I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I loved this book. I could not put it down I read it in a few hours. So many great twists and turns.

Cam McTavish had no intention of going back to the North Carolina home and family he was adopted into, despite being the one who legally owns everything. But when his uncle dies, he realizes things are getting too complicated and he's going to need to go and settle everything once and for all.

This book is Cam's story, but it's also Ruby's, told through letters to a mysterious recipient. I was hoping to like this, but unfortunately it didn't do much for me. Most of the characters are unlikable, including Cam's own wife Jules, who appears to be working against him for a lot of the book and is only interested in living in the giant house. The family drama is really twisty, but I didn't really connect to anyone, even Ruby. In an unusual twist, the ending was actually pretty good. Not so much that it redeemed the rest of it, but it came together in an unexpected way.

This is my first book from Rachel Hawkins and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The story is told from three different points of view, Cam McTavish, his wife Jules, and his adoptive mother, the infamous Ruby McTavish (through letters written before her death). When Ruby dies, Cam inherits the Family home and fortune, thus causing drama between Ruby's younger sister, her son, and grandchildren. Cam wants nothing to do with his inheritance nor his family. Cam and Jules return to Ashby House after Cam receives an email from his cousin reaches out after his uncle's death. Full of drama, secrets, and suspense, I would recommend this book to everyone!


Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

I have to be honest after reading the author's previous work, "Wife Upstairs," I didn't enjoy their subsequent releases as much. However, with this ominous and engaging thriller, they have made a triumphant return. The story is filled with intertwined mysteries that fit together like puzzle pieces, making you want to read faster to uncover the big secrets. Behind the closed doors of Ashby House, numerous secrets lurk. Is Ruby truly a cold-blooded killer? Or is she a miracle child who was kidnapped at the age of three, only to be found living with another family who insisted she was their daughter? Expect the unexpected as you dive into this gripping read. It will keep you on your toes, and you'll find yourself wanting to devour it in one sitting, even if it means staying up all night. In my opinion, this is the author's best work yet. I truly enjoyed this read and I think others will to.

If you love twisted family stories, you are going to love this one. Camden and his wife, Jules, are called back to his family's estate to help settle some issues. Camden was the adopted son of the late Ruby McTavish, who was given the estate and fortune by her father. She in turn willed it to Camden, but no one in the family was happy about that, not even Camden, who wanted to get as far away from this twisted family as possible. Seems everywhere you turn a new family secret is popping up, and if you are living on the estate there is nowhere to escape.

I don't think Rachel Hawkins is for me. I loved her first book, but I couldn't finish Reckless Girls and this was a struggle for me to get through. At least I finished it. However, I found the characters extremely unlikable and the storyline predictable. The writing is fast enough paced that I was able to force my way through the storyline, but part of me wishes I had not.

The Heiress of a rich family dies and her adopted son, who has been away for ten years goes home with his wife to finally deal with the estate and his rich bad behaved family. This book has many twists and turns. I thought the ending was very satisfying. All in all another great mystery from Rachel Hawkins.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc.

78-year-old heiress and philanthropist Ruby McTavish is dead. Her adopted son, Camden, is her sole heir. Camden and his wife, Jules, travel from their home in Colorado to Ashby House, Ruby’s home, in North Carolina. The story emerges through the points of view of three characters—Camden, Jules, and Ruby. What’s the real truth about Ruby?

The family dynamic of Ruby’s relatives is interesting as they gather together at Ashby House. I especially like when Ruby speaks to the reader, directly, through her letters. The truth about Ruby is exposed deftly by the author, Rachel Hawkins. She knows how to grab a reader’s attention and maintain it. There comes a point when I can’t look away and have to keep reading. Needless to say, I recommend reading THE HEIRESS. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advance reader copy of THE HEIRESS.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love all of Rachel Hawkins stories and this one did not disappoint either. This book has complicated plotlines, alternating between letters to mysterious figure and current characters' perspectives. It was definitely a page turner.

The plot reminded me of the 7 Husband of Evelyn Hugo,

I enjoyed the story very much.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Family Upstairs.

Ruby McTavish was born into a picturesque life on Easy Street, and enjoyed it for all of three years before tragedy stuck and she became the victim of a kidnapping.

Luckily enough, she was shorty found and returned to her family, and the odds were once again on her side. (Until they weren’t.)

