Rachel Hawkins has been hit or miss for me. Her first novel was excellent, her sophomore release, not that great. This one was right in the middle for me. I had a hard time relating to Cam, so it made it hard to get into the story.

This was such a great book! I haven't read a thriller in ages, and I flew right through this! I'll definitely be reading more thrillers and more from Rachel Hawkins in the future. This book was super fast-paced with lots of plot twists and interesting, complex characters. The plot was really interesting, and it was super easy to get into. I couldn't put it down!The chapters were also pretty short and switched POVs, which helped break the story up nicely. Overall, I would 100% recommend this book.

I compare all of Rachel Hawkins’ books to the Wife Upstairs, and this one seemed to fall short of that one in more ways than one. Interesting characters and creepy setting but a little lacking on execution.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

Ruby McTavish, heiress to an immense North Carolina fortune, disappeared for nearly a year after a picnic with her family and nanny. After the Darnell family admitted to her kidnapping, she returned home to her life of luxury... and lies. In a series of letters, she reveals what she knows of her past, and the true secrets concealed in Ashby House.

After her death, she leaves Ashby House and her fortune to her adoptive son, Cam. When he is reluctantly persuaded by his wife, Jules, to return to Ashby and his family, Cam reveals that there may be more about his family's past than meets the eye.

I was highly interested in this book after hearing so many good things about "The Villa," which I still have yet to read. I thought this book was well-written and well-paced. Twists and turns were drawn out enough, but not saved to be glossed over in the last 5-10% of the book (an issue which I see in some thrillers). Typically, I struggle when there are too many narrators or styles, but in this case the transition between narrators was clear and purposeful, without delaying too much of the plot.

My biggest complaint was that one of the characters was revealed as unreliable too early in the book! I would have been so shocked by their reveal and turn of events if a single sentence had been cut from the first third of the book. But instead, I saw some of the plot twists for this character coming, which ruined the surprise for me,

Overall, this was an interesting and exciting thriller-mystery that I foresee as a fan-favorite for your mom's book club next year! I definitely recommend.

This story did not hold my attention quite like her others, which sucks because I had such high hopes. Also I’m a mood reader so that could have affected my first read. That to say - I’ll definitely try again, perhaps on audio! Told from alt POV with some media involved as well. A lot of whodunnit and greed and twists.

Thank you Rachel Hawkins, St Martins Press, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review! The Heiress will be available January 9th, 2024.

I love Rachel Hawkins writing style. The way she is able to to simultaneously tell two stories at a time and then combine them in the end is unparalleled. I still can't decide if I love Ruby or hate her as a character. I didn't guess one of the major twists in the end, which is something I love when it comes to thrillers/suspense books. The characters in this book are definitely different compared to her characters in her previous ones. I loved the letters and how they told Ruby's story. The pacing was a little off in the beginning, but I think its because we have to learn a lot about Ruby before the plot can start progressing faster. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend giving this one a read when it comes out!

This is the newest addition to my list of all-time favorites. I tore through this and loved every twisty page. This has the gothic atmosphere and darkly fascinating story that I could not put down.

I am a huge Rachel Hawkins fan and this book incorporates so much of what she does so well. There are excerpts of news articles and magazine stories, multiple character points of view, intriguing characters, and wicked good plot lines.

I was thrilled to receive an ARC from the publisher. I was looking forward to reading this book and believed I would enjoy it, but I am simply delighted with how much I loved this read.

She’s only cryptic and Machiavellian bc she cares!

I enjoyed the twists here, and really loved the protagonist. Was she devious? Yes, but in a way that felt so compelling to me that I couldn’t look away. My only complaint is that I liked the present perspective a lot more than I liked the letters… which had me glued at some pages and trying to speed read through others.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @stmartinspress for the eArc!

This sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun to read, BUT it was probably my least favorite book by this author, and I wasn’t captivated by the story at all.

But, I must give credit where credit is due.

Many authors can write an entertaining book that is ruined by a terrible ending, but this time, an average story was somewhat redeemed by a CLEVER denouement, which earned it the extra .5 ⭐️

The Heiress spins and churns with secrets and scandal, centering on the wealthy McTavish family and its notorious matriarch, Ruby, who was kidnapped as a child and miraculously returned to her family only to grow up and develop an infamous reputation for very different reasons than her childhood disappearance (she was widowed four times over!) The story takes place in past and present timelines, spilling through a dead woman's lips in the form of revelatory letters from Ruby about her storied life and the current circumstances of Ruby's adopted, estranged son Camden. Camden wants nothing to do with his family, but his wife Jules is weirdly obsessed with getting Camden back into the familial fold despite his reluctance to reconnect with his shady relatives and tragic legacy...and claim his inheritance. Although Camden and Jules are clearly devoted to each other, you learn that they are both withholding secrets from each other, and while that would seem like the worst time to reconnect with your shady cousins in their creepy old mansion and attempt to stake your claim on the whole den of vipers, we probably wouldn't have much of a story if they didn't, right? And it was a pretty twisty, captivating story too, right up til the end, which I thought was exceedingly clever.

This is my third Rachel Hawkins book and I truly expected it to follow the predecessors but this is something new. It seems to be marketed as a thriller, but it's more central genre is family drama and all the secrets they are hiding from each other, more akin to a mystery. I truly liked it, even if it wasn't what I was expecting when starting this book.

