In this gripping novel, “The Heiress," the narrative unfolds through the voices of Camden, Ruby's adopted son, and his wife Jules. Interwoven with intriguing snippets from news articles about the infamous kidnapping of Ruby McTavish, the story keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Jules, married to Cam for a decade, conceals her deep involvement in Cam's family history, while Cam himself guards secrets from Jules. As a child, Cam endured a tumultuous upbringing with the McTavishes after being adopted by Ruby. Despite their cruelty, he eventually escapes their clutches and starts a new life in a distant state, leaving the dark past behind. However, fate forces him to return to the family estate as the sole heir, where he unravels the web of family mysteries.

The atmosphere of the grand mansion, shrouded in secrets, initially seems familiar, but the plot takes an intense turn during the final quarter of the book. Surprising revelations surface, shedding new light on the previously perceived truths, leaving readers astounded.

"The Heiress" boasts a compelling storyline that keeps readers engrossed, evoking a sense of suspense and foreboding throughout. The characters, though easy to despise due to their actions, are also profoundly human and complex, making redemption a challenging journey for most, except for the resilient and relatable figure of Camden.

In summary, "The Heiress" is a captivating read, where secrets and lies intertwine to create a riveting tale of dark family legacies and unexpected twists. It is my favourite Rachel Hawkins book so far!

Cam is heir to his family's fortune, but doesn't want anything to do with it. After years, Cam and his wife Jules return to the family's mansion and the twists keep coming from there. I loved this book and couldn't wait to hear how it ended.

I really enjoyed this book. At about 60% I started flying through the pages to see what was going to happen. I loved the family rivalry, murder, and secrets. Just when you think you got a grip on what was going on, it got flipped a little. Very happy to have read this one before its published!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

I couldn't wait until January to read this after going over the synopsis and absolutely loving it. I have read each of Rachel Hawkins' thrillers every year, and each time they're such a good time. I loved this book because it was set in North Carolina, a place I am very familiar with, and it had the absolute best atmosphere. I liked how the book would alternate between Cam, Jules, and Ruby's letters. I read this book lightning fast because I needed to see what was going to happen, and although I read a lot of thrillers, there was enough unpredictability that I was hooked and entertained. I feel like this is a book that I will come back and reread, and I can't wait to see what Rachel Hawkins writes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Heiress is Rachel Hawkins's latest twisty novel and it does not disappoint! She has become one of my favorite authors and as soon as I hear about a new book, I immediately have to get my hands on it. Cam and Jules were great main characters, morally gray yet I could still understand their motivations based on their pasts and who they came from. I also loved the setting of the Ashby House in the NC mountains. There is something so beautiful but dangerous about the Appalachians and I understand that feeling of wanting the peace that comes from those mountains, but recognizing that it can be dangerous. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of Southern Gothic fiction.

Solid 'twistery' genre novel (mysteries you know will have multiple twists). I've read several Rachel Hawkins books so I knew what the feel of the book was likely to be and it didn't disappoint. This one kept my attention better than some of her others that were a bit whacky (although still enjoyable). For some reason this one felt slightly more realistic than others? Perhaps in light of real world current events with uber rich families it felt like this could all actually happen. That said, I got Evelyn Hugo vibes (intentional or not) with Ruby's character, which felt a bit meh, especially since I adored that book and Evelyn's character (and I did not love Ruby). I'm rounding my review up to a 4 because this story really did keep me captivated, even if it felt slightly uninspired at points.

THE HEIRESS
BY: RACHEL HAWKINS

About 4.5 Stars!

This latest mystery called, "The Heiress," is Rachel Hawkins latest novel and is being marketed as a thriller and mystery, but I would categorize it more as a dysfunctional family drama. Most of this family is really despicable and I ended up liking one character. I ended up loving it a lot more towards the ending than I did in the beginning. So overall when the last portion was read it elevated the entire reading experience to 4.5 stars. I almost passed on this even though I have loved this author's previous works, especially "Reckless Girls," because the synopsis didn't sound appealing to me. I'll admit it that I thought the pacing was uneven.

It was slow going in the beginning and I was saying to myself that I have to force myself to read this since I requested it, but having finished it, the payoff overall was worth it. Nothing is as it seems so there are wonderful twists that deliver revealing things that promise to make this a must read especially if you enjoy a good mystery. This is one of those rare gems that after you finish it you appreciate it all the more.

Ruby McTavish has been married four times and she has become a widow four times. What really happened to each of her husbands? Did they die of natural causes or was there foul play involved? Was Ruby kidnapped when she was three years old? Did she get safely returned to her family?

Camden is called home by his cousin after his uncle died. Camden has been happily married to Jules for ten years and living in Colorado. He is an English teacher about to become a multimillionaire, but he doesn't want anything to do with his family home in North Carolina or the money. His wife Jules doesn't understand why he is so dead set against claiming the life where they both would be financially better off. Camden is the adopted son of Ruby. The story comes from letters written from Ruby, and also from Camden's and Jules point of views in alternating chapters. The chapters are short which make this story read very fast.