The stress of multiple marriages, envious family members, and a trying teenage son lead to Rubys life coming to an abrupt end.


Fast forward 10 years, and that son and his wife have been summoned to the home he’s avoided since his mothers death.

He has to face the demands of his estranged family members while trying to prevent his mothers secrets from coming to light.

This is my FAVORITE book by Rachel Hawkins thus far.

Loved the opening of the story introducing stories of people disappearing in the united states and famous cases. It is such a captivating way to intrigue the reader and become hooked to the story. I love the idea of multiple POV and letter/email formats.

Definitely an interesting concept, and the writing was well done. I think it was a bit slow for me and there were parts where it just felt that the author was talking at us, rather than telling a story, but I still liked it.

It’s an OTT book for sure but I like how everything goes back together in the end - the ending made up for the slower pace.

This was a quick, fun and easy read. I had my first audible “gasp” around page 45. From there it quickly went into the story and wrapped up just as quick. I loved that there was not a lot of fluff and got to the point. After reading so many books, the ending didn’t shock me but I was intrigued by how it would go. Overall a read that I recommend

I loved this book from the start! This is a solid 4 star rating! Outside of a few instances of predictability it was captivating all the way to the last page. I enjoyed the style it was written; from the character perspectives of Camden and Jules mixed with letters from Ruby of her past.

If you are in search for a fast-paced family psychological thriller and suspense, this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book for an review.

I have to say this was not one of my favorites by Rachel Hawkins. I was expecting a little more. I am not that much into gothic so I think it through me off a little. I felt this a little slow but picked up about three quarters of the way through.
I don't want to discourage anyone from reading this book. If you enjoy family drama and revenge give this one
a try.

I look foward to her next one.

I truly believe that Rachel Hawkins is becoming a better and better writer with each new book that she releases. This is my favorite of hers yet! The pacing was impeccable and it was a page turner that I could not put down. I loved learning about Ruby through her letter writings. The ending caught me off guard, which is always my favorite as a reader.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

Wow. I truly was so excited to read this book and with good reason.
The cover was the first thing that caught my attention. It gave me "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" vibes and I still stand by that after reading it. The story of Ruby and all of her husbands deaths definitely play off of that vibe and I LOVED it. The way that Hawkins breaks the fourth wall and has the characters talk directly to the reader is so unique.
Throughout the time I was reading, I was wondering who Jules is talking to when I read her chapters, and once I got to the end, I was under the impression that she is writing to her future daughter, which would be such a good twist considering how she and Ruby were writing back and forth.

This book is FULL of twists and turns and the way that the chapters are set up, you read about one big plot twist and then have to wait two chapters to figure out what happens next so it really keeps readers immersed into the story. It can lead to the reader being confused at times, but it quickly resolves. I got a bit confused when learning that Ruby is actually Dora but the more I read, the more I began to put the pieces together.

This book is a rollercoaster but it is one I would gladly recommend anyone to read!

Do you enjoy books filled with dark, family secrets and bickering? This one is chocked full of them!

I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. While there was a lot of drama happening between family members, there was an over-abundance of foul language that was a real turnoff for me. Honestly, the majority of it wasn't even really necessary.

A couple times I felt like it was similar to the movie Knives Out, in that the family didn't like who had inherited Ruby's home and money and they definitely made their opinions known. I did enjoy the letters from Ruby throughout the book and the ending was one I never saw coming.

Overall, it's a good mystery and I think a lot of people will end up enjoying it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What would you do if you found out your husband was heir to a large estate? What would you do to be the next lady of the manor?

I enjoyed the story, but could have done with more tension. Most of the scandals of the past were relayed through letters, which made them less shocking than if they would have been revealed firsthand. It also seemed like many of the characters had already figured out the secrets themselves anyway. Overall, a fun read that makes you wonder how far back the secrets really go and if there are any left to be discovered.

First, this book became very real to me as I have a cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains, not in Tavistock which is a fictional town (I think), but still in the mountains so I loved the visual scenery descriptions.
Although the plot was a bit complicated and tricky, the book was intriguing and keeps the reader guessing and on their toes. If you like a book that twists and turns, vacillates between good and evil, has complicated families then this is the book for you. And the writing is clear and clever with one character portrayed through her diary instead of real life. Consider buying a diary and documenting your life and including your favorite books.


Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the Advanced Review Copy.