Camden McTavish is the adopted son of the notorious Ruby McTavish, a heiress to an enormous fortune and a famous mansion named the Ashby House in a small town. Ruby has had her own celebrity status due to being kidnapped at a young age, and later marrying and being widowed by four different men. Ruby's nickname behind closed doors was Mrs. Kill-more. His mother had passed and Camden has been ignoring his remaining family after he inherited the fortune that he wants nothing to do with. He had married and created a separate life for 10 years, but our book starts when he returns to Tavistock with his wife, Jules. The remaining McTavish family includes Ruby's sister Nelle, and her grandchildren Ben and Libby, Camden's cousins. Those three are extremely upset at being cut out of the will and wanting Camden's inheritance over anything.

This book jumps between Jules and Camden's perspectives, letters that Ruby wrote to an undisclosed person, and news articles about Ruby's life. We learn more about her husbands through these letters as Camden and Jules return to Ashby House, where Jules loves it and Camden wants nothing more than to leave. Every person in this story is hiding secrets, with Ruby's entire life shrouded in mystery. Her stories and the writing style reminded me of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, not that they are extremely comparable, but that is the same style of writing when hearing Ruby talk about her life and each husband.

I really liked the last couple of twists at the end and I enjoyed the two main characters. For the most part, a lot of their motivations are hidden and there's secrets everywhere that Camden and Jules have both hidden from each other. By the end of this book, you don't really like anyone except for Camden and Jules (although she is debatable). The super fun part of this book was just hearing about Ruby's life and watching as all of the secrets came out and the next twist. It was super fast paced with good pacing and each chapter jumped between all the different POVs in a way that had me turning the page.

I'm a little frustrated with Camden's secrets at the end, because it really wasn't that "huge" or comparable to any of the family members and Jules. But I would say the ending is really good and I overall really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Woah. There was a LOT going on in this book. It’s a murderous Evelyn Hugo meets Knives Out in a twisty mystery novel of greatness!!

Cam and his wife Jules are estranged from Cam’s wealthy adopted family. However, Cam’s mother Ruby, an enigma in herself, has left the family fortune to Cam much to the anger of her sister and her sister’s children. He hasn’t once for the last 10 years used any of the fortune. He gets called to return to the house by his cousin to work through some of the finances.

We get a dual story line through Ruby’s letters. Ruby herself was the victim of a kidnapping as a child. She had four husbands- each of them dying under suspicious circumstances. Through Ruby’s letters we find out the truth behind her past and her husbands.

As Cam and Jules spend more time at the family estate, Cam wants nothing more than to leave. His family is awful and they have always treated Cam like an outsider. However, Jules is falling further and further in love with the estate and the fortune left to Cam. Will they claim the fortune or run for the hills?

This book was such a fun roller coaster to read! I didn’t guess the twist and was thoroughly engaged throughout the story. I was glad to be stuck in this web of lies and try to figure out who was hiding what:)

Five stars for The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins! I really enjoyed this family drama thriller. It had a great format with dual POVs and epistolary elements that added a lot to the narrative. The story was compelling and the characters were believable. I loved the story within the story of Ruby's husbands....and the slow build towards the very twisty end.

I love Rachel Hawkins' writing style - I couldn't put the book down and was happy with the very satisfying ending. A quick and fun read that I definitely recommend!

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This may be my favorite Rachel Hawkins yet - it felt more twisted and wicked in some ways than her previous novels. The theme is “rich people getting away with shit” and I was fully engaged for the entire 4 hours it took me to fly through this read. A missing/stolen toddler, mysteriously dead husbands, vicious family members, an inheritance worth killing for - trust no one. Believe no one.

Except me when I tell you to read this book.

The background of this story is almost a character in itself. I loved the ugliness and the beauty between the character's actions and thoughts. I think my only downvote that didn't push to five stars was that the writing felt like it was for YA and not so much like a contemporary like Rachel Hawkins normally writes. I enjoyed the multiple points of view and duel timeline and you can always get me with rich people acting a fool. A page turner that I recommend!

I really enjoyed this one! I liked the characters & the setting. Very Evelyn Hugo vibes! I highly recommend!

4.5 / 5 ⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

When I say I was staring at my screen in shock and surprise after almost every chapter I was. Rachel did not disappoint the book was full of twists and turns and family drama!! Don’t even get me started!

To be one of my first books I’ve read by Rachel Hawkins I will say I am not disappointed!

The book had me sitting there putting things together trying to figure out what the end would be!

Overall this book kept me on my toes and was a good and quick read!

For some reason I am eternally chasing the high that her first book gave me. Not to say this book is BAD by any stretch, but I really wanted another Wife Upstairs and have yet to get it.

WOW. Is all I can say or want to say. SO GOOD. I was confused for awhile wondering what the point was and then it started coming together and I thought I had it figured out. And DID NOT. So many plot twists. So so good. Just wow.

The stories about Ruby McTavish have spanned a tremendous number of years from her disappearance as a little girl, to the many husbands she has had and lost, to her final demise. Cam McTavish, her adopted son, decided 10 years ago that he needed to put distance between him and his famous "mom." But now, Cam and his wife Jules are headed back to North Carolina. Ruby is gone, and now with another family member passing, Cam, is called back to deal with the finances and home that Ruby left him. He wants nothing to do with it. Jules, however, is excited to see the mansion he grew up in and the life he left behind. She sees possibility here, if she could just convince him to change his mind. However, as some secrets come to life, new danger grows for Cam and Jules. Will they get out of this home intact?

Rachel Hawkins spins another tale filled with one twists after another. This is the first book in a while where I had no clue about what was coming down the pike as I turned the pages. She did a great job with this page turner. The change of point of view between Jules, Camden and Ruby gives helped the story take shape. I loved the way she had Ruby's point of view come through letters she wrote, that were later seen by Camden. It was a nice change of pace.

This book is a quick, enjoyable read, that is hard to put down. Definitely one to add to your TBR list. I can't wait for Hawkins' next book!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.