After the most infamous and richest woman in North Carolina, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore, dies, the McTavish estate, Ashby House, and a 9 figure fortune are passed down to her adopted son Cameron.

Cameron, who is a McTavish by name only, wants nothing to do with his inheritance or the McTavishes. All he wants is to live a normal life with his new wife Jules. But The McTavishes, who are much like royalty in Tavistock are far from normal, they are rich, and behave as such. They will do anything to get the inheritance and Ashby House back to a true McTavish.

The Heiress was an enthralling story about the rich behaving badly and family secrets that come to surface after Ruby's death. I could not put this book down. The different POVs from Cameron, Jules, and Ruby's letters were neatly done and the descriptions of Ashby House made me feel like I was right there in all it's grandeur.

I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a domestic suspense novel about a rich and spoiled family out to take back what is theirs.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the eARC for my honest opinion.

Ruby McTavish is the wealthiest woman in North Carolina. As the oldest daughter, she inherited the bulk of her father's money along with the family estate. She is well known as Mrs. Kill-more for her 4 marriages, all who died before her, along with her kidnapping at a young age. Her only son, Camden inherits her wealth upon her death but turns away from the money and swears he will never return to the family estate again but must return when financial decisions have to be made about the estate. Through clippings and letters written by Ruby, we learn about her life beginning when she is a toddler and all of her marriages. In Camden's chapters, we learn about his dysfunctional family and how his aunt and her son's family was and are still cruel to him. Learning about Ruby's 4 marriages and how all the men died along with Camden's spolied cousins was like reading a tabloid. There were many mysteries along the way including why Camden walked away from all the money along with secrets his family is keeping maybe including his wife.

Well color me surprised! I started this book with relatively low expectations. I assumed it would be the same story I’ve read before- the mystery that you are quickly able to guess and see coming…I am pleased to say I was very wrong! I enjoyed the various POVs in the book and how they each sprinkled in little tidbits of information to keep you guessing.

Oftentimes authors write books like these with very unsatisfying endings, in my opinion this one was unlike that completely.

The story keeps you captivated from the beginning. It focuses on 3 main characters- obviously the heiress Ruby whois coined as Mrs. Kill-More due to her multiple husbands dying. Next we see Camden- her adopted son who lives in Colorado far away from the rest of his “family.” Finally- his wife Jules. Whose POV is probably my favorite, she feels like a real person in today’s world with her comedic internal side comments and hope for the future and fortune of her husbands estranged family estate.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, luring, exciting and twisty read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early digital reviewer copy of this book!

Phenomenal book! It took a couple of chapters to really get started for me, but then it really took off and became addicting. The story is intriguing and incredibly twisty until the last page.

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

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore was a child, she was the victim of a famous kidnapping, and as an adult she has become a widower 4 times over giving her the nickname “Mrs. kill more.” When she dies she is not just North Carolinas richest woman but also it’s most notorious. In the aftermath of her death, her estate and nine figure fortune was passed down to her adopted son, Camden, who wants no part of it but…his wife does and she knows more than she has led on for years.
There was a lot going on in this story and it alternates timelines and perspectives. It was not my favorite Rachel Hawkins book to date but it was a good read. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc copy. 3.5 ⭐️

Cam is the adopted son of a controversial, four-times-widowed, heiress. When email calls Cam to return to the place he left behind, Jules, his wife, encourages him to go. She shouldn’t know of his inherited mansion and millions, but is sure she can make Ashby House good for them both. But Ashby House holds resentful relatives and long-held secrets.

Told through multiple points of view and spanning decades, Hawkins keeps the reader suspicious of everyone in this kaleidoscope of a novel. Just when you think you understand people and motives things shift again. Hand to fans of Hank Philippi Ryan’s The House Guest. Recommended

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Heiress took me a litttle bit to get into and honestly I thought about moving to a different book until I remembered I felt the same way with The Villa and I kept going and was pleasently surprised. It took about 30% to finally get to a part where I wanted to know more about Ruby and what she had done. I found this story to be twisty and fun (odd word to use but, I really enjoyed it).

This book was absolutely addicting, I could not put it down after the first couple chapters. This had twist galore and will keep your head spinning. The characters were well developed and you find yourself kind of rooting for all of them. This is my first read by Rachel Hawkins and I was thoroughly impressed. One of my favorite psych thriller reads this year! Would definitely recommend.

4.5/5 stars

Interesting story. Told from 3 POVs, there is a mystery to figure out.

I really enjoy Rachel Hawkins’ writing and look forward to the next book.

I recommend this book and all of her others for stories that keep you guessing and reading.

As adopted Cameron MacTavish returns home ten years after the death of his extremely wealthy mother Ruby, his wife Jules learns that his family had many secrets—some of which are too dark to even fathom.

