Camden McTavish, accompanied by his wife Jules, decides to return to his family's lavish estate, Ashby House, at the desperate plea of his cousin in the wake of his uncle's death. Camden is the sole heir to the family fortunes which were built largely by his now deceased adoptive mother and famed black widow, the cunning & stunning Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. However, not all is as it seems.

First person narrations by Camden & Jules are alternated with brash tell all letters written by Ruby. There are secrets upon secrets, mistaken identities, mysterious deaths & disappearances, and power struggles over wealth. As the tension builds, it's uncertain who will make it out of this trip alive.

There is a lot of familiar ground covered in The Heiress, yet it still feels fresh and interesting. It's a fun read and I loved the setting of the Blue Ridge mountains. The subject of old southern money and affairs doesn't feel like it has been explored nearly enough.

This book started out a little slow for me but once it got going, I was hooked. I love books where I can’t guess what is going to happen and this was one of those books. I enjoyed the surprise twists and how nicely it all wrapped up in the end.

I couldn’t put this story down and stayed up late to read the last 25%. The story weaves several different points of view as well as letters from Ruby to an unknown person sharing the details of her four marriages and her husbands deaths. I love how Hawkins slowly unravels the story leaving hints and clues along the way that wrap you into the tale and soon you don’t know who to trust, what is the truth and who should “win”. After some shocking revelations there is a clear winner of the fortune and Ashby house but you wonder if they deserve it.

This was one twisty story. A family of wealth living in their mansion in the mountains. Fighting over inheritance and secrets. The setting for Ashby House was great. The house itself felt like a character in the story. A twisted, menacing, and controlling character. The mountains were beautiful and terrifying, which worked well with the house. I wanted to see it, but I also didn't.

Camden and Jules were a great pair. Each hiding something, and you still root for them. Ruby was very interesting. You loved and hated her at the same time. The story is told through Camden and Jules' perceptives as well as letters from Ruby and newspaper clippings. I thought this worked well for the story. We were able to hear about Ruby's life from Ruby herself even though she was dead at this point of the story. Bed, Libbey, and Nelle were a little flat for me. They all seemed like the stereotypical entitled, rude, rich people. I wanted something more from them to make them a little human. There were moments I thought this might happen, but then they weren't explored.

This is a twisty story, but some of the twists I did figure out. Some of the bigger revelations I had already figured as possibilities, so I wasn't shocked when they happened. I wasn't quite sure how the story was going to end, though, and I liked the ending. It wrapped up the story well and wrapped up some other small parts as well. Overall, it was a fun read, and if you want a quick twisty story, grab this one.

Kidnapping, murder, money, and power. What more can a reader want? This was the first book that I've read from Rachel Hawkins, and it won't be my last. This story kept me interested with the characters in the present such as Camden, Ruby's adopted son and his wife Jules. The story also has flashbacks with letters that Ruby has written, which I feel really improved the story. These chapters made me feel connected with a character that has already been dead for ten years before the current day events are happening. I was really impressed with how much I enjoyed this book, and how quickly I read it. It was so difficult to put down.

This book was a mixture of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Rebecca, and I strongly recommend it to others as well.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC for an honest review.

A highly enjoyable gothic style thriller/mystery!! I would greatly recommend this to book clubs and adults looking for something to keep them hooked. I will be ordering it for the library.

Thanks for the ARC - this book was excellent! I’ve enjoyed all of Rachel Hawkins’ previous novels and it’s rare for me to find a novel with twists I can’t predict and yet, this one got me! The characters are gray and likable yet leave you conflicted. The narration style from three POV is wonderful and added to the excitement of the story. I read this so fast. Love it!

Oh, what a tangled web we weave! This was such a clever, well thought out and executed book! There are secrets and then there are the McTavish secrets!!! The beginning of the book drew me in, and the second half of the book blew me away.

The McTavish family is one of the richest families in North Carolina. They live in Ashby House, their beautiful estate, with sprawling grounds and woods with hiking trails.

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, the richest woman in North Carolina, died she left everything to her adopted son, Camden (Cam). Cam, the sole heir, doesn't want the money. He wants to be free of the dysfunctional McTavish family and live happily with his wife, Jules.

But when he is summoned to return, Cam goes back to Ashby house, and the rest as they say is history...…

This was such a well thought out book. The first half of the book had me wanting more. I was intrigued by Ruby's letters and what they revealed. Rachel Hawkins had my attention from the very beginning and the book kept getting more interesting, more addictive, and more shocking as more was revealed. There is drama, secrets, and twists galore! Just when I thought this book could not get any better, it did! I enjoyed both Cam and Jules POV's in addition to reading about Ruby through her journal entries.

Gripping, shocking, well written and dramatic. I can't wait to read what Rachel Hawkins writes next!

This is my new favorite Rachel Hawkins novel!

The Heiress was a twisty delight. Just when I thought I had everything figured out and I couldn't be surprised anymore, there was a new surprise in the plot.

