA genre.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-book copy of this brilliantly written novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This novel will keep you guessing with each page with lots of plot twist ranging from kidnapping, murder, deception, family estrangement and more. Told in 3 POV in alternating chapters we learn of the sorted secrets that take place in the Ashbury House.

Ruby McTavish, heiress and wife of four husbands who all died under suspicious circumstances, is one of the POVs told in the letters she left behind. But is she a husband killer or a kidnapped child returned? Then there is Camden who was once an orphan and inherits the McTavish fortune but turns it down, cutting all contact with the family until he is forced to return. The third POV is Jules, Camden's wife who grew up in poverty.

This book has it all; murder, suspense, unexpected twist, unreliable narrator, kidnapping, deception, a creepy house and the fortune of a family full of snakes.

Having enjoyed The Wife Upstairs, Reckless Girls and The Villa, I was thrilled to see that Rachel Hawkins has a new book coming out in January 2024, titled The Heiress. The Heiress is the story of a woman named Ruby who was born into the wealthy McTavish family and raised on the familial estate in the North Carolina mountains until the age of three when she disappeared on a family picnic. The Heiress follows Ruby’s life as she is returned to her family a year after her disappearance through her four ill-fated marriages and her eventual inheritance of the McTavish estate.

In the Heiress, Hawkins, who is not surprisingly a former high school English teacher, shines as always in creating a plot that grabs the reader’s interest from the first page. Of the books that I’ve read by Hawkins, The Heiress is my favorite. I was as interested in the storyline of the missing McTavish child as I was in the four ill-fated marriages of Ruby McTavish. As a former North Carolinian, I loved spending time with Ruby in the North Carolina mountains and enjoyed the references to UNC and Raleigh. I especially enjoyed the company of Ruby McTavish, who reminded me of Great Expectations’ Miss Havisham in her strained familial relationships, questionable parenting practices, and sinister schemes. I enjoyed The Heiress and would recommend it to readers who enjoyed Dickens’ Great Expectations, Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl and Hawkins’ previous books.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance reader copy for review.

Upon Cam and Jules' arrival at Cam's childhood home Ashby House, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, secret after secret begins to unearth themselves. The book uses a mix of letters written by Ruby, news blurbs, and alternating points of view (Cam and Jules). There were so many twists and turns throughout this book —many of which I didn't see coming! For those of you who like historical/gothic thrillers, this is worth checking out. I went into reading this book somewhat blind as my primary motive for reading this was based on how much I loved Rachel Hawkins' other books such as Reckless Girls and The Villa. The Heiress did not disappoint.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My favorite Rachel Hawkin's book to date! This was a fast-paced, page turner full of family drama, greed and lies!

The story is told in alternating chapters by Camden, an adopted son and unwilling heir to a family fortune who returns to his childhood home following the death of a family member, Camden's wife and Camden's deceased mother, Ruby. Ruby, is quite a character, having been kidnapped as a child and later found by her family, as well as having married and widowed four times, with each death being under suspicious circumstances. Ruby's story is told through letters that she wrote prior to her death. I really enjoyed learning about her life through these letters and Rachel Hawkins did a wonderful job of weaving the present-day life of Camden into Ruby's past.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an advanced reader copy of this book!

Power and money are the center of this family drama and what some would do to keep it all. Like all families the drama is at an all time high when a large inheritance is on the line. Just when you think you know and understand Ruby and her choices about the family estate a long held secret reveals itself and makes you question everything you thought you knew.

Ruby is a fascinating character and Rachel Hawkins keeps the suspense building on every page. Ruby, now deceased, was the richest woman in North Carolina. But that doesn't tell the whole story. She's buried four husbands and her life is shrouded in mystery--a mystery that comes unravelled when her adopted son Camden and his wife Jules come to visit. What happened to her husbands? Why did she adopt Camden? Why is Camden so eager to escape the family and forego his inheritance. A fabulous book, highly recommend.

