Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is a twisty, atmospheric thriller that follows the story of a wealthy Southern family with dark secrets lurking beneath their polished facade. The novel centers on Ruby McTavish, a reluctant heiress who inherits a vast fortune along with the burdens of her family’s troubled legacy. Hawkins weaves a suspenseful tale filled with unreliable narrators, family intrigue, and psychological tension, keeping readers on edge as secrets slowly unravel. With vivid characters and a haunting setting, The Heiress offers a captivating mix of gothic mystery and psychological drama, perfect for fans of dark, character-driven thrillers.

A kidnapping. Letters sent to an anonymous recipient. A son who wants nothing to do with his inheritance and the mystery surrounding it. Until he’s forced to face his demons head on.
After swearing he was done with the McTavish name and fortune, Camden moves to a small town in Colorado where he lives with his wife, Jules. After his uncle passes away, Cam is forced to return to the famous Ashby House in order to get his affairs in order. Haunted by the ghost of his adopted mother, Ruby, and her past, Cam soon realizes that there is more at stake than simply an inheritance.

I really enjoyed the format of this book. We learn about the Ruby kidnapping early on and get to know more about it as the story progresses. We also get to know Ruby’s life, and how she came to be infamous in her own right, through letters she writes to an unknown recipient. These were the couple of plot lines that kept me intrigued with the book. A lot of the plot twists were predictable, but I definitely found myself saying “OMG” by the end of the book. The last 25% of this book saved the star rating for me for sure. Otherwise this likely would have been a 2 star read.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This may be my favorite Rachel Hawkins book yet. I think I've said that about each and every one I've read.

With multiple points of view (Camden, Jules, Ruby through letters and newspaper clippings) we get a sense of both the past and present of Ashby house and Ruby's backstory. You get a sense that there are things both Camden and Jules are hiding, so aren't sure if they are reliable or unreliable narrators. It has strong gothic vibes from the setting, the mystery and the tension.

Rachel Hawkins writes exactly the kind of thrillers I like to read- generally light, fast, intriguing, & twisty. The multiple POVs were so good, the characters were well written. Another personal hit from Hawkins. Also, I liked this on audio!

I will literally read anything that Rachel Hawkins puts out. I don’t think there has been a single book of hers that I haven’t enjoyed, and this was no exception.
There are 3 main POVs in this novel. The first is Camden, the Ruby’s adopted son and the inheritor of her estate. The second is Jules, Camden’s wife. And the third is Ruby, the heiress. Ruby’s perspective, however, is written through letters that she left behind that chronicles her life and the many husbands she had. The book melds together the black widow stereotype with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, mixed with the Charles Lindbergh kidnapping and a touch of Riley Sager’s The Only One Left. And it all works. It truly does. I loved trying to piece together the puzzle that was Ruby throughout the book. I think I enjoyed her sections the most. I found her incredibly compelling and was always so excited to read her chapters.

The relationship between Camden and Jules is sweet, but as the story progresses you come to understand exactly how complicated their relationship is and how complicated Camden’s history is with the McTavish family. Camden’s adopted family are truly the worst of people and with Camden being the exact opposite, it’s really easy to root for him and understand his angst about letting it all back into his life after having gotten away from them all.

I don’t even want to reveal too much because I don’t want to give anything away. This was a deliciously twisty thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I have loved all of this author’s books, but this one is SO good! There were many gasp out loud moments and tension throughout. Definitely recommend!

Ok I am late to the game on this one (as per usual), but here goes anyway. I read The Heiress back in January and generally found it to be an enjoyable experience. The setting absolutely rocks and I thought the plot was well paced. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives but the characters, apart from Ruby, fell a little flat for me. That said, I have a feeling this book would be amazing on audio. ⁣
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I genuinely always enjoy this author’s work, both her thrillers and romances, but this wasn’t my fave of hers. Still a good and enjoyable read though! Recommend for those who love books about old money, Evelyn Hugo but make it thriller-y, family dramas, etc. ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read!