The characters were well-developed and likeable, and the pacing was perfect for the plot. I finished this one in about a day and a half, and really enjoyed reading it. I thought the ending was very satisfying - a great read for those who want a bit of mystery without being too scary or disturbing.

This book is phenomenal! The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but honestly more intriguing as the husbands show up dead. Furthermore, the truth of who the main characters are took me by surprise and was incredibly well done. Both Cam and Jules are likeable and made me want to root for them, which is not usually the case when I read thrillers. They're likable even though they are incredibly cunning and willing to do almost anything for the shot at a better life. Highly recommend!

This is my absolute favorite book that she has written to date. Her books always have interesting twists and turns.

This book is written from multiple points of view, which helps to keep the story moving across different timelines. It takes a while to get into the plot, but once you're hooked, you're truly hooked.

I was eager to learn more about Ruby's husbands, her adoptive son Cam, his backstory, and his wife Jules. I don't want to give too much away as it is best to go going in not know much.

There are some great plot twists in this one. I highly recommend you pick this up for a weekend read. But don't start it just before bed; once you get around 65 percent through, you won't be able to put it down. You're truly going to enjoy this one!

THE HEIRESS was a fabulous and engaging thriller with a dark, moody atmosphere. The various jumps between narrators and time periods were well done and easy to follow, plus added to the arc of the story. I’ve long been a fan of Rachel Hawkins’ YA novels, but this is my first foray into her adult novels, but won’t be my last. The only downside to this novel is that the last 20% was almost *too* twisty, it felt like additional reveals were happening just to end the story on a “what just happened” note. I almost would have likes this book better without a couple of the final twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review THE HEIRESS!

I really enjoyed this one, So much drama!!! I could not put this down and found myself sneaking to read it in every spare moment,

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Rachel Hawkins, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I mean truly can Rachel Hawkins go wrong? Her last book [book:The Villa|60784641] was outstanding and I have to say this one is in the running for one of my favorite books this year.

Camden "The Heiress's" adopted son inherited the famous Ashby house and an inheritance large enough for him or his descendants to never work again but he wants nothing to do with either. When called back to Ashby by his existing relatives and pressure from his wife he relents and from that point on nothing would be the same.

In style this story is told from letters by Ruby aka "Mrs. Killmore", and POVs from Cam and his wife Jules which reveal the truth behind all the rumors and why Camden never wanted anything to do with his family in the first place.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this ARC gifted through NetGalley! Get your hands on this book on January 9, 2024!

4⭐️

Ruby McTavish was notorious in North Carolina at the time of her death. She was one of the states richest residents, a survivor of a well known kidnapping as a child, and a four time widow. The small town of Tavistock had long bent to the wills of Ruby McTavish. In the event of her death, her estate went to her adopted son, Camden, who wanted nothing to do with the wealth. He lived a normal life in Colorado with his wife Jules until receiving a summons following his uncles death ten years later that brought them back to North Carolina.

As Cam and Jules return to Tavistock, Cam is immediately reminded of why he left so long ago. Jules, who has also been running from her own troubled past, is determined that they claim everything Ruby left for C the more she learns. But as more details about Ruby’s past come to light, the estate becomes more complicated and Cam isn’t the only one who thinks they should have a claim.

I really liked Ruby as a character. Even though we really only see her in the letters left behind describing the deaths of her four husbands, the letters beautifully showcased what money and privilege will allow you to get away with. I also liked the kidnapping story line and the look at “changelings” which is always fascinating to me.

I did feel like the connection between Jules’ backstory and Camden was a little convoluted. Both the timeline and how she originally met Ruby took me a bit to understand and seemed to play into the theory that the wealthy really can’t trust those around them. Ruby was also really playing the long con waiting ten years into her marriage with Cam to force the issue of the estate.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC to me!

This one was a little on the twisted side. But I did enjoy it. The twisty bits kept me turning the pages because I had to find out what happened.

This book oozes suspense; set in an old southern mansion, peopled with unsavory characters who would do anything to end up with the family money. Added into the mix is Cam, the adopted son of Ruby, the late head of the family. Cam returns home for what he hopes will be a final visit. His wife, though, is hoping for a longer stay.

Multiple points of view, an intricate plot, fast pacing, and intriguing characters all work together to make this a book you cannot put down. The plot’s clever use of letters and newspaper articles throughout the book helps to quickly move the story and keep the twists and turns coming.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Wow. Hawkins does it again. You start off in a love story, drawn into it through the main characters and a rough family dynamic. The writing was easy to follow, through, no plot holes. Not a single character left hanging without closure. Another favorite of mine.

Another fast paced mystery from Rachel Hawkins. Switching narratives throughout, the reader is engrossed in the McTavish family drama.

I love Rachel Hawkins and this did not disappoint! It kept me on a twisty ride and I loved reading about North Carolina. The characters were messy and complex and there were lots of surprises. This definitely brought "Villa" vibes but set in the dark mountains of North Carolina. Ruby was a mystery and a character you sometimes loved and sometimes hated. Highly recommend!