I loved this book!! Such a refreshing thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn’t predict the ending, such a great feeling. Well done!

I had a really hard time getting into this. Life is too short for books that you are a chore to get through. DNF @ 25%

First off, the cover of this book is gorgeous, the color combination is perfect and the wall paper gives it an old money look to this book. I was so intrigued by the description of this book and it did not disappoint, the Heiress Ruby McTanish, kidnapped as a child, widowed multiple times and rich as could be with an adopted son. I loved that this book was written in the perspective of 3 main characters, having Ruby's perspective be given through her written letters, added to that air of mystery and allowed you to see who she really was. The other points of view were her son Camden and his wife Jule as they visited the family. There were so many secrets, drama and the very dysfunctional family. This is a book I could not put down.

5⭐️

Man, I really enjoyed this book a lot. I have only read one other book from this author and it wasn't my favorite, but this one blew it out of the water. I really enjoyed the writing style writing where it was told in different types of media from journal entries to present day. This also is told I'm multiple POVs and timelines.

I also loved that the all the characters were pretty morally gray. It's none of them were really great people and they all had their own secrets. They're all kind of terrible but enjoyable to read. However, some were definitely much worse than others. The matriarch of this book was super fascinating. She was also very scary as she has no guilt.

There was only one thing that I saw coming, but everything else I was honestly surprised by. The pacing of this book was pretty perfect. The book read really fast and I blew through it.

After reading this book, I will probably go back and read some of the authors previous works. I would highly recommend this book to previous fans of this author or fans of Lisa Jewell.


Thank you to NetGalley and Saint Martin's press for this advanced readers copy. My review is voluntarily my own

I will be posting my review to major retail sites and my Instagram page near or on the day of publication.

I received an ARC of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. I read a lot of thrillers and this one was a new premise for sure! It kept me engrossed throughout, wanting to find out what would happen next. Ms. Hawkins writes very intelligently - every chapter matters - every interaction matters. I especially enjoyed the chapters written by Ruby, which were equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious. Ms. Hawkins does a great job making the reader hate Camden's relatives, most of whom seem to have zero redeeming qualities. I did not predict the twists which is always satisfying.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to review this book with an ARC!

This is probably my favorite Rachel Hawkins novel! This story started off with a kidnapping of a Ruby McTavish, an heiress to the McTavish fortune in North Carolina. Ruby is found months later and returned to her family. As she gets older she wants to adopt a son, Camden, who is a major character in the story in the present time.

Camden and Jules, his wife, need to go to Asheville to sort out affairs with the McTavish estate. When arriving, things are not as they seem and it is confirmed what Camden has always felt, that he doesn't feel like he is welcomed by the family. During the present time story, we are also reading letters that Ruby McTavish is writing to an unknown person. The letters are telling and divulge quite a bit of information about Ruby McTavish. However, is this the Ruby McTavish that was kidnapped and returned or could the story have been fabricated?There are quite a bit of storylines that all run together in the end. However, during the reading of the book I was unsure how the story is going to end. I enjoy the fact that I couldn't guess what was going to happen. I didn't know who Ruby was writing letters to. I didn't know if that was the real Ruby. I didn't know if there was any sort of malicious intent with Jules, Camden's wife. What happened at the Ashby house and within the family that was so bad?

I think that the author summed up the story well and closed out all the different storylines, with a little surprise at the end. I wanted to keep reading and it held my attention the entire time! I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others!

4 stars

What a page turner!!!
Rachel Hawkins knows how to write a book and completely captivate and entrap the reader's attention in the best possible way!!

The story is very entangled and the more you read the more twists and turns are revealed and some of them are pretty surprising.

The book is written from three points of view: Camden, Jules and the letters Ruby was sending to someone. I must admit, Ruby's letters were my favourite stories for most of the book.
Camden and Jules are married. Camden is Ruby's son and/or her little project. He is adopted and yet he is the one to inherit all the fortune. So to say there is a lot of bad blood between him and his relatives is to put it mildly.

