Ooooooh this was such a good one!!!!!! I love me some family drama and this delivered. Murder, deceit, lying, and everything in between. Money will make people do some wild things….. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!

I really do love the cover of this book. The book itself was really great. I have read a couple of Rachel Hawkins books before and I was excited to read The Heiress. This book did not disappoint! I really enjoyed the book start to finish. It had good twists and turns, there was no lull in the middle. The buildup to wrap it all up at the end was exciting and nicely done. It was a solid fast-paced book, easily captivating me with the turn of each page. It had all the things I love in a mystery. It quickly drew me in and kept me guessing. Really great read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

I’m not going to give a big intro as that’s been done a lot here on Goodreads and I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel.

This was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I don’t know if her others are this engaging, but I had a hard time putting this one down. I spent several nights reading by kindle light, trying not to disturb my husband and several days avoiding housework so that I could come back to this thriller.

Multiple perspectives, twists, unexpected connection to the title. Some bits I wish I could’ve seen played out, rather than retold in a letter format, but whatever, the story was so good and I loved it.

Rachel Hawkins is an auto-read auto-buy author for me and with every thriller she writes I'm reminded of why. I liked how this one went a little outside of her normal style of story. I loved how she tackled the complex personalities of her characters. The ending was very neat until that last chapter--that threw a wrench in things that I loved way too much. Going to be another great thriller for her for sure.

It took me a little bit of time to really get into the book but once I did, I wasn't able to put it down. Thank you for the advanced copy!

I think I got so confused as to who was related to who I lost the point of the story many times. I think due to what felt like 80% of the book being drama rather than thriller it was a miss for me.

So many twists and turns in this book kept me turning the pages. Fill with a cast of well developed characters who you aren't sure whether to root for or against. I totally enjoyed this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I could not put it down, finished it in a day! . Add this book to your list- you can thank me later!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press,l for an ARC of this copy, Publication date: January 9, 2024.

Rachel Hawkins has done it again! So many twists and turns and you think you have it figured out then bam another twist.

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley.
I've been reading a fair bit that fits into the gothic genre lately, and after hearing a preliminary review for this book, I eagerly requested a chance to read the eARC. I'm glad I got to.
I found this book a pleasant(if over-the-top) read. The success of the story is in the sheer amount of wild plot points presented. The plotting of this puts me in mind of switchback roads. Instead of a smooth accession to the climax of the story, we zigzag back and forth between plot points as we climb-twist after twist after twist. If Hawkins had ever let up on the twists, I don't think I would have been able to enjoy this nearly as much. It was the excess that made it work.
Reading this was like eating potato chips, mindlessly popping one after another into your mouth until finally you realize that somehow you've eaten the whole bag.

There’s nothing like a death to bring out the worst in a family. Especially when the deceased was uber wealthy, the family isn’t happy with the will, and they are all a vile bunch to start with.

When Ruby McTavish dies, she leaves everything to her adopted son, Camden. But he cares little about the inheritance and fled this vile family many years ago. He’s a decent man despite his family, and now lives a quiet life with his wife, Jules.

10 years later, he reluctantly returns to the house to settle some matters and is drawn into the family’s many secrets, betrayals, and lies.

We are given the background into the past through a series of letters written by Ruby, and what explosive secrets they contained! Let’s just say Ruthless Ruby knew what she wanted and wouldn’t let anything or anyone get in her way. Just ask her four deceased husbands.

Also narrated by Cam and Jules, I particularly enjoyed Jules’s narration, with her snappy, snarky retorts to the den of snakes that made up the McTavish family

Is everyone who they seem to be? No. Does everyone have secrets? Oh yes, and plenty of them!

The drama, and the wild twists and turns kept me glued to the pages. This is a fun read for fans of the genre!

“The truth isn’t some finite thing, it’s what we all choose to believe.” - The Heriess by Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress is a great read that will keep you on your toes. It’s a book full of mystery and hunger for fortune. If you want a good book that keeps your attention then this is for you! This is my first book from Rachel Hawkins, but I look forward to more! Thank you for the arc!

Quick read, couldn't put it down. The story is told through the point of view of Camden, Ruby McTavish's sole heir, her adopted son. Camden has spent his entire adult life running away from Tavistock, NC, and running from the evils that lurk behind the walls of his childhood home. Escaping the ghosts of his past, he's landed in Colorado with his wife of ten-years, Jules.