I'm so glad that I read this which is a favorite of 2023! I highly recommend this to those who enjoy mysteries.

Publication Date: January 9, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheHeiress #RachelHawkins #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Cam returns to Ashby House, the place where he grew up, with his wife Jules. Cam wants nothing to do with Ashby House, his relatives, or his inheritance. As Jules learns some of his family’s secrets, she is even more determined for her husband to claim everything his notorious mother, Ruby “Kill-more” McTavish, left him.
The Heiress is a new thriller written by Rachel Hawkins, which will be coming out in January 2024. This book is full of scandals, secrets, and money. This is the second book that I have read by Rachel Hawkins and I really liked it. The setting and the plot was good. The plot twists and reveals were really good s well. I didn’t even see them coming. This book also had dual POV’s and featured various letters from Ruby scattered throughout it. This book would be good for fans of Daisy Darker. I would recommend this to other people. I really enjoyed it and gave it 4/5 stars. I didn’t give it 5 because it didn’t have a creepy aspect to it, which is something I like in thrillers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I didn't want to stop reading this book. In fact, I'm writing this at 1:30 a.m. because I settled into bed, expecting to read a chapter before going to sleep...but I ended up reading the whole final third of the book.

I'm a sucker for any story with a spooky house full of secrets. One thing that bothered me initially is that we get the story from three perspectives, and all of them withhold information while also heavy hinting that they have information the reader would want to know.

There are a lot of leading lines like, "But im getting ahead of myself, well get to that later." Or, "But that's a secret I'll never tell..."

I got over that around halfway through when more information starts flowing. But towards the beginning, it annoyed me because, yeah, of course there's more. Thats kind of the point of the book?

I like how many of the characters understand each other, recognizing their xomplexities because they are themselves complex people with different faces. I'm not sure if I like any of the characters, but I like the relationships and how the characters play off each other.

"The Heiress" by Rachel Hawkins captivated me from the beginning to the end. I enjoyed the intricate web of mystery, romance and intrigue that kept me turning the pages. I love a book with short chapters and found myself continually saying, "Just one more chapter," only to have read many more before finally setting it aside to complete other things in my daily life. I also liked the book having three different points of view and wish I had been able to learn more about Ruby while she was alive.

I have read other books by Hawkins and will continue to read more. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this advanced copy for review.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this arc. Rachel Hawkins is one of my favorite suspense/mystery authors and fully enjoyed this. I loved the vibes and the twist was so good!

What a page turner - even though this wasn’t necessarily a thriller, but more about family drama. I don’t want to give away the plot, but this one had me on the edge of my seat, wanting to read “just one more chapter…” filled with twists, mysteries, and family secrets that make you want to keep on reading. I wish this had been more of a thriller, also could’ve done without the swearing, but overall I enjoyed it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. This is my favorite book out of Rachel Hawkins books. The plot and twists in this book were really good.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this boom.

my first netgalley review!! i really enjoyed this book. ruby reminded me of a murderous evelyn hugo when it came to her husbands. usually, you expect a thriller to have one major twist. hawkins brilliantly incorporated several. there was the perfect amount of humor and romance as well! my only (very small) critique is i had a hard time picturing jules for a large portion of the story until she was described as having blonde hair, big eyes, etc. in the middle of the book. other than that the imagery, especially with nature and the grandness of the house, was outstanding. the cover is absolutely gorgeous as well. overall i’m giving it a 4/5. this is the first rachel hawkins book i’ve read, and i am ready to dive into more! thank you to st. martin’s press for giving me a chance to review this!

This book, what can I say? I devoured this book in two sittings. It had me wanting more each chapter I read. This story is filled with deception, secrets, greed, and murder. Everything you could want from a psychological thriller. Every single character has something to hide. When Jules and Camden return to the Ashby house in North Carolina, secrets began to unravel, and I felt like I couldn’t trust any of the characters. The twists were unexpected and the lies intertwined. The ending had me a little confused but overall a great book. Highly recommend.

Rachel Hawkins is a new author for me. I love her writing style. Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this novel. I was not disappointed.

Wow! This was good! I‘ve been in a bit of a reading slump and this one did the trick! It reminded me a little bit of „The 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo“ mixed with the house of „The Inheritance Games“ and the secrets of a solid mystery novel. I loved the characters, so likable, yet deeply flawed.