This one will have you swiping pages so quickly, your kindle won't know what happened! A twisty tale of past meets present that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Well done, as Rachel Hawkins always does!

I enjoyed this story. Intrigue and the posh lifestyle all together. I figured some of the twists out, but still liked the story. Good ending to a fun thriller.

This was a rather interesting book, I love how it is told in different perspectives. Some of the twists were easy to come by, but it did not take anything away from the book for me. Seeing what family will do to keep what is theirs in the family, it gives you such a bumpy ride. Especially when it comes to Ruby. She was truly something else. Jules was alright, but Cam....that poor guy. I do not know what I would do if I was in that boat. This is my first time reading a Rachel Hawkins book, and this book made me want to read more from her.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is my favorite book by her so far. It mixes cozy mystery with darker themesThe story features complex characters, secrets, and lies, all told through a mix of past and present narratives, including letters and newspaper articles. The main characters are Jules and Camden, but the standout is Ruby McTavish Callahan, the heiress, who is dead yet steals the show. Ruby was incredibly wealthy, became famous as a child after being kidnapped, and had four husbands who all died. She shares her story through letters, adding a layer of mystery.

In terms of the plot, it revolves around uncovering family secrets and catching up on Ruby’s story, told in her unique style. I loved the book’s atmosphere. It has an old-fashioned mystery vibe, with exaggerated characters except for Jules and Camden, who feel more grounded. The story features lots of backstabbing and has a gothic feel, set in Ashby House, a decaying mansion surrounded by forest and cliffs. The over-the-top elements are engaging, and the reveals and secrets are perfectly timed. Hawkins maintains tension by surprising readers with twists.

In conclusion, I have no criticisms. I loved this book from start to finish. It has plenty of twists and a satisfying ending. If you’re looking for something dark or brutal, this isn’t it, but I highly recommend it for a captivating tale of secrets and lies.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this excellent book!

Twists and turns galore in this family drama mystery! This book was told from multiple points of view. I was fully engrossed and did not see the ending coming!

This was a fun and atmospheric read. When I first picked this one up it was a “right book, wrong time” situation and boy am I glad I decided to pick it up again. The Heiress is a domestic thriller full of scandal and secrets. I love a thriller about wealthy families, and this did not disappoint. This is Rachel Hawkins at her finest!

We read this for book club last month and it was liked by everyone. It was an easy read but had good mystery and kept everyone engaged. Great story!

The Heiress is a back-stabbing, dysfunctional family drama wrapped in Southern Gothic.

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore’s life was unlike others. She was kidnapped and returned as a child, widowed four times, and earned the title “Mrs. Kill-more,” the wealthiest woman in North Carolina. The story presents questions and answers to the rumors following Ruby’s childhood disappearance, what happened to her four husbands’ mysterious circumstantial deaths, and why she adopted her son, Camden.

It has been ten years since the complicated legacy and matriarch of Ashby House died. Her estate passed down to her adopted son, Camden, who, upon her death, fled across the country and started a new life, wanting nothing to do with Ashby House or the McTavish clan. Now, summoned back to Ashby House with his wife, Jules, he must confront deep, dark, dysfunctional family secrets to claim what is rightfully theirs.

The fast-paced tale unfolds from the alternating perspectives of Camden, Jules, and Ruby through a series of tell-all letters, along with articles and clippings from various magazines and newspapers throughout Ruby’s life. Alternating from the present to the past, the stories unfold inner secrets and raise more questions about the infamous heiress's life.

The McTavish estate, Ashby House, sets the creepy mood with Ruby’s portrait hung at the top of the stairs, always watching over the house full of family members. The remaining McTavish family members live in this magnificent home in the tiny town of Tavistock. The estate is set back from the rest of the world high in the Blue Ridge mountains with “no shortage of natural beauty” breath-taking views, sprawling grounds, and woods with hiking trails, leaving the McTavishes in a world belonging to them gripped by their estate. Ashby House holds the secrets, and “if [the] family can’t bring you home, maybe the house can” to keep the family and their secrets close.