The ending was a bit controversial. I'd say the one thing that I wanted to be different about the book is the escalating negative vibe you get as you read and approach the ending. Pretty much everyone lies, hides secrets, has a big skeleton in the closet. As a reader I was left with no people to root for and that was a bit disappointing. However I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller and mystery!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this awesome book!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What did I just read.....this is definitely my new favourite by Rachel Hawkins. In this fast paced adventure, we learn about Ruby and her secrets, as well as her toxic family. What is the truth? I loved finding out.

Highly recommend!

This kept me hooked! I needed to keep reading to see what was next in this web of a mystery!

I definitely loved the Matriarch. She was surrounded by mystery and intrigue. Let’s be honest, the family dynamic here is what sold the story.

Think knives out meets The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hugo.

Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint.

3.75⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for an early copy to review.

The Heiress follows Ruby McTavish and her family and all the secrets and scandals that come with it. And wow are there a lot of scandals.

Camden, Rubys adoptive son, and his wife Jules finally return to Ashby house after the death of another family member.
Camden is reluctant to return due to his past with the house but also his stressful relationship with his past mom Ruby. Jules is excited to see the giant manor and experience the life Camden grew up with.
Both are narrators hiding secrets of their past, but will they be honest to eachother after 10 years of marriage? Guess we’ll see 😉

There are chapters with letters from Ruby to an unknown recipient divulging all the nasty secrets from her past.

The story unravels slowly at first but then about halfway everything gets so quick and each chapter has a reveal. By the end of the book everything clicks together so perfectly you question how you didn’t figure it out sooner.

I love Rachel Hawkins mysteries and this one definitely hit my expectations.

"Time Brings All Things To Pass. And as I drive away from the new life that I’d build for myself, heading back towards my past, I wonder if those words were supposed to be an encouragement or a warning. Or a threat."

Similar to the family disfunction of The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, with the gothic undertones of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, Rachel Hawkin’s new novel is as intriguing as it is atmospheric. This new to me author sets a tale of deception and diversion against the spooky backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains: a novel I could not put down!

Heiress, philanthropist and one time kidnap victim Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore died 10 years ago in her legendary mansion, Ashby House, and her adopted son, the sole heir to the McTavish fortune, has been summoned back to North Carolina. Cam reluctantly returns with no intention of claiming his inheritance, but he is coming “home” with his new wife Jules, who may have other ideas. The surrounding community of Tavistock and its residents are entwined in the vortex of money, power and privilege, embraced by some and shunned by others. Told in the points of view of Cam, Jules and letters from Ruby herself, the present day plot seamlessly intersects with the backstory - one including back stabbing, kidnapping, and murder.

Highly recommended by Dennis @scaredstraightreads, this January 2024 release will be perfect for wintry reading by the fire and I will definitely be exploring Ms. Hawkin’s backlist of novels next year!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley for the early copy in exchange for my honest review, which will be posted on @bookshelfbybeckwith closer to publication.

Rachel Hawkins is a dependable author of twisty, suspensy, bad people doing bad things, and unreliable narrators novels. I enjoyed The Heiress, out in January of 2024. It's the story of Jules and Camden, a couple who has been together over ten years. They live a simple life. He found out his uncle died, and his cousin summons him back to their wealthy family's homestead. Which is actually Camden's homestead as his adopted mother, Ruby, left it to him in her will and she died 10 years ago. Ruby had lived a LIFE. Not only was she married four times, all of those hubbies died under mysterious circumstances. Oh, also, when Ruby was a baby she went missing and was found a year later. A miracle! Or was it?

Anyways, Rachel Hawkins delivered with this book, as per usual. I would have liked some of the side characters fleshed out a little, but all in all a good dysfunctional family and the dangers of inherited wealth read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC for my honest review.

I loved loved the wife upstairs and the villa was great too. This one was so different, but also so great. Absolutely can’t pick which one is my fave if the ones I have read. All are fabulous! Such a talented author. Keep writing!!