Ruby McTavish is this rich, notorious and might have killed all 4 of her husbands. Once she dies, she leaves it all behind to her adopted son Cam, who does not want the money or contact to the remainder of the family. 10 years later after the death of his uncle, Cam and his wife Jules make their way back home. The story follows Cam and Jules, but letters of Ruby sharing her side of the story are included and make this story more compelling and juicy. Secrets of the now and then are revealed and of course, nobody is as innocent as they seem. I loved the characters, so likable, yet deeply flawed. Ruby was such an interesting character. The intrigue of being the heiress with the back drop of Ashby house was just *chefs kiss*. Highly recommend!

Big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin‘s press for the advanced readers copy!

I have read all Of Rachel Hawkins previous books and have enjoyed it. I really wanted to love this one but it was a little bit confusing to me and I felt no connection to the characters.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Pub day: January 9, 2024

This is my 3rd book of Rachel Hawkins. I read Reckless girls and The villa. I enjoyed both books. They were in Epic setting. But I felt both books needed stronger ending. This book was different from previous two books I read.

I loved different POVs and reading about Ruby’s love story. It gave me a vibe of seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo little bit. But with suspense and little twist at the end!!!

Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s press for the ARC. If you like historic fiction and suspense, I highly recommend this book.

3.5 rounded up. This book took me a little while to get into, but once I did, it was a fast and fun read. Let's get something straight - every character is hiding secrets and every character is kind of terrible. BUT, if you love rich people behaving badly sub-genre, then you'll love this book from Rachel Hawkins. It is like if Rebecca by Daphne DuMarnier and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo had a baby in the twenty-first century.

Things I liked: The family ancestral home - Ashby House - in rural North Carolina was itself a character. Some of the descriptions were a bit heavy-handed, but the house definitely came alive and played an important part.
Like I said - everyone has secrets (or thinks they have secrets) and it takes a while for these to be revealed. But the multiple POVs (more on that in a minute) helped to keep the story moving. Ruby's POVs were my favorite.
I sort of guessed the ending - at least part of it. But not all of it, which usually doesn't happen in a thriller (for me).

Things to Consider: There are MANY POVs. Most of which are in first person - Jules, Camden, Ruby. On top of that there are also emails in first person and newspaper/blog articles - some of which are in first person. I got used to the format (it sort of follows a pattern), but on an ereader it was a little hard to decipher at first. I'm curious to see what the physical copy looks like. Camden and especially Jules break the fourth wall and talk directly to the reader, again channeling the gothic vibes of yore. I didn't love this, but it was consistent and worked pretty well.
The climax was basically told in flashback during the epilogue which took me out of the scene a little bit (although I understand she wanted to keep it another mystery for longer). The last two lines were a bit unnecessary and pedantic in my opinion, but others might like them. They do bring up some good ethical questions.

Overall I really like this book!

I guess I'm in residence on Outliers' Island. Let me lean in here.

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is built with all the bells and whistles. We have mysterious characters with questionable backgrounds and secrets locked away in musty old trunks. We receive the loose wires of shock every now and then to float this storyline. But, dear readers, is it enough?

We find ourselves in Tavistock, North Carolina nestled within the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's 1943 and a three year old girl is missing at the site of a family picnic. Ruby McTavish was last seen by her nanny sitting on the picnic blanket as the nanny was loading the car. Ruby McTavish vanished into thin air.

Now Ruby's daddy wasn't just anybody's daddy. Mason McTavish was a highly successful lumber baron. He hired the finest of private detectives and three years later Ruby was found living with a family not far away. She was kidnapped and that daddy went to jail until he tried to escape......

Ruby went on to become a society darling and wed 4 times. Each husband had an untimely death. Ruby never put away her widow wardrobe.. But she eventually adopted a young boy to fill her emptiness. This is where we meet Camden.

Camden and his wife, Jules, live in Golden, Colorado. Camden never fully told Jules of his early beginnings......until now. Cam walked away from a 9 figure fortune as the sole heir of Ruby's treasure. But now Cam is forced back to Ashby House and its miles of acreage after ten years in order to settle the unsettled. He dreads walking back into this hell hole once again.

And here's where we shake out the dust bunnies from under the beds of the manor. Hawkins has created the most despicable creatures on two legs disguised as humans. Yes, this is the McTavish Clan. And they reside within the walls of Ashby House demanding their fair share. Cam, why oh why, would you want to crawl back into this snakepit?

The setup is told in revolving chapters by Cam, Jules, and Ruby so we get different perspectives. Ruby tells her side through lengthy letters to Cam before her death. Ruby aims to be shocking and she is. But we're floating in this thick soup of people who are only self-serving and hate-filled. That becomes bothersome after a time.

I usually rate a book after the dust settles from the last page. What was I left with? Quite a bit of indifference. I honestly wasn't cheering for anybody in this band of McTavish inmates. Rachel Hawkins can write. It could have been a solid 4 Stars, but the McTavish crew needed an extra rinse cycle. It's still a good read at 3 Stars. I recommend you walk through the halls of Ashby House and flip on the lights.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to
Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity.