Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Heiress in exchange for my review.

I read The Heiress in one day. It follows a young married couple, Jules and Camden, from their rootless life in Colorado back to Cam’s family estate in North Carolina, bringing family secrets and mysteries into their daily existence. A typical Rachel Hawkins story, the book has enough twists and turns to keep you interested until the final page. Even when you think you’ve got things figured out, there’s probably something more you’ve missed.

A fun and engrossing read, I recommend this book—perhaps you’ll feel better about your family’s challenges after spending some time with the McTavishes!

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she's the richest and most notorious woman in North Carolina. Her adopted son Camden wants nothing to do with the family money or the surviving family, so he moves out to Colorado to live a simple life as a teacher.

With his uncle's death ten years later, Camden is summoned back to Ashby House to help deal with the estate. While Cam wants nothing to do with it, his wife Jules is very interested in the inheritance.

This is a gripping story of Ruby and her many husbands who all died mysterious deaths (reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) and the time when she was a very young child and was kidnapped. The secrets that Ruby shares through letters were the most engaging part for me, but the family drama after her death was also fun to read. It was fun to see all the skeletons in the closet come to light. Fantastic ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

You’ve never seen a family drama quite like this. The Heiress is a labyrinth of secrets, deceptions, and revelations that continuously astound and prove the old adage “Mo Money Mo Problems.”

Camden McTavish wants nothing to do with his family. Even though he inherited a fortune and the family mansion in North Carolina, he has rejected it all and hasn’t been back there since his mother Ruby passed away 10 years ago. Now he’s summoned to return and help restore the family home, bringing his wife Jules along for the trip. Unknown to Camden, Jules has plans of her own that include influencing him to claim his full inheritance and live happily ever after on the opulent estate. But complications arise, deceit is in abundant supply and new information will come to light that threatens to tear the entire family apart.

This book is drama personified. That’s drama with a capital D. A child gone missing. A woman married and widowed four times under suspicious circumstances leading to the nickname Ms. Kill-more. An adopted son shunned by members of the family. The same family fighting over an inheritance that the young man wants nothing to do with. And he is married to a woman curious about his estrangement and intrigued by the prospect of coming into a large sum of money. And everyone has a hidden agenda. It’s a glorious spectacle tailor made for a television mini-series.

A missing child. Kidnapping. Murder. Legal battles over a large inheritance. Family estrangements. This book puts any family-based reality TV show to shame. So crack open a copy of The Heiress and get cozy as Rachel Hawkins spills the tea on the McTavishes' mischievous past, complicated present and uncertain future. It’s tasty and irresistible.

I have to learn that this author is not for me—- it just drags and drags and I cannot get into it. The suspense does not pay off.

In the 40s, Ruby McTavish goes missing in the woods around her home when she is three, shockingly, she is found 7 months later living with another family, and returned to her very wealthy parents. As the Heiress of the McTavish fortune, and Ashby House, she was one of the wealthiest women in North Carolina, she lived a notorious life becoming a widow 4 times over (all under suspicious circumstances) and after all her marriages, she adopted a son (Camden) to inherit her entire fortune, much to the chagrin of her sister and her sister’s heirs. Camden however, wants nothing to do with the McTavish fortune or the twisted lives of his relatives and moves across the country, and lives an understated life with his wife Jules. However, 10 years after Ruby’s death he and Jules are drawn back to Ashby House to deal with the recent death of his uncle. Back under one roof with his estranged family everyone’s dark secrets begin to get exposed and tempers run hot and high.

This was a quick and fun read, exactly what I was looking for today. There were twists and murders and a southern gothic feel that I really enjoyed. I was thinking this has Evelyn Hugo vibes with the multiple husbands as well. I would say if you are looking for a twisty-turny suspenseful novel that is a little lighter than a true thriller - this is perfect to pick up.

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to review

This story was a large tangled web of love, greed, and deceit. Meet Ruby McTavish and the notorious clan of Ashby House. There were so many delicious family secrets to unfold here and I enjoyed every flipping page of it. Good or bad, who truly deserves what they get in life? Should the deciding factor be in a person’s pedigree or shall it be determined solely by their deeds? What if you found yourself wealthy enough to bend all karma at will?

Not all of the plot devices seem completely plausible in this book, but neither do some of the things that happen in real life. This novel is a thoroughly entertaining, well-written jaunt, so I did not mind a bit . . . a perfect way to spend a sunny day on the porch.

I’d like to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Heiress for my unbiased evaluation. 5 stars

Rachel Hawkins is true to her brand in her newest release, The Heiress. In dealing with the a deceased heiress’s estate, a family mystery unfolds. We bear witness to abducted children, bratty rich kids, attempts at seduction, and a scorned family seeking revenge.

The plot twists are too ridiculous to be believeable, but my larger gripe is with the multiple points of view. Gaining access through Ruby’s letters, her adopted son Camden, and his wife Jules is rherorically useful, but none are well written reflections of the characters. Hawkins does *not* write a convincing male psyche, has a strangely bratty confessional tone for Jules I didn’t enjoy, and does appear to have ever read a letter herself.

Even if not quite the style for me, fans of Hawkins previous work or similar thrillers (Alex Michaelides and Gillian Flynn come to mind) will enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

Rachel Hawkins does it again! I enjoyed that she took a different direction and used inspiration from historical events instead of another work of fiction. This one was twistier than a corkscrew and almost all of the characters had something to hide. I don't know how I expected the book to end, but the real ending came as a shock. I would recommend this one to our mystery/thriller readers for sure--and maybe to fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo who are looking for a darker twist.