Every time I thought I had this figured out there was another twist!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick domestic thriller that I read in one day. I loved the rich people drama, albeit all the cliched characters: the heir who doesn't want the money, and the family who is snubbed the inheritance but feels that they should be the ones who got it. I also enjoyed the small twists throughout the book that led to the bigger reveal at the end, and also the setting of the old mansion in N.C.

There were a few things I did not like about the book. The book is told through three perspectives: Jules and Camden's in the current timeline, and then Ruby's letters in the past. That part was fine. It was the added News articles that I found completely pointless. I don't feel like the added any value to the overall story and just felt more like filler because they just reiterated what Ruby narrated in her letters. I also did not care that Jules' perspective is told to you like your talking as if your friends and she is telling you her story.

I did not like the last two novels by Hawkins, but I really wanted to give this author another try, and I am glad that I did! Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, and if you like a good domestic thriller about a messed up rich family then you should read this one.

“The Heiress” is a juicy, entertaining story told from the viewpoint of 3 people. Toss in some unexpected plot twists and it’s quite a delicious ride!

Thank you, NetGalley, for my arc

When notorious North Carolina heiress, Ruby McTavish, dies her adopted son, Camden, is left in charge of Ashby House despite the other family members animosity. However Ruby had a complicated past which Cam wants no part of despite his wife, Jules, desperately wanting him to accept his new role. A complex web of lies and deceit where not everyone is who they appear to be and some of which will stop at nothing to get what they want...even murder.

The Heiress is a thrilling new mystery from author Rachel Hawkins. This novel was one of my favorite reads this year so far. It begins with a infamous heiress with a history of scandal from her kidnapping as a child to the mysterious deaths surrounding her four husbands. When she leaves everything to her adopted son Cam vs the "true heirs" of the McTavish line things become even more complicated. The truth slowly unfolds through a series of letters written by Ruby revealing the truth behind the scandals attached to her throughout her life. This was such an entertaining mystery with several surprise twists you won’t see coming...a must read for 2024!

Unbelievably twisted story of what money can buy. A rich family rules this Southern county. When one woman passes on, she leaves the estate to her adopted son, angering the rest of the family. But there's so much more to this story.

This was a devilishly delightful book! A lot of twists and turns. Though most of them were obvious, one twist was certainly interesting. This was an incredibly quick read and completely addictive.

This review was also published on Goodreads.

FAMILY IS COMPLICATED. Dang. Family is also incredibly messed up and that is the best way to sum up "The Heiress"

And since it isn't my family, I am here for it.

Told through three different voices (including letters), we meet the McTavish family and Ruby McTavish, the wealthy heiress who at age 3 had gone missing in the woods yet returned a year later. The woman who had four dead husbands to her name. The woman whose family HATED her (like legit). The woman who adopted a son, Camden, who desired nothing more than to be as far away from Ashby House and the McTavish name as he could be.

Meanwhile Cam and Jules have found their way back to Ashby House. All of the fortune has been left to Cam. Which makes everyone upset. Except Jules. She wants Cam to have his due....and there is so much more to the story.

I despised Hawkin's previous offering, The Villa. But this one, I would read again. Mostly because I loved the utter drama and the twists. The lies truly went deep [spoiler} Ruby had really died and Dora Darnell had been sold by her parents to become Ruby. "Ruby" had killed all four of her husbands for one reason or another. She found out the truth about herself being Dora. "Ruby" wanted to set things right so she connected with the family. Her real family. And her great niece, her real grand niece, turned out to be Jules. That is just the tip of the iceberg folks. (hide spoiler)]

For fans of suspense and layers of family drama, I utterly recommend this book. A thank you to Netgalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this mystery! I love anything that takes place in an old, historic mansion, so the setting immediately drew me in (although I would have loved more details or atmosphere in that regard). But the mystery was great and all of the familial connections and complexities kept me guessing and turning pages. It was really well-crafted and the Ruby character was very entertaining - she really added a lot to the book. I’ll definitely be recommending this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC for my honest review!

Everyone is morally gray at best in this suspenseful book, which is JAM PACKED with twists and turns. The story is constantly peeling back layers to each person’s stories and kept me on my toes. It’s over the top and a bit unbelievable, but it kept me hooked until the end. Folks who binged the show “You” and Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will especially like this read.

I absolutely loved reading this! I immediately was hooked with the characters living in Colorado which is where I live! I loved the different POVS and the incorporation of letters! I absolutely did not guess the outcome. One of my favorite reads from this author yet!!

Another good book from Hawthorne!

This one was definitely better than her last but IMO she still struggles to start a book off strong. The first 30% crept by, I thought about making it a DNF several times. Finally, the plot started to pick up once Cam & Jules stepped foot into the Ashby House.

The plot revolves around Cam & Jules going back to the house and family Cam grew up with. He left Ashby House a long time ago for good reasons but Jules has convinced him to go back. Can must face his family’s history of lies and deceit.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Jules was an interesting narrator although there were several. The book is told in dual timelines - the current time and the past through Ruby’s letters. I will still be picking up Hawthorne’s newest releases but they seem to always be a 3 star for me!