After Cam and Jules arrive at Ashby House, they realize the complicated inheritance that bonds this family and stretches beyond the grave. Ruby narrates her story through letters when she is elderly, to an unknown recipient. The letters unfold her life’s story and what transpired during her four controversial marriages and scandalous childhood. “Family is a complicated word,” and the reader questions what makes a family. Cam and Jules also carry secrets from each other, adding to the complication of understanding their character's motives.

The Heiress is an entertaining read with its short chapters. Ruby’s narrative was more captivating than Cam’s and Jules’s perspectives. Finally, towards the end, Jules’ and Cam’s voices are less interchangeable, highlighting all the secrets kept from each other—the unfolding of the narrative, the secrets, and the back-stabbing add to the enjoyment. However, I didn’t find the story as suspenseful as anticipated with a thriller.

“I had gotten away with murder, and I was glad for it.”

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Rachel Hawkins, for an eARC of this copy. Publication date: January 9, 2024. @stmartinspress @NetGalley

This was an enjoyable read. The storyline jumped through time in between POVs from Cam, Jules and Ruby. I mostly enjoyed Ruby’s POV as it was told from letters from the past. It kind of gave me “The Seven Husband’s of Evelyn Hugo” vibes as she wrote about her unsettling past with her ex-husbands and their mysterious deaths. I live for an untrustworthy, murderous MC. She was the reason I kept turning the pages of this book.

However, when we jumped to the POV of Came and Jules, I realized I didn’t care much for them. I only kept reading to hopefully gain more insight on Ruby’s life. She made this book and I didn’t enjoy the parts where she wasn’t involved. However, this was a book that I did enjoy since I did love “The Heiress” herself.

I had to DNF this one after getting a quarter of the way through. I didn’t find it enjoyable and found it hard to connect with the narrator.

I very much enjoyed my time reading this book! It was overall fun and twisty and kept me sucked in from beginning to end! This was my first Rachel Hawkins book and I’ll definitely be adding more from her to my TBR!

The different timelines and POVs in this book kept me in total suspense from beginning to end. I loved all of the family drama involved and the house where most of the story took place really set a creepy atmosphere. Overall this book was so well thought out. As each piece of the puzzle began to click for me, I had to take a second to appreciate the reveal and how brilliantly it fit into the story.

Highly recommend this one to anyone who thrives on a dysfunctional family - if you’re missing Dynasty, this one is for you! The creepy vibes make it a perfect fall read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

When Camden was adopted by an incredibly wealthy widow, he would have never thought that upon her death he would inherit her fortune even after abandoning the family many years prior. The only catch to gaining his inheritance? Returning to Ashby House to face his family alongside his wife, who he’s been desperate to protect from them.

And there was this darkness that seemed to cling to me, a past that people only ever spoke about in whispers. A suspicion, even inside my own heart, that I had been placed in the wrong life, living out a role written for someone else.

Ruby McTavish death left her family in limbo. Her adopted son Camden whom she left her estate to moved far away to Colorado to avoid the toxity of his family. However, 10 years later, a wife and a pull to come back home to the house that has haunted him, he hopes to have some closure and maybe a way out.

The narration is done in 3 voices- letters from Ruby- you don't know who they are addressed to but you assume to her son. Camden who in my opinion has been the victim of mind games. He is sorting thru his mother's letters and to be done with this family. Jewel, Camden's wife who is a big question mark. Why is her voice so important? You will find out in the surprising end.

Needless to say, the narration was done well. It kept me engaged has the onion was being peeled back in Ruby's crazy life and how it affected everyone around her including Jewel. Satisfying read.

A special thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I enjoyed this book more than the Wife Upstairs by the same author. It was enjoyable, however, I feel like it suffers from being very predictable and forgetable. I think new readers to thrillers novels will enjoy it, but it does not stick out in the genre to me. Thank you for the copy to review for my bookstore!