Honestly, not that much happened in this book but I still loved it? The dual POV and the news articles and letters scattered throughout the book all worked really well for me. I called a major twist (or at least a close variation on the twist) and that's probably the only thing keeping this from being a five-star-read for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've gone back and forth on Rachel Hawkins, and this one falls squarely in the middle of my taste. I liked the back-and-forth perspective, the dip into history, and the evocative setting, but I felt ahead of the story at times (also... very hard to buy the idea that ANYONE, not to mention a "lady killer" would just like... write out everything like that for an heir).

Buckling for a twisty Turny Gothic suspense ride… cam is unfortunately called back to his family home.
His mom, Ruby is well no not only for a kidnapping as a child push for being a bit eccentric
I so enjoyed the story, and all the twists and turns that came with it

Book Review: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

The Heiress is a gothic suspense thriller by Rachel Hawkins, author of the New York Times bestseller The Wife Upstairs. The story follows the McTavish family, a wealthy and powerful clan living in Ashby House, a remote estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When Ruby McTavish, the heiress to the family fortune, dies, her distant relative, Cam, and his wife, Jules, are called back to Ashby House to settle her estate. But as they arrive, they soon realize that there is more to Ruby's death than meets the eye.

Ruby was a controversial figure, known for her eccentric behavior and her four marriages. She was also the victim of a kidnapping as a child, and the rumors surrounding her disappearance have never been fully resolved.

As Cam and Jules investigate Ruby's death, they uncover a web of secrets and lies that has been plaguing the McTavish family for generations. They also find themselves drawn into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with a killer who is determined to keep the truth hidden.

The Heiress is a well-written and suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Hawkins does a masterful job of creating a dark and atmospheric setting, and her characters are complex and well-developed.

The novel is also full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. I was particularly impressed with the way Hawkins ties up all the loose ends in the final chapters.

Overall, I highly recommend The Heiress to fans of gothic suspense thrillers. It's a dark, twisty, and addictive read that you won't be able to put down.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of Rachel Hawkins’ latest, The Heiress!

This is my favorite of Hawkins’ recent work - her best since The Wife Upstairs for sure! Cam is called home to his family estate to deal with some things after the death of a family member. He hasn’t been home and 10 years, and would like to keep it that way, but his wife, Jules, seems to have other interests. This book was a page turner, and a quick read. I did guess one small twist, but didn’t feel like it ruined anything. Ultimately this book is a interesting examination of “good” and “bad” people.

4 stars!

If Evelyn Hugo was a Southern heiress living in a gothic mansion, that would be The Heiress. Full of secrets, family betrayal, and intrigue, this book leaves you questioning what makes a good or bad person and the bonds between blood and found family. I especially loved the fourth wall asides from one of the narrators! This was an interesting way of having them comment on what’s happening in the story and bringing the reader close in, entrusting you with secrets that make you feel part of the family. This book has claimed its spot as my favorite thriller of Hawkins’ and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Thank you Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.

The Heiress felt much different than Hawkins' other books. Sometimes that doesn't work, but she knocked it out of the park! The mix of different perspectives in the present, letters from the past, and news articles created a detailed picture and it works. It wasn't as twisty as I was expecting, but had enough reveals and solid storyline that I wasn't bothered by it.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and I'm so glad I waited to read until October, which is the only time I will allow myself to read any sort of thriller or suspenseful book, and this was both. There were many twists and turns and so much family drama weaved in. The dual timeline was well done and usually I'm not a fan, but it worked. After reading this, I know the Wife Upstairs has been on my TBR forever and I will have to move it up now being acquainted with RH's work!

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (what a name!) is South Carolina's richest woman and -- after surviving a kidnapping as a child and leaving a quartet of dead husbands in her wake -- the most notorious. When Ruby dies, her adopted son and heir, Cameron, wants nothing to do with the fortune or the extended family (who would VERY MUCH like the money for themselves).

I LOVED this book. Secrets, family drama, lies, more secrets, and all of the twists and turns you could ever want. Rachel Hawkins is one of my auto-read favorites, and this is her best yet!

Camden McTavish is a seemingly normal guy who works as an English teacher in Colorado and is happily married to his wife Jules. Cam receives an email from his estranged cousin Ben summoning him back to his family home in North Carolina. Soon after, Cam and Jules pack their bags and head to North Carolina.

But to Jules's surprise, Cam tells her that they are not headed to just any home, but to a sprawling mansion in the Blue Ridge Mountains called Ashby House. Can tells Jules more about his adopted mother Ruby who was a wealthy heiress who not only was a widow 4 times over and the victim of a kidnapping as a toddler but the fact that she also left her 9 figure fortune to him but Cam refuses to touch the money.

As soon as they arrive at Ashby House Jules falls in love and feels that her husband deserves the house and fortune left to him. But obtaining his deserved inheritance won't be easy. Residing in Ashby House are Cam’s great aunt Nelle and two cousins who feel they deserve the inheritance and will do anything to get it.

This book was well written with alot of twists and turns and great character development. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Heiress as it kept me intrigued to the end.
I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
****

Rachel Hawkins loves a good mystery but this one is definitely not her best. There were a few obvious twists that you could see coming but a couple were surprises. It’s a quick read but the pace never got past an easy gallop. It felt like someone telling a story about their family history without a ton of character development. Camden and Jules obviously had secrets of their own to reveal, as they broke the fourth wall by talking to the reader. A fun read.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins being published by St.martins press Jan 2024! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book early. I found it interesting and very engrossing therefore it was a quick read! I’ve read others by this author so it’s no surprise I was interested in reading her new book.
Woooo weeeee was this a doozy of a book, lots of twists and turns with me constantly guessing how this one would turn out. This story was spun around truth and lies, family dynamics and greed, all those things some of us yearn for in a good book. Thanks again for the opportunity to read this early! 4 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️