We meet Jules as his wife however, she is more connected to the whole story, we just have to be patient to figure out how. In Colorado, Jules is over her quiet, unassuming life. Her job frustrates her. She doesn't have many friends, some co-workers who have become friends but, for the most part, it is just her and Cam. When Cam's past is dredged up and they need to make a trek across the country to North Carolina, Jules has more invested in this trip than we think. Jules has her eyes set on fortune and riches far beyond anything she. has ever seen in her life.

This story may give some context to the age-old adage that, money doesn't buy happiness but, it can buy you all the things that could lead to your happiness, right? Both Cam and Jules set out across the country to find out of everything that glitters at Ashby House, is really gold.

I look forward to reading more from Rachel Hawkins.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

This was an engaging, mysterious book with a great sense of atmosphere - I love when a setting is almost its own character, like the house is in this book (and in the author's previous book, The Wife Upstairs). This is not a twisty turny book - at no point was I totally shocked, but I was hooked. It's a slow, creeping kind of intrigue that kept me reading.

Ruby McTavish went missing in the woods when she was 3 years old. She was found 8 months later in another state and returned home. Ruby grows up on the family’s huge estate called Ashby House. She is married four different times, with each husband dying under mysterious circumstances. Ruby adopted a son named Camden, who has moved away and is married to Jules. They have been married for ten years and live quietly in Colorado where Camden teaches high school English. Camden wants nothing to do with his dysfunctional family or the wealth they have. When his cousin reaches out to him and urges him to come to Ashby House, Camden and Jules decide to go. Camden has inherited the estate and fortune from Ruby, so he is the one responsible for its upkeep. Jules is eager to see the estate and meet the people that live there. We also find out about Ruby’s life, through letters she has written to someone over the years. We find out the true details of each of her marriages. The book is written from different points of view - Jules, Camden and Ruby. I found the story intriguing and the interactions between the characters quite interesting. The book moves along quickly, especially with the use of the short chapters. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it for a quick, pleasurable read. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think Rachel Hawkins has mastered the uneasy. Things always turn weird quickly, but her main characters are always ready to plunge ahead with an ambitious (but wary) attitude. The Heiress is no different. The main characters are the recently deceased Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore (4 husbands), her adopted son Camden, and his wife Jules. Ruby’s inclusion in this story is mostly through the letters she’s written that are shared throughout the book. She explains her life and her wishes for Camden’s life. However, Cam is insistent that he wants nothing to do with her nine-figure fortune or the multi-generational mansion she’s left to him. Conversely, Jules is ready to accept the lavish gift and enjoy every minute of it. After successfully convincing Cam to return home and iron out the details with his extended McTavish family, the couple packs up their car and heads to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As with most extended families, there’s tension from the beginning. Ruby’s sister was completely ignored in the will, along with her son and grandchildren, and she’s ready to fight for what she wants. Cam is immediately forced into the middle, trying to balance the pleas coming from all sides. As the story progresses, everyone starts getting a little more on edge, a little more indignant, a little more … desperate.
Hawkins expertly showed each character’s frustrations and wants. As I read, I could feel the tensions rising and rising as I got closer to the conclusion. Everything was perfectly primed for the twisted ending, and I gasped at every reveal. After finishing the book, I literally had to sit for a moment and collect myself, which is all I want out of a mystery! Add in the creepy mansion in the mountains, a confusing family tree, and an old-fashioned kidnapping, and it’s got everything you need for a fun (if slightly insane) story. If you’re looking for a book you’ll be thinking about all week, pick this one up! For a more detailed review, check out my blog! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Heiress" is my first Rachel Hawkins read and I found it enjoyable. It is a gothic mystery with themes of affluence, family, and deception. Recommended for fans of Hawkins as well as readers who love gothic thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! This is the second book I’ve read by Rachel Hawkins and it did not disappoint.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - it kept me guessing with all of the twists and turns! Once I got to a certain point in the book, I could not put it down. The dual POV, bouncing back and forth between current day and flashbacks into the past through Ruby and her letters, was very entertaining. An incredibly thrilling read!

I devoured this book. The twists and turns, I couldn't put it down. This gave me a book hangover as well, I had a hard time starting a new thriller after finishing this. I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins books.

I am going to be thinking about this one for a while! I was so entranced by the different narrators that this one flew by. I particularly enjoyed the confessions from Ruby compared with the modern day exploration of the estate. This one definitely kept me guessing and I didn't see the twists coming.